It shouldn’t be surprising after months of jaw-dropping statements ( remember - Kaz Hirai's "The next generation doesn't start until we say it does!") out of the mouths of Sony executives, but the company’s hubris never fails to amaze.This time Sony’s Jamie McDonald has come out saying the European delay shouldn’t have any real impact on the console’s sales there. “European consumers have shown that historically they don't mind [the delays], because they end up buying as many PlayStations, if not more, than the US and Japan."
While this might be true from the past, I’m not sure Europe’s taking getting dumped on once again so well this time. The sentiment seems to be growing against Sony as European gamers set their sights on Wiis and Xbox 360s for the holiday season. Plus, the PS3’s price point could be a real killer in Europe.
Add to the fact the delay in Europe’s launch comes from production problems and Sony’s unwillingness to tick off U.S. and Japanese markets to appease Europe and it could all add up to trouble for the March release of the console there. Never mind the likelihood that March’s consoles might have fewer bugs than those released in November. The fact of the matter is Sony has told Europe it doesn’t matter in a sense.
Don’t think this has been lost on European gamers either. There’s a site up in the spirit of Something Awful that lampoons the heck out of Sony, its execs and the PS3. ThisIsWaiting.com gives a very clear picture of the mood of some European gamers and it’s not looking good for Sony.
Perhaps McDonald should check out the site and others before putting money on this statement: "If we were sitting here in five years' time, I don't think we'd really think about or notice that PlayStation 3 was four or five months later in Europe. I think in the long run, PlayStation 3 will succeed because of the great product it is and the great software we make for it."
Forgiving and forgetting might not be in the cards this time.
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