Price cuts, new slimline units and video connectivity helped the Sony PlayStation 3 experience record sales growth in 2009.
According to data from market research firm, GfK, Australian sales for PlayStation 3 units rose by 27 per cent in 2009. More than 318,000 PlayStations 3s were purchased to reach a total of 770,000 consoles, a figure which includes all versions of the device.
The rise comes on the back of global sales growth and record holiday figures. Sony computer entertainment director of sales, Tony Nico, said the PS3 slimline version, which launched in September, and drop in retail prices were the biggest influences on sales.
“I think the [price cuts] were the main reason, but there was a strong line-up of software launched late last year with Uncharted 2 leading the way as well as EyePet,” he said. “Ballpark, about 80 per cent of the PS3 sales were Slimline models.”
Despite continuing economic uncertainty and stiff competition from Microsoft, Nico said he was confident of a continuing rise in PS3 sales and market share moving into 2010.
“PlayStation 3 represented 19 per cent of the total $2 billion industry in Australia, but that’s over 12 months. If you look at the results for the quarter ending December, PlayStation 3 represented 23 per cent of the total market,” he said.
According to Nico, one of the advantages held by the PS3 is its range of customised video streaming services such as PlayTV and the ABC’s iView service.
