Thread: Slimmer PlayStation triple sales

Sony PlayStation 2's slimmer shape has proved popular with UK gamers, with 50,000 sold in its first week on sale.

Sales have tripled since launch, outstripping Microsoft's Xbox, said market analysts Chart-Track.

The numbers were also boosted by the release of the PS2-only game Grand ***** Auto: San Andreas.

The title broke the UK sales record for video games in its first weekend of release. Latest figures suggest it has sold more than 677,000 copies.

Games blockbuster

"It is obviously very, very encouraging for Sony because Microsoft briefly outsold them last week," John Houlihan, editor of Computerandvideogames.com told BBC News.

"And with Halo 2 [for Xbox] out next week, it really is a head-to-head contest between them and Xbox."

Although Xbox sales over the last week also climbed, PS2 sales were more than double that. The figures mean Sony is reaching the seven million barrier for UK sales of the console.

Edinburgh-based developer, Rockstar, which is behind the GTA titles, has seen San Andreas pull in an estimated £24m in gross revenues over the weekend.

In comparison, blockbuster films like Harry Potter and The Prisoner Of Azkaban took £11.5m in its first three days at the UK box office.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took nearly £10m over its opening weekend, although games titles are four to five times more expensive than cinema tickets.

Big battle

Gangster-themed GTA San Andreas is the sequel to Grand ***** Auto Vice City which previously held the record for the fastest-selling video game ever.

The Xbox game Halo 2, released on 11 November in the UK, is also widely tipped to be one of the best-selling games of the year. The original title won universal acclaim in 2001, and sold more than four million copies.

Mr Houlihan added that Sony had done well with the PS2, but it definitely helped that the release of San Andreas coincided with the slimline PS2 hitting the shelves.

The run-up to Christmas is a huge battlefield for games consoles and titles. Microsoft's Xbox had been winning the race up until last week in sales.

The sales figures also suggest that it may be a largely adult audience driving demand, since GTA San Andreas has an 18 certificate.

Sony and Microsoft have both reduced console prices recently and are preparing the way for the launches of their next generation consoles in 2005.

"Both have hit crucial price points at around £100 and that really does open up new consoles to new audience, plus the release of two really important games in terms of development are also driving those sales," said Mr Houlihan.

You can also read the story here: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3981475.stm

Yes but can the slimmer, more sleak shape use the HDD if not then the bulky has to stay with me

Nah I doubt that.

At first when the PS2 and Xbox came out.. I was an outright xbox fan.. Now as Im looking, It seems to me that the Sony consoles are looking far more interesting to me then xbox. :cool:

Well, you must remember that Sony has had consoles longer than Microsoft so that gives them the edge, Though Microsoft has been around a while. And Xbox doesn't have many games. They need more Just For Xbox ones

Oh and here's a fact, Did you know that Nintendo had developed the first Disc using consol? It was the PS1?? Now youre saying HUH? Well before they released it, Sony bought it from them. Now ain't that awkward?

Yea.. Thats real oukward.. I always thought ps1 had the first disk playing console..Yea all nintendo wants is bragging rights for having the first disk playing console.

No Nintendo wants bragging rights for developing it man Sony bought it and made Mills!! Nintendo shoulda kept the idea

lol.. Well if Nintendo was 1 hour late its their fault. No one will believe that they made the first disk-playing console, because ps1 came out before them..

Nintendo 1 hour late lol.. What you mean by that.. Besides Nintendo makes some of the best consols