According to an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities, an estimate of 1 million PS3 consoles will become available for a launch of the PlayStation 3 this summer in Japan followed by a further 1 million units for a US November launch. As the console will also function as a Blu-ray video player, Andy Parsons, a Pioneer executive expects this to fuel a rapid growth following the launch with between 4 million and 7 million units expected to ship by the end of 2006.
When Microsoft launched its Xbox 360, they quickly experienced shortages in both the US and Europe, mainly due to the shortage of certain internal components. In the first week, 326,000 Xbox 360 consoles have been shipped and this figure is expected to hit 4.5 to 5.5 million shipments by June 2006; up from Microsoft's original estimate of 3 million.
Like the Xbox 360, the PS3 will likely face a similar issue with supply shortages, particularly when it comes to its new cell processor chips, not to mention its Blu-ray drive components. When Sony launched its PS2, it sold 980,000 units in the first weekend and to date, over 100 million units have been sold. On the other hand, with an expected retail price of $499 or higher, there is also a chance that the demand may not be as high as expected.
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However, Wilson's optimism looks like it's coming from the Grim Reaper in comparison to Pioneer executive Andy Parson's belief. Speaking with Web site The Digital Bits, Parsons talked about the Blu-ray disc format (Pioneer announced several Blu-ray-compatible players at CES) and how the Blu-ray-compatible PlayStation 3 would shape the success of the format. "The PS3 is launching right at the forefront of Blu-ray disc," Parsons said. "If Sony ships the kind of numbers we expect them to this year, that will provide a very rapid growth of players out there hungry for titles. We've been hearing between 4 (million) and 7 million (PS3s) could ship." The full article can be read here. Some further info can be read on this TechNewsWorld article. |
In my opinion, the PS3 will likely make a good portion of its sales more as a budget Blu-ray player, since dedicated Blu-ray players are expected to have an initial starting price of around $999. For that price, one could buy two PS3s! On the other hand, whether the PS3 does well as a games console or as a Blu-ray player for watching movies, it could give quite a strong boost for the Blu-ray format.
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Source: c|net news - Digital Life
