PS3 Performance Concerns Analysts

Sony can't catch a break, and now its highly anticipated PlayStation 3 is worrying investors. Shares of the company fell Tuesday after a financial analyst expressed concern over the console after it displayed some unstable behavior at the Tokyo Game Show.

Macquarie Equities analyst David Gibson wrote in a research note to clients that he watched the system operate erratically and said it required repeated resets. The PS3 was enclosed in a display case, but Gibson was not sure of the exact reason.

The analyst called the issues troubling, especially considering they were appearing very close to the console's launch. Japan will see the console first on November 11, with PS3 sales beginning in the United States on November 17.

Representatives for Sony denied that there were any problems with the units, saying the conditions within the venue contributed to the problem and not the console itself. The consoles were enclosed in kiosks that were poorly ventilated, they claimed.

Sony argues that the problems were not only experienced by Sony, but by other console manufacturers at the show. The PS3 would not have the same issues when operating in a normal home setting, the representative said.

The PlayStation 3's apparent issues are yet another unfortunate turn of events for the Japanese electronics maker. Sony is currently battling with a massive recall of its laptop batteries across several manufacturers, which is expected to cost the company $250 million, if not more.