From today's Wall Street Journal:

In answer to some speculation here about a prior release in Japan, "Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony Computer Entertainment, said he was planning a simultaneous world-wide launch – also in time for Thanksgiving in the U.S." [Emphasis added].

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114240727278998742.html

There was no possible way that this console was coming out in the Spring anyway. I would be suprised if it comes out this November with a $500 + pricetag.

Feel free to post excerpts of articles from other websites, but please don't copy and paste the full text.

.....and there's no guarantee it's going to be in the next PS3 anyway. I heard that there might be a version without it...or who knows what will happen.

I believe Sony will lose another format war.

The BR strategy was to get the PS3 into homes and therefore have a huge BR player base.

The HD-DVD strategy was to have cheaper equipment, software, be first to market, and have superior name recognition (DVD => HD-DVD).

It's cute to have "cheaper" software.

It's another thing to have software that people actually want to buy.

Exactly. That's why getting an XBOX 360 has been no problem since day 1.

and yet there were some on here who refused to even acknowledge the possibility of a delay.

Now, assuming both formats launch soon, customers will have a choice of paying either $500(HD-DVD) or $1000 (BR) to watch a movie in high-definition. How many will choose to pay twice as much?

The better question is how many will choose to pay at all? An educated consumer will wait it out and see what happens. An uneducated consumer is going to buy whatever is cheaper just because it's cheaper.

When was PS3 announced to be launched in the US in the Spring? It seemed to be a Japanese launch followed later by a US launch as has traditionally been the Sony way. Looked at another way this announcement means the Japanese get the PS3 later, North America gets it about the same time, and us in Europe get it far earlier.

Probably the same people who like to watch movies by more than 3 studios.

We are a rare folk.

But make no mistake, if HD-DVD takes off, the currently-Blu-Ray-only studios will start releasing their titles on that platform too. (And vice versa, although that's mostly already happened.)

Why does no one ever mention Nintendo?

It's always Microsoft or Sony. Nintendo has been consistently great for years. The fact that you can download their whole Nintendo catalogue on the new console is awesome.

Because this particular forum is focused on high-definition, which the Nintendo Revolution is reportedly not going to support.

Just like DVD and DIVX back in the day.

While it's not a big surprise, it still doesn't signal doom and gloom for BR and only marginally benefits HD-DVD.

I would like to see a show of hands from all those who think that the PS3 won't be a huge must have item this Christmas. Even if the console sucks, there are going to be enough Sony fan boys and people wanting to be cool to sellout the launch. The 360 is really the only main benefactor in this delay IMO.

Even if Sony is only able to ship 1MM PS3s before Christmas, I think they are still going to blast past the HD-DVD installed base at that point. The format war is not going to be won or lost this year. Sony had a chance if the PS3 date didn't slip, but I think we all expected this. Be prepared for at least 2 years of fun customer confusion and anger.

A sell out launch does not make it successful. This will have an artificial demand because quantities will be stretched way too thin. They are making two critical mistakes: giving quite a fem months with a far cheaper model to HD and giving a year to MS to get the XBX360 situated. They will drop the 360 price, and with a high price tag, and short quantities, this will be a HUGE xmas for MS, and maybe even better for Nintendo with their lowest price.

Sony is making too many mistakes.

Also, the PS3 will definitely have BR, they announced all PS3 games will be on BD strictly for copy protection reasons.

I also agree that any HD-DVD holdouts will happily come on board if they start moving some units. The Sony faithful put too little stock in the power of the MSRP.

The thing is, I don't think they'll be moving that many HD-DVD units. Color me shocked if even 500k of these are sold by year end. I'm guessing maybe half that at best. A sell out launch does not a successful console make, but it's going to be more than adequate for BR to outnumber HD-DVD. This isn't the video game forum so I'm not focusing on what this does to the PS3 or 360.

The PS3 will be expensive, but it will not be $700 or whatever the last sky is falling estimate will be. Postponing release 'til November has the side effect of making Sony's BR partners happy as the PS3 won't be cannibalizing there initial higher priced market... assuming they even have much of one.

I suppose I could be wrong, but mark this post and check back around December.

Not even that.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060314/...ilm_hddvd_dc_1

Admittedly, there'll be a second wave (possibly with new player models) in Fall/Winter,

Indeed, at the recent Disney stockholders' meeting, Bob Iger said that they will likely release titles on both high-def formats.

That is a misunderstanding that many HD-DVD supporters have. These formats will not "take off" for many years. I don't care how low Toshiba prices their players, the market is just not there to sustain the exponential growth that people are predicting. Sales are going to be very minimal for a long time, and the war isn't going to help that situation out any.

If both formats can gain a foothold in the market, and can sustain some sort of presence, then you won't see either format become popular for years. With that said, there is no reason for any studio to support either format, besides what they have already commited to. So what is that saying? So yes, if HD-DVD takes off Disney will support HD-DVD. But we are talking about a decision that will be made years later. Disney isn't going to see that Toshiba sold 100K players and suddenly decide to support HD-DVD!

So yes, it will be a format supported by 3 sudios for the foreseeable future. When HD-DVD sells a few million players (if they ever accomplish that), then Disney may decide to support it. But we are talking years, not months, before that could even happen.

I know what my stance is, and I resent having someone proclaim that I feel otherwise. I've been a rather active poster to this forum and have posted time and time again that these formats will be a niche product for quite a long time.

The studios are in it to make money. If they see HD-DVD as a means to that end, then they'll release HD-DVD titles. Will that happen? If it does, when? I have no idea. I disagree with your 'years' timetable, but that's total speculation on both sides of the argument.

Conversely, if they don't see there's any money in it, they won't release titles or maybe they'll dabble at that for a while and later abandon it (think UMD).

Great, if HD-DVD takes off...other companies will join. However, in order for it to take off, they need good product and a reason for people to buy the players in the first place. HD-DVD doesn't have that.
You can't drive from A to B with a map and no car. There's very little reason for people to invest in a HD format as it is. Now tell them that they're choices are limited because of studio support and they're given no reason to buy.

Sure it does. Pick any three decent-sized studios at random and you'll have a very healthy assortment of appealing titles. Most people have no idea that Fox distributes the Star Wars movies or that the ball is in Sony's court for the Bond flicks. They look at a stack of titles in a store, think "hey, Braveheart...neat!", and make a decision based on that.

I would argue that studio support in and of itself teeters on inconsequential. (I mean, look at the God-awful selection of titles Sony has chosen for launch.) It all comes down to marketing. It's Blu-ray's race to lose, but if they blow it, I think there's a very real possibility that HD-DVD could do well, if not win this format war outright.