Sony has announced that its Playstation 3 console has sold 70 million units worldwide, putting it hot on the heels of its closest rival. According to Sony, this milestone was reached on November 4 and includes sales of all models of the Playstation 3 since its launch in November 2006.
This figure is significant as it shows just how much ground Sony has gained on its rivals over the past six years. When the Playstation 3 launched in 2006, it did so alongside Nintendo’s Wii console and a full year behind Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Though Sony’s machine was reportedly more powerful than the competition and included Blu-ray functionality, something its rivals did not, it got off to a slow start at retail. Its high retail price initially discouraged gamers, many of whom opted for the cheaper Xbox 360 and Wii systems. Additionally, many game developers had trouble adapting their games to the hardware resulting in many early games being inferior to their Xbox 360 counter-parts, or arriving to the system months later.
However since that troubled start, the Playstation 3 has really transformed its fortunes. A series of redesigns, accompanied by price drops, along with strong software support have seen the console gradually make up for lost time. A new ‘slim’ model was introduced in September which is 25 per cent smaller than the previous ‘slim’ design introduced in 2009 – and about half the size of the original console. Sony’s announcement that it has sold 70 million systems comes just two months after an identical announcement from Microsoft, putting the two systems at a dead heat. It is possible that Sony’s strong exclusive software lineup for 2013, including highly anticipated titles like God of War: Ascension, The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, will finally push Sony’s system ahead of Microsoft’s.
Yet even if the Playstation 3 overtakes the Xbox 360, this console generation will still be one of mixed fortunes for Sony. Nintendo recently reported that the Wii has shifted over 97 million units and although it is likely that sales for the console will drop off as Nintendo focuses on its new Wii U console, it is unlikely that Sony will catch it. Likewise, the Playstation 3 will likely be Sony’s poorest selling home console. The original Playstation sold over 102 million units while the Playstation 2 sold 150 million units, meaning it remains the most popular home gaming console ever.
