The Sony PS3 which is massively overpriced in Australia when compared to the US is in trouble with sales slipping 19% in the USA over the Xmas period. During the same period sales of the Xbox 360 were up 8% and the Nintendo Wii almost doubled.
Analysts are also saying that without a built in Blu ray player the Sony PS3 would be a lame duck up against its two gaming rivals. The slump in sales is a bitter blow to Sony who were banking on “good” console and gaming sales due to falling sales of Sony consumer electronic products including Bravia TV’s and Blu ray players.
The PS3 has been trailing Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360 console all year and was closing in on the No. 2 Xbox 360 prior to the Xmas slump.
The latest US results up to the end of November show that sales of the PS3 fell 19% last month from a year earlier, while sales doubled for the Wii console and rose 8% for the Xbox 360, according to research firm NPD.
Analysts are now saying that Sony could be dealt a further blow due to their high pricing and that they expect PS3 sales for this month to be flat or lower than last year, while sales for its rivals are likely to rise.
Sony in May forecast that its games division would turn a profit this fiscal year after two years of losses since launching the PS3 in 2006. Meanwhile, poor sales of television sets and digital cameras are forcing the company to lay off thousands of staff and close factories.
