QUOTE said:Sony's new PSP Go video game console is struggling to gain any real traction in Australia, with weekly sales across the country languishing in the hundreds rather than thousands, sources say.
The $450 pocket-sized handheld has been criticised for being far too expensive and offering little beyond cosmetic benefits over its cheaper predecessor, the PSP 3000.
Sony admits sales are slow but says new features are on the way that will let the device act as an e-book reader and video player.
A games industry source with access to the official GfK sales figures, who did not want to be named, said Sony had sold fewer than 1000 units of the PSP Go in Australia during its first full week of launch. It went on sale on October 1.
By contrast, Sony's new PlayStation 3 Slim home console, which costs just $50 more than the PSP Go, has been selling more than 10,000 units a week since its launch on September 3.
"[The PSP Go has] a nice design and I think it's quieter [than the original PSP] and uses a little less power but those things are not worth the extra cost, they're pretty cosmetic," the source said.
"It's $450 and you can get a decent PSP 3000 package for sub-$300, so it's hard to see who it was aimed at."
Michael Ephraim, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand, said in a phone interview from London that the weekly sales figure was "not under 1000 but it's slightly over 1000".
Source: SMH
well, i think sony director for AU & NZ might have been trying to make themselves look better by saying it was just over 1000 sold. either way, still an overpriced piece of hardware. now i see it for 399, which is 50 less than its retail price of 449.