Sony's PSX A Hit In Japan, PS2 Launches In China

Thanks to Reuters for their story revealing Sony's PSX 'media center' has been a major hit in Japan, after the PlayStation 2, DVD recorder and DVR combo "went on sale on December 13 in Japan amid a flurry of media attention." According to Sony boss Ken Kutaragi: "We sold 100,000 PSXs in the first week. It sells for almost 100,000 yen ($941) and it still sold out. There are no products out there that can say that." CNET News are also reporting that the PlayStation 2 has finally launched in China, after "the company... shelved plans for its December launch but failed to provide a full explanation for the change." The PS2 roll-out seems very low-key indeed, though, as "the electronics giant cut down its distribution to two cities from the original five."

Comments

$941???

[Anonymous Coward]

You could buy all the different players seperate and still come out ahead, sheesh.

Re:$941???

[iainl]

"You could buy all the different players seperate and still come out ahead"

Yes, you could. However, they wouldn't then be all in one stylish box. Sony haven't really made much fuss about these boxes being aimed at anyone other than people who want cool gadgets that look good next to their plasma screens and iMacs; boxes aimed at the more cost-conscious buyer, or at least price-cuts to reach them, will come once the first lot have been sold for a fortune, just like with the PS2.

Re:$941???

[Golias]

It's not just about style. Little all-in one devices (such as the PSX and the iMac) are popular in Japan because Japan is a tiny island with about 150 million people on it. Anything that saves space is worth a premium, because housing there makes an American efficiency apartment look like a mansion.

I don't really care if I need to set an entire room aside, separate from the media room, for just my entertainment devices. My "server closet" is practically a walk-in, and I'm fine with that. I've got plenty of space. Most Japanese people, even if they are well off, don't have that luxury.

Re:The wisdom of integrated components?

[Max Romantschuk]

The thought of shelling out ~$1000 for a box that does so much fills me with slight dread <snip> When it breaks at best you lose a lot of stuff while it is repaired under warranty - which still costs you mony (time, shipping) - at least if it was just your PS2 or your DVR that broke you could entertain yourself in the meantime. Not to mention the fact that as seperate parts it would probably be cheaper...

Then again, a lot of people simply don't want to tweak/assemble their own hardware. They want a box which does what it does, and they don't want to know how it does it.

Judging from the sales, Sony seems to have delivered.