Sony denies NGP delayed by quake

Sony is now denying earlier reports that the earthquake and tsunami in Japan have had an impact on production of its NGP (Next Generation Portable). The Wall Street Journal (requires subscription) reports that a Sony spokesperson has called the earlier report simply "wrong."

"So far we see no impact from the quake on our launch plan," said spokesman Satoshi Fukuoka. He noted that the company will monitor the situation for changes. However, Fukuoka also clarified that the company never claimed it would launch in all three regions at once.

A few days ago, a report quoted Jack Tretton as saying that the quake may force Sony to only launch the system in one territory this year. He said that the quake had disrupted production facilities in nothern Japan, as well as third-party parts manufacturers.

Technically, Tretton never called it a delay, but his words implied that the company's plan had been to launch in more than one territory in 2011. His revelations about disrupted production facilities, on the other hand, are more directly contradictory to Fukuoka's claim that the company has seen no impact. We'll likely hear Sony's launch plans, whatever they are, at E3 in a few months.