Looks like the redesigned, cheaper PS3 might be just what Sony needed for a second wind in the console war: Sony America has announced that the console has seen a 300% increase in hardware sales since the launch of the Slim.
Earlier this week, we reported that the Slim had been a success in both Japan and the UK, where week-to-week hardware sales had increased by 1500% and 1000%, respectively. Now, it looks like the third piece of the puzzle is falling into place, as Sony Computer Entertainment America has reported a 300% increase in hardware sales, coinciding with a 140% increase in revenue.
It’s certainly good news for Sony, which certainly needed a bit of a jolt to get back into the console war, and is now in prime position to steal the show this holiday season despite rival Microsoft’s matching price cut for its Xbox 360. While the new price point and shiny new console probably contribute the most to this boost in sales, one can’t ignore the fact that Sony’s new “It Only Does Everything” ad campaign is effective and actually makes sense – despite what Nigeria might have to say in response.
The numbers feel a bit weird, though. The massive increases in the UK and Japan – while certainly impressive – are a result of demand for the PS3 Fat all but dying out the week before the Slim’s launch (not that it stopped the Slim from outperforming the original PS3’s launch in Japan, though) and it’s strange to imagine that North American consumers would be so out of line with the rest of the world here. Did demand for the original PS3 not fall as sharply? Was the PS3 Slim less of a hot item here? Or is SCEA just counting differently, and not using the uber-low numbers from the week before as the benchmark, but going with some sort of average?
I suppose we won’t know – not for a while, anyway. While the NPD numbers for August will be released later today, the report won’t include any data about the PS3 Slim, or the new price points for the PS3 and Xbox 360 – we’ll have to wait another month before we get anything concrete as far as that’s concerned.
Now, this news post has been entirely too positive toward Sony, don’t you think? I mean, as a member of the gaming press it is my contractual obligation to bash Sony and the PS3 wherever possible, and I’ve really been failing at that this time around. So here goes: A 300% increase from 10 systems sold, maybe. Maybe those forty new PS3 owners can watch some LittleBigGearSolid after they play Lair and Ridge Racer, lol!
…okay, good. Contractual obligation fulfilled, now congrats, Sony.
(Via VG247)
Published: Sep 10, 2009 08:01 pm