Sony on Aussie PS3 launch: “Better late than never.”

“Better late than never.”

That’s basically what the Sony execs in Australia have to say about concerns raised by analysts who have pointed out that with the delay of the PS3 launch in Australian territory, the console would have already lost its edge against its competitors, the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. The PS3 was originally intended to be launched in Australia on the same day that it was launched in the U.S., however, because of a glitch in production, the launch was then set back to March 2007 instead for the amount of AU$ 829 or AU$ 999.

Analysts fear that since the Xbox 360 has already had a massive head start in the next-gen console race, and with the Wii debuting in three days at a much cheaper price tag than the PS3 (AU$ 399.95), the sales of Sony’s console may suffer from these two factors.

However, the general manager for Sony Australia and New Zealand, Nic Foster, remains confident that their product will remain strong among the local audience. According to him, “The Wii-type functionality is more just a sub-element of what the PlayStation 3 offers.”

He also goes on to point out the major differences in both form and function between the Wii and the PS3, and says that “Gamers are extremely aware of what they’re after and what they want. So gamers will already have a very good understanding of what PlayStation 3 offers versus what Wii offers and many of them will probably have both devices.”

Let’s just hope he’s right.

“Better late than never.”

That’s basically what the Sony execs in Australia have to say about concerns raised by analysts who have pointed out that with the delay of the PS3 launch in Australian territory, the console would have already lost its edge against its competitors, the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. The PS3 was originally intended to be launched in Australia on the same day that it was launched in the U.S., however, because of a glitch in production, the launch was then set back to March 2007 instead for the amount of AU$ 829 or AU$ 999.

Analysts fear that since the Xbox 360 has already had a massive head start in the next-gen console race, and with the Wii debuting in three days at a much cheaper price tag than the PS3 (AU$ 399.95), the sales of Sony’s console may suffer from these two factors.

However, the general manager for Sony Australia and New Zealand, Nic Foster, remains confident that their product will remain strong among the local audience. According to him, “The Wii-type functionality is more just a sub-element of what the PlayStation 3 offers.”

He also goes on to point out the major differences in both form and function between the Wii and the PS3, and says that “Gamers are extremely aware of what they’re after and what they want. So gamers will already have a very good understanding of what PlayStation 3 offers versus what Wii offers and many of them will probably have both devices.”

Let’s just hope he’s right.