...As a result of problems related to the mass production of a key component of its Blu-ray DVD player, Sony (SNE) will delay the European launch of its next generation video game console, the PlayStation 3 (PS3). Sony will also reduce the number of PS3 units immediately available in both the U.S. and Japan.

In the U.S., the PS3 will launch on November 17th, with approximately 400,000 consoles available for sale. The U.S. launch will come almost a week after the Japanese launch which will consist of merely 100,000 units.

Sony's PlayStation 3 is the successor to the PlayStation 2, the world's most popular (and as recently as July, the world's best selling) video game console.

The Number That Really Matters

The fact that there will only be 400,000 PS3 units available for sale in the United States on November 17th is totally unimportant. The launch date itself is unimportant. What matters is how many units will be available for sale in mid to late December.

Sony claims it will have 1 million to 1.2 million consoles available for sale by December 31st. I think it's safe to assume they don't plan to have many arrive between December 26th and December 31st. So, let's assume there will be at least a million PS3 consoles available for sale in the U.S. by Christmas.

Will that be enough to put a PlayStation in the living room of every household that wants one?

No. There will almost certainly be many people who have to go without a PS3 for Christmas, despite being willing to pay the very high price Sony is asking. But, that's nothing new. Other consoles (including the Xbox 360) have been launched without an adequate number of units immediately available for sale.

This isn't like failing to get enough Glad trash bags on store shelves. Once the console has launched, limited availability shouldn't cause many people to switch their planned purchase. If they want it and it's out, they'll wait for it.

A delay is much worse than a mere shortage. There's a promise (and a tangible product) behind a console that has already launched. So, very few people in the U.S. or Japan who planned to buy a PS3 are likely to change their minds because of a Christmas shortage no matter how severe.

The Things That Really Matter

The success of any gaming platform is largely based on five factors:

Available Titles

Relative Launch Date

Price

Predecessor's Installed Base

Technology

Of these five, technology is by far the least important factor. The four most important factors (available titles, relative launch date, price, and predecessor's installed base) are difficult to separate. Clearly, having a predecessor with a large installed base (such as the PS2) can be tremendously beneficial, if you get satisfactory marks in the other three areas (titles, launch date, and price).

Predecessor's Installed Base

The PlayStation 3 dominates when it comes to having a predecessor with a large installed base. So, how does it score in the other three areas?

In terms of available titles, the PS3 scores as well as any of its competitors, if not better. However, none of the three consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, or Wii) does very well in this regard. Unfortunately, the titles are likely to be somewhat segregated by console. There will be quality games on each system; but, almost no one will buy all three. Simply put, there will be some games exclusive to each console that a lot of people would really love...more

The New Age of Video game Rentals

...o rent a video game, some major rental chains like Blockbuster allow users to rent titles for a few days with charges that are usually $5 and more depending on if you need to keep the game longer. But nowadays, there are many different places that provide cheaper rentals offering a vast array of games within their selection for just $1 per customer.

The best part is that you can keep the game as long as you want. So, if you need a little more time to get acquainted with certain levels, accomplish different goals, or just don't have the time to hammer away at a particular game for too long, you now have more options.

Why rent Video Games Online?

Being a gamer can be expensive at times if you are paying full price for multiple games a month. Some games cost more than $50 and if it is a highly anticipated release, some will pay inflated amounts of money just to be...more

Free Xbox 360, Scam or Not?

...et your gift and make them sign up under you and complete the offers like you did.

Yes you heard me right. This is relatively the hard part, but once you do this you are guaranteed to get your free xbox 360 not for free but for a low cost.

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If you have close friends, family and colleagues you can refer them to the freebie site throug the referral link. They can sign up under you and complete the offers and be eligible for the free xbox 360 . If you want to you can later reimburse them.

Once done voila now you can get your free xbox 360, an Xbox 360 for a small cost!!

LET US WORK THIS OUT:

To get a free xbox 360 you will need somewhere around 6-8 referrals. 6-8 referrals means anywhere between 0 and 48 dollars (if you pay your referrals), so essentially you can get an Xbox 360 for a maximum of 0- 48 do...more

Learn How To Fix The Xbox 360 3 Red Lights Problem Yourself

...ter three rounds of Halo my xbox was flashing again.

I called Microsoft again and they told me I could send it in for repair but it would take approximately a month before I would get it back. That was totally unacceptable so I tried to find an alternative. A friend of mine who had just experienced the same problem with his xbox recommended a book called Xbox 360 3 red light fix (see in my signature for the link) that detailed step-by-step the pro...more

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