Playstation 3 delayed in Europe till March '07

Link.

"UK, September 6, 2006 - Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced the launch of PlayStation 3 in PAL territories will be delayed until March 2007. In an official statement Sony blamed the slippage on a lack of key components needed to manufacturer the consoles, adding, "the revision of the launch date in the SCEE territories is caused by the delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode within the Sony Group, this affecting the timely procurement of key components to be utilised in PlayStation 3."

The delay will affect gamers in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia, who won't be able to officially get their hands on a PS3 until March next year. However, the Japanese and US launches of the PS3 remain unaffected, released on November 11 and November 17 respectively. Sony's plan to ship six million consoles globally by the end of the 2007 fiscal year also remains unchanged.

The blue laser diode is a key component of the PS3's Blu-Ray drive and the shortage is expected to affect other Blu-Ray products in Sony's line-up, not just PlayStation 3. However, with Microsoft claiming there'll be enough Xbox 360s to meet demand this Christmas and Nintendo's Wii expected to launch globally in the next couple of months, could the delay spell disaster for Sony? We'll bring you more news on the delay plus industry reaction throughout the day." - IGN.com

So, whaddaya make o' that?