Will a potential delay to the Xperia PLAY affect your decision to purchase?

Delays happen. Unfortunately, it’s a real situation that many manufacturers find themselves in at one point or another. And it may not even have anything to do with the hardware or release date, but sometimes the software on the phone. They are part of the industry, and something that consumers (as well as the manufacturers) must live with. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. Recently, a major natural disaster struck Japan, which has led to repercussions throughout the world, and especially the tech industry. For one company, Sony Ericsson, they are now facing some major delays to their upcoming devices, namely the Sony Ericsson Neo, PLAY, and Arc. And it left me wondering, does that change your desire to pick up any of these devices?

While the Neo and Arc are a pair of devices that haven’t been given a specific US-based launch date, we know that the Xperia PLAY was coming sometime soon, landing on Verizon’s shelves sooner than later. But the company has come forward and confirmed that, due to the recent earthquake in the region, that not only will some shipments be delayed entirely, other devices will see a limited supply for the foreseeable future.

Specifically, Sony Ericsson came forward and confirmed that the SE Xperia Neo will face a delay, despite its minimal release into the marketplace so far, all the way into the third quarter of this year. That’s rough news for anyone who was expecting to get their hands on this device now, or even in the next couple of weeks. As for the other two devices, the Xperia PLAY and Arc, it looks like quantities of these devices will be limited from here on out, with no word quite yet as to when SE believes the shortage will run its course.

For me, waiting for a device is part of the excitement. When dealing with so many phones and never knowing when a launch date is until the carrier or manufacturer decides I (and the world) should know the anticipation of getting the device really is half the battle. However, when I get in my mind that a device is coming soon, perhaps even on a specific date or week, and then it gets delayed in any capacity, that vigor kind of wavers. Another device may pop up to fill that new gap, and I may forget about that previous device altogether. Sure, that desire for the first device is still there, but the excitement has diminished.

And that has me wondering if others feel the same way. In the case of the Xperia PLAY, which we know is coming to Verizon here shortly (or it was, anyway), does it make any difference to you that it may be delayed, or that you may not be able to get your hands on one right away due to limited quantities? In your desire to get a new device, will you pick up something else instead? Or are you dead-set on that PlayStation gaming and physical game controls that you’ll wait, no matter how long the wait is? Let me know in the comments what you think.