Sony moves to block PS3 imports to Europe
European gamers hoping to get around the PS3 delay through the magic of importing will have a tough time of it. The BBC is reporting that Sony will "utilise [sic] the full scope of the law" to discourage retailers from importing systems from the U.S. and Japan before the system is released in Europe next March. The move comes just days after a London high court judge blocked importer Lik-Sang from selling PSP systems in the European Economic Area.
Apparently, Sony only has the buyer's best interests at heart, saying that they're only "trying to protect consumers from being sold hardware that does not conform to strict EU or UK consumer safety standards." Not bad as an official justification, but the real issue probably has more to do protecting European retailers and maximizing limited launch quantities than actually protecting the odd importer.
