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Sony PlayStation Hardware, Software Sales Slip In Q1
by Kris Graft [PC, Console/PC]
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July 30, 2009
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Tokyo-based Sony on Thursday reported an overall drop in revenues and an operating loss for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, as sales of PlayStation 3 and PSP hardware and software declined year-on-year.
Unit sales of PS3 dropped to 1.1 million during the quarter from 1.6 million sold for the same quarter a year ago. PSP sales dropped to 1.3 million from 3.7 million for the comparable quarter last year. The nine-year-old PS2 sold 1.6 million units.
During the quarter, Sony's games business specifically recorded revenues of ¥110.51 billion ($1.16 billion), a 48.6 percent drop in revenues year-on-year due to lower sales of hardware and software.
First-party software sales of PS3 reached 14.8 million, down year-on-year from 22.8 million units. PSP software sales declined to 8.3 million for the period from 22.8 million, while PS2 software sales dropped to 8.5 million from 19.3 million.
Within Sony's Network Products and Services segment, which includes the games business, revenues dropped 37.4 percent for the quarter to ¥246.8 billion ($2.57 billion). Profits within the segment also deteriorated, as operating loss climbed to ¥38.7 billion ($414 million), compared to a profit of ¥4.6 billion a year ago.
Sony attributed the lower profits to lower software sales and lower PSP hardware sales. The company also pointed to poor performance of Sony Vaio PCs, which are within the same segment as gaming. The company's B2B and Disc Manufacturing segment was also impacted by lagging sales of game discs, as revenues in that area dropped 28.4 percent to ¥99.1 billion ($1.03 billion).
Across Sony's entire business, the company reported a 19.2 percent decline in revenues to ¥1.56 trillion ($16.4 billion). Net loss was ¥37.1 billion ($391 million), down from a profit of ¥35 billion ($368 million) for the same quarter a year ago. Along with lagging sales of Bravia TVs, Sony noted that the appreciation of the yen and a "continued slowdown" of the global economy also negatively impacted results.
Financial reports say that Sony actually beat earnings estimates, following a series of cost-cutting measures by Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer.
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I say that because the few PSP fans that I know, all them have hacked PSP and spend more time using homebrew games than PSP official games.
PSP is kinda reminding me of the current-gen equivalent of the Sega GameGear. The upcoming PSPGo better do something good, especially now that it's competing with the iPhone.
PSP is a mobile gaming device, the iPhone is a phone with an app store. Big difference.
It goes down because, in the current environment and even in normal times, USD 170 is too much for a handheld. A USD 250 one will crash so hard after the early adopters get theirs they will never understand how they could be so blind.
Actually the iphone is a mobile device that makes phone calls, play games, multi-media player, and do a ton of other stuff (lots of it fun, but frivolous).
The PSP is a mobile device that was supposed to not only play games, but be used as a mobile media player and as a phone, among other things.
Unfortunately Sony lost their way(as they seem to have on everything this generation) and there is no catch-up for the PSP.
I, along with a number of my friends, waited to buy an iphone before the PSP, and I can honestly say I see no point in buying a PSP
I hope the PS3 does better - it is a fantastic piece of hardware that needs a much better install base. Please drop the price!