Marcel Winatschek

Last Continent, Last in Line

The rule has never changed: if you live in Europe, you wait. Japan first, America second, and then the old continent somewhere further down the list, like an afterthought appended to the real announcement. It has always been this way.

The PlayStation 3 ships to Japan and the US in November. Europe gets it in spring 2007. Sony’s explanation is a shortage of PAL components—hardware manufactured specifically for the European market, unlike the NTSC parts going everywhere else first. A reasonable-sounding answer for a frustrating situation.

I’m not that torn up about it. I was already leaning toward the Nintendo Wii, which at least has the decency to announce its launch date on September 15th. The PS3 can take its time.