PlayStation hardware, software sales decline in Q1 2009

by Griffin McElroy on Jul 30th 2009 11:03AM

Here's a brief summary of the financial figures featured in Sony's Q1 sales report: Everything went down. The company sold 1.1 million PlayStation 3 units and 1.3 million PSP units during this year's first quarter -- a sheer drop from Q1 2008, where the company moved 1.6 million and 3.7 million units, respectively. Overall sales for the PlayStation sector (which includes Viao PC sales) were down 37.4 percent year over year, reaching ¥246.8 billion ($2.571 billion) in sales. Sony chalked up the decline to "lower game and Vaio PC sales."

Software sales for the two systems also took a substantial hit -- Sony's PS3 software only sold 14.8 million units; a large drop from the 22.8 million first-party PS3 games sold in the same time period last year. PSP fared no better, falling from 11.8 million sold in Q1 2008 to 8.3 million sold in 2009.

The only exception to the aforementioned summary was PS2 hardware sales, which increased from 1.51 million units sold in the first quarter of 2008 to 1.6 million units sold in Q1 2009. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off the PS2 software sales wagon this year, with game sales falling from 19.3 million in Q1 2008 to 8.5 million in 2009.

Source

Tags: decline, hardware, q1-2009, sales, software, sony

Reader Comments (92)

Didn't we already have this info? From the NPDs or something?

NPD publishes sales numbers on the top 10 software titles across all system (meaning the top two PS3 titles most months), but they do not provide aggregate numbers across all PS3 software.

So the news that first-party PS3 software sales fell from 22.8 million to 14.8 million over the course of one year is new information, and pretty shocking at that.

Okay, I was concentrating on the hardware sales, I see what you mean about not having the software sales figures.

Is a 1st-P software sales decline in Q1 2009 that surprising? Did Sony even release any 1st party games in Q1 2009?

"Is a 1st-P software sales decline in Q1 2009 that surprising? Did Sony even release any 1st party games in Q1 2009?"

They certainly didn't have any big 1st party releases in Q1 2008. The big sellers during that time were MGS4 and GTA4, both of which are third-party titles.

Plus, the numbers seem to correlate closely with the hardware figures. Sony rolled out a $100 price cut since Q1 2008, but hardware sales STILL dropped from 1.6 million to 1.1 million in Q1 2009.

So are the numbers surprising? They surprise me, since their closest competitor had a sales increase during that time period. They also suggest that another $100 price drop may not by itself cure the problem.

So you're saying that each person that didn't buy a PS3 in Q1 2009 (1.1M versus 1.6M) is responsible for the loss of 8 first party software sales in Q1 2009?

There's something wrong with those figures. There might be something wrong with these figures in general.

You're saying MS reported an increase in games sales Q1 2009 versus Q1 2008? Again, I thought the NPDs said otherwise. It said MS was the only one to increase hardware sales versus last year, but I thought it said software sales are way down all around.

Nintendo clearly won this generation console war (Xbox 360 and PS3). The winner is decided by who sells the most systems, correct? Nintendo is 20 million ahead of Xbox 360, by the time Xbox 360 is where Nintendo is at now, then Nintendo will probably sell another 10 million, at the least. I dont see anyone catching up to the Wii, anytime soon. Even the so called 10 year life cycle idea that Sony wants us to believe, is laughable. It is funny when people cant admit defeat. I would just turn back around and say "Well, this console has a 20 year life cycle! Hah!" LOL...
The plain and simple thing is this. Nintendo showed the competition, how it is done, and they have followed, obviously. (Mii too Avatars, and motion control, the Sony E3 presentation was just embarrasing to watch, where did Sony's pride go? I guess it went back in Nintendo's wallet). I see that this is a non arguable case. Just ask yourself who has the most systems sold? I think we know who the clear winner is.

@verymetal

Well then PS2 wins again since it's sold the most consoles ever and it's technically still in the market so I guess there's no point in this discussion then.

I'm getting a Viao PC!!! :D

Sorry I had to... :P

So in summary:

Sony sold 1.1m PS3's
Microsoft sold 1.2m 360's

100,000 difference, now considering the much higher pricepoint of the PS3, and the fact Sony are making a small amount on the PS3, yet Microsoft are now losing a small amount of money, since the price drop, it means that the PS3 is actually in really good shape, and it's actually Microsoft thats in trouble, as it's got it's pricedrop out the way, Sony are still getting a premium price, and have a pricedrop waiting in the sidelines...

Now this is the perfect time for Sprinkles to create a new account and troll once again.

I always found the ceramic white PSP-1000s to be the most attractive PSPs in my opinion, better looking than the ceramic white PSP-2000 and 3000 models.

I couldn't agree more. The original white PSP's always looked so great to me. The black one was stunning when I first got it, but I think all PSPs and PS3s look better in white

I think Sprinkles got hit so hard with the Ban Hammer last time that his brains sprinkled all over the sidewalk.

In some parts I hear they say...it was an IP ban..!

*wind howls*

I dunno samfish, when I emailed Chris Grant to ban him in early July, he said it was an IP ban but he came back again in mid July to be banned again. Maybe he's using a proxy or visiting all the local libraries and internet cafes in town. : )

He is gone okay, Sprinkle IS GONE

*runs away crying

my ceramic white PSP-2000 with a custom silver analog stick is the best looking one in my opinion. i would have kept the original white analog stick, but that thing needed to be cleaned everyday, otherwise it would turn a reddish-brown.

Actually he probably wouldn't need to use a proxy. You're usually assigned a new IP every time you connect to the internet (i.e. every time you start up your modem/router). Very few people actually have a static IP address. Heck, he may even have changed service providers.

The economy is something eh?

I am absolutely positive that if ANY of the three consoles announced, "PRICE CUT!" that they would sell 3X's as many consoles right now...

People are looking for any kind of deal these days.. Being cheap with your money is the new trend this season.

Or offer something like a choose X number of games for free with the purchase of a console. If Sony allowed me to choose any two games I wanted I would pick that thing up in a red hot minute.

The economy is why I haven't bought any games recently. I want to buy a few hundred dollars worth - but I have no job, I haven't found a job in the last 6 months of looking, and I'm about to go back to school to compensate. Luckily some of the pop can returns are going towards fun stuff (MI has 10 cents per can), so maybe I'll buy worms or a similar arcade game in a week or two.

Even though Sony is in 3rd place, they've still done very well, especially considering how shitty they started out. It's been said before: There will be no losers this generation.

Regardless, the console makers dont see it that way.

Any place other than 1st place is a loss.

Remember kids, 2nd place is the 1st place loser.

At least the gamers are winning, it doesn't matter which position each console is in, all of them offer plenty of multi-platform games as well as a good number of quality exclusive games and exclusive features to make that system worth purchasing, although the Wii and DS aren't for me. ; )

Maybe it's a good thing that Sony's in third. That means they'll try the hardest to make GOOD games whereas it looks like Nintendo gave that up a long time ago ;).

@punisher

true. I look at sony's first party games and they are pretty much the only games I am interested in anymore with the exception of MW2. I love the fact that even though sony isn't selling as well as the others they still stick to their guns about releasing innovative new titles!

Nintendo on the other hand....eesh. I might be showing my age but I got tired of zelda and metroid 13 years ago.

Nerdy Desi,

Trust me, dude, the DS is definitely for you. If you can't find something that you want on the DS, you're not looking hard enough.

Paul,
If you stopped playing Nintendo systems 13 years ago you missed out on some great titles. I feel sad for you for that.

@WRE

I've owned all of nintendo's systems and played a good chunk of the decent nintendo made games. metroid prime was decent, 2 and 3 not so much. ocarina of time was great, it should've stopped there. anything mario after 64....eh...enough already. wii sports was cool for a few minutes.

I guess it's kind of cool that they want to keep these old classics going but let's get something new that has the quality of a metroid or a zelda...every other comapny is doing it.

And since when has Nintendo gotten anywhere by doing "what every other company" is doing

@Ryan. Not sure what measure you use, but as a gamer, I consider quality to be my measure, I don't care at all about sales.

PS3 is clearly in 1st place, Xbox 2nd (the first loser in your eyes), and Wii trailing a distant 3rd.

@Ryan. Not sure what measure you use, but as a gamer, I consider
quality to be my measure, I don't care at all about sales.

PS3 is clearly in 1st place, Xbox 2nd (the first loser in your eyes),
and Wii trailing a distant 3rd.

looks like the perfect time to make a pspgo $199 and release a slimline ps3/pricecut.

I guess they will cut the price at the same time they release a huge game. Perhaps GT5 or God of War 3? At least that sounds like a smart move to me.

I don't know if they would do that. That's one of the main points where people would want to buy it, and many people would pay the higher price. Yea, they would probably sell more units (not probably, they WOULD) but it's a matter of if those extra units at a lower price would make more profit than the fewer consoles at the higher price. It would definitely be an estimated risk for Sony, but I just don't see it happening. I'd love for them to do a price drop so more people are online and everything, but I don't know if I can see it

You're probably right about that, but i guess games sales would also contribute. And I'm pretty sure the extra sales of something like GT5 would make Sony a lot of money.

22.8 million First-Party PS3 games sold? Don't you mean total software instead of just first-party?

I find it amazing that the PS2 can still sell more than the PS3 2 Q1's in a row. I mean the 360 is cheap enough this Q1 that I would spend the extra 100 even if i had to save up for it to get a next gen system over buying a PS2.

The argument of games being more expensive for this gen is kinda a null point cuz there are plenty of cheap games that have come out this gen that are really good. You can get games like Mass effect or the orange box for as cheap as PS2 games and they are so much better than just about anything hitting the PS2 in the last 2 years.

People buy PS2's because they break a lot so they have to replace them. How else can we account for low PS2 software sales but high PS2 hardware sales? Makes sense to me.

There are some really good PS2 games from the end of it's generation, and in the current economy every $100 matters to many people. I just bought Okami and Zone of Enders for my PS3(upscale baby) and have enjoyed them as much as new games. At least admit it is better than the wii!

@acefondu

you're such a fucking moron. Since when do slim PS2s break alot because they sell alot... maybe its because it has over 2000 titles under 30 bucks, it cost 99 dollars and has everything from kid games to the most hardcore RPGs.... your logic matches your stupidity.

let me guess, the 360 sells alot because it is the "pawnerz" of this console generation, it has nothing to do with the 33% failure rate

How much longer are you gonna wait, Sony? Til you're only selling 1,000 a year?

Well, they're expecting their sales to suddenly shoot up towards the end of the fiscal year. They obviously have something planned.

GamesCom is just around the corner. I'm willing to bet they'll announce the PS3 Slim during it.

They can't drop the price, they're already losing money on them as it is. I guess they're just hoping some of the awesome games coming soon (Uncharted 2 just 2 months away) will spur some sales. It probably won't be until mid/late next year (long after GoWIII has passed) that the price will finally drop.

The problem with that theory Punisher is that Uncharted 2 is a sequel. The bigger problem is it's a sequel on the same platform and so the majority of people who played the first own a PS3 already. So it's not likely to sell any systems. I have no doubts it'll sell like hotcakes as Uncharted is my favorite franchise on the system, but they just can't sit back with their hands in the air saying "oh well." They need to salvage something from this and they need to make money. Those systems just sitting on the shelves is costing them more and more by the month.

The Slim should lower costs though, enabling the price-drop.

GamesCom isn't really the right forum for that, though. TGS will be

Fat Princess, NGS2, Demon's Souls, and GoWIII then ;).

@Hyams - "Well, they're expecting their sales to suddenly shoot up towards the end of the fiscal year. They obviously have something planned."

You mean Christmas...?

Marty:

They're expecting their total 09 sales to beat their total 08 sales, I mean. They're obviously not on track to do this, which suggests that something pretty radical is gonna be happening soonish to give the PS3 a sharp increase in sales.

Please shut up.

hey, fuck off. what are you? 10?

Their Q1 2010 numbers will look absolutely outstanding when comparing to their Q1 2009 numbers. God of War 3 will help a bit.

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PlayStation hardware, software sales decline in Q1 2009

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