PlayStation 3 Manufacturing Not Started Yet?

aapold writes "Despite reports to the contrary, Sony Computer Entertainment American president Kaz Hirai states in an interview on Gamespot last week that 'We haven't started manufacturing yet. Some of our ops guys were actually just in China, and also in Japan just reviewing the [production] lines and everything else. But they are, again, preparing as we speak to get the manufacturing going. We've not announced and we haven't set really a specific date to say, 'As of this day we're going to start manufacturing.'"

Comments

But you can get a pink (as in ponies) PS2

[LiquidCoooled]

They are really pushing out the boat, don't get a PS3 have a girly PS2 instead!

Re:But you can get a pink (as in ponies) PS2

[Quino]

Actually, this is one of the principles of modern manufacturing: Toyota lean production methods, just-in-time manufacturing, etc.

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid 19_gci810519,00.html

I'm not saying that I think this is what's going on with Sony, but going away from massive warehousing has been a "revelation" in modern mass production .

Warehousing is *bad*, you're paying for storage for stuff to just sit there, and when you're talking about millions of units the amount of money wasted can be huge. Of course, what you want to do is to have the manufacturing set up to meet demand with the minimum amount of storage possible. The concern isn't theft (maybe it's then 100th concern), but cost.

Here's a summary (copied from the above link) that summarizes Toyota Production Methods (now, of course, widely emulated with varying degrees of success by other companies, industries, around the world):

1. Eliminate waste
2. Minimize inventory
3. Maximize flow
4. Pull production from customer demand
5. Meet customer requirements
6. Do it right the first time
7. Empower workers
8. Design for rapid changeover
9. Partner with suppliers
10. Create a culture of continuous improvement

Vast warehousing is so 1980s! (and a sign of inneficient manufacturing).

We've found step 2, guys

[aendeuryu]

1) Decide to produce a game console.
2) Look at every decision Sony has made for the Playstation 3, and do the opposite
3) Profit

This just in... nerds hate everything.

[GundamFan]

I think the internet has made it impossible for some people to like anything.

Maybe the reason the video game industry is seeing a slow down is that no matter what any company does we bitch about it. The small publishers are too small, the big publisers are to big, the inovative games are too inovative and everything else is not inovative enough... We need to grow up and quit this fanboyism and infighting, we all may have diffrent taste but we all want one thing, qualtiy entertanment.

Re:This just in... nerds hate everything.

[squiggleslash]

I'm going to have to disagree. Aside from the name, virtually all the press about the Nintendo Wii has been positive, in nerd circles and outside of them. The PSP got an astounding amount of positive press from geeks and non-geeks, which surprised me for reasons I'll not reprise here. The DS is getting positive press.

Both the PS3 and X-Box 360 aren't getting much love. The X-Box has three problems - it's a tad expensive, it's only an "improved" version of what preceeded it rather than an innovative new design, and it has the word "Microsoft" on the box. The PS3 is getting less love because it seems to be a rather more expensive version of the X-Box 360, with a few ideas pinched, allegedly badly, from the Wii.

In other words, the innovation is being praised, but expensive boxes that don't appear to have any substantial innovation are not.

I don't think it's a matter of nerds will complain about anything. It's more a matter that nerds have little to praise at the moment. But generally, yes, there are still things being found to be "praiseworthy".

Re:This just in... nerds hate everything.

[andrewman327]

I disagree with your disagreement. Although you are correct in asserting that some things receive mostly positive press, us geeks always find something to deride. Let's look at /. articles about the systems you proclaimed as having virtually all positive press.

The PSP isn't being marketed enough and that pisses off EA. I know this is outdated, but it still counts as criticism: first weekend sales were slow. Back in December, no one cared about the PSP. More recently, people do not seem to know what to do with the PSP.

Wii is a stupid and weird name that is just a marketing gimmick and really is stupid in case you missed the first article. Developers aren't 'getting' the Wii.

On the flipside of your reasoning, let's take a look at the systems that you highlight as receiving bad press:

The XBox360 will have the most market share past the presidential election. The XBox360 is being sold for much less money than it costs to make it so I don't see how you can complain about the price. The XBox360 is also mostly backwards-compatible. The 360 has also redefined the market and what it means to be a console.

The PS3 will dominate market share through the midterm elections after the presidential election (I'm a poli-sci major, I think in terms of U.S. elections). The PS3 is region free for gaming. The PS3 might max out the FPS available on even nice TVs and has amazing NVIDIA graphics and is going to be upgradable. The PS3 is backwards compatible for games and memory cards.

In other words, the innovation is being praised, but expensive boxes that don't appear to have any substantial innovation are not. I don't think it's a matter of nerds will complain about anything. It's more a matter that nerds have little to praise at the moment. But generally, yes, there are still things being found to be "praiseworthy".

For any innovation there will be geeks who praise it and insult it. I will be insulted if I praise Linux or Microsoft, /. or Digg. Granted there are things that are constant sources of criticism (/. mod system, RIAA, SCO, RIAA, BSA, RIAA, RIAA, etc.) but they are the exception rather than the rule.

This concludes the most time and research intesive post I have ever written. If I weren't at work right now I would feel like I had wasted my time.

Didn't they learn from the PSP?

[abigsmurf]

Having a shortage of consoles can drive up sales...

If there are no products that compete with it. If people can't get a console, they'll possibly look to another console such as the cheaper 360 or (potentially) bargain Wii. Sony have received enough bad press over the PS3 in regards to price (especially in the UK where we get especially ripped off), copycat features and lowered tech specs.

The PSP shortages hurt Sony as lots of people bought the cheaper DS instead and as a result the PSP didn't get that vital early userbase.

Re:Another Non-Story - Zonk FUD Story

[Daetrin]

Zonk, give it a rest. You're accomplishing nothing other than making yourself look ridiculous.

Are you suffering from the misapprehension that Zonk is somehow making these stories up out of wholecloth? A lot of negative Sony articles are getting posted, but i suspect that's because a lot of negative Sony articles are being submitted. Zonk also posted the article about the marketing study saying "PS3 Predicted to Lead Market Through 2011." Note that no one congratulated Zonk for overcoming his anti-sony "bias," or argued how this study proved that all the other articles Zonk posted were wrong. Instead everyone criticized the study as being unrealistic and uninformed. Right or wrong the majority of the vocal slashdot crowd seems to have it in for Sony, and these are probably the same people sending in articles.

I think the ones constantly railing against Zonk's "tirades" and "favortisim" are the ones who are looking more and more ridiculous at this point.

Translation

[neonprimetime]

GS: Speaking of dates, its three months to the day from now that you guys are going to launch. - translated to : you guys are so screwed, you're never going to get ps3 released!
KH: Correct. Yes. - translated to : shut up, so we screwed up a few times, leave me alone!
GS: How are things looking there? - translated to : so is there any chance Sony can still profit from ps3?
KH: Everything's pretty much on track. - translated to : if I owned Sony i'd just scrap the whole project right now and begin working on PS4.

don't fret

[dolson]

Everyone who has the money and the desire to spend it on this system need not worry. It doesn't take long to manufacture a dozen consoles.