According to Next-Gen.biz, a Sony spokesperson has admitted that the PS3 might face delays due to a lack of Blu-Ray standard. While no delay has become official, such comments fuel speculation that Sony won\'t be ready to ship the Playstation 3 come Spring as they\'ve maintained.
The source of delay might be none-other than the PS3\'s much discussed blu-ray drive, a high capacity media that will be used by the PS3. The Xbox 360 uses DVD9, the same media format used by the original Xbox.
In one rumor, delay could result from difficulties the Blu-ray specifications with the and the Blu-ray consortium. According to Next-Gen, \"SCE said that if final specs were not finalized with the Blu-ray Disc development consortium, the launch of the console could be delayed.\"
The Blu-ray standard is determined by the Blu-ray Disc Association, an organization of over 100 companies tasked with the job of determining what a \"standard\" blu-ray disc is, as well as promoting the Blu-ray format.
However, at the same time
GameSpot is reporting that the delay will be the result of manufacturing problems, and makes no reference to the Blu-ray Disc Association. Siting a Japanese website, GameSpot indicates that problems with supply could interfere with drive production.
If the PS3 is delayed, many in the industry speculate it won\'t become available until Fall of 2006; some even predict a release date as late as 2007.
Sony managed to dominate the PS2 generation in part by releasing their system a full year ahead of the competition. By the time the Xbox and the Nintendo GameCube made it to market, the PS2 was already firmly entrenched as the leading home console. With the release of the Xbox 360 in November of 2005, Microsoft hopes to reverse that advantage, beating the PS3 and Nintendo Revolution to market.
Any delay in shipping the PS3 could have severe repercussions for Sony\'s bottom line, which is largely dependent on the profitability other gaming and movie divisions.
The Blu-ray Disc Association is responsible for establishing format standards and promoting and further developing business opportunities for Blu-ray Disc. The BDA has over 100 members. Its Board of Directors consists of Apple; Dell Inc.; Hewlett Packard Company; Hitachi, Ltd.; LG Electronics Inc.; Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Panasonic (Matsushita Electric); Pioneer Corporation; Royal Philips Electronics; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Sharp Corporation; Sony Corporation; TDK Corporation; Thomson; Twentieth Century Fox; and Walt Disney Pictures and Television.