We won't cut Euro PlayStation 2 allocation

We won't cut Euro PlayStation 2 allocation – Sony

Glosses over earlier delay to launch date

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in Business, 2nd October 2000 16:19 GMT

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Sony has pledged that European gamers will get their mitts on the PlayStation 2 on 24 November, as planned, and that the territory's initial allocation of consoles has not been reduced.

On Wednesday, the Japanese giant wad forced to admit that it has been forced to halve the number of PlayStation 2s it will ship to the US on the console's 26 October North American debut.

Sony had planned to pump one million next-generation consoles into the US, but will now only ship 500,000 units. The company blamed production problems, thanks to component shortages. It wouldn't say which parts are in short supply, but it is believed to be one of the machine's graphics support chips.

Chris Deering, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said that Europe will get its allocated 500,000 units, and that the company will ship a further million PlayStation 2s by the end of the year.

Of course, he didn't mention that Europe has already been affected by Sony's production problems, which is why the European launch date was put back to 24 November from 26 October.

Still, the delay does mean that Sony and its software partners will have time to get more games out of the door for the launch. Some 33 titles will be available to console owners on 24 November, Sony claimed, with 30 more shipping by 31 March.

Demand for games will certainly be high - in the UK, for one, all of the initial batch of consoles has already been pre-sold. ®