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Video Game Sales Up 32% in March

Posted by Zonk on from the based-on-sales-of-what,-again? dept.

Reuters is reporting that video game sales were up 32% in March. The story attributes the increase in sales to improved console supplies, Gran Turismo 4, and some handheld Sony is hawking. From the article: "Citing figures from market researchers NPD Group, analysts also said Sony Corp.'s new PlayStation Portable handheld gaming unit sold 620,000 units of hardware in the month and 1.1 million pieces of software. The PSP was released on March 24."

5 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. End the Q4 release cycle! by Inoshiro · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Maybe with the fact that launching things which are promoted seems to be the key to sales, not just being released around Q4, we'll start to see fewer pump-and-dump games coming out just in time for gift shoppers to buy...

    One can hope :/

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  2. Am I the only one reading this the other way? by MMaestro · · Score: 2, Interesting
    analysts also said Sony Corp.'s new PlayStation Portable handheld gaming unit sold 620,000 units of hardware in the month and 1.1 million pieces of software

    If those numbers are right, that means people only bought one or two games to go with their PSP...

    Keep in mind it was/is nearly/completely impossible to buy a PSP without the bundle so you're really looking at about 50% of the people either picking up the PSP as 'early adopters' and probably not using it much due to the sheer lack of use so far (1 game, 1 movie, and unrefined hacked software doesn't make a iPod, GBA:SP or DS killer). The other 50% probably doesn't use their PSP much either for the same reasons...

    Not to mention dead pixel issues, returns, broken systems, systems resold online...

    1. Re:Am I the only one reading this the other way? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      "Keep in mind it was/is nearly/completely impossible to buy a PSP without the bundle"

      Um, I can't recalling a single physical store (including EB, Gamestop, Target, Wal-Mart, Bad Buy, etc.) forcing customers to buy a bundle. In each of those cases, you could just buy the PSP (which, yes, is in Sony's "bundle", which is the only way it was released in the US) without being forced to buy a number of games or accessories.

      The same can't be said of many online retailers though...

    2. Re:Am I the only one reading this the other way? by UWC · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Thinking about Sony's official "bundle", the only really superfluous bits that came with it were the movie and maybe the headphones, though the little inline remote can be handy but could be sold as an official accessory. The slipcover and screen cloth are invaluable and should be included with even a barebones bundle, and the memory stick is necessary, though I guess the Playstation/PS2's memory cards prove that you can get away with charging people $25 extra for something completely needed by modern games in the name of "choice". What amuses me is that the PS2 memory cards are STILL $25--with the occasional $20 sale price--each for 8MB of flash memory, 4.5 years after US release. I have to wonder what kind of profit margins they have on those things.

      And I got mine at Best Buy, no extra game purchases required. Ended up with Wipeout and their last copy of Lumines, and only 2 stuck subpixels that don't bother me at all. Got their last copy of Metal Gear Acid a few days later, after someone had apparently returned it, unopened of course.

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    3. Re:Am I the only one reading this the other way? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      yes, you are

      >If those numbers are right, that means people only bought one or two games to go with their PSP..

      this ign article http://psp.ign.com/articles/604/604548p1.html says that 30% of DS buyers on launch day DIDN'T EVEN BUY A GAME. psp's 1.77 games/system ratio on launch day absolutely kills DS's .7 games/system (on launch day)