Zeus
07-05-2006, 07:19 PM
Those industry analysts are it again! Some folks in the industry expect the PS3 to launch before the PS3 (which we all know anyway), but not just by a week or two, but by a clear month!
Microsoft's first Xbox 360 did not roll off the assembly line last year until 69 days before the on sale date of Nov. 22. (That late start in production is the root cause behind last holiday's shortages.)
"October is a reasonable timeframe," wrote McNealy.
Nintendo has downplayed any suggested dates. Other industry insiders, who asked not to be named, though, said they, too, are expecting a September or October launch for the Wii.
Early manufacturing will certainly help Nintendo do a better job of meeting consumer demand. New console launches traditionally sell out fast. Because of manufacturing problems, Microsoft (Charts) was not able to come anywhere close to meeting worldwide demand. Widespread shortages of the PlayStation 3 are also expected. Nintendo, like Sony, has given guidance that it expects to ship 6 million units by March 2007.
A pre-November launch wouldn't be an unusual move for the company. In fact, it was only with the GameCube that the company opted for a November release for a home system. The NES, which established the company as a force in the gaming space, was released in the U.S. on Oct. 18, 1985. The Nintendo 64 dropped on Sept. 29, 1996.
Read More: <A href="http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/05/commentary/column_gaming/index.htm" target="_blank">cnn.com</a>
Microsoft's first Xbox 360 did not roll off the assembly line last year until 69 days before the on sale date of Nov. 22. (That late start in production is the root cause behind last holiday's shortages.)
"October is a reasonable timeframe," wrote McNealy.
Nintendo has downplayed any suggested dates. Other industry insiders, who asked not to be named, though, said they, too, are expecting a September or October launch for the Wii.
Early manufacturing will certainly help Nintendo do a better job of meeting consumer demand. New console launches traditionally sell out fast. Because of manufacturing problems, Microsoft (Charts) was not able to come anywhere close to meeting worldwide demand. Widespread shortages of the PlayStation 3 are also expected. Nintendo, like Sony, has given guidance that it expects to ship 6 million units by March 2007.
A pre-November launch wouldn't be an unusual move for the company. In fact, it was only with the GameCube that the company opted for a November release for a home system. The NES, which established the company as a force in the gaming space, was released in the U.S. on Oct. 18, 1985. The Nintendo 64 dropped on Sept. 29, 1996.
Read More: <A href="http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/05/commentary/column_gaming/index.htm" target="_blank">cnn.com</a>