Whoah: Sony Ships 30 Million PS2s (1 Viewer)

[JoshF]

source

PlayStation(R)2 worldwide shipments reach 30 million units
Sony Computer Entertainment Further Extends Its Global Lead with New Milestone
FOSTER CITY, CA, May 9 /CNW/ - Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., the Tokyo-based parent company of its North American division Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., announced that as of May 5, 2002, cumulative worldwide shipments of its PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system reached 30 million units. The following is the breakdown:
Worldwide PlayStation 2 Shipments by Region, as of May 5, 2000
*North America - 11.3 million units
*Japan/Asia - 9.9 million units
*Europe/PAL - 8.8 million units
The current PlayStation 2 shipments have reached unparalleled levels in North America and abroad, further widening the gap between the competition. International demand for PlayStation 2 has been unwavering since its launch, with sales significantly spiking even as competitive consoles entered the market. Due to the accelerated growth of the PlayStation 2 business, the company clearly has solidified its leadership position for the foreseeable future.
"PlayStation has delivered on its entertainment promise to consumers, and, in turn, our growing loyal fan base continues to propel the platform to unprecedented heights," said Kaz Hirai, president and chief operating officer, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. "Even after a pivotal year for the gaming industry in 2001, we remain confident about our opportunities for continued growth. As an illustration of the demand for PlayStation 2, we announced in February 2002 that the company had shipped 26 million units worldwide. Now, as of May 5, 2002, just three months later, we have shipped 30 million units worldwide."

So what now? Do Nintendo and MS have a chance to catch up this round, or do they grab a niche while they can, like it seems Nintendo is doing?

 

[DonRoeber]

... And 5 million memory cards

 

[JoshF]

LOL. If you can't find memory cards in your area, lemme know. I'll be glad to help. They're all over the place here in NYC.

 

[Steve Clark]

So what now? Do Nintendo and MS have a chance to catch up this round, or do they grab a niche while they can, like it seems Nintendo is doing?

How would Nintendo and MS catch up in total sales? It is not like the PS2 is washed up or that Sony (to make it fair) would stop production completely to allow the competitors to catch up. The PS2 has such a big head start, that MS and Nintendo are focused on market share and sales moving FORWARD. And what niche for Nintendo are you talking about that the XBox lacks? So far, in the U.S. the XBox has outsold the Gamecube. I think the XBox has a niche with new gamers, older gamers, PC gamers, affluent, home theatre and tech enthusiasts. It just needs to expand the niche a little bit to include more younger gamers.

 

[JoshF]

They could potentially catch up in weekly sales, developer support, etc - the stuff that matters. I suppose my question was more rhetorical than anything, though.