NEW YORK (Kyodo) The launch of the PlayStation 3 next-generation game console by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. could be delayed up to 12 months in the United States, according to U.S. and European media reports.
Citing a Sony spokesman, Reuters said Monday the company was waiting for the final specification on some of the technology used in the console, including that related to the Blu-ray DVD drive.
The delay could undermine Sony's position as it faces intensifying competition from Microsoft Corp., whose Xbox 360 console has already hit the global market, the Associated Press said.
Reuters said Sony's shares fell as much as 4.4 percent after Merrill Lynch & Co. said in a research note last week the game console's launch might be delayed by "six to 12 months."
Earlier this month, an executive with a U.S. game software company said the PlayStation 3 could come out around October to December.
Concerns are also mounting over the console's price competitiveness, as the production cost could approach $900 per unit, compared with about $700 for the Xbox 360.
The PlayStation 3, scheduled to be released this spring, features realistic high-definition graphics Sony claims match the image quality of large-screen movies.
In 2004, Sony's PlayStation 2 won the U.S. console wars with 43 percent of the market, according to a U.S. research firm.