Thursday, October 05, 2006

PS3 North American launch delayed?



The PlayStation3 may not meet its scheduled November 17th launch, Codename Revolution claims to have heard from a distributor. The cause is, allegedly, the overheating issue.

It appears that the November 17 date is no longer fixed. According to the representative, due to the overheating and technical problems they had earlier this week (which had seen a drop in stocks), Sony may have to delay the Playstation 3 console itself in North America.

In other news, GamesRadar has commented on the PlayStation Portable, saying that the handheld has failed. They heard developers at this year´s Toky Game Show noting that the device was either failing, or had failed already.



Would Sony really delay the North American PS3 launch again? Take this rumour not just with a pinch of salt, bring a whole barrel and don´t skimp on the pepper, sage, rosemary and thyme. I will tell you flat out: I don´t believe a word of it. Why not? Because the consequences would be fatal.

If indeed Sony postponed their launch again, PS3 would be finished. Even before its launch, publishers would cancel projects and move them over to other consoles. Most have invested millions of US Dollars into the platform. They would not wait even longer until the already measly 400.000 units roll out and translate into installed hardware base and, hence, potential buyers. PlayStation3 would go the way of the Gizmondo, the console that never was.

Also, Sony would be finished. Investors and analysts would tear apart the company´s share value in mid-air. Tuesday already saw hundreds of millions of value gone. Another delay would cost Sony stock at least a billion. SCEI is Sony´s last cash cow. Its failure would bring down the entire Sony Corp. behemoth.

Those would undoubtedly be the consequences and that is precisely why I don´t believe a word of it. Sony knows the consequences would be fatal. They would rather churn out a higher degree of defective units than risk the wrath of the publishers and analysts.

Source: Codename Revolution
Thanks to: AtownKED, PSP Updates

19 comments:

Falafelkid said...

This is not really fit to be posted alongside the main post, because it is not representative, but ArsTechnica´s Opposable Thumbs blog has some impressions from the GameStop managers conference - and according to the few people they spoke to, it wasn´t Sony´s show (or Blu Ray´s, for that matter):

"I asked the regional manager about PS3 preorders," one told me "and he paused and then said he can't answer the question. He said there is a plan, but they can't talk about it; we should know in a week to two weeks." He started to sound tired. "Sony just didn't seem like they had a plan with the show. No plan at all. Barely a mention of the PS3, and almost nothing playable." (...)

"It's going to be ugly, there is no way this launch is going to go well."


That may be, but mark my words: PS3 will launch on November 17th.

Cyriel said...

i don't get it..
isn't sony just.... diging its own grave? ofcourse then can get over it. but the launch will be a hard kick in the face.. :s

Anonymous said...

I nearly jumped in my seat when I read the start of your post there... I agree with you, they couldn't possibly delay it further. The one advantage they have over the Wii at launch is the slightly earlier release... I'd think that they'd suffer like Microsoft did with the initial XBox 360s rather than pass up even that small advantage at this point.

Anonymous said...

falafelkid, I love your commentaries. You always have very insiteful opinions.

Here is how I see this issue:

Which would be worse: delaying the console or releasing faulty machines prematurely? If it is true that they are having big problems, it might be wise to delay the release again. Then they could at least fix the problems and have a couple of months to get the public relations machine rolling, and still hope for a successful launch.

On the other hand, releasing horribly flawed machines resulting in major recalls and thousands of dissatisfied consumers would spell disaster.

Bottom line: Either way, if the PS3 is really having these problems, it is bad news for Sony. BUT, delaying the system and working out the flaws might give the system a chance at a successful launch; launching a faulty console would be the nail in the coffin.

Anonymous said...

@ricky

In other words, whether Sony releases this console this year or the next, they're in a terrible situation.

Metaldave said...

Sounds like Sony will lose A LOT of money no matter what they do now. Obviously they will lose much more if they do delay the PS3, but people will stay away from it anyway due to the price and uncertain over-heating issues.

You combine this with the good news(rumor) that Nintendo could have almost 11 million(sounds wild I know) Wii's shipped by the end of the year and you will have Nintendo with a huge lead that Sony may not be able to overcome.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if this overheating issue is why Sony refused to release the PS3 in Europe. Afterall (correct me if i'm wrong) but the laws on warranties are different in the states. I know here in the UK if i were to buy a PS3 and it didn't work Sony would HAVE to fix it during the first 12 months no extra charge. I wouldn't HAVE to buy a warranty.

Anonymous said...

Sony won't delay the PS3 any further. For one simple reason. The reason is, if they don't have the PS3 on store shelves before Thanksgiving it won't be stocked until January. Nintendo Spoke up about this months ago. If they didn't get it out before Thanksgiving the retailer weren't going to stock it. Sony can't afford to wait till January.

Eithan said...

Sony says Europeans Don't Mind Waiting For the PS3

From the article:

The third "CE-Oh no" moment for Sony this week came out of the mouth of SCE World Europe VP, Jamie MacDonald, who was asked: "What would you say to consumers who like Sony and want to buy your products, but perhaps feel that because they're in Europe they're always last in line?" Apparently Jamie feels little love for his whiny constituency, since his clueless response was thus: "European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind that, because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan. In Europe, it doesn't seem that the release of our platforms after the US and Japan - in the long run - affects how consumers feel."

-Sweet Jesus! I think you actually have to put some effort into you PR campaign to suck that badly. Why don't they just save time and release a quick, short statement to the public.

Begin conference.

Sony: Hey gamers, f@ck you!

End conference.

Anonymous said...

Source = http://www.srtforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3960324&postcount=343

The Sony Song
[to the beat of My Name Is (Slim Shady), by Eminem]
Written by Abu Bamsry

Hi! My name is.. (what?) My name is.. (who?)
My name is.. [scratches] The PS3-ee
Hi! My name is.. (huh?) My name is.. (what?)
My name is.. [scratches] The PS3-ee

Ahem.. excuse me!
Can I have the attention of the world for one second?

[Sony Exec.:]
Hi kids! Do you like Massive Damage? (Yeah yeah yeah!)
Wanna see me hit that Monster Crab Guy in each one of its weak-spots (Uh-huh!)
Wanna be a fan-boy and buy exactly what I tell you? (Yeah yeah!)
Try play it and get fucked up worse our stock is? (Huh?)
That 8th Cell's dead weight, We're trying to get Blu-Ray straight
But we can't figure out which Third-Party we want to chase away (Ummmm..)
And Some Fan said, "PS3-ee is as good as dead!"
Uh-uhhh! "So why's your stock fallin'? Man you're barely crawlin'!"
Well since Beta-Max, We've felt like propietary is the way to go
Cause we lost our original designs after a drunken night with a transvestite
Got pissed off and ripped Wii and 360 ideas right off
And re-designed so hard we came up with PS3-mote, instead of Wii-mote
We use hacker root-kits, while stupid consumers throw fits
Faster than our Memory Sticks went down so fast
Gimme Dat! (Sony, wait a minute, that's a months pay!)
We don't give a fuck, we told you to work a little extra each day!

[Chorus]

[Sony Exec.:]
Our stock holders wanted us to release in '05
Don't hold out, next delay might be til 2035
We smacked fans in the face with "Launch = Some-Day", chased 'em with Blu-Ray
And the informed 'em that games cost $80 each (Owwwwwwww!)
Walked in the Expo Center, had our own clothes half-off
Waved over the reporters, to say "hey, its also a heat source"
Japanese Warrior, killing Giant Monster Crabs
In a re-enactment of a Historic War, screaming: "RIIIIIDGE RAAAAAAAAAAAACER!"
Ninety-nine percent of our products don't work
We just found out Mattel can probaly game better than we do (Damn!)
We told reporters it'd grow and be a famous console
Record sales beyond anything and we would give an interview (Oh thank you!)
We know they fell silent when we said just under 600 US
We tried to come back by screaming like lunatics at the fans (Aaahhhhhh!)
This reporter at TGS asked for our opinion of die-hard Sony Fans
(Dude, What do you think of Die HArd Sony Fans?)
So we said it: 'Fuck them Sir, but they'll buy what we tell 'em, ASSHOLES!'

[Chorus]

[Sony Exec.:]
Stop production! The Low-End version needs HDMI! (Get him!)
Spiderman, don't just film one, we need money, FILM MORE!
We're not ready to lose, it's too scary to go bankrupt (Fuck that!)
We'll have to be bought by Microsoft, only ones rich enough to keep us a float! (Huh yup!)
Are we launching or delaying? We can barely decide
We just found a fifth problem -- dare us to release? (Go ahead)
All our life We were very pathetic
We ain't sold a Trinitron in years, and our failures are too many to hide (Whoops!)
Batteries recalled like the Exploding Pintos (hachhh-too)
We lie when we talk, we'll fuck anyone that buys our stuff (C'mere)
When we were starting out we used to actually design and build our own chips.
HOW YOU GONNA BUY THAT FOR ME MOM? (WAH!)
YOU AIN'T GOT NO JOB! (WAHHH!)
We lay awake and think of ways to get your money
Create a future product so advanced, NASA can't finance it (BANG!)
PS3's steaming hot (OUCH! HOT!)
And by the way when you see your dad? (Yeah?)
Tell him that you need over 1000 bucks, for this dream system you have to have!

[Chorus]

Anonymous said...

Hi Falafelkid,

Have you seen the new COD 3 shotd ?

They look disappointing.
Why can't they just release some fair screenshots ?
Mario Galaxy and even Red Steel are in another league graphically.

This doesn't even match better looking Gamecube titles.

Anonymous said...

Wii people please realize that you have to be the most hypocritical people on the planet. Gameplay over graphics seems to be the mantra. Except when it comes to the lack of online gameplay. All of a sudden that doesn't matter.

To be honest, the Wii version looks like shite. I would expect that where the Wii is really going to shine will be in the first party department as always. In this area, they won't be competing against 360 and PS3 versions of the same game.

Of course this brings up my biggest complaint. The Wii should have been more powerful. I hate that I have to choose between the graphics of the 360 or the gameplay of the Wii. If Nintendo would have put out a system similar to the 360 in processing power, they could have had the best of both worlds. Instead they chose to build highly profitable system that is not up to par with their main competition. To say that they aren't competing with Sony and Microsoft is ridiculous. Of course they are. This game is a perfect example.

Again, as great as the Wii gameplay may be (and the jury is still out on that one for me until I play it), you can't tell me that you wouldn't want graphics and online capabilities to go along with that gameplay

M. Ferreira said...

Let me turn this one bit around:

"Instead they chose to build highly profitable system that is not up to par with their main competition. "

You sound OFFENDED by this. Nintendo isn't out to do you a favor. They're a business. GOOD businesses make money. BAD businesses bleed red ink before going out of business. :) "Razors and razor blades" economics is nice, but what do you do when the razor blades (games) suddenly don't make up for the razors (consoles)? Remember: MS's gaming division has only seen profit in ONE quarter since the XBox launched. Sony is currently bleeding red ink from a battery recall and stagnating sales. Nintendo, on the other hand, played it safe, went the status quo of (roughly) 2-3 times the past system's power, and is making a tidy profit. Which would YOU invest in on the open market*? :)

*Considering MS's GAMING division only. We know the rest of their machine prints money... but think of it this way: if you were an investor in MS [NOT a gamer] and you noticed that this XBox division was indeed bleeding red ink, would you be demanding that the company drop the line? :)

Anonymous said...

That was an excellent analysis, M. Ferreira. You are 100% correct.

Anonymous said...

@ fal: yes, the gizmondo was the console that never was, because it infact wasnt a console but a handheld :D

hehe sorry, i know what you meant ;)

well, honestly, i dont see why these rumours would be true. how could they have overseen this FUNDAMENTAL issue? i mean, a car-manufacturer wouldnt oversee that their motors are overheating. its just too fundamental to not check it from the very first second.

Anonymous said...

Hey everyone...
Can somebody tell me why we're not hearing anything about Disaster: Day of Crisis?
It's not even mentioned anymore in the software section on wii.com!
What's going on?! I'm really anticipating this game.

Anonymous said...

"Wii people please realize that you have to be the most hypocritical people on the planet. Gameplay over graphics seems to be the mantra. Except when it comes to the lack of online gameplay. All of a sudden that doesn't matter."

If the success of the WiFi capability of the DS is any indication, the Wii won't have any problems with multiplayer... once the damn stuff starts showing up, at least. It IS annoying that no online capable launch games will be available, though one can hope that games like Red Steel will leave themselves open to fixing this later with WiiConnect24...

As for graphics... the Wii isn't as poor as you're making it out to be. No, it ISN'T a low level supercomputer, but it IS a substantial improvement over the gamecube, a machine that produced some pretty solid visuals even in first generation games.

It's also just as high tech as it's competitors. You'll be hard pressed to find a machine that runs that fast while staying as small, while being very low on power consumption and heat. It appears to be a VERY slickly designed machine.

We'd be crazy to say that graphics and processing power doesn't matter. Graphics lend to immersion and facilitate gameplay, while processing power is often required for things such as advanced physics or AI. However, the Wii isn't a slouch in those categories, it's just not in the same league as the 360 and PS3.

I agree with everyone who says the CoD3 shots look like absolute crap. Red Steel (and even many Gamecube shooters!) show that first person shooters can look quite nice on the system... the crappy visuals they're showing on CoD3 and Far Cry are inexcusably bad. Bottom line: if they don't put some effort into making those games visually appealing, I'm not going to allow them to burn out my retinas!

Anonymous said...

Damn... that would be a crushing blow to Sony. They certainly can't afford to delay the PlayStation 3 especially in the States.

Sickr

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