PS3's two-week sales figures surge 135 percent

With the $100 price drop of Sony's discontinued 60GB PlayStation 3 now in the books, many industry-watchers are eagerly awaiting July's hardware sales figures from the stat-tracking NPD Group. While those official numbers won't be available until August, a few analysts have already weighed in on the console's prospects, stating that while it was a good first step, the price cut alone won't be enough to stimulate sales for Sony's much-maligned console.

Looking to put the naysayers to rest, Sony sends word today that since the PS3's price cut on July 9, the console has received a 135 percent sales uptick at the company's top five retail partners in the US, based on its own preliminary data. Additionally, Sony's entire PlayStation hardware lineup has seen a 161 percent spike, software is up 15 percent, and accessories have risen 60 percent since the announcement two weeks ago.

In some ways a bigger win for the company, Sony also touted NPD's most recent figures, which reflect a 21 percent surge in PS3 sales for June, well before the PS3's new $499 sticker tag went into effect. While still handily trailing both Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360, the PS3's sales rose from around 82,000 in May to around 98,500 systems in June, according to NPD.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment of America president and CEO Jack Tretton, "This jump in sales bodes very well for us heading into the fall as we launch an impressive arsenal of hardware and software, leading off with the new 80GB PS3 in August along with the unveiling of highly anticipated games such as Lair and Warhawk. That will be followed by Heavenly Sword in September and six more exclusive first-party PS3 games in October, including Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction."