PS2 outselling PS3 and PSP

By Matt Martin Published 30 July, 2009

Console and game sales down generally.

Sony has revealed that the PlayStation 2 is its best-selling console, as PS3 and PSP numbers decline to produce a loss for the financial quarter ending 30th June.

The company sold 1.1m PS3 consoles and 1.3m PSP consoles worldwide, compared to 1.6m and 3.7m during the same period last year. Sales of the creaky-boned PS2 console reached 1.6m for the quarter.

Sales for the PlayStation business as a whole were down 37.4 per cent year-on-year "due to lower game and VAIO PC sales", said the company. Specifically, Sony noted a decline in software and PSP hardware sales.

PS3 game sales reached 14.8m for the quarter, down from 22.8m units for the same period last year. Game sales for the PSP dropped too, from 11.8m last year to 8.3m this year.

And although the PS2 recorded decent console sales, software dropped from a beefy 19.3m last year to just 8.5m this year.

The effect of all this caused Sony as a whole to record an operating loss $268m. That's a lot of money, especially when the company turned a profit of nearly three times that number for the same period last year.

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Comments (65) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • thebuzzard #1 3 years ago

    Makes me wonder what people would buy if Sony had dumped the PS2 like MS did with Xbox.

  • alimokrane #2 3 years ago

    Did MS release their figures for the quarter ?

  • ZuluHero #3 3 years ago

    I just got a new slim PS2. I still have too many good games (and many more to still play) on it to abandon it just yet. Its a great little machine (even more so now its slim ;), lots of software which is really stable, mainly because there was no culture of patching games post launch in those days. Hardly any hardware problems either.

    Im going to hold on to my PS2 for years to come.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 11:28

  • Rangerwave #4 3 years ago

    I must be one of those people, I've had a PSP for ages, but bought a PS3 in February. When I was playing games like MGS4 and Ratchet and Clank I really had the urge to go back and play the older games that lead up to it, so I bought a new PS2 a few weeks ago. I wonder if there are many others in this similar boat?

  • Eraysor #5 3 years ago

    The PS2 is still a brilliant console. I'm still tracking some games down for it now (Anyone got a spare copy of XGRA?!)

  • mingster #6 3 years ago

    Thats gotta hurt

  • Dizzy #7 3 years ago

    >Did MS release their figures for the quarter ?

    Yes... profit ofc and slightly more 360s sold as PS3.

  • uglygamer #8 3 years ago

    Is this a good or a bad thing for Sony?

  • Mr_Brown #9 3 years ago

    Well I have 3 PS2 (slim) in my house at the moment (one chipped for import games) and I still play them often. I've got Guitar Hero 3 cheap on it and games like Persona 3 and MGS3 still get regular playthroughs. Great console.

  • Buztafen #10 3 years ago

    I have NO idea what all that means but the 'loss' part doesn't sound good...

  • Darren #11 3 years ago

    You have to give it to Sony really... the PS2, after a shaky start, has gone on to be a massive success and it's impressive that it still continues to sell after almost NINE years. Wow!

    As for the PS3, I think it's still far too expensive for most people and Sony really need to drop its price below £200 if they want the sales to pick up. Arguing that its expensive compared with the competition still because it has a Cell processor and a Blu-ray drive will no longer hold water IMO, especially as you can now pick up standalone BD players for under £100 and a BD drive for the PC around £50. Unlike Microsoft, Sony have no base PS3 model to sell and that makes it a less attractive buy than the Arcade 360 which is less than half the price. If you only want the PS3 for games then it is an expensive luxury.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 12:10

  • bad09 #12 3 years ago

    I just wish my PS2 was in my PS3. Shame really still the slim looks nice next to my DC. :)

    Anyway I have LOADS to play on PS2 so mine won't go anywhere soon and will take time away from PS3 - not that it gets much in terms of games anyway.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #13 3 years ago

    Well theres three reasons for this 1) devs are still supporting the ps2 as it's cheaper/easier to program for 2) theres no backwards support on the PS3 and 3) the PS2 is cheap as chips atm.

    I mean dispite reason 1, 2 and 3 are the main reason people aren't jumping on the PS3, thrown in PS2 support, drop the price the PS3 will fly off the shelfs... I did only resently buy one due to the price however I havn't regreted buying it, it's a damn good format, it's just that with money as it is what you going to buy? A £300 format or a £30-£50 one?

    Either way the PS2 is still a Sony product so a sale is still a sale, not the one that Sony want you to buy but still

  • Arwin #14 3 years ago

    "We shipped 1.2 million Xbox 360 consoles during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009, compared with 1.3 million Xbox 360 consoles during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008. "

    That's in the link so generously proved by Dizzy above.

    They also mention that they got less revenue due to the price decrease of the 360, and that this less revenue was partially offset by Live subscriptions and such.

    I still have a PS2 as well as a BC PS3, and a bunch of PS2 I've yet to finish, but frankly there are too many great games on PS3/PSN out so that I don't see myself ever returning to them. Maybe just maybe I might play GoW2 some more just before GoW3 comes out, but even that doesn't seem very likely.
    Edited by 3 at 30/07/09 @ 11:45

  • Widge #15 3 years ago

    I have B/C in my PS3 but I'm tempted to jack it in for a PS3 Slim (if/when). As long as it has a replacable hard drive as my 320gb will be going to waste! We just got a 80gb at work and its like Mr Silence compared to my 60gb. I'd rather have that than my PS2 games!

  • Eraser #16 3 years ago

    Quite amazing feat of the PS2

  • Invisible_Cow #17 3 years ago

    Surely a clear indicator of where they went right on the PS2 and wrong on the PS3??

    The PS2 has a great back-catalogue, and for games like Guitar Hero, Singstar etc. there's simply no need for the PS3's hardware grunt, so I can see why this is happening. I would definitely buy a PS2 now they're so cheap.. if I didn't already have one.

  • neonxaos #18 3 years ago

    Bring on the price drop, then. I would definitely buy a PS3 at a lower price point.

  • El-Dev #19 3 years ago

    There will never be a machine so successful as the PS2.

  • GamesConnoisseur #20 3 years ago

    Agreed there would likely not be a machine as successful as PS2, but it is worrying still for Sony in the short term, after they had invested huge amount of money into PS3 and they would have wanted to see graph chart that climbs up in successive periods instead of flatlining or dropping (slightly).

    However Sony had always said they are playing a long game with PS3 and profitable sales with PS2 instead of unprofitable one with PS3 is a good business for them afterall. Just that the longer they let it the less they may end up with a market share as PS3 while lovely is not going to be the best there is in a few years time is it?

    Still people knows that with PS2 but buying it in rush cos of back catalogue and cheap games! Cheap console, cheap and great games equal a great saled!

  • schnide #21 3 years ago

    I'm going to apologise in advance for the swearing and capital letters.

    So people are still buying PS2 games are they Sony? THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE REMOVED THE BACKWARDS COMPATIBLITY ON PS3 YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKTARDS! Pay me half your salaries, sack yourselves and I'll make your company a success.

    Sorry, not your company - my company now! Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 12:36

  • bad09 #22 3 years ago

    @ schnide

    If I could +100 I would.

    If PS2 is still so popular, Sony should stick B/C back with software and SELL the bloody games on PSN. You don't get a penny from my PS2 purchases but that's not my fault Sony.

    / Hugs his recent £19.99 MGS3: Subsistence find \o/

  • Darren #23 3 years ago

    @donnie080208 - The PS3 was released in the US and Japan in November 2006 and Europe March 2007 so it's been out just over 2 and a quarter years in the UK and four months short of three years in the US. That's not even close to four years so get your facts right! ;)

    The PS2 wasn't an instant success when it launched either as I recall. It cost £299 which was deemed expensive and it wasn't until Sony dropped the price below £200 here in the UK that sales really took off. The PS3 doesn't look like it will be anywhere near as successful as the PS2 but when you consider that it's twice the cost of the base Xbox 360, was released a year later and is just 6 million units behind Microsoft's machine in terms of sales, it's really not doing that badly at all. Not as well as Sony might have hoped, yes (although Sony have never pretended the PS3 would be cheap), but there's plenty of time yet if the almost decade long lifespans of the PS and PS2 are anything to go by.

  • El-Dev #24 3 years ago

    Impossible Schnide, an outsider can only get to a certain level in Sony. All tob jobs are held by Japanese people, it's not as strict as it once was but I wouldn't fancy your chances. Obviously also for reasons than the you most likely not being Japanese.

    They do need a price cut by November at the latest for the Christmas shopping period.

  • MiniAmin #25 3 years ago

    @ El-Dev

    It took ONE wikipedia search to identify British-American (i.e Not Japanese) Howard Stringer as the present CEO of Sony. One search is all it took to expose your post as a silly piece of unfounded and tangential nonsense.

    Anyway, I love PS2: it's the original beast.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 12:48

  • djm99 #26 3 years ago

    If sony would hurry up and release GT5 then maybe things would look up for them! and give us a decent comfortable controller!
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 12:49

  • Raz76 #27 3 years ago

    Same quarter last year saw the release of GTAIV and MGS4. Hard to compete with that.

  • Dizzy #28 3 years ago

    "was released a year later and is just 6 million units behind Microsoft's machine in terms of sales"

    12 million to be accurate. The harsh reality for Sony is that the PS3 has not caught up with 360 (slightly falling behind even) and has been out-raced by the Wii. It looks like they will go for a GC type strategy... sell less consoles, make some good money on software and be happy with a solid last place and prepare a comeback with PS4. In the end they won the Bluray war... maybe that will be worth it some day?
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 13:20

  • solidSnake04 #29 3 years ago

    I know the original PS3 was fully BC. But doesn't PS3 support BC via software emulation these days ? I got more PS2 games than PS3 games and I always enjoy my Pro Evo 1, Shadow of the Colossus, Farenheit and ICO on PS3.
    Nobody wants to throw away their PS2 games, so surely improved BC and lower price would make lots of people happy.

    PS: Not sure but allegedly the PS3 fully supports the best/most popular PS2 games, but those aren't my words.

  • RexRunti #30 3 years ago

    Why is everyone assuming a price cut? Sony are making a loss with the PS3 so dropping the price really won't do their finances a lot of good. Maybe when the Japanese and asian econimies become weaker next to the european/continental american ones maybe Sony will be able to afford a price drop. As it is Sony simply can not afford to make a price cut and don't have the reserves to take the hit in the short term so a price cut is not going to happen.

  • Rubarack #31 3 years ago

    There will never be a machine so successful as the PS2.

    Isn't the Wii still outselling the Ps2 for their relative times?

  • RexRunti #32 3 years ago

    @solidSnake04

    The European launch PS3s have software (launch US hardware) bc the current models don't.

  • Widge #33 3 years ago

    I think the EU models had partial software... which is why they can't just dump it back in on a whim.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #34 3 years ago

    Can we finally see an end to all those fanboys banging on about how the PS3 is selling as well as the PS2 was in the same time frame?

  • schnide #35 3 years ago

    @Rex

    Yes, but are those Wii sales sustainable over the same time period?

    (Hint: No)

  • GreyBeard #36 3 years ago

    I'm amazed that people still are in denial that a new low cost PS3 SKU is about to get launched.

    There's a huge amount of anecdotal evidence and rumour (which given Sony's leakyness of late is not to be discounted out of hand) to support this, not to mention that from a business standpoint its the smartest move Sony can make.

    The leaks from Foxconn and Pegatron show that Sony has placed a lot of hardware orders, and reports from retailers and wholesalers show that Sony is definitely attempting to clear the channel of existing stocks.

    And above all else Sony's hardware sales estimates (PS3) for the coming financial quarter are way higher than you'd expect if they weren't planning on doing something drastic.

    My money is on a September 2 launch. $299 US, $299 Euro, £229 GBP for a 120gb Slim model that uses all 45nm components.
    This'll be announced at Gamescom on the 19th, to give retailers 2 weeks to start dumping their remaining inventory.
    Edited by 2 at 30/07/09 @ 14:15

  • Dizzy #37 3 years ago

    "I'm amazed that people still are in denial that a new low cost PS3 SKU is about to get launched"

    Why would the other consoles not be able to easily match any cheapo PS3 hardware?

  • SEVQA #38 3 years ago

    schnide +3.14....

    I'm one of the lucky ones it seems to have a PS3 with BC, and during that time I've enjoyed many PS2 titles I missed and replayed many I loved. Sony for goodness sake put BC into the new Slim sku. Its good karma Sony and you know it!

  • mega7ech #39 3 years ago

    Its a Sony...

  • AphoticCosmos #40 3 years ago

    Unsurprising. There is a recession on, thus the cheaper bit of kit will sell.

  • Halve_ZOL #41 3 years ago

    I'm going to trade in my 40 Gb PS3 and get me a new PS2 this weekend. Much more interesting games for the old one. I'll just play Fallout 3 and Call of Duty on the 360.

  • layleeloo #42 3 years ago

    Schnide and Bad 09

    Because they had to reduce the cost of the PS3 and the majority of PS3 owners arent arsed about PS2 games so why should we pay for summat we don;t care about. If we want PS2 games, Id rather pay a hundred quid for a PS2 separately than pay an extra hundred quid for PS3 backwards compatibility to which to most is something which is useless? Isnt that common knowledge. Now who are the "fucktards" whatever the hell one of those is? haha
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 15:19

  • ShinMegami08 #43 3 years ago

    Hello Sony,

    I am since the PS1 a big fan of your company. Loved the PS2, still loving the PSP and am totally addicted to the PS3.
    But your financial losses in the last couple of years have made me nervous. Don't wanna lose any Flower, Ratchet, Infamous, etc, so here are my hints for doing better in the next quartal:

    1. Bring 2 (only two!) SKUs on the market: A cheap slim edition on the one side (without WLAN, HDMI, etc.) for the kids and a Deluxe version (with BC, and all the Hitech) for the geeks.

    2. More ads. Show the exclusive games. Show your console! Make it a lifestyle. Push it!

    3. Better cooperation with developers. Don't let it even come to something like the Activision-Fiasco or the Valve-Disaster. Contact the devs which are making a bad rep for you and support them. Discount your dev-kits!

    4. Bring out God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5 and all the big shots this year. Take control of christmas.

    Else thanks for all the fun and your incredible good nose for excellent developers.

    Sincerely yours

    Shin Megami

  • bad09 #44 3 years ago

    "Because they had to reduce the cost of the PS3 and the majority of PS3 owners arent arsed about PS2 games"

    No but PS2 owners are numb nuts. Best way to cut off potential sales of new hardware make sure they can't use their old games on it, and that's exactly what they did....er...haha

  • arctic360 #45 3 years ago

    Just shows you how people are turning to cheaper consoles during the economic downturn and that the PS3 is still far to pricey for most people.

  • bad09 #46 3 years ago

    Er...hang on I just re-read this.

    "If we want PS2 games, Id rather pay a hundred quid for a PS2 separately than pay an extra hundred quid for PS3 backwards compatibility to which to most is something which is useless?"

    So..if I understand your "logic", you would prefer to save money on a PS3 and then spend that very money saved on a seperate PS2? OK.....

  • bad09 #47 3 years ago

    "In my opinion, Sony would have had approximately a zillion times more success with the PS3 if they had spent the Home development budget on top-notch software PS2 emulation."

    Ashen-Shugar speaketh the truth!

  • Darren #48 3 years ago

    @Dizzy - "12 million to be accurate."

    Unless my maths are wrong then the 30 million Xbox 360s sold as at 30 June 2009 according to Wikipedia (and stated by Microsoft a few weeks back) is 6 million more than the 24 million PS3s sold as at the same date and according to the same source. Where do you get your 12 million figure from... did you deduct 6 million from the Xbox 360 figure to account for faulty units or something? ;)

  • GreyBeard #49 3 years ago

    "The RSX doesnt have the fill-rate for direct GS emulation so they need to develop a Cell based solution which would be quite a complex affair."

    Stop propogating this ridiculous piece of disinformation. Its simply NOT TRUE.

    The GS has a super-wide data (2560 bit) bus, in order to compensate for multiple input streams via DMA, but that is not fill-rate. One is an input (bus) function, the other is an output (rasterization) function.

    The recent patent Sony filed specifically and explicitly deals with this when it talks about their new technology's ability to handle stalling (data getting bottlenecked at the bus) within an asynchronous multiprocesser array (EE+Vu0+Vu1 > GS).

    Edited by 2 at 30/07/09 @ 16:43

  • electrolite #50 3 years ago

    My PS2 died a year ago yet I still kept a couple of games because they have no resale value/sentimental value. Or so I said at the time, on some level I thought I would buy another one one day. This weekend will be that day.

    PS2 = the most awesome bestest

  • VandelayIndustries #51 3 years ago

    Despite owning a BC PS3 I still use my PS2 Slim for games and (through component) it makes a lovely region 1 DVD player too.

  • Dizzy #52 3 years ago

    "Unless my maths are wrong then the 30 million Xbox 360s sold as at 30 June 2009 according to Wikipedia (and stated by Microsoft a few weeks back) is 6 million more than the 24 million PS3s sold as at the same date and according to the same source"

    NeoGaf numbers are 32M for 360 and 22M for PS3, so yes i was wrong... only 10m difference. Gomene.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 17:09

  • ronuds #53 3 years ago

    I believe the difference is about 7.5m as of today (32.5m - 25m). These are likely shipped and not sold figures, though.

    Not sure which figures NeoGaf claims to be reporting.

  • Lemming81 #54 3 years ago

    See Sony? THIS is why taking the backwards compaitibilty out of the PS3 was a bad, bad idea.

    We warned you.

  • Ryze #55 3 years ago

    @MiniAmin

    The Megadrive would be the original beast.

  • Ryze #56 3 years ago

    @RexRunti

    I expect the slim PS3 to cost the same as teh current RRP. I then reckon that teh few million regular PS3s already out there 'in the channel' will be reduced in price.

    Once they've all one, then I wouldn't be surprised if the slim had at least a slight reduction.

    Then again, this is Sony, so thay may well sell the slim PS3 at £426, just to piss us all off.

    :/

  • bad09 #57 3 years ago

    Yes Ryze they will charge £426...and people will buy it, even without any games....

    ....well, maybe RIIIIDGE RAAACER! :)

  • GreyBeard #58 3 years ago

    Would any of the anonymous cowards who rated me down care to enlighten me about why they think I'm wrong? Pretty please with sugar on top?

    On either subject?

  • ronuds #59 3 years ago

    @ GreyBeard

    To your point about the PS3 slim, I think you acting like everyone is in denial based on some anecdotal evidence (which we've been hearing about for a year now) may have taken you down a peg or two.

    And then trying to predict the exact date and price put it over the top.

    You should probably relax, though - I don't think calling people cowards is going to help your comments much in the future.
    Edited by 1 at 30/07/09 @ 22:06

  • stan_dman #60 3 years ago

    the ps2 is just a piece of gaming legend, i still play on mine, it makes me feel kind of retro, and in this shitty economic climate it doesn't surprise me that working class people with any common sense would buy the ps2 (for themselves or their kids) and enjoy all the good shit they missed out on in the past.

  • busboy33 #61 3 years ago

    @Greybeard:

    I didn't vote, so this is just a guess -- you come off like an ass?
    The question isn't "are you correct?". Rather, the question is "does your tone imply you're sh!tting on everybody because you're so damn smart?" If the answer to the later is "yes" . . . downvoting seems to be the common result.

  • El-Dev #62 3 years ago

    "Sony's decision to replace Idei with the British Howard Stringer marked the first time that a foreigner has run a major Japanese electronics firm."

    I feel vindicated, I also know this is the reason many Europeans left Sony Chemicals Europe because they could only get so far up the corporate ladder before they reached a glass ceiling. I feel vindicated.

  • GreyBeard #63 3 years ago

    @Trebell

    Thanks man, and realistically your guess is as good as mine.

    @Ronuds

    Its the sheer volume of anecdotal evidence that makes it such a compelling argument in my opinion. And besides if I'm wrong it wont take long to find out.

    And as to calling people "anonymous cowards", never read The Register ? And besides, it was specifically addressed at people who had rated me down without writing anything. I was curious to see what deep insight they had and so I gave them a little poke.

    @Busboy33

    I'm sorry if me expressing an opinion is seen as "sh!tting on" people. Yes my last post was deliberately provocative, but my first ( about the PS3 ) was hardly deserving of rate-downs at all. I mean, seriously, is even speculating at this point considered to be a bad thing? And if so why?

    My second post was a little more harsh, but the myth of RSX having less fill-rate than GS really needs to be shot down in flames.

  • Darren #64 3 years ago

    @Dizzy - Well a 6 million/10 million lead, whatever, it's a meaningless figure really as the Xbox 360 launched a year before the PS3. Any differences in sales between the two can, thus, be mostly attributed to that.

  • Ryze #65 2 years ago

    ^
    ^

    Uber-cock.