Europe's PS3 delay in quotes

Sure, it's easy for us here in the States to throw in our two cents on Sony's recently announced PS3 delay, but it's mainly an academic pursuit -- a quick chance to feign some empathy for our brethren across the ocean. For a more meaningful reaction to the delay, you have to go to the people that are directly affected -- the foreigners that will have to do without the system for an extra few months.

With that in mind, here's a quick round-up of some of the more noteworthy and memorable quotes from foreign press, bloggers and retailers in reaction to the delay announcement..

"All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put this disastrous mess of broken egg back together again" -Rob Fahey, EuroGamer
"In a few years' time, this might look like the beginning of the end ... unless they can come up with something remarkable to stop the rot." -Bobbie Johnson, Guardian Unlimited
"This is pretty disappointing news for PlayStation fans as well as for retailers, who have been gearing up for this launch for some time now." -British retailer HMV, quoted in a Scotsman.com article
"We were never anticipating a substantial amount of PS3 in 2006. We expect to see some mitigation of profit impact with a strong line-up of other products now in free supply." -Sources close to British retailer Game, quoted in a Times Online article
"Sony Europe said when they first announced the PS3 simultaneous world wide launch 'This is an exciting first for Europe, and is a huge endorsement and vote of confidence in the strength of the European market and its importance globally,' so with them now going back on this promise we can assume that they assume Europe to be 3rd rate, behind Japan & USA" -UK Technology blog Tech's Message
"Sony have got a lot to lose from having the PS3 delayed: not just poor figures for 2006, but also a loss in market share as parents buy their kids XBoxes for Christmas, and a boost for HD-DVD which looks set to get to market far quicker than its arch-rival." -UK blogger Chris Doidge
"The previously announced PlayStation 3 shipment forecast of 6 million units globally within the fiscal year ending 2007 is not changed, suggesting that Sony wasn't expecting to sell any units in the PAL territories." -UK tech site Pocket Lint

"Can anyone else hear a lone church bell clanging mournfully in the background...?" -Yahoo Video Games UK