Confusion Ahead of PS3 Launch Plans

How much will the PS3 cost, and when will it arrive? Statements from Sony muddy the waters, but clarification is due next week.

The wait has been long for Europeans, who patiently sat back and watched as the PlayStation 3 launched in November, first in Japan and then in North America. Sony has been insistent that it is on track to hit its already delayed European release date, but in a recent interview the head of the company suggests otherwise.

When asked by CNet how well the PlayStation 3 would be doing by the end of March, Sony chief executive Sir Howard Stringer said:

"I think it's 6 million units [shipped] by the end of the quarter, worldwide. And then we have got the European launch in April, which is very important to us. I think we have 20 games out there. I assume we're going to increase the number of games."

But did he really mean April, or did he misspeak? Just last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony's Peter Dille, who is more intimately associated with the PS3 than Stringer, confirmed that the console would be out in March in Europe, a sentiment echoed by Sony's European boss, David Reeves.

Meanwhile, some are wondering exactly what Europeans will be able to buy, and how much they'll be paying.

The official PS3 site for Ireland says the 60 GB model will cost €630 at launch instead of the €600 Sony announced last year. The 20 GB model will not be available in Ireland immediately.

A representative for Sony UK said the Irish price is accurate and put the increase down to the higher VAT rate in Ireland, which stands at 21 per cent. If this is the reason, what does that mean for the PS3 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden, where the VAT rate is the same or higher?

Sony said this would not affect the price on the continent but gave no explanation for why Ireland was being singled out. The increased price could have something to do with electronics recycling initiatives introduced in Ireland.

There have long been suspicions that Sony would launch with one model only in some regions, originating from comments from British company representatives during 2006. Sony has not yet priced either version of the PS3 in the UK.

Exacerbating the confusion is Sony's refusal to ring a specific date. The company said it was preparing an official announcement of the full launch details for the week of 22 February.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo