Sony reports 238K PS3 install base down under

PlayStation 3 first-year sales outpace PlayStation 2's debut year in Australia; PlayTV slated for Q3 2008 release.

Sony's PlayStation 3 was late to the next-generation console party in Australia, arriving three months after the Wii's local release and a full year after the Xbox 360's launch. However, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCEA) seems to be more than happy with its performance so far, saying that the PS3 has sold 238,000 units down under since its debut in March 2007.

The 238,000 figure comes from SCEA directly and not from official industry trackers GfK Australia (who do not include bundle deals such as Sony's PS3 giveaway with Bravia televisions in late 2007/early 2008 in their figures). The last official count from GfK featured figures for the end of 2007, which had the PS3 at 155,000 units sold, compared to more than 300,000 for the Wii and 306,000 for the Xbox 360. In January this year, SCEA head Michael Ephraim told GameSpot AU that more than 28,000 PS3s had been given away as part of a holiday promotion in which every purchaser of a new Sony Bravia LCD received a free console. The 238,000 figure means that the PS3 has easily eclipsed the first-year sales total for the PlayStation 2, which clocked in 146,000 in sales for its first 12 months. GfK has yet to release figures for Q1 2008 hardware sales in Australia.

SCEA has also flagged a tentative Q3 release date for the upcoming PlayTV add-on for the PS3 in Australia. PlayTV--the PS3's equivalent of a personal video recorder--was first unveiled at last year's Leipzig Games Convention.

21 Comments

  • jasonbarbour

    Posted May 5, 2008 2:11 pm GMT

    SCEA has also flagged a tentative Q3 release date for the upcoming PlayTV add-on for the PS3 in Australia

    Cool.. how bout a NA and Euro release date...
    looking forward to this service...hope it wourks out

  • mikewalsh69

    Posted May 4, 2008 8:27 am GMT

    238000 for a country with a population of 20 million. that not really that good. especially when you consider ireland has sold over 110000 with only a population of 4 million.

  • mall69

    Posted May 3, 2008 5:22 am GMT

    @Lucidmike78 .... wow, i've read some amazingly silly posts in these forums and i gotta tell ya'... yours is up there with the worst of them. i don't need to go off on a tangent and try to explain simple mathematics to you, but, if a developer can take advantage of user base that's three times larger than the alternative...that's going to increase sales. think about it, should they sell to 10 million customers, or 30 million. it doesn't matter how good your marketing is, your're not going to convince a larger perctange of people to spend $500 compared to $65. (first being a PS3 console, GTAIV & taxes, second simply being the game for those who already own a 360) what would you do if GTAIV was the only game you wanted and you already owned a 360. Spend $435 more for nothing?
    also, where do you come up with the idea that the 360's are more hacker friendly than the PS3. concerning piracy one is a completely closed system that discourages piracy, the other, the PS3... isn't. between the two systems, i'd be willing to bet there's a greater respective percentage of hacked PS3's to 360's. but, that's just conjecture on my part. but, maybe you know something i don't, then again, from the unperceptive, backwards-as@ posistion you took with you post, i'm sure you don't.

  • Lucidmike78

    Posted May 2, 2008 10:02 am GMT

    Anyone think that Rockstar not making the game exclusive to the PS3 actually hurt GTA IV sales?

    GTA IV has good enough marketting for people who don't own a PS3 to go out and buy one (eventually if not immediately). Instead, because its on the XBOX 360, it's fallen vicitim to some piracy.

  • ocdog45

    Posted May 2, 2008 9:27 am GMT

    not a big ddeal imo. thats only so much money for sony. they made much green off them tv's though

  • CharlieFubar

    Posted May 2, 2008 8:17 am GMT

    yea i do know that - do you know it happens alot more for 60 gig ps3 users? my 360 version stopped durring a loading screen once, but i havent had any problems since that. and i've been playing it on live for days now w/o hangups... my point is sony and rockstar arent the same and it isnt ps3's fault... but that fact is getting lost with all the screaming fanboys - and so, sony's trying to remind us that by stating one of its achievements.... i wonder how many gamerscore points they get lol

  • Loucetios

    Posted May 2, 2008 7:51 am GMT

    CharlieFubar

    didn;t you know? its both versions of the game that crash, there just isn't a fix for the 360 version yet

  • CharlieFubar posted May 2, 2008 7:31 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    CharlieFubar

    Posted May 2, 2008 7:31 am GMT (hide)

    is this even news? i think sonys just trying to get some "good" thoughts out there - seeing as its getting bashed for crashing gta4 all the time

  • Pie_FOREVER

    Posted May 2, 2008 7:29 am GMT

    Would be more believable without the words "Sony Reports" at the start.

    So you're saying Sony's credibility is null when reporting information? Why should anyone believe what Nintendo or Microsoft say sales wise then? Because the majority of gamers own either, therefore these multi-billion dollars companies wouldn't lie to the public?

  • Nineball2112

    Posted May 2, 2008 6:54 am GMT

    That's good news, but the 28K that were given away constitues apprx. 12% of the total reported. That's not HUGE, but it's significant.

    Even discounting the give-aways, it sold 210K which is still substantially higher than the PS2's first year.

    That's a fantastic start and I expect more to sell with the upcoming titles later this summer and fall. Good job Sony.

  • TTDog

    Posted May 2, 2008 5:38 am GMT

    Would be more believable without the words "Sony Reports" at the start.

  • EPaul

    Posted May 2, 2008 5:12 am GMT

    Nice to see the PS3 doing good down under

  • Bobby969

    Posted May 2, 2008 4:55 am GMT

    good for AU -but this is gamespot UK isn't it??? why all the aussie news all the time?

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted May 2, 2008 3:25 am GMT

    Surprising. PS3 is not doing great in California. It seems to do better everywhere else.

  • whacker40

    Posted May 2, 2008 2:35 am GMT

    the ps3 had a rocky start, but it seems to be picking up. good for sony.

  • softymcsoft

    Posted May 2, 2008 1:41 am GMT

    NIce to see PlayTV due before x-mas.

  • artson1966

    Posted May 1, 2008 11:24 pm GMT

    pretty good numbers for such a small population.

  • Viral-venom13

    Posted May 1, 2008 11:14 pm GMT

    I c sales r beginning 2 soar, lets c how much furthur it goes!

  • Omega_Wolf89

    Posted May 1, 2008 9:52 pm GMT

    That really is strange that no one is commenting on the other articles besides GTA IV......

    Their loss.

  • leimeisei

    Posted May 1, 2008 9:07 pm GMT

    FIRST!! guess everyone's too busy flaming away on PS3 GTAIV fix article...

    but these are impressive sales figures "down under.." i wish it'd be that successful in US

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