Sony says sold 1.2 million PS3s in North America at year-end
TOKYO (AFP) -
Sony's game unit said Monday that it had sold 1.2 million PlayStation 3 video game consoles in North America during the key year-end holiday shopping season.
Sony also sold 1.4 million PlayStation Portable handheld machines in the region during the same period from November 23 to December 31, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said in a statement.
Sony, facing fierce competition from rival Nintendo Co., slashed 100 dollars from its top model PS3 consoles in the United States and introduced a cheaper, slimmed down version ahead of the crucial year-end sales period.
"The PlayStation brand ended the year in a very strong position and clearly indicates more positive momentum going into 2008," Jack Tretton, head of Sony's US games unit, said in a statement.
The PlayStation 2 also continued to enjoy brisk demand with sales of 1.3 million machines between November 23 and December 31, Sony said.
Sony previously dominated the home video-game market and shipments of the original version and the PlayStation 2 have both topped 100 million each.
But it has fallen badly behind Nintendo with its hit Wii console, which is much cheaper than the PS3 and designed to appeal to a wider audience.
Sony previously dominated the home video-game market and shipments of the original version and the PlayStation 2 have both topped 100 million each.
But it has fallen badly behind Nintendo with its hit Wii console, which is much cheaper than the PS3 and designed to appeal to a wider audience.
Sony also announced Monday that it had teamed up with Skype to enable users of its new slim PlayStation Portable handheld video game machine to make free or low cost telephone calls around the world.
After a software update that will be available from late January, PSP-2000 users will be able to chat for free to other Skype users and, for a charge, call landlines and mobile phones anywhere in the world, Sony said.
Comments