Sony Europe: "We're Going To Get It Right"

The European and Australian launch of the PS3 is a mere 24 hours away, and plenty of gamers are eagerly anticipating the release of Sony's next-gen console. Of course, many of those gamers may have been annoyed at the initial delay, and being forced to wait more than four months longer than Japan or the U.S. On the other hand, SCE Europe president and CEO David Reeves has told Reuters that the delay was actually a good thing from a business standpoint.

"It's not [disappointing]," he said during the interview. "It has been really beneficial to us. We're going to get it right."

"Get it right?" Well, that's good news. But is Sony admitting they handled the Japanese and U.S. PS3 launches poorly? Or are they simply saying they've got things more...under control this time around? Well, at least in terms of shipments, Europe is going to be much better off than either Japan or the U.S. There will still be a shortage of systems, as there is at any launch, but it won't be quite so ridiculous if early numbers are any indication.

Reeves also addressed those who said the PAL PS3's popularity wasn't very high, citing the existence of some pre-orders still remaining. He simply said the stores have plenty of PS3s, and just because Sony managed to supply them with enough consoles doesn't mean it's not in demand. Besides, he said Sony wanted the average consumer to be able to walk into a store and purchase a PS3 without a pre-order.

We'll soon know if the delay hurt Sony in the PAL regions, but right now, it doesn't look like it will. We'll try to bring you preliminary sales numbers as soon as they become available.

3/21/2007 Ben Dutka

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