Sony Shoots Down PS3 Delay Rumours

Wil it or won't it? Sony's back with confirmation that the PlayStation 3 is indeed coming soon. Could the delay of the announcement have something to do with the next-gen Blu-ray drive?

There has been a lot of speculation recently about when the PlayStation 3 will launch and how much it will cost, and most of this is a direct result of Sony failing to offer solid info, leaving others to make their best guesses, much to the company's chagrin.

Last week US firm Merrill Lynch said the PlayStation 3 would likely hit this autumn, with the US following in late 2006 or early 2007. (Europe was not mentioned specifically, but similar rumours circled winter/spring 2007.)

Sony has come out to scupper the talk of delays. The company said yet again today that the PlayStation 3 would be out this spring (presumably in Japan first), says a report at the Times. The delayed announcement of precise launch details could be the fault of the console's Blu-ray drive. Sony is "waiting for the final specifications for some of the DVD technology within the PS3," the Times wrote this week.

As for the price, Merrill Lynch had some estimates of its own. By tallying up the costs of the parts that make up the PlayStation 3, the company came up with a production cost of $900 (£516). Of course, Sony has made a habit of selling its systems for much less than it makes them - as Microsoft has done with both Xboxes.

All that Sony has officially said about the price is that it will be "expensive". How expensive? We'll have to wait and see. Sony's Phil Harrison is set to give a keynote at the Game Developers Conference in March. Failing that, Sony will probably announce much more information at E3 in May.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games