Stateside PS3 sales up 300% following Slim introduction
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted September 13th 2009 5:11AM
posted September 13th 2009 5:11AM
Boy, it sure likes Sony did something right slimmin' down (and slightly cripplin') that new PS3 of theirs. And sure, considering that the British picked up PlayStation 3 purchases a whopping 999%, maybe a Stateside retail bump of a "mere" 300% (for the first week after the price cut) is small potatoes. Or maybe we're just growing jaded. If this isn't great, good news enough for Sony, check it: as of August, according to a survey by GamePlan Insights, five of consumers' top 10 most-wanted games are on PS3 (including Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Assassin's Creed 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2). For more exciting facts, figures, and details, check out the PR after the break.
[Via Joystiq]
[Via Joystiq]
PlayStation 3 Only Does 'Everything'
On September 1, the new 120GB PlayStation 3 hit retail stores, an incredible entertainment value for consumers at the new price point of $299. Our top retailers have reported a 300% lift in PS3 hardware sales and an increase of 140% in total hardware revenue across the PlayStation portfolio when comparing the first week of September to the week before the $299 price adjustment. Concurrently, the launch of a new PS3 marketing campaign, "It Only Does Everything," will continue to drive consumer education and awareness to the expansive PS3 benefits and features throughout the holiday season.
The launch of PSPgo on October 1 will continue to fuel consumer appetite for entertainment content and those eager to take the PlayStation experience on the go. PSP owners will have access to a tremendous library of movies, TV shows, comics, and exclusive games, such as LittleBigPlanet PSP, SOCOM: U.S Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, Final Fantasy Dissidia, Madden NFL 10 and many more.
And the best is yet to come. According to the August OTX industry survey of the launches that gamers want to buy most, 5 of the top 10 titles were on the PS3, including God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo 5, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 -- more than any other console. SCEA is gearing up for one of the best content line ups in its history with some of the most anticipated releases launching in October with UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. With more than 25 exclusive titles slated through the holiday and into early next year, these games are just the tip of the iceberg.
No other entertainment device is better positioned for this holiday.
Wow, you guys sound like a playstation ad.
If you actually look at the list the 360 versions of the non-exclusives are much higher on the list than their PS3 counterparts, and microsoft has the top 3 spots.
It's great that Sony's stepping up their game, but Engadget seems to be kissing their ass a little bit. Especially after the review of the PS3 slim, noting that it had less features and slower blu-ray, and then turning around to say it was a significantly better product than the original when it obviously isn't. (Just significantly better value)
Ya, and your comment sounds nothing like a fanboy at all :| Please
agreed!
As most american bloggs/newspapers and the like has been smashing on the PS3 since the release, wouldn't you agree that it might even things out in the long run ? ;)
We all know that the american resession has been bad and that it's Microsofts home market (just as Japan is Sony's) but if you look at it America is the market where the PS3 has had the worst problems. The field has been much more even elsewhere. So now that you get the cheaper model then perhaps the americans can start to understand the value of the console.
I just think everyone is happy to see the PS3 finally taking off :)
Yes the 360 had exclusives and a lower price tag from the start, but be honest, you never really wanted the RRoD, E74, disc scratching, loud, expensive to run (LIVE fees, overpriced accessories etc.) Xbox 360? You just had no other choice, now you do :)
Just because Engadget has opinions doesnt mean they are fanboys. They simply go along with what it the hype at the time. Doing this generates more clicks and thus more readers.
Oh and Engadget are allowed to be partisan, they are an electronics blog. If i wanted factual unbiased information i wouldnt go to Engadget, or Fox News, or the Tabloid newspapers. They are simply there for entertainment value.
@Zappa
What would you rather? Engadget to become 'the best warranty in the console industry' fanboys.
This is all your precious has now. I guess if you want to enjoy that its fine, don't make others do the same.
299$ PS3 Gaming+Blu Ray+120GB HD+Slim Redesign+Free online play and wireless
Of course sales will jump with all that, it's a great deal for people who don't have PS3 yet i bought mine 600$ with 60GB HD ;(
FFXIII+GT5 will get sales even higher than this once they are released, GT3 sold freaking 15.000.000 Copy O.o
@CaramelZappa
When you get your PS3 slim you won't have to tell us. Deep down you know the temptation to resist is getting too much for you.
Think it is worth adding that AC2 and MW2 are multi-platform, so slightly inappropriate to include them on the most wanted PS3 list.
Is this really a suprise?
They dropped the price a full $100. Even without Backward Compatibility, its still a great deal.
This is the entire, and ONLY reason Wii sold so well for so long. CAUSE IT WAS CHEAPER THAN THE OTHER SYSTEMS. If Xbox cost less than Wii and PS3, it would have consistently outsold the other two.
Sales figures don't mean dick. What I care about is quality of games and both PS3 and Xbox 360 have more to offer than Wii.
agreed with quantumphysics.....the wii has such lame graphics it should be called gamecube 1.5....multiplayer on the wii is a disaster and not worth the $250 you shell out
I still like the offset joysticks of an Xbox controller too much to give it up.
I like PS2/3's, but I like to play games with the joysticks, and the small controller with central joysticks makes my hands feel all carpal tunnle-ly (is that a word?) at the end of a gaming session.
@adrian
I HAVE a ps3. And it's fantastic. And I'm psyched for God of War 3 and Uncharted 2. But what I said above is still true.
It's simple to account for the increase in sales. All the people who bought ps3 earlier are buying the new ps3 slim. All my friends who had earlier versions of playstations would buy the new "slim" version when it got released because, for a lack of a better reason, "they had to, it was better."
So we'll see if these sales continue. If they do it's good for the market because competition drives costs down. Wii did it to xbox and now both Wii and xbox did it to Sony. I don't know where all the crying from other console fans are coming from. Xbox already lowered their price that was "planned for months". Planned because MS knew about the new version for a while and regardless of price they wanted to take their steam away.
@aaronage: For me, it was never about not having a choice, its about having the best gaming console. Xbox360 is still clearly the best for games. PS3 is clearly the best for certain kinds of media box functionality, namely bluray, although X360's streaming, store, and netflix more than out-match the PS3 in those areas. It is clear to many now that the PS3 will never out-shine the X360 in terms of pure gaming, although this was clearer to us in the industry from an earlier point in time.
If I wanted some sort of Hybrid media box with gaming, I might consider a PS3, since I don't have a windows media box to feed an X360, although my media is entirely handled by a MacMini (and, I worked for a company that makes media center solutions for Macs for 2.5 years, so I have professional expertise in the field of media boxen).
And for the most part, I am ambivalent on the PS3 taking off. There's this very real dichotomy that having a "Clear Winner" in console gaming is good for games, and bad for gamers. Developers can standardize on a single platform, the titles are stronger, and the development costs go down resulting in more 'cream' on top.
At the same time, whoever ends up at the top has the latitude to go and be the biggest prick the world has ever seen. Sony was this prick for years, and they've been loath to give up their prickishness even when their console was not on top. And, I think that people will agree that M$ needs no encouragement or rationale to embody this prick persona, and will deliver it every time regardless of their position in the particular industry.
But the point is that having two platforms vie for first place will be bad for games, but good for gamers. Console prices stay lean, console makers will aggressively add features and value to entice gamers to their platform. Developers, on the other hand, end up having to deal with exclusivity, cross platform titles, and higher development costs and complications that make games incrementally worse.
@CaramelZappa
It's called a "Press Release", so it technically is an advertisement.
@ Qubix "It's simple to account for the increase in sales. All the people who bought ps3 earlier are buying the new ps3 slim. All my friends who had earlier versions of playstations would buy the new "slim" version when it got released because, for a lack of a better reason, "they had to, it was better." "
That sounds an aweful lot like fanboy speek to me. Sure, I have no doubt that it accounts for a relatively large proportion of sales, but what about all the people who were waiting for a price drop? Unless they have far more money than sense MOST people wouldn't go out to replace their existing PS3 with a new one, however slim and sexy it is (I happen to think it looks worse, but whatever), especially in the current financial climate (wherever you are. Things are bad all over the place, not just in the US). If you are indeed a fanboy of Xbox 360, may I remind you of all the constant sales which can be attributeted to people buying temporary replacements while they wait for their RRoD units to return from MS. If it is Wii you favor then it is surprising how many people buy one then never get another game for it :s.
P.S. I am a little drunk so I appologise for rmbling if I did and for spelling (not that I'm good at it anyway, dispite my grammar nazi-ism, which incidentally isn't a word, but whatever. While on the subject, no Jared, neither tunnle-ly nor even tunnely, tunneley tunnelly etc are words, not that it really matters. Wow, that was a long aside)
I am truly appreciating all of this Sony love from Engadget.
Looks like some idiots are really buying these imports.. wow
@no_one (enough said anyway)
Actually it looks like AN idiot (you by the way) does not know what the hell he is talking about.
OH NOES, imports! when will these evil countries stop with their gimmicks!!!
I am not even American and i know that no country has a chance of overtaking your economy in my lifetime, unless YOU ensure it.
on a side note, even if they did.. ?
2009 is looking to be a very good year for the PS3.
I can't wait to get my hands on Unchartered 2 and Modern Warfare 2.
I live in Kuwait. The Sony distributor did a launch promo for the slim for KD 69 (around $240). It caused mayhem at the store as people rushed to grab the limited offer.
You do know that those drives don't load games as fast as DVD's. Gotta say I'm jealous about MGS4 though, played MGS on the gamecube and MGS2 substance on the XBOX. I just can't afford a PS3 thats the way it is.
Wow, you guys have some crazy currency that's worth almost $4 per unit? Can you get a McDonalds value meal for like 1 KD and change?
@bobartig
A happy meal is 0.85 fils (with a toy). A normal meal is KD 1.40.
There are more McDonald's & Starbucks in Kuwait than authentic Arabic restaurants - which is a pity as Arabic food is superior than this fast food junk.
Non of those top ten PS3 games are original titles. Goes to show how they take a title and milk it for all its worth.
Here in Australia the console prices are usually as follows
PS3: $499
Xbox Elite 120gb with 2 games: $450
Wii: $388
I still think the 360 is the best value for money. To me the PS3 has a certain snobbery attached to the name. "We did so well with the PS2, we will build whatever we like and you WILL like it"
The Wii REALLY needs a price cut. The 360 Arcade is $100 cheaper than the Wii. I honestly cant believe the motion control hype hasnt died down. Most people that have owned one (including me) can vouch that motion control sucks for anything but party games. I honestly hope Project Natal doesnt come to fruition.
Want to add a Blu-ray player to that? Wifi? Play and charge kit? XBOX Live?
Nothing but pure value for money there!
My assumption: Nintendo believes as long as it's is still the cheapest out of the three, theres no need for a price cut.
not so good, if you add in bluray player...
Blu Ray i have no interest it. Its still a niche product and im very happy with DVD's. A "regular" person has no idea what blu ray IS let alone any technical details that get thrown around like 1080p.
"Wifi? Play and charge kit? XBOX Live?"
See these are things that arent NESSESARY. I have happily enjoyed my console for 3 years without them.
Of course its all subjective about whats necessary or not. To me however the PS3 doesnt resonate value. Its pretentious and alienates the "casual" market much more than the 360.
". Its still a niche product"
It doesn't become niche because you think so.
> "See these are things that arent NESSESARY."
> "that arent NESSESARY."
> "NESSESARY."
Critical thinking and delivery: like a true 10 year old You-tube troll. This is VERY MUCH what you should expect when we are talking about a X Box (see: The 'better' online)
"I have happily enjoyed my console for 3 years without them."
son, technically it's your parents console.
*raises eyebrow*
Uh huh...im 19, support myself financially and dont live with my parents, yet somehow due to some spelling errors and more than likely grammar errors (lol) im a spoilt brat?
I see how that works....
_o/\o_ HAI FIVE!!!
@ Adderz
Why are you so angry b/c the sales are up for the PS3? Do you have some kind of emotional attachment for sales on electronics? If you're angry now that the PS3 sales are up, who knows for how long, what happens when the Wii sales are up? Saddness? Depression? Is Killzone2 or Uncharted not PS3 originals?
Also, you don't need Wifi or Blu Ray you say? Well that's great to hear that you're content with what you have, back here at home in the year of 2009 we know how to appreciate the advancement of technology. Anyways, I'm glad the PS3 sales is up. With this, I will see more games popping up, maybe more progression and consider buying one to compliment my black 360 Elite (still running strong the past 2 years).
As a spoilt brat that still lives with my rich parents i would beg to differ from Adderz, Yes i know you common folk wouldn't know what the hell a blu-ray is and you wouldn't care less if halo3 ran at less than HD resolution, but us rich folk don't want to hurt our eyes viewing SD material made for the masses on our super expensive led lcd's and yes video streaming is a good alternative to blu-ray but i have yet seen an excellent video streaming service that really does push my 100 Mbit/second internet service to its edges. Besides i just want a games console that just works with no viruses and doesn't scratch games no matter how hard i rock in guitar hero
To start off with, I am not a fanboy for any system or company.
I have a Wii and a PS3, on top of an X Box and PS2.
My experience with X Box live, to that of Sony's multiplayer network is that you get what you pay for. I time out a lot or server not responding, or DNS issues with my PS3. It took me 4 days to set up my Playstation Home account. In my opinion, online play and network with Sony is a bit shoddy. I can't complain too much because it is free and they were generous enough to add wireless. X Box Live when I had it, was great. I cannot recall any problems I ever had with it.
When I have friends over, we will play a little bit of Resistance on the PS3, but the drunker we get, the more we want to bowl on the Wii. The Wii is just a social system, a party machine if you will. The PS3 lacks that in game play. Perhaps it's the Wii's simplicity, the Wiimote and the fun of Wii Sports, but that is the go to system when I have people over.
Don't get me wrong, I love the PS3, the graphics are incredible... when I am by myself, I am either playing PC games or PS3. The Wii does lose some of it's fun when you are alone.
I was so impressed with blu-ray on my 720p TV that I went out a mere 4 days after buying my PS3 to get a new 1080p TV for all the glory.
Wait. Since when has Gran Turismo been available for the other consoles?
You know, I'm an xbox owner, but I dont blindly follow ANY company for that matter, be such as microsoft JUST because i have an xbox. I see the value of the ps3, and It's pretty good considering the fact of what it offers for the price.( I will not list what it has because 1. I believe Engadget readers should be knowledgeable enough to know and 2. I'm too damn lazy). Technically speaking, they COULD put it at a lower price now that blu-ray players are less expensive (say like $50) but for the time being, it's pretty good due to the fact that I love the GOD OF WAR games, so I'll save whatever money I'll have to purchase one. By the way, I'm an avid consumer, so my responsibility is to determine the best value for my purchase, especially now that im in college;)
@Adderz
Are you sure we are living in the same country?
JBHiFi : AUD 494 includes Assassins Creed and HDMI cable.
KMart : AUD 479, free Little Big Planet via redemption.
Dick Smith: AUD 499, includes Batman Arkham Asylum (best value for me).
Two of the five 'Top 10' games are also on the 360 and I'd be very surprised if Forza, Alan Wake and ODST weren't on that list! Not really 'more than any other console' with or without the multiplatform titles!
Those certainly are very impressive hikes in sales, but the article reads as though Engadget is massively surprised that the PS3 slim has been a success - take a technically powerful, but bulky and expensive games console (which has been selling well, but not great), redesign it to make it smaller and make it cheaper, and bam. Hardly rocket science, or particularly surprising, is it?
i think the slant of the article is that it didn't do so well. considering the 999% increase in euro/uk and the 7000% ? increase in japan i think that's a fair point.
saying its slightly crippled is total bullshit though. bigger hard drive , slimmer , less power consumtion are all BIG BIG BIG pluses , and the only thing i can think of that might be seen as cripping is the removal of the linux OS option , which i dont think 99.99% of ps3 owners give a damn about anyway.
Especially now that you get a giant hard drive + wifi + blu-ray for $299. I love my 360 ( multi-platform games were better on xbox) but for someone just buying a system right now it's hard to justify the 360's price + $80 wifi + $50 Live fee.
Microsoft needs to throw in wifi + 1yr free Live with the elite as part of the package to stay competitive.
wow, proofread much joseph?
Agreed.
"Boy, it sure likes Sony"
WTF, the first line
"It Only Does Everything" except play PS2 games or run Linux. Although, maybe now I can pick up a 60GB model on the cheap as the rich and trendy upgrade to the PS3 slim.
Seems like there are definite types of gamers buying each platform. MW2 is way down on the ps3 compared to the 360, and apparently Final Fantasy of all things is headed for a tepid reception on the 360.
"Boy, it sure likes Sony did something right slimmin' down (and slightly cripplin') that new PS3 of theirs. And sure, considering that the British picked up PlayStation 3 purchases a whopping 999%, maybe a Stateside retail bump of a "mere" 300% (for the first week after the price cut) is small potatoes. Or maybe we're just growing jaded. If this isn't great, good news enough for Sony, check it: as of August, according to a survey by GamePlan Insights, five of consumers' top 10 most-wanted games are on PS3 (including Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Assassin's Creed 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2). For more exciting facts, figures, and details, check out the PR after the break."
I think this article is written piss poorly.
i mean , "it sure likes " was it written by a homeless guy after drinking a bottle of whiskey . how many mistakes can you spot.