Sony said it has manufactured 5.5 million Playstation 3 units in the fiscal year ending March 31st 2007, despite having faced production yield problems for its blue semiconductor lasers that are inside each console. Please note that these are not sold to customer numbers, which are at the moment unknown worldwide.
Sony is currently manufacturing 1.7 million blue laser diodes for both the PlayStation 3 and its Blu-Ray movie players. This means that: “Production problems have now ceased, we’re in full production as far as PlayStation 3 is concerned and there’s a steady chain of supply in North America, Japan and Europe,” said a spokesperson for the company.
Sony is convinced that the PS3 will eventually match the success of the PS2, discounting competition from other console makers as a factor. The Sony spokesperson said: “We’re aiming towards a much broader lifestyle for home entertainment enthusiasts, that’s one of the reasons the PlayStation 2 went on to sell over 115 million units worldwide.”
The Semiconductors report also quotes that “Ultimately it will come down to content. What it offers for its [$600] price is exceptional value for money – a quarter of the cost of a PC of similar capability and about the same as a commercial Blu-ray player.” This verifies words from the Gamesindustry that Sony is confident in pitching the PS3 as a home entertainment device rather than a dedicated games machine will help the machine sell as the PS3.