The PlayStation 3 was originally slated to be shown off in Japan last month. However, the long-awaited first glimpse of Sony's next-generation Console unfortunately had to be pulled at the last minute.

The PlayStation 3 showing was slated for March 2005, an event that had been penciled in by SCE since the emergence of the PSP. As the date drew near, various publications ran confirmation or denials about such a meeting.

According to Reuters, the simple explanation for the decision not to show the PlayStation 3 last month was that there wasn’t any software to show and the device just wasn’t ready. Sony also sought to reassure the world’s press that there is no problem with the PlayStation 3 program. “There has been no delays with our next-generation console”, the company stated. “We are now preparing for our showing at E3.”

However, there is some speculation that E3 will not see a full hardware showing as has been indicated by SCEI’s press office. Sony’s showing of the PSP at E3 caused shockwaves in Japan and was seen as something of a snub, especially in the Japanese specialist press. Some analysts consider it unlikely that this situation will arise again, with a pre-E3 conference in the East mooted as a possible debut for the hardware design.