Sony's next-generation portable game machine, the PlayStation Vita, will not be available in the US or Europe in time for Christmas - a crucial sales period for game console makers.

Expectations had been high that the machine would be ready worldwide for the Christmas season. Sony earlier promised a "phased global roll-out" starting late this year.

Sony executive deputy president Kazuo Hirai said the PlayStation Vita will go on sale by the end of the year in Japan, and early next year in the US and Europe.

Koki Shiraishi, electronics analyst for Daiwa Securities Capital Markets in Tokyo, said missing Christmas was a serious setback, especially overseas.

"That's when you do half your year's sales," he said. "This is going to prove painful for Sony."

The Vita delay comes at a difficult time for Sony.

Sony, which reported a 15.5 billion yen (£124 million) loss for the April-June quarter, has suffered supply problems because of the March disasters in north-eastern Japan.

It was also hit by a massive online security breach around the world, affecting more than 100 million online accounts.

Well, it will be there for next year's Christmas.
Honestly I don't think it's that big a deal.

yesterday's news? either way i guess im kind of happy i dont have to spend another $250 this holiday season. it also means we may get more localizations of Japanese games during launch. on the other hand 3ds will have no competition this holiday.

I still don't think it matters that much - it probably would have had the same problems as the 3DS had if it released earlier, because the games wouldn't be ready for it. It's better this way because Sony won't have to make a price drop or something.

Wouldn't it be funny if Nintendo suddenly raises the price of the 3DS back to $250 in light of this news?

It wasn't a delay. They never said it was coming at Christmas.

now why would that matter? ...

I just don't like when people keep making it sound like Sony shouldn't have changed their plans...they never guaranteed they'd be able to do it. Nothing was ever cemented.  It might not be the perfect scenario, but people acting like Sony didn't realize there was a holiday is dumb.  There had to be a reason. 

Oh well, more time for devs to make games.

Well as the OP I should point out the whole article is just a cut and paste.

As for your indignance that the popular press would possibly try to use emotive language to stir up a reaction....Puppy you better learn to take it with a pinch of salt or your going to wind up having one heck of a frustrated life.