Price drop causes 300 percent sales increase?
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Apr 11th 2007 at 10:00AM }
Unfortunately, Kotaku hasn't provided a source for their information, and without specific numbers to work with, the authenticity of such a claim becomes a lot shakier. However, we'll play the optimist: with both system and games reaching mass market affordability, PSP is bound to bounce back in the handheld wars.
More surprisingly, it appears as though the UMD is not dead. Apparently, UMD movie sales were actually up 35 percent from 2005 to 2006. "That jump in sales enticed Target to bring the format back to their stores."
These are interesting developments for PSP, especially if true. The handheld wars are certainly getting far more interesting, now that Sony's recommitted to the fight.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
txa1265 @ Apr 11th 2007 10:37AM
You've heard of 'When Animals Attack'? This is 'When idiots do math'!
rabe7thebest @ Apr 11th 2007 11:07AM
It may be true. Price drops are usually effective.
massive_98 @ Apr 11th 2007 11:13AM
It should help, but the handheld war is already over.
pixelator @ Apr 11th 2007 12:26PM
Why is it that the PSP market is 'ailing' just because it's not the smash success (especially in Japan) that the DS Lite has become? 25-ish million units, attach rate is better now, excellent game library, more on the way with no signs of developers dropping off...
I just don't get the dire doomsaying BS. Furthermore, as I've said all along, UMD isn't dead. It's not gone. Never was, from most of my local chain electronics stores like Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. - The ONLY store where they stopped carrying them was EB/Gamestop (and given the anti-Sony diatribe they feed you when you go in there, I think there's more to that than meets the eye).
souless @ Apr 11th 2007 1:14PM
When did a red psp come out?
TwoLOUD @ Apr 12th 2007 12:14AM
I dont care for the UMD movies..I use my house or just download youtube flicks to it for a watch. I dont doubt that the sales increased..but doubtful alot..yet anyways. Right tho..handheld war is over. Just do what you can Sony to stay in the game. Theres tons of more little kids and nerds and some cool people out there for the DS then theres the age range for the PSP. Cant win them all (aka ps3)
30 Bycks @ Apr 11th 2007 1:39PM
30 bucks is a lot of money becasue u could bu another game with it!
merc25 @ Apr 11th 2007 2:32PM
Actually my Wal-mart and Gamestop carry UMDs, it was Target and several other that quite stocking them.
Eric Draven @ Apr 11th 2007 3:24PM
The PSP is a huge success in many ways.
It has already sold more than Gamecube or Xbox.
It has given Nintendo some REAL competition in the handheld market, something they never had before. And don't say Sega Gamegear. Yes, I had one but it sold poorly compared to the PSP.
I plan on getting a PSP later this year. I'm still waiting for the redesign. Say what you will, I truly believe there will be a PSP2 in the near future.
??? @ Apr 11th 2007 5:11PM
@ #10.
Srry to tell you but havn't you noticed sony's pattern... PS1 1994 PS2 2000 PS3 2006.... Notice a pattern. More then likely the PSP2 will come out in 4 years.
sicklesdawg @ Apr 11th 2007 5:31PM
Its funny i just came from a downtown clothing and overheard a mom discuss the PSP price drop!! I was amazed i showed her rachet & clank
Killer @ Apr 11th 2007 6:30PM
@10
Did you seriously just compare a portable handheld to a stationary console/s?
Wow, that has to be the most idiotic comparision ever.
Let's compare a console/s with a handheld:
Ps3,and 360 is getting it's ass kicked by the DS.
You can't compare a handheld to a console. EVER! Get a clue.
NeverSage @ Apr 11th 2007 7:32PM
$170 is a ridiculously reasonable price. Seriously, everyone should get one now. The DS and PSP now both have price points fitting their abilities.
I hate UMDs though. Maybe if I got 75% off when I buy the DVD or something... I'm not paying more for something with less features. Especially since Sony still hasn't released a stand alone UMD player for $100 or so.
Eric Draven @ Apr 12th 2007 1:50AM
Killer,
What are you? Obviously you must dislike Sony and/or the PSP. You're probably some kind of Xbot or Nintendo fanboy who can't stand the fact that the PSP has ALREADY outsold the Gamecube and Xbox.
YOU get a clue and calm down you little baby. LMAO!!
:-D
mac @ Apr 12th 2007 2:28AM
I would not doubt that people waited a few extra days to pick up their psp after seeing that the price was going to drop so if 100 people would have bought the console on a day before the sale and only 50 did and the other 50 waited and bought it the day after making it 150 then you have a nice little trend right there.. and what do you know my example makes up a 300% exactly!!
and before you say you can't use a single day sample size for sales isn't that what they did here a 2 day sample they don't say what period they're compairing it to........
Noshino @ Apr 12th 2007 2:29AM
"12. @10
Did you seriously just compare a portable handheld to a stationary console/s?
Wow, that has to be the most idiotic comparision ever.
Let's compare a console/s with a handheld:
Ps3,and 360 is getting it's ass kicked by the DS.
You can't compare a handheld to a console. EVER! Get a clue.
Posted at 6:30PM on Apr 11th 2007 by Killer"
I'm sorry, but you started the calling names, so it is rightful to call you an idiot, because yes, you can compare the psp to the xbox or gamecube becuase of the freaking price range and the time, both consoles have sold less through their entire life than wht the psp has on its short lifetime...isn't that something incredible?
now how do you compare the 360/ps3 with a DS? a DS is 50 to 75% cheaper...and this time, the DS had the advantage, so no, this comparison isn't possible.
txa1265 @ Apr 12th 2007 10:44AM
Couple of things:
- It is sad that as someone who has bought loads of Sony stuff since the original Walkman more than 25 years ago that I don't believe a word out of their mouth.
- When every other place is now citing 'sales' they continue to spout 'shipments' ... so they have *sold* 20 million PSP's. That is really, really good (and I still like that analyst comment 'failure just got a whole new makeover') but it isn't 25 million.
- Having more in the channel isn't always a good thing - stores don't want empty shelves, but they also don't want inventory hanging around. Look at last fall - they *sold* hundreds of thousands of units while *shipping* 10,000 ... if you are Sony that is fine, but not if you are a retailer!
- So when they say UMD is up, I believe that they have shipped more than last year, but I seriously doubt that sales are all that good.
demasque @ Apr 12th 2007 12:17PM
The price drop naturally came one month after I bought my PSP...d'oh! No regrets, I'm enjoying it.
Kade Storm @ Apr 13th 2007 12:04PM
I agree that PSP's success can be compared to homeconsoles, because it was a moderately priced console that might even be earning a profit as we speak, and it has already outsold the XBOX, which wasn't considered an utter dying failure. We're not comparing console schematics and genres, we're comparing meta-sales trends. (It would be stupid to say that PSP is a better handheld than an Xbox. However, it's perfectly viable to say that it's sold more than the xbox, which speaks well for its so-called market appeal.)
Sure you might want to, in stricter terms, compare a handheld against its handheld rival, if you really wanna' nit-pick competition! But in reality, anything with a price and a production cost, selling on the market, is in competition with the next thing, and the PSP has done well in those regards. It may not be a winner in the handheld district, but it's a tough rival, and solid presense in the general videogame market.
All comparisons are possible, so long as the product is having some kind of financial impact on the company that created said product. These sub-comparisons (Handheld to handheld only; console to console only) are nothing more than video game fans clearly lacking the ability to focus their energy towards productive tasks.
NeverSage @ Apr 13th 2007 9:33PM
I'm going to have to agree with Killer on this one. When someone goes out looking for a new system they probably already have in mind whether they're getting a handheld or a console. It may have been different when the PSP was $250. But now that it's $170, I think it's even less likely to be compared to a console.
Aaron @ Apr 17th 2007 9:31PM
the price drop got me to purchase a PSP at last. as well as a 1 year warranty, a 2gb memory stick, a protective case, the cool headphones with the remote, 2 umd cases (each holds 16 umds), and... 20 games. yes, i bought 20 games in a week. i'd say it was efective all right. lol