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500,000 Units Total For The PS3 Launch - Sigh... |
Listed in: PS3 Tags: CGI, Christmas, eBay, Japan, playstation 3 updates, Sony, UK
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Sometimes you just have to roll with the hits. It's inevitable we'll be branded for PS3 hatin' with all the not so savory news coming in today about the console, but rest assured it pains me just as much to report this news as it does for you to hear it. Well, most of you, some of you might be X-bots. Still, it helps to talk about it.
Anyway, hot on the heels of news that Sony will be delaying the launch of the PS3 in PAL territories till March of 2007 comes another bombshell, according to the International Herald Tribune (and with a fancy schmancy name like that who can doubt them) the PS3 launch will be limited to 400,000 units in the U.S and 100,000 in Japan. No, that's not a typo.
At this point there's not much left to do but feel sorry for the hordes of fans who wanted a PS3 this Christmas and won't be able to get one, we won't be walking to Walmart come launch to pick one off the shelves anymore. These new numbers pretty much guarantee lines, long lines with smelly people, and rain and tents and waking up early and all that crap some of us are far too old to participate in.
But let's put this in perspective for a moment, 500,000 units is the exact same number of units the PS2 launched with, remember how easy that was get at launch? What, no? That's because it wasn't easy to get a PS2 at launch, in fact, the first ones to appear on Ebay went for as much as $1,500. A more recent and direct comparison can be drawn to the Xbox 360, which launched with 1.5 million units, 3 times as many as we're now expecting from Sony. Even so, people still weren't able to easily get their hands on a 360 till March of the next calendar year. Put simply, this does not bode well for gamers.
So what can Sony do at this point? They can't magically create more blue laser diodes (a shortage of which is the reason for the delay). Frankly I think Sony's best bet to win back some gamer goodwill is the Tokyo Game Show. They absolutely need to completely floor gamers and the press with their showing, no more tip toeing around the subject, no CGI, no saving stuff for later, just big badass games running on real PS3's. They need to pull out all the stops and their biggest guns to give gamers a reason to wait for the PS3, especially since it now looks like titles such as Gears of War and possibly Lost Planet and Mass Effect will be available on the easily procured 360, making it a very attractive proposition. Missing Christmas in one of the world's biggest markets is a pretty big deal, especially since it's a market where Microsoft will be looking gain significant ground in (let's just forget Japan, that's a lost cause).
The PlayStation brand has always been extremely strong in PAL territories and especially in the UK, so it's a surprise (and yet the same old song) that Sony's willing to give them the shaft yet again. It's hard for this not to come off as a PS3 hatin' article, I really am a Sony fan at heart but I really think what they've put their fans through in the run up to the PS3 launch, from the first delayed launch, to a lackluster E3, to the CG rendered videos to numerous product downgrades, and now this... well, it's all a bit much really.
For what it's worth, I'm still getting a PS3, it's just unlikely to happen this year. Seems to be the resounding sentiment around the net right now. Surely after all this bad news there's nowhere else for Sony to go but up?
As always I'd love to know what you guys think of the delay and the lowered launch numbers. Will you line up for a PS3? Will you still get one this year? Will you get one at all now?
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I was extemely annoyed to wake up this morning and find out that I won't be getting a PS3 for at least another 6 months as I am one of the unfortunate to live in Europe. But hey, I'll have the Wii, right?
And I do agree with you in that they HAVE to have a perfect TGS. Anything less and well...... that'll be it for PS3 really.
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There is still option of importing in december for instance(499$ not 499euro) . Warancy will be the point.
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Roght now i'm mad at sony so i will wait.. i must calm down to make decizion...
Sorry for bad english...
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_launch
"According to the NDP Group, North American sales totaled 326,000 units in November.[13]"
ill bet money that more PS3's are sold inthe first 3 days than 360 sold in thier first month is the US
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Of the 500,000 launch PS3s, 100,000 will go on sale in Japan on November 11, and 400,000 will hit store shelves in North America on November 17. "We decided to focus on the Japanese and US markets," Kutaragi told reporters at a Tokyo press conference before apologizing for the delay, according to the Associated Press. Reuters echoed the numbers, and said that Kutaragi had lowered the worldwide 2006 PS3 shipment target from 4 million to 2 million.
[UPDATE 1 & 2] When contacted by GameSpot about today's PS3 news, Sony reps said only that the company had "not announced specific ship numbers for Japan or North America." They also said that, despite the European delay and the reports of reduced shipment numbers, the previous estimates still stood. "[We] have announced that 2 million will be available in the world come November 11 and 17 and 4 million by the end of the calendar year," said a spokesperson.
[UPDATE 3] If that wasn't confusing enough, a third set of numbers has entered the mix, courtesy of MTV News. Dave Karraker, SCEA's newly appointed head of corporate communications, told the youth network that around 1 million PS3s will be available at retail during the holiday shopping season.
"People shouldn't fixate on the day-one allocation number," Karraker told MTV. "They should instead be more interested in the overall units available through the holidays, which will be 1 million to 1.2 million, which are significant amounts that will provide retail supply week over week with no dips in available stock."
Karraker also said that consumers shouldn't compare the PS3 launch to last year's Xbox 360 launch, which was also plagued by massive shortages and the occasional scuffle. "The supply we have at launch is comparable to what was available for the PS2, not Xbox 360," said Karraker. The PS2 launched in October 2000 with just a half-million units at retail--causing near-riots at some stores.
It was unclear which "holidays" Karraker was referring to when he spoke to MTV. Traditionally, though, the last day of Christmas shopping is December 26--meaning Sony would have to sell between 800,000 and 1 million PlayStation 3s in five days to make its 2 million-unit US target. If he meant through New Year's Eve, then the 2 million-unit target is no longer valid. Requests for clarification sent to Karraker had not been returned as of press time. [END UPDATES]
Though the various launch estimates are confusing, one thing is perfectly clear. Sony is also officially sticking to its original PS3 sales estimates for its current fiscal year, which ends on March 31, 2007. "The previously announced PlayStation 3 shipment forecast of 6 million units globally within the fiscal year ending 2007 is not changed," the company said in a statement issued early this morning.
Sony blamed manufacturing laser diodes for the PS3's Blu-ray Disc drive for the shipment issues. "The revision of the launch date in [European] territories is caused by the delay in the mass-production schedule of the blue laser diode within the Sony Group, thus affecting the timely procurement of key components to be utilized in PlayStation 3," read Sony's statement. Kutaragi gave similar comments to the Associated Press, though he reportedly said they would also cause short supply.
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- Threre are 2 million PS3s expected to be shipped by the end of 2006, right?
- North America gets 400K and Japan gets 100K this year according to your source.
- Europe gets nothing until March 2007
By my calculations, that leaves 1.4 million PS3s that will be shipped somewhere this year. Where to? Nigeria? I think that North America will get 700K to one million units by Dec. 31st. I think Japan gets at least 400K - 500K.
I'm not trying to be biased in the face of awful news, but what we know so far does NOT add up.
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now that that's out of the way: from what titles we have confirmed for the PS3 launch this fall, it's shaping up to have one of, if not the, best launch lineup in gaming history (and i've been gaming for over 20 years, and so far, barring the NES and SNES, launch titles for gaming systems have sucked). yeah, a lot of titles are multiplatform, but for those that don't own a 360, and can only get a PS3 this year, it's great to have such quality titles on day one:
Resistance: Fall of Man - this FPS is shaping up to be really, really fun, and from what i played of it at E3 this year, it is.
Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - another game that's shaping up nicely from the build i played at E3, and should satisfy hack n' slash fans (like me and my fiance)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
F.E.A.R.
Half Life 2
Warhawk - Played at E3 also. very fun. very intuitive controls.
Rainbow Six: Vegas
Need for Speed
Madden
Tiger Woods
Call of Duty 3
Tony Hawk
Bladestorm
Fatal Inertia
Sonic the Hedgehog
Full Auto 2
Genji 2
MotorStorm
that's a pretty solid lineup going into a console launch. and considering that Europeans won't be getting their consoles until march, they'll have these titles to choose from, along with the ones above:
Unreal 2K7
Stranglehold
NBA Street
Heavenly Sword
Assassin's Creed
Brothers in Arms
Burnout 5
Army of Two
Def Jam
Medal of Honor
The Darkness
Virtua Fighter 5
it sucks to have to wait, but looking on the bright side (such as the European market getting units that probably won't be so defective as rushed out, November units), it's not as god awful "Sony is teh suxxorz" as conclusion jumpers and haters are spouting. people seriously need to calm down.
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I still have alot of good PS2 games to play through and I play alot on PSP so I'm waiting to the pricedrop, but I really hope that Sony will announce a new price for the PS3 at the TGS!
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Damn, that short good update in post number 21 got my hopes for importing the console.
When I first read that I thought "how could SONY ship only 100k units to Japan?" , and now, that we know it's fake, I think that what they want to do is deliver sufficient ammounts of units to all regions at launch, instead of just pushing units across all regions making stock much smaller.
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however, on the brighter side, i have Final Fantasy XII, Okami, Rogue Galaxy, Lego Star Wars 2, Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria, Yakuza to keep me busy on my still kicking PS2 this year, as well as Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops and possibly Silent Hill: Origins for my PSP.
i can wait for a PS3 (hell, i'll probably have to anyway). there are too many must have titles for my PS2 that i'd probably have to ignore if i shifted every penny to procuring a PS3 this November.
once the UK get their hands on the titles i mentioned above, i think they'll agree waiting isn't the worst thing ever.
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Karraker's comments hold water, perhaps people are fixating a little too much on the launch number, if a steady supply can be kept up after launch (one area where the 360 failed) things should be just fine.
Still, it's the principle of the matter, Sony promised, and up till just a few weeks ago were reiterating that promise.
P.S. I missed you guys too ;)
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Wats going on anyway
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IE, not at launch.
ZOE 3
possibly FF, though those have turned into stories with little playing
Armored Core 4
And some of the other action stuff.
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How many units were shipped by Dec. 31st for the launches of the PS1, PS2, XBox, and XBox 360 respectively in North America? Could the PS3 actually have the most units shipped in a Christmas season launch if they get 1.2 million out?
I believe that to be true, and while that's screwed up for Europe, worldwide launches are difficult and rare for a reason.
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this might mean
a price drop for the ps3
im sure sony arent that dumb
they have something up there sleeve
you'll see
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I know what you mean Figboy. I want to play all of the fall games that are coming out for PS2. Sure-to-be a hit games like Okami, cannot just be ignored. Seeing how I have $600+ saved, I can save even more for all of the games coming out next year (MGS4 anyone?) and the ones that are going to be out during the launch window.
The PS2 went throught the same thing with less units then the PS3's. Europe was delayed for both the PS1 and PS2. I remeber the PS2 launch, holy crap! People were racing literaly to the nearest stores. I almost thought its the end of the world if they didn't get their hands on a PS2, lol!
Anyway, althought I'm dissapointed they are gonna be few PS3s, even with the anger people are still gonna buy it. They're still gonna sell no matter what. Not worried, and its not a fanboy speaking.
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http://www.forbes.com/markets/commodities/2006/09/06/sony-playstation-0906markets05.html
Apparently since the Blu-Laser diodes will not make it in time (a month delay), Sony has to delay much of it's supply. The good news is that the US might now end up with more PS3s by the end of the year (more than 2 million) due to Eu no longer taking supply.
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i don't mind though, no one ever listens to me so it's nice to have someone 'big' echoing my sentiments.
it's about games, ps2 has some coming, ps3 has just a couple coming... my ps2 is still healthy, i haven't much money, i live in the uk and i'm never ever buying xbox or xbox360... this all points to me having a christmas full of kingdom hearts 2 and of course twilight princess (got a gc too).
wasn't ps3 supposed to be region free wrt games? isn't that true? i hope it is, cos i'd like to import so i can avoid having to pay over the odds in pounds sterling (also, the pound is so strong relative to the puny dollar i'd be a fool not to import!!)
still, disappointing
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take me, for example. i can only afford a PS3 this year (possibly, i'm still figuring it out). i'm waiting to get a 360 until Microsoft proves to me that they won't abandon it 4 years down the line like they did with the X Box (it's currently collecting dust. and no, i don't like Halo. at all). and after seeing that horrible video of the ign guy playing the Wii, it's dropped off of my list for a long, long time (at least until it's under $100).
since i'm only going to have a PS3 for the forseeable future, the fact that games like Rainbow Six, Stranglehold, and Assassin's Creed will be available for the console is good for me (and the millions of other PS3 gamers that will be getting a PS3 only in the future).
also, i did say that a delay sucks for those in the UK really looking forward to getting a PS3 this November, but looking at the quality titles coming out for the PS2, it may not be so bad after all, since they could easily get those instead. games they may not have been able to get if all of their spare cash were going to purchasing a PS3.
also, by the time the European market get their hands on the PS3, production kinks will be ironed out, and they'll probably have better quality units than the rushed to market consoles the US and Japan will be getting. they'll also be privy to better quality titles (ie, Heavenly Sword and Assassin's Creed). hell, i'll probably wait until next year myself simply to get a better quality PS3. it's not all doom and gloom. the UK seem to really like and trust Sony (they do make some pretty quality consumer electronics). they'll forgive them eventually. especially once we see what they have in store for Playstation fans come TGS.
as for titles not "blowing wind up anyones skirt," that's simply *YOUR* opinion. just because you, personally, may not find Resistance, Warhawk, Untold Legends, Fatal Inertia, Motorstorm, Eye of Judgement, Virtua Figher 5, and Genji appealing doesn't mean that there aren't gamers out there that do. after all, the Dynasty Warriors series has been exactly the same since the first sequel, but they still sell enough to warrant being up to number, what, 6 now?
people have different tastes. all 3 next gen consoles cater to a broad range of different tastes. those that like the Wii may not like the 360. those that like the 360 may not like the PS3. those that like the PS3 may not like the Wii. it's what makes the world a beautiful place: it's diversity.
for the first time in gaming history, all 3 consoles aren't attacking the same market: the Wii is going for a unique approach to gaming and the types of games available on it's system. the 360 is targeting the online market, and the US and UK gamers, and Sony is targeting the massive fanbase it's established in the past 10 years. a fanbase that wants more than a gaming system (i've been playing video games for over 20 years, and if i'm going to spend money on anything, whether it's $200 or $600, it better be worth that money in my eyes. ie, multiple functions, like my PSP. i don't game 24/7. i have other interests, and having a singular console that caters to those interest gives it added value to me, personally. i enjoy just as many videos, movies and music on my PSP as i do video games).
Sony knows it's market. and it knows that console launches are always...*ahem* let me repeat *ALWAYS* for the hardcore market. then, a year or two down the line, after the hardcore have had their fill, there comes a price drop, and a push to the mainstream. it's been that way since the PS1, and worked wonders for that console, and the PS2. another key component is that the name Playstation has become synonymous with gaming (i know that hurts Nintendo fans, but it's the truth). Microsoft, thanks to the way they've handled the PC business with Windows, doesn't have that level of brand loyalt
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How many of them will be 60GB or 20GB models? I really don't like the whole two SKU idea, I got stuck with the Core 360 model. I really hope I don't get stuck with the 20GB. This is going to cause more of a problem for thoes wanting to get the 60GB model.
I don't know what Sony is going to pull out. If 2 million PS3's are planed to ship at the end of the year, maybe that can help a little. All I can hope is that pre-order come soon so I can get mine.
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This doesnt surprise me, since they have tp produce for the PS3, their own lines of blu-ray players and other companies purchasing from sony as well.
Sony could indeed shift all blu-ray diodes to PS3 production and meeting their intended goal but at a loss out of the HD-DVD vs Blu-ray battle.
I dont doubt that Sony will have 2 million by the end of the year, and by mid 2007, zoom past the Xbox360 in sales.
Microsoft can wish all they want, they will never ship and sell 10 million by the end of the year.
I am on the top of the list for a PS3 at one game store since i know the manager so Ill get mine when it comes. Its totally paid off already for over a year now. Too bad other people will have to wait.
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If you're a PS2 owner and you know "those" games are coming to PS3, a shortage of units during launch, or a delayed launch is not going to change that fact.
I just don't see them being able to screw this up no matter what they do. 100 million sold PS2's says a lot about their fanbase and the type of games those people like. And yet again those games are finding their way to PS3.
On the other hand, most of those games aren't going to be available until a bit into the next year anyway, and Sony "claims" that they'll keep the production of PS3's coming, so yeah...
Too bad, but that's life.
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Sony answers our questions on today's announced delay.
by Jeff Haynes
September 6, 2006 - The announcement by Sony of a dramatic reduction in PS3s from the initial 2 million console mark to a scant 500,000 across both Japan and North America rocked the Internet today. European gamers were perhaps the most affected, as the launch of the most powerful console ever made was pushed back to March of 2007. The reason for the substantial drop in launch units was attributed to difficulties with the manufacturing of the blue laser diode, which is a key component to the console.
While rumors flew on message boards that this was the death knell of Sony, other rumors about the future of Blu-Ray and the potential skyrocket in prices for systems (thanks to the decrease in available systems) on Ebay ran rampant. We were lucky to have Dave Karraker, the Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Sony Computer Entertainment America, provide answers to some of the most pressing questions surrounding the reduced number of systems.
IGN: Despite the fact that you're sticking to the "six million units by the end of the fiscal year", there have been reports that only 400,000 units will be available in North America on November 17th and 100,000 units in Japan. Are these reports true?
Dave Karraker: At a media meeting this morning in Japan, Ken Kutaragi confirmed that there would be 400,000 units at launch for North America and 100,000 units in Japan. The North American number is just below what we had available at launch for PS2 and is higher than what Microsoft had for Xbox 360. More importantly, in my mind, is that we will have 1 to 1.2 million units available by December 31 in North America. This is more than double what Xbox 360 sold through during the same period (TRST data) and should assure there aren't significant stock dips at retail.
IGN: What makes you so sure you're still going to be able to deliver 6 million units worldwide by the end of the fiscal year?
Karraker: The main contributing factor to the delay in the launch in the SCEE territories was the lack of sufficient supplies of the blue laser diode. As we move along, month over month, we will see increased efficiencies in the production of these key components, thus increasing supply. We are confident in our 6 million global projection by the end of our fiscal year.
IGN: What caused the delay? Consumer Blu-ray players are already available nationwide.
Karraker: Consumer Blu-Ray players are available nationwide, but not in the quantities we are producing the PS3.
IGN: Will the impending shortage be a detriment to the system or will it bolster its prestige in the long run?
Karraker: Ken Kutaragi was very apologetic this morning to all of our customers, consumers and third parties in the SCEE territories that will be affected by the delay, so I would say it is not something we would view as a bolster to our image. However, we do feel confident that as the units are made available in each given territory, we will have no problem selling through our entire inventory.
IGN: Do you think this is going to change the public's perception of Sony and the PlayStation 3 seeing that the public is already skeptical about the system due to its price and other factors?
Karraker: What Sony is aiming to achieve with the launch of the PS3 is both evolutionary and revolutionary. Sony has some very aggressive goals for the system in terms of performance. Any time you push the envelope as far as we are pushing it, there are risks. However, at the end of the day, when people see how advanced this system is, the snags we may have encountered along the way, will quickly fade into the past.
IGN: Will the European launch see some sort of official launch bundle or pack-in to strengthen its later release?
Karraker: No announcement has been made regarding this.
IGN: Being as Sony is betting on the PlayStation 3 to fully launch the Blu-ray format, will this affect its future? Will it bolster HD-DVD's market share?
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Use your freaking brains and do a little critical thinking....it's this blind consumerism that Sony feeds on and is the reason for all the delays and mishandling of their launch....
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xbox360 = sucks (bad games, lags, not full next-gen)
Wii = gamecube + new remote
PS3 = WAIT UNTIL YOU DIE !
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I would but most little kids or non die hard gamers wont they will go for the wii or the 360
wII60 4 LIFE
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Does this mean more launch titles and a guarenteed system at launch? Possibly.
All I want is a PS3 to add to my gaming collection and if i have to wait till march, so be it. I am realllllly annoyed but what can you do? The PS3 still has the best lineup of titles... so i'll wait.
Number 50# : You have the right idea.. this generation is pretty mediocre... 360 had the worst launch.. like ever... Mediocre titles until the end of the year... mmm GOW etc...
The Wii seems like a good concept but I think it'll get old pretty quick... I can't see hardcore gamers waving their arms around for long....but sure, it'll be great for light gaming and friends, which is why im getting one...
And the PS3 has had so many high's and lows that i"m over it.... I just want the bloody thing so i can play some DMC, Tekken, GT, Heavenly Sword, R:FOM... etc.
Hmmm I wonder if Sony will feel sorry for us and give us a price drop... LOL! not like i care.. Paid for mine in full... just waiting till it comes out now.. whenever that may be... but when it does - I'll be there, and every self-respecting hardcore gamer will be aswell.
I don't see why people are boycotting sony etc... last time i checked what company's sticks to plans anyway? And you 360 fanboys can't talk either... where a 3:1 ratio of working consoles to lemons were sold....
Bring the games on... thats ll i want.
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i love sony like a god , but when your god (sony) keeps on turning their back on us (EUROPE) you have to look
at the way microsoft gave the world,a world wide launch. yes a world wide launch and on time .
i have to say that buy the time we get ps3 the 360 will
have been out a year .better games and a better price .
i for one will turn to the darkside as they see that europe is a big player in the game along with japan an the us .i have just had it with always being the larst kid to be picked of the team.
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I do not want to see m$ in the lead personally, but It appears with sony lieing about being able to make a holliday launch at E3 2005 (yes they did say it was possaible to launch at 2005 e3 for that holliday). Then saying there would be a world wide launch in spring just to alter the market ( i could have swore purposely lieing about product specs, launches to alter share value of your stock or competition was illegal)
My point is they never intended a 2005 launch, a spring launch, and a total alucation of 500k units its obvius they never planned for a molti-region launch (the ps3 itself cant even seem to get a confirmed configuration it keeps loosing parts). Poor japan 360 new bundle may prove to be more of a region stealer than people might have thought.
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I will Not wait any more time four playing nextgen games
Im in europe and i have lots of xbox360 here
It is just stupid if we all wait more intil march 2007
Im going to by a 360 just this weekend
no more waiting four that cheat
I whant to play nextgen games and the xbox360 is cheap and have lots off Great games
Its time to say enouth bull cheat give me a 360 Yeah
Over
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These numbers are made up, got that? MADE UP .
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And one last thing. It seems that after reading the forums for a good while I've come to the conclusion that even the sony boys are saying sure sure ps3 right NOW is not going to look good but in 2-3 years it's going to OWN... Now how is this a good thing? Why am I going to need a system NOW that won't do any good for us untill 2-3 years down the road? So are you saying sony is forcing a hand? Or are you saying sony should of made a ps2.5? So take care of your hypocrocy actions and just buy a console whichever one and play the games instead of coming on the forums saying one thing and then another to contradic your last one... please
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We all know.
Look where that brought it to:D
And look at 360, and PS3.
Look at both console's future planned titles.
You'll notice that for 360, the future isn't bright.
For PS3, even if it's few years away, there IS a plan.
There's a whole list of games scheduled to already come out as a PS3 exclusive(at least they are sold to MS:D)
360 has what, Forza 2, GoW, Lost Planet?
That's not enough for me.
c ya
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halo 3
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halo three
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