SONY’s PlayStation 3 was back in the spotlight yesterday. The latest round of internet gossip, speculation and fevered blogging was sparked by the admission from Kaz Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America, that production on the long-awaited games console had not yet begun.

The console is scheduled to launch in North America, Japan and Europe in November, with 6 million boxes due on the market by the end of March 2007. While Sony insisted yesterday that such short lead-times were usual — and that its timetable had not slipped — the tight timeframe left some industry onlookers jittery.

The PlayStation 3 project has already been delayed once, allowing Microsoft’s rival Xbox 360 to steal a march on Sony by launching almost a year ago.

The high price of Sony’s offering — the PlayStation 3 will retail from $499 in America and up to £425 in the UK — could deter some consumers.

Sony’s pre-launch marketing has not been helped either by a deluge of grumbles from gamers and experts on internet sites. David Cole, of DFC Intelligence, recently declared on the Red Herring website that Sony “is being attacked from all angles” over the console.

Despite all this, however, experts yesterday remained confident that the product would be a winner, attracting huge demand. Sony, they argue, simply cannot afford to lose the initiative in gaming, where it has dominated for two previous generations with its PlayStation 1 and 2, while it attempts a turnaround under the Welshman Howard Stringer.

Although the price of Playstation 3 looks high, it has the potential to be a complete home entertainment system — and the first affordable way for consumers to buy Sony’s high-definition Blu-ray DVD player.

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