Analyst: No PS3 in EU Till Spring '07

More crystal ball gazing, this time offering a more staggered release for Sony's next-gen powerhouse.

Earlier this year Sony issued a blunt statement reminding people that the PlayStation 3 was just months away and was on track to launch this spring. Spring, of course, refers to the console's Japanese launch, and now analysts are speculating when the rest of the world will taste its might.

Europeans could find themselves waiting until spring 2007 if Evan Wilson, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities is to be believed. Wilson's crystal ball also spewed out November as a possible US release date, with a million consoles ready for each launch, according to a report at Next Generation.

Such a long wait is nothing new to Europeans, who have only recently had to wait nine months to take delivery of the PSP. But as with Sony's portable, the issue is one of stock, something Microsoft has handily supplied an example of how not to approach it.

Already there is talk among analysts that Sony could take a more staggered approach to the PlayStation 3 launch than Microsoft did with the Xbox 360, mostly so that the same sort of chip production problems don't put the kibosh on the whole process.

On the other side of the aisle, Microsoft will be ecstatic with any breathing room it gets. A more spaced out release for the PlayStation 3 means that Microsoft has more time to push its Xbox 360 on customers, mainly in its biggest areas, North American and Europe. The company is hoping to have 4.5-5 million Xbox 360s sold worldwide by June.

Sony is, frustratingly, keeping mum on just about everything to do with the PlayStation 3, but the company is expected to get loud soon. The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is set for May in Los Angeles and Sony's next big thing is sure to be a major player at the event.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games