Sales figures
Following on from this post about PS3 sales being down 59%, I’ve gotten more facts and figures. Yay.
Despite the grim PS3 news, a factor in this could be an expectant audience waiting for a price drop, and of course the fact that the big C is around the corner (only 148 shopping days left!). Consumer spending is low at this half of the year as it is, but couple that with the recessionary talk, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster right there. On top of this, Sony can take heed in the fact that the overall game business (note: not “entertainment”, just game division specifically) is down 18%. In this climate 18% is good news.
Sony posted an operating loss of ¥58.5 billion saving them a ¥66.1 billion loss because of hardware cost reductions as well as increased software sales.
“We are all firmly committed to leading Sony with the innovative spirit that is embedded in its DNA,” read a written statement from Sony Chairman, CEO and President Howard Stringer. “It is a privilege to fight for a great company like Sony, and with the seriousness of purpose that this management team possesses, I know we can succeed in making Sony greater than ever.”
In the first quarter of the 2008 fiscal year, Sony sold 1.5 million PlayStation 2 consoles globally. Q1 2009 saw that number rise to 1.6 million thanks to a lower price point.
PS3 sales were down from 1.6 million in Q1 2008 to 1.1 million in 2009, while PSP sales were down from 3.7 million to just 1.3 million. A huge drop. Sony highlighted the handheld out as a key contributor to a record loss in operating income for Sony’s Networked Products & Services Group, which saw a loss ¥39.7 billion. Part of the handheld loss comes with the PSP loosing momentum in software sales, and the expected “new” PSP (PSPGo) later this year.
Mixed news for Sony, but not so mixed for Nintendo. And not in the way you think.
According to Nintendo, “In the console business, there were fewer blockbuster software titles that briskly drove hardware sales this June quarter versus the same period a year ago when titles like Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit were launch in overseas markets.” This left the business 40% down year-on-year. Less “big” game releases and the fact that the economy isn’t spending as frivolously (which the Wii sold to primarily, frivolous spenders). Couple this with the fact that Nintendo have it very hard in terms of being able to expand since their target audience pretty much saturated itself with Wii’s. Nintendo lost sight of the software market meaning their strategy to push Wii into homes stopped the flow of money!
Net income dropped ¥42.3 billion, a 60.6% decline. However, this still leaves the big N in a profitable situation thanks to low operating & manufacturing costs. This is partly due to DS sales dropping during the last quarter, down from 6.94 million total units sold in 2008 to 5.97 units in 2009.
During the last quarter, Nintendo marked 2.23 million in total Wii sales, compared with 5.17 million total Wii sales in 2008.
In the same breath, Microsoft posted a 20% increase in sales in the first 6 months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008, passing the 30 million mark globally. Paid downloads on Xbox Live have seen a 73% in the same timeframe.
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