PS3 moves nearly 800k in December according to NPD

by Nick Doerr { Jan 18th 2008 at 1:30PM }

Well, the numbers are in for December and we have to say Sony did all right. As far as the PlayStation 3 is concerned, this was the biggest month in its career since launch -- 798k units were sold in the last month of 2007. We know the momentum for PS3 is just increasing for 2008 so we whole-heartedly expect to see that number obliterated come December 2008.

How about Sony's other machines? Well, the PS2 continued to sell very well thanks to its library of an estimated 1,500 games. It moved 1.1 million units in December and sold more software than any console on the market. We're not surprised, but we're impressed the system continues to experience such success. If you want to know how the PSP did, you'll just have to look over at PSP Fanboy, won't you? We'll just say that combining the three hardware's sales together generated approximately $714 million, a number Sony says beats out their competitors.

Tags: npd

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Organic_Shadow @ Jan 18th 2008 1:56PM

When people try to bring up PS3's lack of profitability yet in the midst of fanboy console warring, this is a good thing to point out. Sony's profiting on PSP and PS2, as well as the software for both of them, so the PS3 losses don't sting as much.

Speaking of which, they aren't even losses anymore. Breaking even, so if they keep selling like this across all 3 platforms, and the PS3 keeps pushing out games as regularly as it has since the second half of last year, then expect investors and publishers to take notice and react accordingly.

Nick @ Jan 18th 2008 2:02PM

I'm curious where your numbers for PS2 selling the most units of software came from. Just looking at the top ten lists, the PS2 was (at least) second in software sales for both December and 2007 overall, not first.

Also, it would be nice if you posted a breakdown of the numbers with platform-appropriate bolding like Xbox 360 Fanboy did: http://xbox.joystiq.com/2008/01/18/npd-360-sells-1-26-million-and-h3-is-king-of-07/

Nick

JKPierce @ Jan 18th 2008 2:08PM

Only if you promise to sign your name at the end of every comment. One wouldn't want to forget who you are.

emaxximus @ Jan 18th 2008 3:05PM

Hey nick, just for kicks why dont you go to 360fanboy and comment how one of their news stories should be more like a PS3fanboy article, and post a link to ps3 fanboy to see what kind of reaction you get.

Mike918 @ Jan 18th 2008 5:25PM

"I'm curious where your numbers for PS2 selling the most units of software came from."

And i am curious from where did you get your numbers, if it is from that link to 360fanboy, yes HALO 3 was the most selling game in 2007 BUT the PS2 sold more GAMES not just one title but ALL the games than any console so you should at least read and think before you comment or at least give the link where you got the "REAL" data as you say so i can shut the hell up, Thank You.

Phileoca @ Jan 18th 2008 2:08PM

Dick.. i Mean Nick.
did you not read the thread?

"Well, the PS2 continued to sell very well thanks to its library of an estimated 1,500 games. It moved 1.1 million units in December and sold more software than any console on the market."

"we'll just say that combining the three hardware's sales together generated approximately $714 million, a number Sony says beats out their competitors."

You must be a fanboy.

Trev @ Jan 18th 2008 2:23PM

You mean just because he made a comment about how a Sony console just couldn't have sold the most games and directed us to xbox360fanboy.com where they're sure to have everything correct and it says the haloez sold the most? Yeah, I can go with fanboy on that.

Nick must have forgotten that its a list of which individual games sold the most, not which console sold the most games. The PS2 didn't sell the most of any one game, but sold the most games over all, probably because of the 120-odd million of them out there.

Nick @ Jan 18th 2008 2:45PM

Dick instead of Nick, I see what you did there. How creative of you. I did read the article; did you read my post? You quoted the part of the article my comment was referring to as some sort of ... defense (?) against my comment, so I guess not.

I was simply asking how it was concluded that the PS2 software sales were higher than any other console on the market. It is not clear in the article, so I was curious where it came from; when I tried to find out on my own (by looking at the released numbers), I could not come to the same conclusion. Curiosity is an issue to you?

I'm a fanboy for reading PS3Fanboy.com? Brilliant conclusion; you've caught me. I hit all of the *Fanboy sites this morning for news relevant to me and while here, I took a second to mention that it would be nice if the numbers were posted here as they are on WiiFanboy and 360Fanboy and GamesDaily and Kotaku and probably a ton of other sites. I guess you want less information in the articles you read, Phileoca.

Trev, I never said a Sony console couldn't have sold more than other consoles, so how about you stop putting words into my comments? I was asking because the sales numbers are not listed and that leaves me wondering the details. The article was not clear in where the number for the total PS2 software sales came from - one of the top ten lists, a press release, some other undisclosed source, etc.

As far as me suggesting 360Fanboy infallible, you again add your own commentary to my statements. I linked 360Fanboy because I still had it open in another tab, but plenty of other sites have posted the same numbers they have up and I could have referenced any one of them. I simply suggested putting the numbers on display here as well, nothing more.

Nick (just for JKPierce

Titty Pink @ Jan 18th 2008 2:16PM

http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/previews/article.jsp?sectionId=1001&articleId=20080116164640708073&releaseId=20070209104752229059

Think THIS will move a few PS3s?

Carlton @ Jan 18th 2008 2:58PM

No. Crysis isn't very good. Other than it's graphics and physics (which will be gimped for consoles) it really has very little to recommend it. I expect Haze, Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 to all be better.

The only way Crysis would shift units is if it is a PS3 console-exclusive. That way fanboys would buy it just to piss off Xbots.

GamerGuy28 @ Jan 18th 2008 2:17PM

I am glad the numbers were up that much but at least post the numbers for the other consoles to put it in perspective. 360 sold 1.26 Million and Wii 1.35 Million so lets not go aroun dtooting our horns just yet.

marklar @ Jan 18th 2008 2:27PM

Agreed - these guys could do a better job of reporting the story. Also, this is not Sony Fanboy, but PS3 fanboy so we need more numbers on the PS3 software sales instead of toting the psp and ps2...

Prince King @ Jan 18th 2008 2:28PM

@ Nick Doerr

when you say "all right" did you mean "alright"

jus kiddin

Mr Khan @ Jan 18th 2008 2:30PM

Certainly not the best job, but as long as they keep pulling these kind of numbers for PS3, it will stay competitive (and, perhaps, attract more 3rd-party exclusives. Something good, but something that very specifically takes advantage of the hardware)

Phileoca @ Jan 18th 2008 3:03PM

I know Sony's Last Gen console, the PS2 is still making sales.

What about Microsoft and Nintendo's Last gen console?
Do they still make Gamecube and xbox games? :-D

dadanman @ Jan 18th 2008 3:07PM

Sony Stated they are running even par with production costs. That being said they are not losing money. Now take the sales from the PSN and add those to Sony's bank. MS breaks even because they are not even with the console production costs.
MS has said many times they are losing money on their system.
Big N they are just rolling in the money they pick from there trees.

Arno @ Jan 18th 2008 6:25PM

Microsoft makes profit on every Xbox 360 sold, where have you been?

Kabapu @ Jan 18th 2008 8:48PM

... Arno, everything I've ever seen/heard/read states that Microsoft has never made any profit in their gaming division. If you have information as to the contrary, I'd be interested in seeing it.

I'm not saying it's not possible, I've just never seen it.

Joe @ Jan 18th 2008 3:17PM

What I find interesting is that noone is talking about how much better the PS3 is doing outside of North America compared to the 360. I'm not talking just about Japan, but Europe and pretty much every other continent likes the PS3 more than the 360 and the sales figures are pretty interesting.

As things stand now the PS3 is now globally selling more units a week than the 360 (check out VGchartz.com for more info). All in all I'd say 2008 should be a pretty good year for the system :)

Organic_Shadow @ Jan 18th 2008 4:06PM

As soon as someone says VGchartz everyone immediately palmfaces. Don't you know better than to post a link to a site that makes up their numbers? No seriously, they estimate and guess, they don't even go by NPD or anything.

SolidSnake2K7 @ Jan 18th 2008 5:09PM

800K is still pretty good without any big killer aps.

Arno @ Jan 18th 2008 6:25PM

Microsoft makes profit on every Xbox 360 sold, where have you been?

Acedoh @ Jan 18th 2008 7:10PM

Yeah why don't you take a look at VG Chartz and see how off they are for guessing. There console numbers are dead on with NPD...Games is a different story but they are the only respectable site when it comes to accurate weekly numbers....So yes I trust their numbers over anything that comes out of the mouths of Microsoft(who did estimate much higher) SONY, or Nintendo.

Joe @ Jan 18th 2008 9:48PM

I thought this was PS3 FANBOY
Not SONY FANBOY

Way to distract...
I see what you did there ;)

sammy @ Jan 19th 2008 1:35AM

Well Sony turning a profit in its games division regardless of format is positive for the PS3. The PSP has a close link with the hardware too and PS2 is an interesting egg. It is fair enough to list this news. It is better than analysts.

John @ Jan 19th 2008 2:38AM

Why are ps3 (not sony) fanboys so ed off these days? I agree with the few who have looked closer at the analysis. Why is ps3 fanboy combining the numbers for ps3, ps2, and psp? This is suppose to be the ps3 fanboy site!! I know it sucks when earlier predictions about the ps3 selling over a million in December turned out to be false. Month after month when the NPD numbers come out this site reports the lower than expected ps3 numbers and then adds a positive spin by adding the ps2 and psp numbers. Common, stop dressing up the figures. You don't even give a break down; sure the breakdown makes the ps3 numbers look small compare to the Wii and 360, but make the effort to report the full story. No software numbers either, so what if none of the top selling were on the ps3--just report the story.