It’s been a long time coming, but early market indicators suggest Sony Computer Entertainment has finally shifted the price point of its powerhouse PlayStation 3 to that retail sweet spot that perfectly balances value for money with features and functionality.
A genuine gaming hot property. Finally! Image: switchstyle/Flickr.
While it remains to be seen if Sony’s recently implemented price cuts create sustainable consumer momentum, new monthly numbers offered up by market specialist NPD Group certainly show interest is keen in the United States and PlayStation 3s are presently flying off store shelves.
According to NPD’s latest figures, year-on-year sales of the PlayStation 3 increased by 13 percent during the month of August, which represents the first positive market shift registered by Sony’s persistently expensive home console in the last 10 months.
Looking at the PS3’s performance from a more immediate month-on-month perspective, NPD reports that the now $299 USD console sold 210,000 units in August, a whopping increase of 73 percent when measured against July’s figures.
This sudden – and much needed boost – registered by Sony’s PlayStation 3 doesn’t appear to be limited to the United States, with other major gaming markets witnessing similar injections of interest at the consumer level.
Specifically, independent retail outlets in the UK have reported a 15 fold increase in PS3 sales following the introduction of Sony’s price cut and the launch of its revamped PlayStation 3 Slim.
Speaking with online trade publication GamesIndustry.biz, Neil Muspratt of SimplyGames commented that the store has sold approximately 15 times the volume of 80GB PS3s after the price cut, adding that Sony’s timely pricing and configuration shuffle is “especially effective” and should lead to a good sales run throughout the influential holiday season.
“Sony really needed this shot in the arm and this sort of initiative brings momentum for the entire industry,” enthused Muspratt.
Echoing the praise offered up to Sony from SimplyGames, other UK retailers have said the 249 GBP price adjustment finally makes the PlayStation 3 affordable and prospective buyers are now expected to favour a purchase when weighing the reduced price against the Blu-ray console’s wealth of gaming and multimedia capabilities.
The Tech Herald: UK consumers swarm for revamped PlayStation 3
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