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Sony PSP Sales Way Up 76

Posted by Zonk from the is-that-a-playstation-in-your-pants? dept.
WeAz writes "According to an article via Yahoo's news service, Sony is reporting that they have sold 800,000 PSP units since the system's release last month. Demand for the system is so strong that there's already a shortage arising. To combat this, Sony 'would increase monthly PSP production by 100,000 units to one million in April, as it prepared to launch the product in the United States and Europe.' Ken Kutaragi, Sony Computer Entertainment's CEO said that monthly production of the PSP will eventually rise to 3 million units."
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Sony PSP Sales Way Up More

Sony PSP Sales Way Up

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  • Everyone's got the wrong headline... (Score:5, Informative)

    by Cutriss ( 262920 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @05:18PM (#11424329) Homepage
    Sony has not sold 800K units. Sony has shipped 800K units.

    They aren't "sold" until they're in the hands of consumers.

    • Re:Everyone's got the wrong headline... (Score:4, Interesting)

      by MilenCent ( 219397 ) <johnwh@gmai[ ]om ['l.c' in gap]> on Thursday January 20, 2005 @05:24PM (#11424412) Homepage
      From the article:

      "I must admit (sales) are not big enough yet," Sony Computer Entertainment president and chief executive Ken Kutaragi told a news conference.

      You're right. It's outright said in the linked article by a Sony exec that sales haven't ramped up yet! Who's editing these stories?

      Considering that the whole PSP vs. DS fracas is one of the more strident arguments going on on Slashdot at the moment, I'm really scratching my head at how this one slipped by.
      • Considering that the whole PSP vs. DS fracas is one of the more strident arguments going on on Slashdot at the moment, I'm really scratching my head at how this one slipped by.

        You think Slashdot's immune to the Sony hype machine? Why do you think big companies like Sony have PR people, anyway? It's specifically to manipulate the press to their advantage, and Slashdot is part of that, like it or not.

        You would hope that both the submitters and the editors here would be a little more savvy - that's why so
    • I'd also like to know how 290K sales in 3 weeks is "way up." Since launch sales in Japan for the PSP have been around 80-100K per week. This would make sales steady.
    • Assuming they don't need to offer PSPs on sale or return, then Sony probably has sold 800k units to shops. It's the shops that may (or may not) have sold them on to consumers yet.
    • Damn near every unit shipped has been sold. This is the history of the PSP. This is why there is a pending shortage. Even in Japan, its been difficult to find one even weeks after release.

      The parent assumes there is salable stock in warehouses and stores that is unsold. Normally, the parent would have a point, but that does not apply here.

      • Re:MOD PARENT DOWN (Score:1, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Yes, yes, we're all aware of the magical properties that are associated with Sony's traditional artificial low-production-run hardware product introductions. It gets the suckers and the Sony fanboys (sorry to repeat myself) all revved up, every time.

        The facts are:

        1. Nintendo released enough DS systems to meet demand, which started high, as it grows. They are over the 2 million mark in Japan alone, with high estimates that extend into Q2.

        2. Sony, as always, architected a low production of 200,000 PSPs

        • Re:MOD PARENT DOWN (Score:3, Insightful)

          by gorim ( 700913 )
          All you have stated may very well be correct, but are really irrelevant, and is a straw argument since it doesn't at all address the points the parent made nor my challenge to them.

          Only the last sentence you stated is glaringly wrong "at least be responsible enough to know that you have the facts, before you digest them as such."

          Since we are talking facts, let me restate my original posting and the parent.

          1. Damn near every unit shipped has been sold. This is the history of the PSP. This is why there is
          • Dec 27th - Jan 2nd [the-magicbox.com] (129,957/482,252)
            Jan 2nd - Jan 9th [the-magicbox.com] (62,052/62,052)

            Now, are you going to tell me that anything less than nearly all of this 800k are *not* in the hands of consumers ?

            Wait 2 weeks. Check the numbers. I doubt more than 87% have been sold(around 700,000), since there shouldn't be a sudden production surge(from 62k in a week to 110k per week) over the past 11 days, nor did some new game worth mentioning descend from the heavens.
            • It should be pointed out that those numbers are basically just low-end estimates. Like the similar US data (via the NPD), many large stores simply aren't polled in the numbers that Magic Box posts.
          • Damn near every unit shipped has been sold. This is the history of the PSP.

            But that is not said, at least not plainly, in the article. At the very least, there should be a link to sales figures up there to illustrate that.
        • Ah, yes. More Anit-Sony trolling. Your beloved Nintendo would never create artificial shortages to get some cheap press ink. They really just didn't make enough hardware to meet the demand for their godlike DS system. That's why the major retailer I work for only got 2 units per store on launch day, and nothing more till January 3rd, even though the first two sat there unwanted for the first week. Dillhole.

    • Re:Everyone's got the wrong headline... (Score:4, Insightful)

      by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @09:54PM (#11427321) Homepage
      The term for that is "sell-in" vs "sell-through."

      However, If they're increasing production, that usually means sell-through is going well.

    • Actually Sony HAS sold 800,000 units. PSP's are not shipped out for free - retailers pay for them and then the retailers resell to the consumers. So everyone DOES have the right headline.

  • In other news (Score:3, Funny)

    by superpulpsicle ( 533373 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @05:20PM (#11424358)
    - Nintendo talks about its long battery life superiority.

    - The DS will feature a brand new series in 2005: Mario DS, Metroid DS, Zelda DS. Followed by 2006 series of Mario 64 DS, Metroid DS, Zelda DS.

    - In 2008, Nintendo plans on releasing DS-more-color and DS advanced.

    • - In 2008, Nintendo plans on releasing DS-more-color and DS advanced.

      Don't forget the Nintendo DS Mini - Now with Unified Screen Technology!

    • Re:In other news (Score:2, Insightful)

      by -kertrats- ( 718219 )
      The DS will feature a brand new series in 2005: Mario DS, Metroid DS, Zelda DS. Followed by 2006 series of Mario 64 DS, Metroid DS, Zelda DS.

      As opposed to Sony, who's lineup stars include...Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer?

      Glass houses...
      • "As opposed to Sony, who's lineup stars include...Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Ridge Racer?"

        Sony doesn't even make those games. That's why Ridge Racer's on the DS, too. :P
  • Kutaragi said he wanted to give the PSP communication and web-browsing functions so it could compete against multi-function mobile phone handsets.

    Sounds like another N-Gage to me...

    • Re:Wait a second... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by UWC ( 664779 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @06:23PM (#11425168)
      Sounds like another N-Gage to me...

      Yeah, except with decent resolution, competent hardware, a usable form factor, and the fact that it's coming from a well-established gaming division. I'll consider the PSP's battery life+UMD-shooting a draw with N-Gage's horribly convoluted game changing requirements.

      The resolution thing still confuses me. My Nokia 3660 has better resolution than the N-Gage.

      Also, I'm not a Sony apologist. If anything, I'd probably fall into the Nintendo fanboy category. I have a Gamecube, GBA, GBA SP (original GBA given to younger brother), and a DS. The dismissal of the PSP as "another N-Gage" still struck me as inexcusably trollish.

      Also, the lack of good games on the DS so far is still disappointing.

      • Re:Wait a second... (Score:4, Interesting)

        by fwitness ( 195565 ) on Thursday January 20, 2005 @08:42PM (#11426667)
        Yes, the lack of good DS games is extremely frustrating. I was an early adopter of the DS, and I know Nintendo does wonderfully innovative things. The DS is a great product, but it seems it might have been rushed just a teeny bit to combat the PSP. It seems like the PSP is also suffering from the same problem at the moment. Maybe if everybody just slowed down until everything was ready we would all be better off. One can dream.

        I still think there is room in the portable market for two consoles. This wasn't true when the previous game boy competitors came to market. There is a lot of people gaming now a days though, and I think their tastes are different. Enough so to create *at least* two portable console markets.
      • I'll consider the PSP's battery life+UMD-shooting a draw with N-Gage's horribly convoluted game changing requirements.

        Apparently the newer NGages solved this problem, so you'll mark that as a win for NGage?
    • "Sounds like another N-Gage to me..."

      I don't think many would say the PSP isn't a competent gaming machine. So, no, it doesn't sound like NGage to me. I don't expect those features to be all that popular, either.

  • Nice headline (Score:4, Funny)

    by techstar25 ( 556988 ) <techstar25 AT gmail DOT com> on Thursday January 20, 2005 @10:08PM (#11427418) Journal
    "Sony PSP Sales Way Up"

    Yeah, I mean, at this time last year they had sold, what, zero? I'd definitely say sales are up.
  • 'would increase monthly PSP production by 100,000 units to one million in April, as it prepared to launch the product in the United States and Europe.' Thought the projected release was Mar. If there having a hard time keeping shelves stocked in one part of the world, what about 2? For every game-a-holic Japanese kid, there's a spoiled american kid with too much allowance. All I can say - good thing I'm 3rd on the list at eb. That, and the fact that I can sleep standing up in a line at 12 o'clock. What no

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