PS3 Fanboy http://www.ps3fanboy.com PS3 Fanboy http://www.ps3fanboy.com/feedlogo.gif PS3 Fanboy http://www.ps3fanboy.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/PS3 catching up to Wii in Japan ... we wishhttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/03/ps3-catching-up-to-wii-in-japan-we-wish/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/03/ps3-catching-up-to-wii-in-japan-we-wish/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/03/ps3-catching-up-to-wii-in-japan-we-wish/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Reuters Tokyo reports that the PS3 is finally catching up to the Wii in Japan. Reports say that the PS3 is closing the gap between itself and the Wii from 6-to-1 to 1.7-to-1 for last month. That huge difference is in no doubt thanks to the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4. What's interesting is that even with a big-name exclusive like MGS4, the PS3 still failed to beat out the Wii for the month of June. In fact, with all the media hype and fanfare for MGS4 gone, it's hard to tell when we'll ever see such a huge spike again.

The second week after MGS4's launch ended up seeing the PS3 slunk down into fourth place on the gaming hardware charts. So are we going back to the old 6-to-1 figures? Looks like it to us -- for awhile at least. The PS3 caught up for the month of June, but that's pretty much it folks. The PSP on the other hand ...

[Via Joystiq]
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]]>hardwarejapanps3Majed Athab2008-07-03T16:00:00+00:00Analysts discuss effect of 360 price drop on PS3http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/01/analysts-discuss-effect-of-360-price-drop-on-ps3/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/01/analysts-discuss-effect-of-360-price-drop-on-ps3/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/01/analysts-discuss-effect-of-360-price-drop-on-ps3/#commentsFiled under:


All signs are pointing to a major Xbox 360 price drop in the days leading up to E3. Leaked retailer scans show a new lower price for Microsoft's home console: a drop of $50 from $350 to $300. When this price drop happens, there will be a $100 price gap between the Xbox 360 and the cheapest PS3 model (40GB).

A similar price cut for PS3 may be unlikely, consider Sony's recent focus on profitability. Already, the cheapest PS3 includes wi-fi, a Blu-ray drive, and free access to PSN. Sony must do a better job at emphasizing the value of the PS3, in spite of its higher cost of entry. "The gap of $100 may be a fair price to pay for [PS3's] built-in wireless Internet connectivity and Blu-ray, but [Sony's] done a terrible job of explaining that to consumers," popular analyst Michael Pachter noted to Next-Gen.

PS3 won last month's NPD figures, and is likely to win again this month, thanks to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4. Undoubtedly, Sony will pay close attention in the following months. If their momentum begins to slow, Sony may follow Microsoft's footsteps. "In the event of decelerating PS3 unit sales trends, we believe Sony might rethink its strategy on PS3 pricing, but for now, the hope is that a stronger software lineup as opposed to price concessions will drive hardware adoption," Colin Sebastian said. For the full analysis, visit Next-Gen.
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]]>price-cutps3xbox-360Andrew Yoon2008-07-01T16:00:00+00:00Atlus and NIS America partner up for US release of Disgaea 3http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/01/atlus-and-nis-america-partner-up-for-us-release-of-disgaea-3/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/01/atlus-and-nis-america-partner-up-for-us-release-of-disgaea-3/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/07/01/atlus-and-nis-america-partner-up-for-us-release-of-disgaea-3/#commentsFiled under:


Atlus and NIS America have become bosom buddies over the years, especially after the release of the original Disgaea on PS2. NIS America will not be distributing the title in the US. Rather, specialty publisher Atlus will be taking over that role. It appears that NIS America will simply offer the localization for Disgaea 3.

Many know that Atlus games have a tendancy to become quite rare on retail shelves. This should be no different when Disgaea 3 launhces exclusively on PS3 on August 26th. "We are honored to continue working closely with NIS America and provide wide distribution in North America for these three great RPGs," said Tim Pivnicny, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Atlus.

"Over the years, we have built a strong relationship with Atlus," said Harusato Akenaga, President of NIS America. "We have worked together on a number of great titles in the past and we are thrilled to partner once again to release Disgaea 3, Disgaea DS, and Rhapsody later this year. Please look forward to some of the most hardcore games to be released for PLAYSTATION 3 and Nintendo DS!"

[Via Joystiq]
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]]>atlusdisgaeadisgaea-3nis-americaAndrew Yoon2008-07-01T11:00:00+00:00MGS4 shipped three millionhttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/26/mgs4-shipped-three-million/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/26/mgs4-shipped-three-million/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/26/mgs4-shipped-three-million/#commentsFiled under: ,

Figures for total worldwide sales of Metal Gear Solid 4 are not out yet, but the total shipping numbers are in. IGN via Famitsu, says that total worldwide shipped units for MGS4 have topped over three million. This news comes from Sony's corporate strategy meeting where Kaz Hirai also noted that the game has helped move hardware.

With previous reports of sales in Europe hitting one million in less than two weeks and Japan's first week creeping out with little under 500,000, we're sure interested to hear what the North American numbers will turn out to be. Will we see a significant cut out of those three million shipped units from North America?
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]]>konamimetal-gear-solid-4mgs4Majed Athab2008-06-26T15:30:00+00:00PS3: Sony's $3.32 billion gift to gamershttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/24/ps3-sonys-3-32-billion-gift-to-gamers/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/24/ps3-sonys-3-32-billion-gift-to-gamers/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/24/ps3-sonys-3-32-billion-gift-to-gamers/#commentsFiled under:

It's a well-known fact that Sony has been losing a lot of money on the PS3 this generation. Although it's the most expensive console on the market, it's also the most expensive to produce, thanks to the combination of bleeding-edge technologies, Blu-ray and the Cell processor. When the system launched in fiscal 2007, the Japanese electronics giant had to swallow a whopping cost of $2.16 billion. Fiscal 2008, however, has been much kinder to the company, with PS3 hardware costs eating up $1.16 billion, thanks to the lowered cost of manufacturing. Combined, PS3 has cost the company $3.32 billion dollars ... so far.

The astronomical figure Sony has invested into the PS3 shows its confidence in its success. However, the company did note that unless it reaches "favorable market penetration," the PS3 would have a "significant negative impact" on the company's profitability.

Software is where the company will the company will recoup costs, and with an excellent holiday lineup in store for PS3 gamers, we're sure that Sony has little to worry about for the rest of this generation. But remember, while other companies are eager to make profit off of you on day one, Sony put their necks on the line to give you a great deal on a monstrously powerful system.

[Via Joystiq]
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]]>costcostsps3rdsonyAndrew Yoon2008-06-24T11:00:00+00:00Activision, MTV Games going for Beatles rights?http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/23/activision-mtv-games-going-for-beatles-rights/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/23/activision-mtv-games-going-for-beatles-rights/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/23/activision-mtv-games-going-for-beatles-rights/#commentsFiled under: ,

The Beatles are still a hot commodity after almost 50 years. Everyone wants to get a piece of the Fab Four's music and make oodles of boodle for themselves through either commercial usage, digital downloads, or even appearing in videogaming. Speaking of videogames, according to Financial Times, reps for the British music legends are currently in talks with both Activision (Guitar Hero) and MTV Games (Rock Band) in regards to potentially bringing Beatles master recordings to either rhythm game. Both Activision and MTV Games have not outright said that they have been gunning for Beatles rights.

Back in March, we heard rumblings about interest in a Beatles solo-Guitar Hero game similar to what's going on with Aerosmith and Metallica. Around that same time, rumors of Beatles songs going to iTunes hit and gave signs of a potentially broadening license catalog where there virtually was none before. What this means is that we know for sure the rights holders have interest in bringing out the songs; the question now is: who will get them? A victor might be found quickly as a deal could be "reached in a matter of weeks." E3 fits into that time frame; perhaps we'll know then?

[Via Gamasutra]
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]]>beatlesguitar-herorock-bandMajed Athab2008-06-23T12:00:00+00:00PS3 hardware tops Japanese sales chartshttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/ps3-hardware-tops-japanese-sales-charts/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/ps3-hardware-tops-japanese-sales-charts/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/ps3-hardware-tops-japanese-sales-charts/#commentsFiled under: ,

So we've previously reported on how the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4 spurred PlayStation 3 hardware sales in Japan, but now we're bringing in the news that the PS3 is back on top of the charts. According to Media Create numbers, the PS3 sold 75K+ (a slightly different calculation from the previous Enterbrain numbers at 77K+).

1. PlayStation 3: 75,311
2. PlayStation Portable: 64,675
3. Nintendo Wii: 45,564
4. Nintendo DS: 39,201
5. PlayStation 2: 7,297
6. Xbox 360: 2,163

The PS3 was the one to finally knock the PSP out of the prime position. The PSP has had success for the past several months, continuously taking the number one spot and crushing everything else. The question now is: Can the PS3 keep the momentum up and keep things going? Or, will the PSP return to its rule over Japan?
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]]>hardware-salesplaystation-3ps3Majed Athab2008-06-20T16:00:00+00:00PS3 set to beat PS2 lifetime sales says Reeveshttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/ps3-set-to-beat-ps2-lifetime-sales-says-reeves/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/ps3-set-to-beat-ps2-lifetime-sales-says-reeves/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/ps3-set-to-beat-ps2-lifetime-sales-says-reeves/#commentsFiled under: ,

It's a bit hard to imagine that the PS3 will eventually beat out the PS2's nearly 130 million units lifetime sales, but SCEE president David Reeves believes this is going to happen. Backing up the claim, Reeves stated: "The PS3 install base is growing faster than the PS2's was at this point in its lifecycle." Currently, the PS3 is around the 13 million mark in worldwide sales after having launched back in late 2006 -- that's ten percent of the PS2's current lifetime sales and six years to play catch up.

"The next five years are going to be turbulent. But I think it is going to be the most exciting period that we have ever seen in the past ten years of videogames," he added. With a recent big exclusive just released and many more on the way, we're not surprised by Mr. Reeves' confidence. However, that confidence isn't cockiness, "We welcome all competition. Whatever happens, we are all going to do well. We should celebrate the growth of the industry." We're happy to see such optimism and goodwill, and we'd like to see Mr. Reeves' predictions come true. We still think, however, the PS3 has a long way to go in proving itself to its older brother the PS2.
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]]>david-reevesMajed Athab2008-06-20T14:00:00+00:00Stringer of Sony: game profits are on top of our listhttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/stringer-of-sony-game-profits-are-on-top-of-our-list/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/stringer-of-sony-game-profits-are-on-top-of-our-list/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/20/stringer-of-sony-game-profits-are-on-top-of-our-list/#commentsFiled under:

The Chairman of the Sony Corp., Howard Stringer, stated today at a shareholder meeting in Tokyo that their top management priority is "to restore profitability in our television and game businesses." This comes after Sony's game division predicted profit for for the first time in three years, due to reduced cost of producing the PS3 and broadened game software lineup. Sony's game division has lost over 3.4 billion dollars the past two years under his leadership, so it isn't surprising profits in that area are in Stringer's (and obviously, Sony's) best interest.

Stringer also feels that "we are not No.1 in my mind yet," and with the Wii projected to sell 25 million units this fiscal year while the PS3 is predicted to sell 10 million, we can see why Stringer would feel such a sentiment.

[Via Joystiq]

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]]>howard-stringerps3salesAlan Tsang2008-06-20T11:00:00+00:00Sony Worldwide Studios welcomes Michael Denny, Scott Rohdehttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/16/sony-worldwide-studios-welcomes-michael-denny-scott-rohde/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/16/sony-worldwide-studios-welcomes-michael-denny-scott-rohde/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/16/sony-worldwide-studios-welcomes-michael-denny-scott-rohde/#commentsFiled under: ,

Since we love keeping up with all the body-moving inside Sony, we thought we'd alert you to a couple of new faces that'll be helping to make decisions regarding the company's future. Aside from the promotion of Shuhei Yoshida as the new Sony Worldwide Studios head, Sony's Worldwide Studios Europe (apparently one worldwide studio isn't worldwide enough) sees the promotion of Michael Denny (pictured) as new VP.

Sony San Diego Studios senior director Scott Rohde also got a promotion to VP of Worldwide Studios America (every country is their own world?). All jokes aside, we'd like to take this opportunity to welcome Denny and Rohde into their new positions and we hope to hear good things from them soon!
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]]>michael-dennyscott-rohdesony-worldwide-studiosNick Doerr2008-06-16T17:00:00+00:00PS3 exclusives sell 45% better than multiplatform releaseshttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/12/ps3-exclusives-sell-45-better-than-multiplatform-releases/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/12/ps3-exclusives-sell-45-better-than-multiplatform-releases/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/12/ps3-exclusives-sell-45-better-than-multiplatform-releases/#commentsFiled under:

PS3 fanboys don't like to share, it seems. According to EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich, PS3 owners prefer exclusives on their systems. In fact, a title that is exclusive to PS3 will sell 45% better on the system than a multiplatform title. Exclusives on both the Wii and Xbox 360, according to the analyst, only have a "small increase" over multiplatform titles.

June NPDs are almost guaranteed to belong to Sony, and Microsoft may respond to two consecutive months of PS3 victories through a price cut announced at E3. How will this affect the price of the PS3? "If there is a hardware price cut, it is not known if Sony will follow suit right way, but it would be safe to assume that Sony would execute some type of plan within a 2 month window of any hardware price cut from the Xbox 360."

The console war looks to be heating up. It'll be interesting to see where it goes in the coming months.
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]]>analysteedarexclusivesjesse-divinchps3salesAndrew Yoon2008-06-12T22:50:00+00:00NPD: PS3 beats Xbox 360 in Mayhttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/12/npd-ps3-beats-xbox-360-in-may/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/12/npd-ps3-beats-xbox-360-in-may/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/12/npd-ps3-beats-xbox-360-in-may/#commentsFiled under:

The console wars continue raging on. May's NPD figures are out, and PS3 has pushed out another victory this month, beating Xbox 360 by 22k units. The PS3 sold over 208k units this month, an increase of 155% over last year's May figures. Grand Theft Auto IV undoubtedly helped PS3 sales, with over 442k units of the game sold for PS3 in May alone. According to Sony, more than 32% of US PS3 owners now own a copy of Rockstar's latest (that's a 6% higher attach rate than Xbox 360). The exclusive releases of SingStar and Haze may have also helped sales.

Sony is undoubtedly pleased by this month's results, but imagine how ecstatic they'll be next month. PS3 sales are sure to spike in June, thanks to the release of the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle.

Jack Tretton added in a recent press release: "Leading into a pivotal season packed with blockbuster titles and unique online service offerings, consumers have chosen the PS3 as their home entertainment console of choice - showcased by its year-over-year sales growth of 155 percent. With its commanding line up of software titles and enhanced movie playback capabilities, the PS3 has seen phenomenal momentum with a software sales increase of more than 234 percent and additional studio support of delivering content in the Blu-ray format. The dual platform release of the much anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV title reaffirmed its legacy on the PlayStation platform with a 6 percent higher attach rate than Xbox 360, reinforcing consumer choice of PS3. Poised for continued momentum, PS3 is delivering on its breadth and depth of exclusive titles to its gaming fans with today's prized exclusive title launch of Metal Gear Solid 4. The media have hailed 2008 as the year of the PS3, and with solid sales and growth opportunities ahead, we feel consumers are saying the same."


- Wii: 675.1K 39.1K (-5.5%)
- DS: 452.6K 37.8K (+9.1%)
- PS3: 208.7K 21.6K (+11.5%)
- PSP: 182.3K 10.4K (-5.4%)
- X360: 186.6K 1.4K (-0.7%)
- PS2: 132.7K 8.3K (+6.7%)

May Software

1. GTA IV - Xbox 360 - 871.3K
2. Mario Kart Wii - Wii - 787.4K
3. Wii Fit (w/ Balance Board) - Wii - 687.7K
4. GTA IV - PS3 - 442.9K
5. Wii Play w/ remote - Wii - 294.6K
6. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii - 171.1K
7. Iron Man - PS2 - 130.6K
8. Guitar Hero III - Wii - 116.8K
9. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness - DS - 107K
10. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time - DS - 102K

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]]>npdps3Andrew Yoon2008-06-12T20:18:00+00:00Insomniac opens second studio in North Carolinahttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/04/insomniac-opens-second-studio-in-north-carolina/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/04/insomniac-opens-second-studio-in-north-carolina/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/04/insomniac-opens-second-studio-in-north-carolina/#commentsFiled under:

As if Insomniac Games didn't love Sony enough, they're opening up another studio in North Carolina to continue developing games for Sony hardware. This is the first time in the company's history that it has expanded beyond its original Burbank offices. The North Carolina team will start off small, with about 30 people, but that will be enough for game development. "Traditionally, we've had more than 30 people working on a title, but over the past few years we've learned a lot about product management and how to create more effective and more efficient pipelines," Insomniac's Ted Price told GameDaily BIZ. "We have a good handle on the PlayStation 3 technology. The tools and technology we've developed over the last couple of years have enabled us to develop AAA games with smaller teams."

It's unclear what the teams will work on after the completion of Resistance 2, but we're certain Ratchet & Clank will want to return in another PS3 game. Best of luck to the Insomniacs.

[Thanks, Kyle!]
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]]>insomniacinsomniac-gamesnorth-carolinated-priceAndrew Yoon2008-06-04T08:15:00+00:00Stringer: PS3 no longer on life supporthttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/29/stringer-ps3-no-longer-on-life-support/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/29/stringer-ps3-no-longer-on-life-support/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/29/stringer-ps3-no-longer-on-life-support/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Sometimes it's interesting to get a peek behind the curtain at some of your favorite multinational conglomerates -- in this case, Sony. In a fit of honesty, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer commented that while Sony is not yet out of market troubles, it is on the right track. After commenting on closing their 5% margins, Stringer described the situation as "... a sort of sense of, we're climbing up the mountain. We're nowhere near the top, but we're halfway up... The level of competence is growing, which is the main thing."

The PS3 was quoted as "sort of on life support before" but things have changed considerably thanks to Blu-ray and the PlayStation Network. Stringer knows that Sony is also supporting digital distribution, but doesn't see optical media being tossed aside for another ten years. To close with an analogy of the PS3 and Sony's current standing, Stringer said that it is "a giant department store competing with companies that are really skillful boutiques." Sounds fair enough. Good to know the PS3 is doing better in Sony's eyes, but what about yours?

[via Gamasutra]
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]]>blu-rayhoward-stringerpsnNick Doerr2008-05-29T11:30:00+00:00PS3 is the dominant console ... in 2012http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/22/ps3-is-the-dominant-console-in-2012/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/22/ps3-is-the-dominant-console-in-2012/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/22/ps3-is-the-dominant-console-in-2012/#commentsFiled under: ,


IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon predicts that the "romance of the three consoles" will continue for another four years with the PlayStation 3 finally pulling ahead in the year 2012. It looks like the Xbox 360 will stagnate over the rest of its life cycle while the Wii will continue to lead the charge with Nintendo first party products and a legion of shovelware. Considering that the PS3 still has a strong set of familiar megaton exclusive titles yet to release (Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, Final Fantasy XIII), while its competitors have already drained their back catalogs, there isn't any real wonder why the PS3 would end up on top. The real question is why is it going take so long?

Patrick Seybold, director of corporate communications for SCEA explains, "There were two main barriers to entry [to the PS3] for consumers: cost and content, [but] we have addressed both of those." Indeed, the PS3 price cut made last year's sales shoot through the roof. New content including retro franchises and new IP will be popping up on the console very soon.

Even so, we believe Sony's dominance in that time frame has more to do with longevity rather than anything else. The PS3 is a machine designed to last ten years, but are the Wii and the 360 built this way? Microsoft launched the 360 only four years after the first Xbox; if history repeats, then by 2012 Microsoft would have already shifted their focus onto a new toy. Meanwhile, the Wii and its focus on the casual market might not really last that long. Casual gamers are called "casual" for a reason. Over all, we can see these predictions coming true, though we picture the PS3 taking over slightly ahead of schedule.

[NintendoWiiFanboy]
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]]>businessps3Majed Athab2008-05-22T16:00:00+00:00SCEA very pleased with North American GT5 Prologue saleshttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/22/scea-very-pleased-with-north-american-gt5-prologue-sales/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/22/scea-very-pleased-with-north-american-gt5-prologue-sales/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/22/scea-very-pleased-with-north-american-gt5-prologue-sales/#commentsFiled under: ,


North American sales for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue pale in comparison to Europe's numbers; however, SCEA is still very much pleased with the results. NPD numbers showed that 224,000 copies have sold at US retailers, making the game the sixth best selling game overall and the second best selling PS3 title for April.

Considering that GT5 Prologue marked the first time for a pre-full game Prologue title to hit North America, the game actually sold well. Also, the statistics have yet to take into account sales from the PSN version, so the numbers could possibly be exponentially higher. For those of you who just can't get enough number crunching, here are some other interesting stats: Polyphony Digital's website reports that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue has shipped 550,000 units in North America, 300,000 in Asia/Japan, and a massive 1,380,000 in Europe.

Sony also expects that Gran Turismo 5 will do even better. "I don't think that these NPD sales fully represent the true anticipation for Gran Turismo 5," said Stephanie Yoshimoto, a SCEA senior product marketing manager. "GT5 will have a much larger overall scope that will inherently attract a larger, mass market audience."



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]]>gran-turismo-5gran-turismo-5-prolo...gt5gt5-prologuepolyphony-digitalMajed Athab2008-05-22T15:00:00+00:00PS3 outsells 360 in Australiahttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/19/ps3-outsells-360-in-australia/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/19/ps3-outsells-360-in-australia/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/19/ps3-outsells-360-in-australia/#commentsFiled under: ,

For Quarter one of 2008, that is. It's a small victory for our sleek black box; however, it surely is an interesting victory considering that the PS3 is a very pricey machine down under. According to Sony managing director Michael Ephraim who spoke with PALGN, the PS3 outsold the 360 by 45% in Q1 2008. Ephraim believes that, "it's a matter of time before [the PS3] surpass the install base [of the Xbox 360 in Australia]."

It looks like this far away PAL continent is starting to follow the footsteps of their European friends. Could Australia become the next Sony stronghold? Ephraim thinks so, "[Microsoft] were very weak in Continental Europe, so they have done fairly well here, but with the rate we're going we will definitely surpass the install base, we're just guessing somewhere around the end of the year, if not sooner if the trend keeps going the way it is."

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
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]]>figuresps3salesMajed Athab2008-05-19T16:45:00+00:00April NPD: GTA IV million seller on PS3, hardware sales close to 360http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/april-npd-gta-iv-million-seller-on-ps3-hardware-sales-close-to/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/april-npd-gta-iv-million-seller-on-ps3-hardware-sales-close-to/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/april-npd-gta-iv-million-seller-on-ps3-hardware-sales-close-to/#commentsFiled under:


NPD figures for April have finally come in and this time, it's a close call between Xbox 360 and PS3. According to the NPD, PS3 sold 187,071 hardware units last month, which represents a year-over-year sales growth of 127%. More importantly, software sales have gone up 410% from last year, with over 2 million software units sold in April. A large portion of that figure comes from Grand Theft Auto IV, which sold over one million copies on PS3 in North America. The PS3 version had a higher attach ratio, although the Xbox 360 version still outsold the PS3 version almost 2:1. Predictions that PlayStation loyalty from the PS2 era would help PS3 sales were incorrect.

While Sony's home console didn't win any sales contests this month, it has gained a tremendous amount of momentum, especially when one remembers the console at the same time last year. The newly released rumble-ready DualShock 3 controller also sold incredibly well, with sales exceeding $10.9 million in April. By our calculations, that means over 200,000 controllers were sold in April alone. Not bad, huh?

Jack Tretton, president and CEO of SCEA, responded to this month's numbers: "Clearly, the tremendous legacy of Grand Theft Auto on PlayStation, combined with the blockbuster launch of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue packed a one-two punch with consumers at retail this month. The proof is in the numbers and, in April, PlayStation 3 hardware sales experienced a 127% increase over April of last year. PS3 momentum is fueled by enthusiasm for Blu-ray as the definitive high def standard and the growing number of consumers gearing up for some of the most anticipated titles of the year, exclusively for PS3, including the June release of Metal Gear Solid 4, and other great exclusives in the second half on the year, such as Resistance 2, SOCOM: Confrontation and LittleBigPlanet to name a few. With exciting PlayStation Network innovations and our strongest console-driving titles of the year still on the horizon, PS3 remains on pace for a breakthrough year."

- Wii: 714.2K 6.8K (0.94%)
- DS: 414.8K 283.2K (40.6%)
- PSP: 192.7K 104.3K (35.1%)
- Xbox 360: 188K 74K (28.2%)
- PS3: 187.1K 69.9K (27.2%)
- PS2: 124.4K 91.6K (42.4%)

April Software

1. GTA IV - Xbox 360 - 1.85 million*
2. Mario Kart Wii - Wii - 1.12 million
3. GTA IV - PS3 - 1.00 million*
4. Wii Play w/ remote - Wii - 360K
5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Wii - 326K
6. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - PS3 - 224K
7. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness - DS - 202K
8. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time - DS - 202K
9. Guitar Hero III - Wii - 152K
10. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare - Xbox 360 - 141K*

* includes bundles, collector's editions, GOTY editions

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]]>grand-theft-auto-ivnpdps3salesAndrew Yoon2008-05-15T20:33:00+00:00Sony could be losing much more than $130 on every console soldhttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/sony-could-be-losing-much-more-than-130-on-every-console-sold/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/sony-could-be-losing-much-more-than-130-on-every-console-sold/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/sony-could-be-losing-much-more-than-130-on-every-console-sold/#commentsFiled under:

We know that the PS3 is an expensive system to make. Sony lost hundreds of dollars on each system sold, as the technology offered in Sony's home console is far more expensive than what it sells for in retail stores. Even now, over a year after the launch of PS3, Sony continues to lose money on each system. While Sony internal data suggests that the loss is $130 per system, a closer look by The Guardian shows that it may be much more.

"On Sony's own figures, the games division made a loss of $130 for each PlayStation 3 shipped. Let's assume that it's making pots of money on the PSP and the PlayStation 2: the PS2 is now hugely profitable and still sells more games than anything else. These two platforms could easily have made a profit of $1.2bn in the year. In that case, the total PS3 loss would have been $2.4bn shared between 9.24m PS3 consoles, or $260 per PS3 -- including any attached Sony games."

While this is deduced from anecdotal evidence, it's clear that Sony is still losing quite a bit of money on each system sold. Perhaps it really is wise to forgo getting a large install base for now ... until Sony can reduce the costs of manufacturing even further.

[Via Next-Gen]
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]]>lossps3Andrew Yoon2008-05-15T14:30:00+00:00PS3 price cut unlikely as Sony refocuses on profitabilityhttp://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/ps3-price-cut-unlikely-as-sony-refocuses-on-profitability/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/ps3-price-cut-unlikely-as-sony-refocuses-on-profitability/http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/05/15/ps3-price-cut-unlikely-as-sony-refocuses-on-profitability/#commentsFiled under:

Analysts at Lazard Capital Markets believe that a PS3 price cut will be highly unlikely this year, as Sony refocuses the company on profits, not market share. The PS3 has been trailing significantly behind its competitors, Xbox 360 and Wii, in this generation for a number of reasons. However, Sony may opt out of competing in the "console war."

"Console market share appears to be less of a priority; price cut less likely," explained Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets. "On its earnings call, Sony management indicated the company is now more focused on achieving profitability in the PlayStation segment ... Importantly, management comments also suggest that a price cut is less likely on the PS3 this year, at least in the near term."

Sony does have strong momentum on its side. With more than 9 million consoles sold in fiscal 2008 alone, and that figure expected to double by next fiscal year, things are still looking up for the PlayStation brand.

[Via Joystiq]
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]]>analystps3salessonyAndrew Yoon2008-05-15T10:37:00+00:00