PS3 Becomes UK's Fastest Selling Console

[Palazzo]

Chart-Track has confirmed to GamesIndustry.biz that UK consumers snapped up 165,000 PlayStation 3 units in the two days following the console's launch.

That makes PS3 the fastest-selling home console in history, beating the Wii - which shifted 105,000 units during its launch weekend - and Xbox 360, with 70,000 sold.

Both Nintendo and Microsoft struggled to meet demand with their consoles, leading to stock shortages - but Sony previously stated that the UK would get around 220,000 of the 1 million PS3 units allocated to Europe for launch.

Overall, the PlayStation 3 is the second fastest-selling piece of games hardware in history. That record still belongs to PlayStation Portable, with 185,000 units sold during the handheld's launch weekend.

PlayStation 3 launched in Europe on Friday, priced at GBP 425 / EUR 599 for the 60GB model.

http://gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23781

[thatguy]

Huh, go figure. Welllll... In the U.S., the Wii is doing the best. the PS3 did sell out on the opening weekend but after that no one else bought it. (Someone was shot for a PS3, and most of the people that bought it, only did so to sell for $1,000.00 on eBay.) I personally hate the X-Box, but everyone else has a 360. I heard that SONY was taking Blue Ray off of the PS3 and lowering the price, but rumors are rumors, and unless that happens the Wii will continue to crush the competition.

[Sir Kenneth]

Originally Posted by thatguy

Huh, go figure. Welllll... In the U.S., the Wii is doing the best. the PS3 did sell out on the opening weekend but after that no one else bought it. (Someone was shot for a PS3, and most of the people that bought it, only did so to sell for $1,000.00 on eBay.) I personally hate the X-Box, but everyone else has a 360. I heard that SONY was taking Blue Ray off of the PS3 and lowering the price, but rumors are rumors, and unless that happens the Wii will continue to crush the competition.

I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you. Even if Nintendo Wii is selling really well at the moment (and the controller is very amusing ) it is still the only one of the 3 consoles which I have my doubts about concerning the future. Hardware-wise, the Wii is more last gen than next gen and in a couple of years that is really going to show. That's when the real challenge comes for Nintendo. It is going to be interesting to see how well the wii-mote is going to age and if Nintendo can live up to the gameplay over graphics mantra. Because if Nintendo wants to beat Sony and Microsoft, that certainly is the criteria: Better gameplay.

Personally I highly doubt it, but only time can tell.

Over here in Denmark the PS3 is really succesful as well. I work in a large department store and we have already sold more PS3s than we have sold Wiis since December.

[postalblowfish7]

Originally Posted by Sir Kenneth

I wouldn't be too sure of that if I were you. Even if Nintendo Wii is selling really well at the moment (and the controller is very amusing ) it is still the only one of the 3 consoles which I have my doubts about concerning the future. Hardware-wise, the Wii is more last gen than next gen and in a couple of years that is really going to show. That's when the real challenge comes for Nintendo. It is going to be interesting to see how well the wii-mote is going to age and if Nintendo can live up to the gameplay over graphics mantra. Because if Nintendo wants to beat Sony and Microsoft, that certainly is the criteria: Better gameplay.

my mom and dad won't notice the dated graphics - nor will the thousands of mid-lifed women who buy it as a fitness fad - nor will the girl who's never owned a video game console and got one for her 14th birthday after begging her parents to get her one.

the point is the Wii is selling so well not because the fat dude with the bluetooth earpiece, the blonde goatee, and the halo 2 shirt bought one - instead what's happening is exactly what nintendo wanted to happen. they're expanding the gaming market to non-gamers. yes, as a 'hardcore gamer' or whatever i recognize that it would be hard to have the wii as my 'sole' next gen console. i'd really like to get a ps3 over a 360 just because i ****ing hate microsoft with every fiber of my being. i have accepted that i will have to get one of the lame old school controller systems eventually.

however, soccer moms don't want 360's - they want wiis. they see them on morning shows, they read about them on fitness message boards, they catch an article in a news magazine - it's a product that's more like a hi-tech toy than a conventional video game console.

*ahem* but to get back on topic - i think the reason these numbers happened is the fact that, well, the ps3 isn't exactly the golden egg it was at launch. nearly every store in my area has at least 2 ps3 sitting around. my gamestop has had 2 in the back store room for over a week now. we just can't move them. meanwhile the wii is sold out everywhere, and nintendo can hardly keep up with demand. plenty of ps3s laying around = plenty of ps3s to sell in europe. i dunno, things are surly turning out to be more interesting than anyone could possibly have imagined. i for one am enjoying the ride

[metal572]

i heard on the G4 game channel tht there r still plenty of ps3s on the shelves somwhere in the uk. so i dunoo about it being the best seller.

[Sir Kenneth]

Originally Posted by postalblowfish7

my mom and dad won't notice the dated graphics - nor will the thousands of mid-lifed women who buy it as a fitness fad - nor will the girl who's never owned a video game console and got one for her 14th birthday after begging her parents to get her one.

the point is the Wii is selling so well not because the fat dude with the bluetooth earpiece, the blonde goatee, and the halo 2 shirt bought one - instead what's happening is exactly what nintendo wanted to happen. they're expanding the gaming market to non-gamers. yes, as a 'hardcore gamer' or whatever i recognize that it would be hard to have the wii as my 'sole' next gen console. i'd really like to get a ps3 over a 360 just because i ****ing hate microsoft with every fiber of my being. i have accepted that i will have to get one of the lame old school controller systems eventually.

however, soccer moms don't want 360's - they want wiis. they see them on morning shows, they read about them on fitness message boards, they catch an article in a news magazine - it's a product that's more like a hi-tech toy than a conventional video game console.

Good point, though there is one thing you are forgetting here and that is the PS2. In the USA 295,000 PS2s was sold in February compared to 335,000 Wiis. Nintendo Wii is still a relatively new console and I know plenty of owners of other systems which have gotten one recently, while all the gamers who wants a PS2 has had one for ages. So the PS2 is still an extremely popular toy for the nursery and might continue to be so until the PS3 settles in a reasonable prince range and more family friendly games have come out.

But everything is very open at the moment and I sure am following things with interest.

[thatguy]

My opinion is that the Wii is the best system whatsoever. The games are very interesting, the graphics aren't really bad, the ratio of the Wii Graphics to PS3 is relatively the same as the GameCube to the PS2. I love Nintendo so to me most of the things they put out there is going to be a success.

[Palazzo]

Originally Posted by metal572

i heard on the G4 game channel tht there r still plenty of ps3s on the shelves somwhere in the uk. so i dunoo about it being the best seller.

That's because there were more PS3s available at launch than there were 360s and Wiis.