Sony: Euro PS3 delay 'beneficial'

European gamers have less than 48 hours to wait before they can get their hands on a PlayStation 3, and people have already begun to queue at the home of the official Sony event, London's Virgin Megastore.

Many Europeans, including those first in line, have expressed disappointment that the console was delayed in PAL regions. However, David Reeves, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president and CEO, has told Reuters that he does not believe that the three-month delay of the release of the PlayStation 3 in Europe and Australasia is "disappointing."

He said in an interview, "It's not. It has been really beneficial to us. We're going to get it right."

Reeves likened the European PS3 launch to...a bubbly beverage. "It has been rather like taking a bottle of soda water and we've shaken it so hard over the last six months that when we take the cork off, it's just going to explode."

The Sony executive also slammed critics who have been questioning the popularity of the PS3 because preorders are still available for the console. Just because stores weren't yet out of stock doesn't mean that the console is not selling, Reeves said. He said the aim this time around was always to have enough stock available so the "normal shopper" who was considering buying a PS3 could easily get their hands on one at launch.