I think if Sony matched the 13 territories that MS launched in they had a chance to crush them early seeing as most say their demand is higher. I think this is true especially in the US where fans are a bit more fickle then other territories. MS knows they were going to have an uphill battle in the "Others" region so they decided to cater to their strong suit first. I think if Sony's plan was just to get the console out to everyone they would've launched in Japan already.
Love the product, not the company. They love your money, not you.
-TheRealMafoo