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 The State of Play: 1
“It ain’t over till its over.” - Rocky, Rocky Balboa
UK Loves Sony
Who’d of thought it? Despite all the negative press and glee filled hand rubbing by the competition, Sony’s UK Playstation 3 launch is a success.
The launch on the 23rd of March last week saw PS3 breaking UK records for a console launch. Industry watchers Chart Track reported that 165,000 units were sold in 2 days, the biggest regional debut for a home console. Sales smashed the launch record of 105,000 reportedly set by the Nintendo Wii in December last year.
Speaking to UKMusic at the Virgin launch event last week David Wilson, Head of PR for Sony touted the ability to meet demand as key to their strategy for the UK launch.
David Wilson said on Friday: “We are very happy on this occasion we supplied the biggest amount of stock we’ve ever had for a launch, which means that people will be able to go in and buy them, and being able to go in and buy them means good news for everyone as far as we’re concerned.”
And the numbers sold so far seems to suggest that despite being twelve months late the PS3 is still in demand. Rather than staying angry at Sony for the delay, UK gamers seem more than willing to pony up £425 for the new machine.
The original announcement of a March launch of the PS3 was met with general dismay from UK fans, as the system launched last year in the US and Japan. Many saw it as another sign of our historical ‘third place’ gaming status behind Japan and the US. But perhaps being last isn’t all that bad when everyone who wants the new machine can get hold of one.
Sony's early success makes you wonder how many more Xbox 360’s and Wii’s would have been sold on launch if Microsoft and Nintendo been able to meet demand. Is it finally time to address the need for a change in the industries traditional rushed approach to system launches?
Or will it all just be forgotten by the next rushed launch anyway?
Gamers can only hope that Sony remembers who loved them when the chips were down, and perhaps more importantly that this ‘late is better logic’ doesn’t apply to UK game release schedules!
Written by: Sam Bandah
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