Japanese electronics firm Sony has delayed the launch of its next-generation PlayStation 3 (PS3) video game console, the company announced on Wednesday.
Sony, the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker, will now release the machine simultaneously in Europe, the US and Japan in November.
The company had originally planned to launch its new console in the spring.
According to Sony, technical problems related to the machines Blu-ray high-definition DVD player had forced the eight-month delay.
Sony games head Ken Kutaragi made the announcement at a specially arranged press conference, after a Japanese newspaper had published an article about a possible delay.
The PS3 will go head-to-head with Microsoft's Xbox 360, which was released in the US and Japan last year, and Nintendo's Revolution, which should go on sale later this year.
David Reeves, Sony: "We are absolutely delighted that we will be able to bring PS3 to gamers in Europe and Australia before Christmas."
Microsoft said it expects to sell between 4.5 and 5.5 million Xbox 360s by the end of June.
Sony has dominated the games console market for many years with the success of its PlayStation 1 (PS1) and PlayStation 2 (PS2).
The firm has sold more than 90 million PS2s and over 100 million PS1s.
However, the delay will be a big blow to Sony, a company that has struggled financially in recent years.
Sony was hoping that the PS3 would help to boost falling sales and profits.
But despite the disappointing news, Sony chief executive David Reeves said he was delighted with the pre-Christmas launch.
"We are absolutely delighted that we will be able to bring PS3 to gamers in Europe and Australia before Christmas," he said
"This is an exciting first for Europe, and is a huge endorsement and vote of confidence in the strength of the European market and its importance globally," Reeves added.
The PS3 will launch with a 60 GB hard drive and will be able to play existing PS2 and PS1 games.
The console is compatible with a variety of TV sets currently out in the market, including standard-definition and high-definition models.
Users can also connect the PS3 to high-speed broadband networks through Gigabit Ethernet and enjoy a range of content and services over the network.
The article Sony delays PlayStation 3 launch originally appeared on 999 Today
comments
What do you think? Give us your opinion on the comments page.