Sony Fires Up PS3 Production

At least according to reports that have drawn the ire of the manufacturers in question.

There are around 120 days to go now before the PlayStation 3 makes its debut, and according to some reports, production of Sony's latest game system is already kicking in.

Chinese firm Asustek has starting pooling components and is due to deliver 200,000 PlayStation 3s this month already, according to unconfirmed reports out of China via Next Generation.

This is still just a slice of what will eventually be a pretty big cake. Sony said earlier this year that it would have 2 million PlayStation 3s ready for the console's worldwide launch in November and another 2 million by the end of the year.

The reports go on to say that more manufacturers are set to go online in August, which will boost production.

While Sony hasn't commented on the veracity of the reports, Asustek has warned the media that it would sue those publications that harmed its relationships with its clients, according to a separate report at Next Generation.

There are concerns that Sony will not deliver on its promises. Some of those are the result of recent comments from IBM, manufacturer of the Cell processor that drives the PlayStation3, that yields of the complex chip are low - in the 10 per cent range.

Sony's only comment on the issue of late is that it is still on track to have 2 million PlayStation 3s ready to go by November. Even then, though, most observers agree that it will sell out. As if to confirm this, several retailers are taking pre-orders with the caveat that delivery by Christmas cannot be guaranteed.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games