PSPgo nudges hardware up 120 per cent

By Games Industry.biz Published 5 October, 2009

Performed to expectations, says Sony.

Sony has revealed that sales of PSP hardware are up 120 per cent following the launch of the PSPgo in the UK. It's not quite the 999 per cent performance the PS3 Slim put in. [Sony contacted GamesIndustry.biz to alter the percentage from 100 to 120, in case you're wondering.]

Sales of the PSP-3000 also grew, GamesIndustry.biz reports, as owners snapped-up long-awaited releases Gran Turismo PSP and FIFA 10 - the latter setting a new record for the series.

Chart-Track will not release UK-specific figures, but we're told PSPgo and PSP-3000 sales were neck-and-neck for the week.

"PSPgo has performed in line with our expectations, driving 100 per cent incremental volume for the category and has benefited the broad PSP portfolio with PSP-3000 also enjoying a big lift," said Sony Europe in a statement.

"PSP software sales also having been a standout with both new releases GT PSP and FIFA 10 performing well."

The new PSPgo launched last Thursday and sells in the UK for £224.99. Early adopters are able to download a free copy of Gran Turismo PSP until 10th October, and UK consumers can also access a deal which allows them to download another three games for free if they register with Sony online.

Comments (45) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • hulahoops #1 2 years ago

    Oh dear.

  • Vice.Destroyer #2 2 years ago

    It's a brave new world of a download-only console. Retailers must be watching these figures and hoping for an almighty collapse of these numbers. It almost feels like a collective "FUCK YOU" to retailers for allowing the second-hand market to have gotten so huge.

    But then, Steam has shown that there are other ways to combat second hand sales.

    /watches with interest
    //refuses to buy a handheld at £20 cheaper than a PS3.

  • PearOfAnguish #3 2 years ago

    100% of not much is still not much.

    Wasn't much of a launch. Oddly, retailers don't seem that keen to push it. Wonder why? Maybe they don't want to explain to people why they can't use PSP games they already own.

  • JonFE #4 2 years ago

    When you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem...

    :)

  • Shadders #5 2 years ago

    Nice spin there by Sony, but a 100% rise is pretty awful, you'd assume that sales of the old model(s) would be particularly low in the week before a new one's launch too.

    These figures could easily translate to sales of 25 units last week to 50 units this week. It doesn't tell us anything without concrete figures.

  • Red_Bool #6 2 years ago

    I'm wondering how many people buy this thing along with a couple of UMDs so they have some games to play on it...

  • mingster #7 2 years ago

    Lol 120% means nothing at all.
    it cannot be quantified without knowing exact units its complete PR bull.
    Did they sell 10 last week and 22 this week?

  • AtomicBanana #8 2 years ago

    Why did anyone buy one? It represents terrible value for money.

  • kestral #9 2 years ago

    As much as the press seems to be against the pspgo, I hope this does not deter download as the a distribution service which with the right implementation is the way forward.

  • jonsaan #10 2 years ago

    Please tell me that nobody stumped up 29.99 for Fifa on the store.

  • Goffee #11 2 years ago

    UK sales have never been triffic though, so I think Sony won't panic unless the Japanese figures bomb - in which case it'll be red bottoms all round.

    Love the new store tho, Tetris and Pinball for a few quid - its like a big shareware arcade.
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 15:29

  • StooMonster #12 2 years ago

    'fraid I won't be buying a UMD free-PSP, why should I forgo all the titles I've already purchased?

  • ps3owner #13 2 years ago

    £224.99?

    I'll attach a strap to my fat one and carry that around before I buy this

  • giant_frying_pan #14 2 years ago

    >>>I'll attach a strap to my fat one and carry that around before I buy this

    Come again?

  • TopKatt #15 2 years ago

    I can't see Sony being surprised at this really. The PSP Go is a great piece of kit but it's far too expensive. I think that people expect to pay a lot less for a small portable device than a proper console. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sony drop the price fairly soon, once the early adopters have bought theirs.

    Having said all that, I got one but paid £199 for it, which, with the four free games I'll be getting for it, made it seem a much more reasonable investment.
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 15:36

  • el_pollo_diablo #16 2 years ago

    "PSPgo has performed in line with our expectations"

    - so they weren't expecting anyone to buy it either then.

  • Red930 #17 2 years ago

    199 quid (play.com) + 4 free games make it cheaper than the 3000 on agregate. I cant see what the problem is really. I'm glad I dont have to lug around fragile, bulky sets of UMD's. The Go makes the 3000 look like a brick, and the screen is miles better.

  • Adam128 #18 2 years ago

    I wanted to remove the UMD functionality on my old PSP to keep up with the latest trends, so I inserted a Jaffa Cake into the drive and problem solved! I now have all the features of a brand new PSP Go.

  • uglygamer #19 2 years ago

    They messed up the PSPGo and nearly everyone was telling them it could be a mess. BUT NO they wont listen. I know companies dont always take notice of customers and sometimes it works but in some cases where its so obvious that hardly anyones interested they should have noticed reduced that price substantially. If they are not careful this could turn out to be a total disaster.

  • des #20 2 years ago

    120% of nothing is still nothing...

  • Retroid #21 2 years ago

    Let's see how it's doing in a month's time, eh?

  • SYS64738 #22 2 years ago

    ""Sales of the PSP-3000 also grew as owners snapped-up long-awaited releases Gran Turismo PSP"

    Me being one :)

    I just couldn't justify buying the Go. Why the hell would I pay more for a smaller screen? "

    You make it sound like they changed the screen size but nothing else....

  • davisorle #23 2 years ago

    LOL such a bunch of crap. If its according to their expectations they shouldnt be dropping prices after 3 days in the UK:
    [link url=http://worthplaying.com/article/2009/10/5/news/69054/ ]http://wo rthplaying.com/article/2009/10/...[/link]

    Nor they would get butthurt to call themselves and change the 100 to 120% boost. Which is added on top of an excisting series of hardware. So you are telling me that the PSPGo sold 20% total more than the regular PSP? If you do the math thats all thats left for the PSPGo cause I really dont see how you put this even in the same market. Anyhow... Most of us know this is bound to fail and i feel sorry for the ones that paid for it.

  • JonFE #24 2 years ago

    While I certainly agree with the general consensus of these comments, I've got the feeling that, by releasing the PSPgo, Sony are actually testing the waters of a UMD-less PSP, without taking the full risk of launching a new PSP2 handheld.

    In other words, they are checking to see how would the market react to a downloads-only console, without spending huge amounts of money on R&D. So, they may well be prepared to expect low sales initially. After all, they *did* stick with the PSP even though it seemed like a lost cause to a lot of observers.

    Time will tell whether this gamble will pay off...

  • davisorle #25 2 years ago

    @mingster
    Watch the numbers you are giving. Sony will have the men in black that called GamesIndustry.biz and correct you. Might have been 12 before the PSPGo

  • drumbaby #26 2 years ago

    "Oh yeah. They took away the option of UMD's. I forgot about that one. "

    Don't think they did. I see the 3000 is still available to buy, and the Go was never meant to have a UMD drive.

    hth.

  • davisorle #27 2 years ago

    @JonFE

    I would agree with you but I cant for some reasons. First the fact that iPods even with crappy games are still selling games online. Why would you test with the same hardware something thats already tested? Sony's strategy has always been "force my shit on others" and thats about it. ( Unfortunately its "force" for the dumbasses without brain enough to not just go buy stuff they throw in their faces that is ). If Sony wanted to test it they would do what MS just did if you ask me... They never even mentioned of gaming possible for the ZuneHD. Its an iPod + PSP with great hardware and has never been even promoted as a plus of gaming capabilties cause apparently they are gonna test if it will work for them. Anyhow.. Im way too possitive that Sony isnt testing anything more than if people will give into plain trust for them before the PSPGo dies like lots of other handhelds.

  • onyxbox #28 2 years ago

    Vice.Destroyer wrote :"It almost feels like a collective "FUCK YOU" to retailers for allowing the second-hand market to have gotten so huge."

    I walked into Gamestation the other day to trade FIFA 9 for 10 and the trade in value (not cash) for FIFA 9 was £3 !!!

    So laughed and then bought a PSPgo and said "FUCK YOU I'M GOING DIGITAL!" :D only to find FIFA 10 on PSN was £30 !!! Agrhh... I can feel the guy behind the counter laughing now :D

  • SYS64738 #29 2 years ago

    I bought one:) and I like it:) a lot:)

    And I feel sorry for those who cannot see that the Go is a complementary product, you don't *have* to buy it if you want to play PSP games, you can still play your UMD's on a 3000 (which is cheaper as well), and if you like handheld gaming but hate Sony in general then simply buy a DS or an iPhone:)

    Bought a PSPgo at RRP 250 Eur
    less 50 Eur due to cash voucher I forgot about ages ago
    less 40 Eur RRP for GT PSP (25 Eur on play admittetly but I hate UMD's)
    less 60-80 Eur for 3 free games if you upgrade
    = 80 - 100 Eur cash outlay for 'upgrading', and I still keep my 2000 for playing the occasional UMD.

    I don't need it, I could easily use my 2000 for the next few years, but I wanted one cos I like the smaller form factor. Simple as.

    So for me personally it was worth it, for many others it might not, especially if you don't want the free games on offer, but for christ's sake, stop moaning about a bloody consumer product. Just don't buy it and leave it at that.

  • onyxbox #30 2 years ago

    These Percentage things mean nothing... MS were touting the same crap when they "saw a 40% increase in sales since the Elite price drop" ... means nothing without the numbers behind it.

  • onyxbox #31 2 years ago

    Oh and another thing.... I havent had my 3 game promotion code yet or the free copy of Gran Tourismo... according to the website this could take up to 30 days but most likeley within a week.

    You'd have thought that proccess would have been automated.

  • NotSoSlim #32 2 years ago

    Well as far as I am aware the pspgo isn't replacing the 3000 so sales are sales. I do think the Psp2 will be download only tho!!

    It complements the 3000 pretty well imo
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 16:58

  • Toothball #33 2 years ago

    I bought one from Play, but the courier only attempted to deliver it today so I've not even seen one in the flesh yet. Can't even go to the depot and pick it up. Hopefully tomorrow though.

  • TopKatt #34 2 years ago

    @Toothball

    Remember that you only have until the 10th of October to claim your free copy of GT.

  • Red930 #35 2 years ago

    There seems to be alot of peeps that bitch about it without actually ever holding one.

    Yes its not a psp2, but it much better in every regard to the 1/2/3 series if you are really into mobile gaming.

    It has its place. Its not a UMD machine. So what? UMD's are rubbish, fragile and bulky.

    It seems to me that those that can afford it, have it, and like it. Nuff said?

  • zedzee #36 2 years ago

    "another three games for free"

    That's about as much as download-only games and consoles are worth. I wouldn't touch this with a frikkin' barge pole!

    Sony would be the BIGGEST bastards around if they start killing off the PSP-3000 model and gradually die down UMD releases and thus force people to move up to downloads only.

  • beastmaster #37 2 years ago

    I've got an original (firmware) PSP and a 3000 with no firmware. I like them both for different reasons. The Go doesn't do it for me for 3 reasons. 1. Price 2. Digital download at mega prices? No thanks! 3. I have big shovel hands and it's meant to be crap for us mutants.

    I was just in Gamestation in the Arndale Manchester and saw no sign of the thing. Thought about chatting to guy behind the counter about this but couldn't be fucking arsed.
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 17:59

  • Machiavellian #38 2 years ago

    I see a lot of people who would be happy with a PSPGo but those people have a poor sense of value for money as well. It's totally obvious that the PSPGo at it's current price does not give you value for the money you spent, especially since you can get a PSP 3000 that does everything the PSPGo does (besides blu-ray) and also gives you much more. Everything is proprietary with the PSPGo. You can only get your cables from Sony, you can only get your games from Sony. Once you purchase the GO, you are locked into getting everything from Sony at the price they dictate and it's obvious that the price will not be consumer friendly.

    At this point in time the PSPGo is a bad investment.

  • Alterego-X #39 2 years ago

    It's the UK sales only, Actually it went only from 5 000 to 11 000 units...

  • penhalion #40 2 years ago

    @red_bool

    I'm wondering how many people buy this thing along with a couple of UMDs so they have some games to play on it...

    Had to +1 you for that one :)

  • TopKatt #41 2 years ago

    Well that's not bad going. I registered my PSP Go on Friday and I've received the emails for my three free games and free copy of GT psp today! I'm downloading them now. :-)
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 19:24

  • electrolite #42 2 years ago

    "But it also seems that everyone has forgotten that for YEARS they bitched & moaned about the UMD, how slow it was, how it ate the battery & how the movies were shit & pointless.. Now that Sony has removed the UMD, everyone it seems is moaning & bitching about that!."

    Could give us the option for both? Wacky, I know, I'm out there, but....

  • penhalion #43 2 years ago

    @electrolite

    Everyone thought that Sony would be sensible and use small memory stick cartridges or something like that. Not create YAPS every time they release a new bloody console (Yet Another Proprietary System).

  • maximusfarticus #44 2 years ago

    "Could give us the option for both? Wacky, I know, I'm out there, but.... "

    But that's exactly what they have done isn't it? If you want both, get a 3000, if you don't want UMD you can get a 3000 or a Go. There's the option right there.
    Edited by 1 at 05/10/09 @ 21:56

  • Nephirion #45 2 years ago

    Early adpoters = more money than sense