PS3 to Hit Europe Soon After Japan
The PSP is continuing Sony's release trend, but the company says things will be different for PlayStation 3.
Hardware release dates are a sore spot for Europeans, who are still waiting on the arrival of the PSP this September, nearly a year after the handheld debuted in Japan. But if early talk is to be believed, you may be sitting down with your shiny, convex PlayStation 3 sooner than anyone would have thought.
Japanese gamers can expect to take delivery of Sony's new home console next spring, and while there are no firm plans yet, Sony is aiming to get it into Europeans' hands soon afterwards, according to a report by MCV. This would be much sooner than the pessimistic (some would say realistic) estimates of a March 2007 launch for PlayStation 3, which are based on the company's past handling of Europe.
Sony will want to make sure to pay Europe more attention in the future, as the region continues to expand. According to recent shipment figures, Europe is verging on overtaking the US to be become the biggest territory worldwide for PlayStation 2 sales.
But as the recent news of PSP hardware shortages shows, intentions are one thing, following through on them is quite another.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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