PlayStation FY losses shrink

Sony’s PlayStation division logged an operating loss of 124.5 billion Japanese Yen ($1.18bn), shrinking from the 232.3 billion ($2.2bn) loss reported a year earlier.

The performance helped spur the Sony Corporation to an impressive results – with net income alomst tripling year-on-year to 369.4 billion Yen ($3.76bn).

The firm’s PlayStation HQ revealed that it has sold 9.24 million PS3 units globally in the 12-months to March 31st, up from 3.61 million units in the previous year.

PS3 software sales leapt up year-on-year from 44.6 million units to 57.9 million.

Year-on-year PS2 sales declined from 14.91 million consoles in FY 2006-2007 to a still respectable 13.73 million. PS2 software sales also declined from 193.6 million to 154 million units.

PSP hardware sales rose to 13.9 million units for the year, however PSP software sales saw minimal growth.

For the current fiscal year ending March 2009, Sony forecast that sales will hit 9 trillion Yen, up one percent, but that operating profit will fall 22 percent to 290 billion Yen.

Overall, Sony Corporation posted 8.87 trillion Yen in revenues for FY 2007-2008, up 6.9 per cent on the previous year. Net profit almost tripled to 369.4 billion Yen.