A story by AFX News Limited at Forbes.com raises doubts about the launch of the Sony PlayStation 3 based partly on its non-appearance at the recent Consumer Electronics Show:
Although Sony had a prominent location on the showroom floor at the annual convention, the company showcased televisions and portable music players, while the PlayStation 3 was tucked behind glass in the back of its booth. Sony offered only non-playable, demonstration versions of a limited number of games.
Other factors include the difficulty of manufacturing high volumes of key parts -- the PS3's untried Cell processor and Blu-ray drives -- at acceptable prices. The story says:
Even the most optimistic analysts say Sony will wait and miss its predicted launch window to ensure it maximizes the ratio of usable chips per silicon wafer, better known as a chip's yield, before Sony begins mass production.
When it comes to launching the PS3:
Evan Wilson of Pacific Crest Securities, said 'the most likely scenario' is that PS3 will be released in Japan this summer with about 1 million units and in the US in November with 1 million units, followed by a European launch in March 2007.
This is pretty much what I've been predicting for some time. And I won't be too surprised if Sony misses those dates.
