14 DAY TRIAL // They just can't get it right. Sony's CEO Howard Stringer suggested that PS3's launch date be in April, yet spokesmen at SCEE clearly state that the PS3 is still on track for launching in March, in Europe.
News.com, CNET-owned site interviewed Howard Stringer which stated: "We have got the European launch in April, which is very important to us," while spokesman revealed a different story all together: "It is not the case that PS3 is launching in April," also claiming that such sort of statement is "incorrect".
Sony's long waited announcement of its product's launch is still blurry and can't afford any more bad publicity, having Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360 as rivals whose figures look good and clearly show some advantage.
Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during an E3 conference. A functional version of the console was not present at E3 2005 nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005, although at both events, demonstrations were held.
In its first big advertising campaign, the PS3 was featured in the advertising boards of 16 stadiums across Europe, during Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 Group Stage, on September 12 and 13, 2006. However, later on, it was replaced by a PSP advertising, probably as a result of the system's launch delay.
All this time and Sony still has problems with announcing the PS3's launch date. Still, sources speaking with GamesIndustry.biz said that 23 March is the official launch date of Sony Computer Entertainment's seventh generation console.