PlayStation sales drop 32%

Sony has posted some grim numbers for its gaming division for the three months ending December 31st 2008 that show falling sales for all three of its current PlayStation consoles.

Sales at its games division hit YEN 393.8bn, down 32.2 per cent on the same period in 2007. Unit sales of PS3, PSP, and PS2 all declined sharply.

In the period PS3 sold 4.46m units, down 440,000 on the year before. PSP sales hit 5.08m, a decrease of 680,000 units whilst PS2 suffered the biggest falls, selling 2.52m units – 2.88m fewer than in the final quarter of 2007.

PS3 software sales did increase, but software sales on both PSP and PS2 fell. PS2 software sales were down 31.2m at 29.7m units. PSP game sales dropped by 2.8m units to 15.5m, though PS3 software sales jumped 14.8m to an overall figure of 40.8m.

Operating income decreased 97 per cent year-on-year, hitting YEN 400m. Reduced hardware costs of PS3 helped counter the numbers, but were unable to offset the damage caused by the appreciating value of the YEN and falling hardware sales.

Sony’s overall results were also down for the quarter, with sales dropping by 25 per cent and net income falling by 95 per cent.

The firm now predicts that it will suffer an operating income loss of YEN 260bn for its fiscal year ending March 31st. It also expects a net loss of YEN 150bn.