RSSSony plans to sell 10 million PS3s this year
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published May 15, 2008, 1:21 PM
Sony plans to boost sales of of Blu-ray drives to 7 million units in the year ahead, from 2 million over the past fiscal year, while also selling another 10 million PS3 game machines without "drastic" price cuts.
This according to Nobuyuki Oneda, Sony Corp.'s executive VP and CFO, during his company's quarterly earnings report late yesterday.
Also over the next 12 months, Sony will increase its focus on Internet-based gaming software for the PlayStation 3, Oneda said, during a presentation of Sony financial results for fiscal 2007 that showed the company rebounding in the fourth quarter, led by improved results for Sony's games unit.
From January through March of 2008, Sony achieved net income of 29 billion yen, or around $278 million, as opposed to a loss of $67.6 billion yen for the same period a year earlier.
With sales of the PS3 rising, Sony started to recover the costs of developing a new chip for the console, despite having cut its prices. Sony's losses in the games sector amounted to 11.5 billion yen for January through March of 2008, compared with losses of 107.8 billion yen for the same period a year earlier.
Although Sony's fourth quarter results were hurt by a decline in the stock market value of Sony's financial holdings, the company almost tripled its net income for the full fiscal year, with a particularly strong sales increase of 8.9% for Sony's electronics unit, which includes Vaio PCs, the Handycam video camera, and the Cybershot digital camera.
Questioned by financial analysts, Oneda indicated that, although pricing on PS3s might drop further somewhat over year ahead, any future price reductions won't be major.
Now that Sony has sold almost 10 million PS3 units worldwide, "Our strategy is that we should focus more [on] Internet-related service operations" and on software rather than "to increase the [PS3] quantity by adjusting the prices," the CFO told analysts. "[In] '07, we sold about 9.26 million [PS3] units, and this year we are expecting about 10 million units. So the increase is not so [much] bigger than you probably might expect.
"That is [for] the following reasons: [In] fiscal year '07, the most important thing [was] for Sony Group to establish the platform for PS3...At least [10 million] units [have] to be sold to create a platform. So therefore, in fiscal '07, even though [our] cost [for] hardware [was] much higher than the price itself, we had to sell close to the 10 million sets in fiscal year '07," he continued.
"If you consider the long lifetime of the PS3, [we] don't think it is time [now] to aggressively sell the hardware quantity this year."
Oneda declined to give specifics about Sony's pricing strategy for the year ahead. But in order for Sony to sell another 10 million PS3s over the next 12 months, he said, "I don't think that we really have to adjust the pricing so much."
He also said that he expects Sony will sell more PS3 machines during the second half of the fiscal year -- from October 2008 through March 2009 -- than over the first half of the fiscal year, from April through September 2008.
Meanwhile, this week, Microsoft announced sales of 10 million units for its competing Xbox 360 in the United States alone.
The Xbox 360, however, came to market a full year ahead of both Sony's PS3 and Nintendo's Wii. Statistics from the NPD Group, as given by Reuters, show US sales of 8.8 million units for the Wii and 4.1 million units for the PS3, to date.
i would like you guys to just answer one question after taking the facts into consideration....
1st year vs first year....PS3 outsells 360...
2007 vs 2007...PS3 outsells 360...
2008 vs 2008...PS3 is outselling 360....
so explain to me...how on earth one could possibly say the PS3 is rotting on shelves, or selling like crap...but not say the same thing about the PS3??....
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|1st year vs first year....PS3 sits on shelf
2007 vs 2007...PS3 still sitting on shelf
2008 vs 2008...PS3 STILL sitting on shelf
You know what's humorous? If you run down to the Target near my house, you can see the same PS3 sitting there from 2 mos ago. How do I know? It's in the exact same location with the exact same stickers on it, and it's sitting on top of the exact same sign that it's always been sitting on.
You know why I keep looking at it? Because I'm passing it for the Wii games, and I glance to see if it's not stupid expensive still (it always is).
Thanks.
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|regardless of YOUR target...the facts are the same...the PS3 has outsold the 360 in every way since launch...
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|You opinion is the same maybe.
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|Question: What exclusives does the 360 have that are a must own?
I owned the system for about a month before trading it for the PS3. At the time, Gears of War was the only thing worth playing.
I only ask because the NO GAMES argument gets thrown around a lot but 360 games titles are never mentioned.
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|>>the PS3 is selling like crap??...hmm....
It took you a while to figure it out. :D
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|ps3 is silient compared the the hairblower, i mean 360
I own them both they sit right next to eachother , so dont go there
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|Is this blog reporting the sound levels or the fact that they plan to sell 3 times more consoles this year?
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|Congratulations, my grandma plans on knitting 10 million doilies, and that don't make me anymore interested.
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|go granny go!
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|do you people really believe the crap that you sling around?...
"Now that Sony has sold almost 10 million PS3 units worldwide"
umm....Sony sold over 9 million in 2007 alone...I think they have already eclipse your 10 million number BetaNews...
"and make it PS2 compatible again... It's a friggin toy not a status symbol!"
it is...if you buy the 80GB version...if you buy the 40GB it isn't...i don't see you calling out Microsoft for their awful backwards compatibility with the 360...what are they up to now? 25 titles?...
"How about fixing Sony's online system because damn does it suck.
The media center capabilities drop out a lot for no reason whatsoever, wheres the play your own music option at? I keep hearin complaints that xbox360 is so loud well the playstation 3 is quite loud as well, the fans really kick off when watching a movie or playing a game.
The playstation store is all over the place"
the online functions of my PS3 work just fine, rarely do i get disconnected, and if i do its my network, not the PS3...the media center capabilities you speak of have nothing to do with the PS3's internet...maybe your connection just cant handle the data streaming...hmm...the PSstore is fine, i dont see how its "all over the place"
"Wow 10 million POS3's huh.. at around a $200 loss in manufacturing costs per console that would mean a profit?
What games are you going to "create" to spark this influx in sales?????
BOGO sales for Bloray!? Is that really going to help the niche market you've made?
I think your expectations are unrealistic perhaps you should have a cup of reality Sony."
considering they sold 9.2 million during 2007 (more than the 360 in 2007 i might add) i don't think 10 million in 2008 is unreasonable...games? MGS4, Resistance 2, Final Fantasy...etc..
and first of all they don't lose $200 per console anymore, and if they did then you are only making Sony look better...if a console costs that much to just BUILD then I would consider Sony to be very consumer friendly for giving it to me at such a low price...your argument just supports the PS3's price point...
bloray huh? what does that say for HD-DVD? woops....
lets see....taking a look at sales numbers...
PS3 vs 360 in first year of launch...PS3 sells more...
PS3 vs 360 sales in 2007 head to head...PS3 sells more...
PS3 vs 360 sales so far in 2008...PS3 sells more...
but the PS3 is selling like crap??...hmm....
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|Yep, and they just can't keep them bluray players on the shelves either, huh?
oh, wait.
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|typical response....
don't know what to do with yourself because of the fact that Blu-ray dominated HD-DVD, and the PS3 is selling better than the 360...i know its a tough time for you right now...
when faced with facts that dispute your claims just revert to making stuff up
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|"typical response...."
You'd expect anything else? Boy you sure made me see the light.
Blu-Ray didn't dominate HD-DVD, they bought the market. PS3 is sitting on shelves rotting, where it will stay until it's not insanely expensive. If they want to move it, they need to make it AT LEAST $100 less.
I haven't made anything up, but you believe whatever you want. I'm gonna log off magic fairy land here where Dark Helmet is the all knowing and all seeing and go to work.
Have a nice day.
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|""and make it PS2 compatible again... It's a friggin toy not a status symbol!"
it is...if you buy the 80GB version...if you buy the 40GB it isn't...i don't see you calling out Microsoft for their awful backwards compatibility with the 360...what are they up to now? 25 titles?..."
This besides the unbearable length of your rant disqualifies you as a fanboi. Who in their right mind cares about the original XBox in comparison to PS2? The PS2 is prob still outselling PS3 and XBox360...
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|ive read and heard ps2 is still selling more than 360/ps3.
I have the 40gig ps3, but since I never had a ps2 i could care less about backward comp.
my PC plays any "ps2 gen" type games :-)
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|WOw hardon for SOny?
Is that you malf?
You start up a new handle ??
Ok 9 million world wide huh.. ok how come its still in LAST PLACE?
360 backwards compatability ...
Its SOFTWARE.. so that means you don't need to buy the most expensive model for this feature. Think about that for a second.... Use 1 of the 3 braincells you have.
The online system sucks
You respond with a comparison of how loud one console is compared to the other.. yet no defence to the actual truth that Sony's POS3 online system BLOWs!
Now with the 9.2 million (we remember the actual number we used earlier on in our OWN post?"
You can site MGS4, Resistance, Final Fantasy, KILL ZONE and any other game you want under the sun its not going to compare still as the decent games are available on the 360 and there is BETTER content PERIOD ON THE 360!.
FYI they do LOOSE $200 ON EACH CONSOLE THIS IS A REPORT FROM SONY DIRECTLY.. perhaps you should research this within your little cubicle down at Sony before you post.
Then you choose to prove your comment with BOGUS numbers and Sony propaganda..
WOW you really need to get someone there at Sony to read your posts before you post.
POS3 sells more huh.. somehow i figure if they have such a sales advantage the World Wide number would be different and the 360 wouldn't currently HOLD 2nd place overall..
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|That domination has done what to the current market.. people still purchase more DVDs.... HD On Demand will swallow up the rest and you can enjoy your BLORAY disks at bargin sales next to the laserdisk
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|a $100 drop...
That would mean that they loose $300 / console in manuf costs. But hey those bloray players are selling like hot cakes.. (Sarcasm)
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|Danno, your just a plain idiot...lol sorry for being blunt...
9 million worldwide, yeah IN 2007!...the PS3 launched in 2006...its now 2008...to say they didn't sell AT LEAST another million during 2006 and 2008 is laughable...its in "last" place because the Wii can't stay on shelves, and the 360 was out for an ENTIRE YEAR before the PS3 launched...do you even have a pulse?
he 360 has JOKE backwards compatibility...period...there is no comparison between the PS3 and 360 on this front....the first PS3's had a PS2 stuffed inside them so they used hardware BC...the new 80's are software BC, and the 40's have none...big deal...if you want to play PS2 games...buy an 80GB...
The online system does not suck...i play online every single day with my PS3 and it works fine...oh and its free...and i have built in wireless....oh and its free...did i mention its free?...and that it works fine?..if you actually had a PS3 and didn't make things up you would know...
i didn't say anything about how loud one console is...wrong person buddy...
FYI they USED to loose $200 per console...but not anymore...
quite simply the PS3 DOES sell more...lol...the numbers don't lie..the 360 is in 2nd place in total sales because its been out a year longer lol...and the only market where the 360 even has a chance to outsell the PS3 is North America....anywhere else in the world its the PS3 beating it BADLY!
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|Did they accidentally post a draft article? I hope so, because reading this made me feel like I was on a acid trip or something.
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|If this is the final version, what the hell did the draft look like.
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|Unless this thing gets smaller (a la PS2 -> slim) and cheaper no business from this end - and make it PS2 compatible again... It's a friggin toy not a status symbol!
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|"Also over the next 12 months, Sony will increase its focus on Internet-based gaming software for the PlayStation 3"
Well that certainly would be smart.
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|"Questioned by financial analysts, Oneda indicated that, although pricing on PS3s might drop further somewhat over year ahead, any future price reductions won't be major. "
aka we won't be selling more PS3s anytime soon.
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|heheh.. thats the translation I made as well
but my other thought was
"we have nothing to offer you to intice you to buy our product we just like fudging the number so that it looks like we are being at all realistic".
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|Just like Sony, I plan to make 10 million dollars this year by playing the lottery. Are you saying that's never going to happen???
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|You probably have a better chance than Sony.
heh
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|Sony can plan all they want but its not really going to get them anywhere. Keep on making plans Sony and see how far it will increase your PS3 sales.
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|What the the hell was that?!?!
This has got to to be the the WORST written article on on this site I've ever read [grammatically]. Does Betanews proofread anymore? Wow this was terrible.
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|How about fixing Sony's online system because damn does it suck.
The media center capabilities drop out a lot for no reason whatsoever, wheres the play your own music option at? I keep hearin complaints that xbox360 is so loud well the playstation 3 is quite loud as well, the fans really kick off when watching a movie or playing a game.
The playstation store is all over the place
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|Wow 10 million POS3's huh.. at around a $200 loss in manufacturing costs per console that would mean a profit?
What games are you going to "create" to spark this influx in sales?????
BOGO sales for Bloray!? Is that really going to help the niche market you've made?
I think your expectations are unrealistic perhaps you should have a cup of reality Sony.
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|its already at 12.61 mil
http://www.vgchartz.com/
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|oh really??
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|I like those numbers for GTA4
where Rockstar released their sales numbers and this website doesn't even reflect those numbers..
Is Sony working the numbers on this site?
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