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Sony delays PlayStation launch
Last updated at 10:52am on 06.09.06
The PlayStation 3 has been beset with delays
Sony is delaying the launch in Europe of its PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console by four months until March next year.
The company blamed delays in the production of a component for the PlayStation 3's new disc technology.
Sony had planned to launch the latest version of its blockbuster console in November, setting the three-way holiday-season showdown with Microsoft and Nintendo in the £15 billion video game market.
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Ken Kutaragi, the head of Sony's game unit, told a gathering of reporters that Sony still aimed to ship 6 million PS3 units worldwide by March despite pushing back the European launch.
He said: "We decided to focus on the Japanese and US markets. I am so sorry not to be able to answer to all the expectations.
"We've been working hard to try to tackle the problem, but we see the delay is inevitable."
Mitsubishi UFJ Securities last month cut by half its PS3 shipment forecast for the current business year ending March 31 to 3 million units, citing difficulties in procuring enough cutting-edge parts.
