PS3: Can't count on Sony?

Analysts said less than 175 PlayStation 3 slot machines were available for purchase during the console’s North American premiere, compared to the promised 400 units.

According to some calculations, the actual number was somewhere between 125 and 175 thousand during the US premiere on November 17th. Sony’s original idea was that this should have been 400, with an additional 1 million units due by the end of the year.

As it looks very much like Sony couldn’t keep to the original schedule in either Japan or North America, it’s highly questionable how many PS3s will still be available for purchase this year in the console’s key recording markets.

In contrast, Nintendo is producing about 250 pieces of the Wii gaming machine, which is sharpened for the gaming experience, and it is currently planned that about 4 million copies of it will go to shelf stores this year.

The Nintendo Wii will premiere on December 8th, we will have to wait for the PlayStation 3 until March 2007, while the domestic distribution of the Xbox 360 will begin on November 3rd.