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PSP Smashes Sales Records in the UK
404Ender writes "According to recent numbers the PSP has sold more than 185,000 units since launching September 1. This blows the previous record away, which happened to be set by the Nintendo DS. This is wonderful news for fans of the Sony handheld, and it certainly quiets many of the naysayers who have been pointing to the success of the DS sales compared to the PSP. Does this solidify Sony's position in the handheld market with a firm foot in the door?"
The PSP broke the N-Gage's record?!
Does this solidify Sony's position in the handheld market with a firm foot in the door?
... Next.
No.
Of course it does, it really is an impressive piece of kit for the price and is better for gamers since a bit of healthy competition in the handset market for nintendo will hopefully produce better games for both the DS and PSP.
Perhaps the sales figures are inflated somewhat by the fact that it's been released in other markets for some time. People here have had a chance to hear lots of reports of it from elsewhere before the launch. It also probably has a larger set of games at launch than the DS did, for the same reason. It will be more interesting to see how many units in total each sell after a year on the market.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
Four of my friends bought PSPs. Only one of them got a perfect PSP, the other three got dead pixels.
Whats annoying them is that they are getting conflicting information as to returning.
#1 Returned with no problem. Had another dead pixel got it returned again. Third is ok.
#2 Two dead pixels. Told by shop that they are allowed sell them with a certain amount of dead pixels. Refusing to replace.
#3 same as previous friend except they would exchange if more dead pixels appeared. (same shop).
disclaimer: I'm from UK and I hope I haven't fallen for a troll
2 8
4 306
The following stats in general conflict with your opinion. Xbox stats follow what you say, the picture is quite different for other consoles. Especially if you then normalise for population, gdp per head, whichever other metric you choose.
"From gaming-age: http://forums.gaming-age.com/showthread.php?t=336
All shipment figures as of December 2004.
PS2
19.47m Japan
32.86m USA
29.06m Europe
81.39 Total
XB
1.70m Japan (asia pacific- some discrepancy as sony and microsft count as japan, others count as Europe/Pal)
13.20m USA
5.00m Europe
19.90m Total
GC
3.78m Japan
10.11m USA
4.13m Europe
18.02m Total
GBA
15.48m Japan
32.82m USA
17.44m Europe
65.74 Total
DS
1.45m Japan
1.36m USA
0.03m Europe
2.84m Total
"
Taken from http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=1
Firstly, in case anyone hasn't read that fine article, this is UK sales, not Euro-wide, worldwide or whatever.
But my main point is that they're so impressed with their stuffing of the software charts. Frankly, there's such a massive games drought here in the UK at the moment that I'm almost surprised it wasn't even more 'impressive'; they've got nothing to compete with.
Just as an example, the UK's biggest selling DS title (which people are always desperate to compare the PSP to) is Mario 64. Yes, a launch game. We don't have Nintendogs yet, nor Advance Wars. The last big PC game was Battlefield 2 months ago, and there's been nothing on PS2 worthwhile since God Of War. This was the 'Full Price' chart, so the budget release of the new update to Ghost Recon 2 on the XBox doesn't count, either.
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
Tell friends #2 and #3 to go back to the shop and discuss the Sale Of Goods Act with regards to Merchandising Quality. Tell the shop that they're not allowed sell them with a certain amount of dead pixels by law. That normally makes them think again. If it doesn't try Citizens Advice or even a solicitor.
If enough people do this then shoddy salesmen will get the message
init 11 - for when you need that edge.