US and Japan to get 500k units in total. 

Sony's upgrade video-game console PlayStation 3 will be delayed until March in Europe, but will go on sale in November as planned in the U.S. and Japan, the executive in charge of the project said Wednesday.
 
The sales delay is caused by a problem in mass producing a key component in the Blu-ray disc laser part of the machine, the next-generation successor to Sony Corp.'s hit PlayStation 2, Sony Computer Entertainment Chief Ken Kutaragi told reporters.
 
"We decided to focus on the Japanese and U.S. markets," he said at the gaming unit's Tokyo headquarters. "I am so sorry not to be able to answer to all the expectations."
 

The company is still sticking to its initial global target of shipping 6 million PlayStation 3 machines by March 2007.

In an official statement, Sony said the decision to revise the launch date was taken following "the delay in the mass production schedule of the blue laser diode within the Sony Group, thus affecting the timely procurement of key components to be utilised in PlayStation 3."

Consumers in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia will now have to wait until March to get their hands on a PS3. However, the console is still on track to launch in Japan on November 11 and in North America on November 17.