sony playstation 3 delayed til march 2007 in europe

The headline says it all. According to Sony’s European website the PS3 has been delayed until March 2007 in the PAL territories of Europe, Russia, Middle East, Africa and Australasia. Launch date remains November 17, 2006 for North America and Japan, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that date slip given Sony’s recent track record.

The PS3 has been frought with launch delays and concerns about parts availability and system cost. This is just another blow to Sony’s already ailing video game strategy.

The kicker: the claimed reason for the delay is shortages of the blue laser diode required for the Blu-Ray player — the most controversial part of the system. If Sony had just opted to stick with conventional DVD, the system could have possibly have launched months ago, for $200 to $300 less, and games would likely load much faster. Keep up the good work!

[via Sony Europe]