While Sony maintains that they're going to release the PlayStation 3 this spring, the entire industry, including financial analysts, developers and publishers, says that there's no chance that the console will release anytime before the fall season. Now you can add one of Sony's major component providers, Nvidia, to the list of those who say that the PlayStation 3 will not make it this spring. During Nvidia's latest financial conference call, Nvidia CEO, Jen-Hsun Hwang, noted that the company would not receive any royalty payments during the current quarter (which ends in April) from the company's RSX chip, Sony's PlayStation 3 graphics engine.

Graphics chip maker Nvidia reported today that it doesn't anticipate any royalties from Sony during the current fiscal quarter which closes at the end of April. In a conference call, Chief Financial Officer Marv Burkett made the statement. Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO, said that he couldn't talk about the schedule for the PlayStation 3. He said that Nvidia's RSX graphics chip for the PS 3 is done and the company has production silicon for it.

However, since Nvidia won't be collecting royalties on the chip this quarter, that suggests that Sony isn't going to be producing machines during the months that close at the end of April, 2006. That suggests that Sony won't be shipping the PS 3 anytime soon, despite its comment last May that it would ship in the spring of 2006.

While this bit of factual information pretty much nails the PlayStation 3 as being late, Sony still refuses to back down from their spring release target.

A Clue From Nvidia On PlayStation 3 Schedule [A+E Interactive]