Sometimes sorry just isn’t enough. And in the case of the announced delay of the PlayStation 3 console in Europe and a few other areas, only time will tell if an apology will be enough to warm buyers up to the electronic giant’s next-gen offering.
Sony’s Ken Kutaragi has issued an apology for European customers. “I am very sorry. I think there are many people who are looking forward to PS3, so I really regret the delay,” he said.
Stockholders have already responded to Sony’s European delay in an unfavorable way. The apology for them, at least, is a little too little and a little too late. They responded by making Sony's stock go boom to the tune of more than 2 percent.
I’m with the stockholders. And, if I were a European Sony fan, I’d be feeling pretty slighted right now. Read between the lines of the “sorry” and what is revealed is a “we didn’t think enough of you would buy our console, so we’re just not going to give you the chance right now.” Or, it's a ploy for stockholders and nothing more. Either way, it doesn't seem genuine.
Add to that the lack of planning for the console’s launch and the overwhelming hype the company’s been spreading in recent months, and Europeans should be down right mad at this point. But, hey, they at least have a really slick Web site to look at.
If Sony had done a little more working and a little less talking, perhaps it wouldn’t be in this bind.
And, if the European fiasco wasn’t enough, it appears that South Korea’s launch could be on the chopping block. Sony’s Ryu Han-na is saying the delay may or may not extend to the South Korean market.
It’s going to be interesting to see if Sony can endure the delays and still win over the hearts and money of people outside the U.S. and Japan. I’m not sure their recent advertising trends will be enough to help though.
It's my sincere hope Sony pulls it off, but I'm leaning toward this being one of those cases where sorry just won't be enough.
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