Sony cuts PS3 shipments in half

Sony is to ship only two million PlayStation 3 consoles to the US and Japan by the end of 2006, halving its original forecast.

Ken Kutaragi, president of SCEI, revealed the reduced numbers following the news that Europe would not see the release of the PlayStation 3 until March 2007.

According to Kutaragiâs statement, only 400,000 consoles will be available at day one in the US, with around 100,000 units for the Japanese launch.

The reduced numbers are in line with Kuturagiâs comments from May of this year, where he stated two million PS3 units âis a number we announced having made sure we can definitely prepare it.â

However the reduction of the figure to two million units is in contrast to a Sony statement made last month suggesting the shipment figures would indeed reach four million by the end of the year.