PS3 sales in Australia = no rules, just right

by Nick Doerr { Apr 5th 2007 at 12:00PM }

Outback Steakhouse probably doesn't even use that slogan anymore, but that's not important. What remains important are the sales figures for Australia after the first ten days of sales. There are two ways to look at the numbers. One is for Sony fans, one is for those who have some kind of invisible vendetta against a corporation bigger than their wildest ambitions. We'll cover both in their respective styles.

The PlayStation 3 yielded more retail spending than any other console launch in Australia! Selling a groundbreaking 27,083 consoles at about AU$1,000 for an estimated AU$27,083,000, GfK's Daniel Morse had this to say: "Our data revealed that in a matter of just ten days the PlayStation 3 created a spike in retail spending not previously witnessed at the launch of any other console in Australia." Amazing! Well done, Sony.

The PlayStation 3 shriveled against the other consoles in Australia! Selling a miniscule 27,083 units in comparison to the Wii's 41,369 consoles and the XBox 360's 36,627 units on their respective launches, this proves that Sony is in trouble. If they can't get those numbers up, we'll dance some more!

Now it's up to you guys to see which side of the argument the rest of the internet takes. What is more important, do you think, for Sony? The raw number of consoles sold, or the value of said consoles? Do they look at 27,000 and say: "Dang, that's not a lot of consoles!" or do they say: "Dang! No one else sold an equivalent of AU$27,000,000 in ten days!" Who knows, but the interweb will dictate which is more important.

[Thanks, Colin McP!]

Tags: PlayStation 3, Playstation3, PS3, Sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Stef Geiger @ Apr 5th 2007 12:09PM

Seeing as they're taking a HUGE loss on every console, the actual number of units is the only thing that matters. Especially since it's the size of the install base that determines whether or not games get made for the system.

Hobofuzz @ Apr 5th 2007 8:47PM

3rd parties look at units sold, and that's all that really matters.

Colin @ Apr 5th 2007 12:22PM

Top 10 software sales for the same time period:

"In addition to the positive hardware results, GfK data from the launch week of PLAYSTATION 3 (w/c 19 March) ranked SCE Australia’s first party software titles, Resistance: Fall of Man™, MotorStorm™ and FORMULA ONE™ CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION as the three highest selling games. ” In the week of launch, PS3 games dominated GfK sales charts consuming nine out of the top ten places (console and handheld). The remaining chart item was also a PlayStation® product, Final Fantasy XII on PlayStation®2,” stated Mr Morse.

GfK – Software Sales Chart Top Ten w/c 19 March 2007
Game Title, Publisher
1. Resistance: Fall of Man – PS3, SCE
2. MotorStorm - PS3, SCE
3. FORMULA ONE CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION - PS3, SCE
4. CALL OF DUTY 3 - PS3, Activision
5. FINAL FANTASY XII- PS2, Square Enix
6. Need for Speed Carbon - PS3, Electronic Arts
7. Ridge Racer 7 - PS3, Namco Bandai
8. Fight Night Round 3 - PS3, Electronic Arts
9. Virtua Fighter 5 - PS3, Sega
10. Virtua Tennis 3 - PS3, Sega

McP

Gamey McGee @ Apr 5th 2007 12:37PM

Well, since we already know Joystiq will report this as "The PS3 is Doomed, part 46" we can skip that analysis.

There is no question a cheaper product will sell more given similar abilities. To that end, a more expensive PS3 selling similar numbers is a pretty large victory. Also, if you look at game sales (which is what Sony and every other console maker actually makes the most money on), you'll see the PS3 right at the top of all of them.

I like my PS3. I can't wait for more games this year and the anticipation of upcoming projects really has me interested. In the mean time, I get a lot of gaming and utility out of it.

Arnie @ Apr 5th 2007 12:39PM

Well,

Theres contradicting data for you...

On the one side it is Consoles Sold that count (and i'm A Sony fanboy). However this matters as more consoles = more game sales...

Or at least you would have thought so.. The Games sales chart there tells a different story.

Wonderflex @ Apr 5th 2007 12:40PM

I say that for Sony it truly has to be both. Instal base is crucial to the sucess of any product. If you can't move product off the shelves and into peoples homes then it's destined to fall into obscurity.

But it isn't all about the initial sales by any means. Consistant, steady, sales are preferable to a major launch that fizzles out after a few months. Look at the Japanese sales charts for example. The DS Lite kicked off to a huge start and has managed to keep those sales rolling.

Sony needs to focus on taking these launch day sales and converting them into advertisment. Marketing 101 states that advertisment doesn't cost money, it makes money. That's where these monitary sales records are able to really come into play.

So Sony, you make a lot of bank off your launch with a $600 system - take that money and pour it back into marketing. Get some PS3 comercials on TV that make sense, and by all means, plug blu-ray until I don't want to see it again. You made a lot of bank, so throw some adds where they count - like American Idol, Heros, or The Office. This first round money is a victory for your wallets, but don't go wasting it like a college freshman who just bought a Xbox 360 with his grant money. Spend it wisely and get some more consoles into our homes.

Stef Geiger @ Apr 5th 2007 12:55PM

I love my PS3, it does so many really cool and useful things that the pricetag is easily justified. Sony needs to push the fact that this thing basically has all the functionality of a videogame console, blu-ray player and appleTV combined. I find it really practical and easy to convert torrents to mp4 and throw them onto my PS3 to watch them. That kind of feature is something people should be really excited about. Now if Sony releases a firmware update that adds xvid support... wow.

Wonderflex @ Apr 5th 2007 1:09PM

@ Stef Geiger

I agree completely. Especially with the xvid part. If Sony decided to bundle in codec packs with their next update I could really see things exploding with the more internet savy community. No more converting video - just download and go.

Yah...itsaPS3..sowhat @ Apr 5th 2007 1:19PM

I know it isn't the MOST convenient but can't you just boot into linux and watch all your XVID content using mplayer or vlc?

Jdaman @ Apr 5th 2007 1:54PM

Aren't the Wii and Xbox360 numbers from the launch weekend? Why did Sony get 10 days for launch numbers while the others got aboout 3?

Not saying the PS3 is super doomed, but that comparison seems a bit disingenuous.

Wonderflex @ Apr 5th 2007 2:04PM

@ Yah...

1) Not everyone has/wants linux on their PS3.
2) If I was going to do that I could just bring my shuttle pc into the living room.

I like the idea of just being able to pop in just about any mutli-media format and having it play from the crossbar. It would make it's out-of-the-box appeal be even that much stronger.

Stef Geiger @ Apr 5th 2007 2:05PM

@9: Yes, once you get that set up, everything is really simple - you can even move files to the PS3 over your network. The catch there is that it really isn't fun to set up. I chose not to do it just because it seems like in the end it'll be less work to transcode my videos instead. I might be incorrect, getting linux working requires 1. Finding the Yellow Dog Linux ISO, 2. Downloading it (3 gigs), 3. Burning it onto a DVD within a specially named folder along with some other funny file you need to include 4. Blowing away the contents of your PS3 HDD 5. Reformatting and repartitioning it 6. Installing/compiling Yellow Dog 7. Actually figuring out how to use it.

Personally, I'd rather just have my macbook convert the videos to mp4 and get the benefit of using the RSX to do the video - currently the video in linux uses the Cell, and can't to HD very well.

Colin @ Apr 5th 2007 2:29PM

@jadaman

According to the linked article:

By way of comparison, smh.com.au has published the GFK figures for the comparable period of the other consoles on the market. They show that for the 11 day period after it's Australian launch the Nintendo Wii had sold 41,369 units, and the Microsoft Xbox 360 had sold 36,627.

Any errors are thiers not Nick's!

WTangoFoxtrot @ Apr 5th 2007 2:40PM

for a console whats important is how many sell not ho much money you make off them. they are sold at a loss as it is and the companies make money based on game sales then.

so in sony's case they are in trouble for such few sales. not to mention the 360 and wii outsold it despite shortages.