PSP to hit 1m UK sales in 2006

***wraggster*** · December 20th, 2006, 18:41

via mcv

Think the PSP is struggling? Think again. Sony has told MCV that it is confident of selling one million units in the UK before the end of the year, safely securing its place as the second best-selling console of 2006.
After a raft of online fanboy disdain and hype surrounding its home console rivals, the PSP has managed to comfortably outsell both PS2 and Xbox 360 in 2006 – leaving its performance at UK retail second only to Nintendo’s DS.

“People mention us in the same breath as DS because we’re both handheld products, but we’re actually going after very different markets,” Sony UK’s commercial director Kevin Jowett told MCV. “We’ve put in just under £300 million of turnover at retail with PSP because we’re such a boys console and we’ve hit the mark with older gamers.”

The PSP arrived in the UK to much fanfare last September, and quickly became the fastest selling console the territory had ever seen. But the rise of the DS and the troubling performance of UMD have dampened enthusiasm surrounding the format.

However, ChartTrack’s statistics bear out the fact that 2006 has truly been the Year Of The Handheld – and that PSP has been a dominant force. And Sony sees much more to come next year.

Jowett added: “The evolution you’ll see on PSP will be greater than any console Sony has ever released, starting with new peripherals like the PSP camera, which is out in early 2007.”

**Basil Zero** · December 20th, 2006, 19:50

yes, cant wait for 2007, it'll be psp's shining moments

**vanle** · December 20th, 2006, 19:55

I really do hope that the PSP comes through. FFVII Crisis core should raise the bar on psp performance. SUck it DS.

**mikebeaver** · December 20th, 2006, 20:32

Great,the best thing he can say about it is that the cam will be out in 2007,whoop de o,the original Gameboy had one about 10 years ago,bring on the GPS and many more good games.

**the_eternal_dark** · December 20th, 2006, 22:39

Originally Posted by wraggster

via mcv

Think the PSP is struggling? Think again. Sony has told MCV that it is confident of selling one million units in the UK before the end of the year, safely securing its place as the second best-selling console of 2006.
After a raft of online fanboy disdain and hype surrounding its home console rivals, the PSP has managed to comfortably outsell both PS2 and Xbox 360 in 2006 – leaving its performance at UK retail second only to Nintendo’s DS.

“People mention us in the same breath as DS because we’re both handheld products, but we’re actually going after very different markets,” Sony UK’s commercial director Kevin Jowett told MCV. “We’ve put in just under £300 million of turnover at retail with PSP because we’re such a boys console and we’ve hit the mark with older gamers.”

The PSP arrived in the UK to much fanfare last September, and quickly became the fastest selling console the territory had ever seen. But the rise of the DS and the troubling performance of UMD have dampened enthusiasm surrounding the format.

However, ChartTrack’s statistics bear out the fact that 2006 has truly been the Year Of The Handheld – and that PSP has been a dominant force. And Sony sees much more to come next year.

Jowett added: “The evolution you’ll see on PSP will be greater than any console Sony has ever released, starting with new peripherals like the PSP camera, which is out in early 2007.”

I still call bullsh*t on this. They are IN direct competition with the DSLite, and are still behind.

Come clean Sony and quit hiding behind the "multimedia" machine you are trying to make it. The UMD has failed as a media format outside of games. You have to rely on the fact that people, if they choose to or not, will convert DVDs to watch them on their PSP, or if they want to use the PSP rather than their iPods to listen to music (or watch videos for that matter).

Good job on the sales though, it proves that more good games are coming out for us now. You still have a long way to go with the PSP, so keep doing good so that we can still have an alternate handheld in the market, which I personally am tired of Nintendo not having much competition in that field.

Oh, and lose the useless crap from your updates, you know, the stuff no one uses and has complained about.

BTW, I just noticed this... It is rather easy to determine you can sell over a million of anything when you have the numbers for the ENTIRE year and only like a week or so left in 2006. It's Ms. Cleo all over again...

**emuking** · December 21st, 2006, 04:27

god the psp is lame thank god for homebrew

**whitey75** · December 21st, 2006, 09:25

If the PSP were lame you wouldn't be coming to this site. It's probably the best bitta kit I've ever owned.

If you mean the software is lame then...I guess to each his own. But the hardware itself rocks!

**Hungry Horace** · December 21st, 2006, 12:56

Originally Posted by the_eternal_dark

I still call bullsh*t on this. They are IN direct competition with the DSLite, and are still behind.

well in that case, i call bullsh*t on YOUR comments.

the statement is right, the market IS different.

I am in the 18-30 bracket of consumer, and in the UK... i dont know a SINGLE ds owner, the only one's i've seen belong to friends / family-members with young kids.

i do however know quite a few PSP owners, a couple like myself (with homebrew) but more who update, in order to play the latest stuff... i think they would also use more multmedia stuff on it, ifd the functonality / support was there (TV out, cheaper storage, etc)

the statement regarding sales comes as no surprise to me. everyone is quick to bad-mouth Sony, but the fact is, your average consumer couldnt give a toss, and they care a lot more about them than they do about us.

**dejkirkby** · December 21st, 2006, 13:22

Originally Posted by Hungry Horace

well in that case, i call bullsh*t on YOUR comments.

the statement is right, the market IS different.

I am in the 18-30 bracket of consumer, and in the UK... i dont know a SINGLE ds owner, the only one's i've seen belong to friends / family-members with young kids.

i do however know quite a few PSP owners, a couple like myself (with homebrew) but more who update, in order to play the latest stuff... i think they would also use more multmedia stuff on it, ifd the functonality / support was there (TV out, cheaper storage, etc)

the statement regarding sales comes as no surprise to me. everyone is quick to bad-mouth Sony, but the fact is, your average consumer couldnt give a toss, and they care a lot more about them than they do about us.

I totally agree. I know at least 20 PSP owners ranging from 18-40. I know around 5 DS owners ranging from 5-15. The market is clearly different, only the fact they are gaming handhelds are the same. I do agree with one thing though. Sony need to stop trying to be the Jack of all trades and concentrate on the gaming.