PSP World

November NPD Results Show Growth For Sony

Sony hardware sales trailed all other platforms this past November, according to market analysts the NPD group. The PSP was the top-selling platform for the Sony brand in the United States, moving approximately 420,000 units last month. However, the competing Nintendo DS sold three times as many units, and the Microsoft Xbox 360 more than doubled the sales of the Sony PS3. If it is possible to find a silver lining in the November NPD results, it is by comparing this year’s numbers with those of one year ago.

Sony stated in a press release this morning that year-to-date sales of the PS3 are up 60% from the same period last year (Jan-Nov 2007). The NPD group stated that this performance was impressive considering the high cost of the console and the current economic climate.

Despite lacking any high-profile games, the handheld PSP managed to sell well in November, partially boosted by the release of a new hardware revision, the PSP 3000. According to Sony, these sales are also best understood in the context of earlier numbers:

“The PSP 3000 and the Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack proved to be a popular choice for movies, games and entertainment content on-the-go in November, with 420,539 units sold. This represents an increase of 118% from October,” the company said.

It appears as though many folks will be finding a PSP 3000 bundle under the Christmas tree this year.

US Hardware Sales for November:

• Wii - 2,040,000
• DS - 1,570,000
• Xbox 360 - 836,000
• PSP - 421,000
• PS3 - 378,000
• PS2 - 206,000

The Ratchet and Clank PSP 3000 Bundle was a strong seller for Sony in November.

[Source: NPD Group, Press Release]