US PS3 sales triple in November

  • By Emma Boyes, Tor Thorsen, GameSpot UK
  • Posted Nov 27, 2007 7:12 am PT

[UPDATE] Price cut convinces North Americans to pick up Sony's console; extrapolation from NPD figures points to nearly 322,000 units sold so far this month.

Sales of the PlayStation 3 in North America were given a shot in the arm last week by the price cut, and more than tripled during the Thanksgiving holiday week. Sony has informed GameSpot that its newly discounted console saw a 245 percent increase in units sold in the week of November 18-24 compared to the previous week.

Sony asserts that the surge in sales is largely due to the price cut, which was introduced in the US on October 18 for the 60GB model, and the new 40GB model, which was released on November 2. The new prices put the console more in line with the Wii and Xbox 360. The 80GB PS3 costs $499 and the 40GB PS3 $399, compared to $249 for a Wii, and $279 for the Xbox 360 Arcade.

[UPDATE] From the introduction of the 40GB model on November 2nd to November 24, Sony says PS3 hardware sales have increased by a massive 298 percent. Though Sony did not provide is actual sales figures, one can extrapolate an estimate from the three-week period from the October NPD reports, which said 143,000 PS3s were sold in the US (121,000) and Canada (22,000) during the month. That means roughly 107,250 were sold in North America in three weeks last month.

According to Sony, that rate of sale has roughly tripled, so it's likely around 321,750 PS3s were sold in November through Black Friday in North America. If those sales stay constant through the end of the month, then roughly 429,000 PS3s were sold in the US and Canada during the month. That's a marked improvement for the console, which has not sold more than 200,000 units in a single month this year.

977 Comments

  • Icy11

    Posted Jan 10, 2008 8:30 am PT

    Well, i'm sorry for the people that has X360, because one day it's just gona show you the ring of death. That hapend with my X360 after 13 months and the same happened to my friends X360- the same 13 months. If Microsoft would have changed the CPU for a lot safer 65nm chip in XBOX Elite then i would have bought it, but they didn't and i don't want for a history to repeat itself so i bought PS3 (which is way safer for long periods of gaming, and is way quieter) and i get a Blu Ray player in it. I'm glad that PS3 sales are going up, that means more support from game developers. And i suppose that a lot of people will change to PS3 when there X360 will brake down.

  • nate1222

    Posted Dec 21, 2007 6:51 pm PT

    Sony needs to focus on the PSP, since it's the only popular format I see them supporting in the foreseeable future.

  • primerib

    Posted Dec 7, 2007 3:17 pm PT

    Glad to hear things are picking up. I love my 360 and its games, but we all know there will be exclusives on the PS3 too that'll will make me crave it also. Darn it !!!

    So I'll save my money for the day when the PS3 has games to draw me in.

  • manteca87

    Posted Dec 3, 2007 10:46 am PT

    I think that sony made a mistake at the beginning with the price but honestly I decided to buy a 360 3 weeks ago, a day before I planned to buy it I bought a playstation 3 instead. Really for me it came down to the future of gaming. If Ps3 sucks it sucks now, I really think with the history of past quality of sony it will turn around. Partly, I think it already has because the multi-platform games are steadily getting better. For example, Assassin's creed was virtually the same on both ps3 and xbox. I'm really not suprised that PS3 is selling better because I think people have started to see that 360 is limited (psst Every good game it has is a FPS) and with MGS4 and FFXIII coming out it should be a bright future for the ps3.

  • impulsivity83

    Posted Dec 3, 2007 10:25 am PT

    I just find it funny that some 360 owners are here to bash the PS3 when things are finally turning to the way everyone expected. Just like PS2 trounced the Dreamcast even when it had a head start (the dreamcast had the lead for a year after the PS2 was released) its starting to catch and pass the 360 not only in sales but in games. That "the 360 has all the games" arguement was semi true in June but it is not at all true now. Look at the best 5 games from the past two months and only one, Mass effect is for 360 (bet you 200 dollars it will be on the PC within a year or so just like EVERY other decent 360 or Xbox "exclusive"). Super Mario Galaxy is for the Wii, and Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank and Eye of Judgement (which has been getting WAY better reviews then I expected) are PS3 only just as Haze (which has been getting very good prelim reviews) and UT3 are through at least the next half year if not longer. Every good game except mass effect is coming out on the PS3 now, I haven't even had to turn my 360 on in months.

    Also try doing things like using remote play with the PSP from an airport to watch HD movies on you PS3 and play certain PS3 games (lair for instnace) on the PSP using the PS3's processor and streaming in real time. Ironically Lair is a much better game on PSP without the forced motion controls. Sony makes amazing innovative products unlike any other company except Apple. I am consistantly blown away by the quality and vision they put into their inventions such as the PSP and PS3. When you start to see the capabilities they build into their products they think 5+ years down the road and build to the future in a way the 360 can't match at all. The 360 is a bargain basement PC from a few years ago with a pretty sad performance set that you could improve upon immensely if you took the same 430 dollars for the elite to frys and built a core 2 duo system with price checking and rebates. You could get an XP system with 4 times the power that plays all the 360s best games for less then that overpriced elite will cost you. The same is not true of the Wii (for kids or old school Nintendo fans) or the PS3. You can only play the best games for those systems on those systems so theres a real reason to use them. Whats REALLY silly is Sal down there using RTS games as an arguement against the PS3...has anyone ever played an RTS that didn't 100% suck on consoles? I mean come on they're not excactly cutting edge in requirements just play the RTS games on the PC where they belong. The best ones like World in Conflict aren't even ported to consoles since theres no point, only EA does it at all to very poor results.

    I know I'm not alone in being thrilled with my Sony devices, the 360 is more something you begrudgingly use and defend because you'd feel stupid for backing the wrong horse if you didn't, just like arguing for Windows Vista vs OSX.

  • IIBlackknightII

    Posted Dec 2, 2007 10:18 pm PT

    Well,PS3 will have put the prices sooner or later.In Other Parts of the world like Asia,i don't think so the sales of ps3 will increase for few years in the other parts of world like asia untilness they put prices down for ps3,if they want to see the increase of the sales of ps3 , they have to put down the prices.

  • j2thel023

    Posted Nov 30, 2007 5:14 pm PT

    You are very short sighted aliguyt0r. We are all gamers, and we care about the sales figures because thats what the developers care about.
    If a console you own does not do so well in the market, then the developers will be walking away from that system and you wouldve wasted your money on it.

    So, you should care.

  • aliguyt0r

    Posted Nov 30, 2007 2:02 pm PT

    As a gamer- I don't care how much PS36WII sold.
    and as long I won't get any money out of it I won't give a damn.

  • SalarianChemist

    Posted Nov 30, 2007 3:49 am PT

    Games are what count the most, and that is why the Xbox 360 sells so much better than the Playstation 3...we now know that the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 by over a 2:1 ratio during this time period.

    Xbox 360 versions of games are rated higher than the Playstation 3 versions of games in almost every situation.

    And by the time the delayed PS3 versions make it to the market up to a year after the Xbox 360 versions, the Xbox 360 versions sell for less, since they have become best-sellers.

    Xbox 360 has the highest quality games, and the largest number of games that include high-quality games in every genre: Sports, Party, Puzzle, Music, RPG, Shooter, Racing, Flying, Strategy, Dance, Platform...everything.

    Playstation 3 still lacks games in certain genres.

    For example, EA has chose to release Real-Time Strategy games like Command & Conquer 3, and Battle for Midearth 2 for the Xbox 360 and PC, but not for the Playstation 3...PS3 still doesn't have any RTS games.

  • mtnjak

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 5:11 pm PT

    ...' there is little to no reason to have a PS3 ' ? What? If all you care about is quantity of games then sure, go with a 360. But if you care about quality and want a superior product with Blu-ray built-in then there's no denying that the PS3 is the clear winner. The only thing Microsoft has on its side is time. It's just like whenever the PS2 had the jump on the original Xbox with a lot more games - due to the PS2 being released a lot sooner. Now the 360 has the leg up. Big deal. I'll gladly wait for more and better games to come along for my PS3. In the meantime, besides playing the few I games I have, I'm renting blu-ray movies instead of DVDs and enjoying them on the Bravia. No need to add another $200 component to a console for hi def. For about the same price you get more for your money with the PS3.

  • coolcat888

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 3:21 pm PT

    @SaitouZero
    Of course CNBC is going to say the 360 outsold both of them. Microsoft own MSNBC NBS AND CNBC. It just be a little biased.

  • SaitouZero

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 2:17 pm PT

    Meanwhile according to CNBC the 360 outsold the PS3 2 to 1 last week and 360 software outsold Wii and PS3 software combined.

  • DMC2677

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 11:57 am PT

    unholysavior...

    Have you even bothered to check Ebay or Craigslist...? Just a question...

  • NA3D

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 11:46 am PT

    This is what it comes down to, console selling games are already out for X360, and if you have a X360, there is little to no reason to have a PS3. While the Wii is still throwing out console seller, and will keep throwing them out for at LEAST another year. PS3 just doesnt have that many console sellers, X360 is out of console sellers, and all is left is the fact that the Wii has out sold both of them and still has great games coming out within the next year.

    I am a X360 fan, but I admit when the Wii is kicking tail. I bet you they will double X360 sales before all is said and done, and the PS3 will have at least 1 more price cut, then will be between 50% and 66% of X360 sales. A price cut THEN 5 amazing EXCLUSIVE titles is the only way the PS3 will pass the X360. Ofcourse it doesnt mean anything if the PS3 has 1/5 the sales of X360, the PS3 fans are still getting games that are just as good, enjoying those games, and tha is what matters. Not the sales of these companies.

    Well.... the sales EA gets matters, because if they are good then that means they will keep making bad games, but other than that... it doesnt matter.

    Oh, and bard, the PS3's 3 week sales were about the same as the Wii's 1 week (black), plus if I remember right the Wii sold around 1million in the first 2 weeks of the month... It doesnt matter though, as long as good games are still coming out, and gamers are enjoying them.

    Try to limit your EA game buying (to about one a year), enjoy gaming, and enjoy the holidays!

  • dj_b02us

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 10:44 am PT

    to GamerYnoX: because unlike a fanboy i dont need to jump on my favorite consoles jock every 5 minutes. Thats the difference between a sane person like me and polkastripe, and a fanboy. We let the console, and its games speak for it. we dont need to be cheerleaders. and the fact that ps3 fanboys shout from the rooftops so much, just proves how they think the ps3 NEEDS that boost in attention. Because whether you want to admit it or not, ps3 is 3rd in the console race, and will stay there until sony gets up off its high horse, respects the criticism, quits making things up like "people dont want backwards compatibility" and STOPS acting like theyre still in first place.

  • bardkieran

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 8:39 am PT

    (sarcasm)OH NOES! According to the latest Famitsu reports, PS3 outsold Wii for a 3rd week! Its the end of Wii forever, the fad is dead! (/sarcasm)

  • jnvwv

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 6:47 am PT

    landau492:
    you can download demos and games on the psn.
    .
    Yup, and new demos are released weekly. Playing the demo of Uncharted was enough to send me to the store to scoop up a copy.

  • razu_gamer

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 5:09 am PT

    ok

  • TheoleDominion1

    Posted Nov 29, 2007 3:47 am PT

    True Wii is outselling the PS3, but they are not carrying the same games (for the most part). There's plenty of market room for the BIG 3 to grow.

  • metalliod

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 8:45 pm PT

    About time Sony has found some way to make its way to the wii and xbox360 console...

  • King_Dodongo

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 8:45 pm PT

    Wii sold the triple of the PS3 in one week

  • David_I

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 6:02 pm PT

    Well I have a lot of fun with my ps3, I don't think that Sony has to "win" the console war, more than 6 million sold is a good installed base for 1 year, let's say that in two years they reach 12 mill that's a pretty decent number for developers to consider, besides the first party games like heavenly sword, uncharted, resistance, warhawk, ratchet and clank are truly amazing. As the hardware is a little older the juice that developers will get of it will be too damn good.

    In time, no matter who wins I know my satisfaction as a costumer of Sony will keep growing. It's a good company, as well as the other 2, and what they offer I'm buying. Since the PS1 I have not been disappointed.

  • landau492

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 5:52 pm PT

    "Why in the world would they do that.....dont people just download the demos? Oh wait..PSN....nevermind. PSN...you get what you pay for." you can download demos and games on the psn

  • puppiemaster

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 5:19 pm PT

    One thing I have noticed from the posts on here is that being a **** is not limited to a single country, but is worldwide.

  • HellRazer360

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 4:38 pm PT

    wii outselling ps3....im not worried

  • UnholySaviour

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 4:21 pm PT

    I got to school and work part time. I have been saving up for a PS3 for a while now but guess what.

    I cannot find a 60gig with BC and I'm not buying some pathetic 40gig with no BC because Sony doesn't want me playing PS2 games on my PS3.

    I know the 80gig is out there...but it's the fact Sony simply said 'too bad you poor saps should have gotten it sooner'

    I don't know why people accept that...I worked and saved and lost out.

    Well I'm not one of those getting a PS3...I bought a 360 and a boat load of games and my only regret is not doing it sooner.

    So enjoy your gimped 40gig Sony...I doubt you sold many but who knows because you won't even give us real numbers.

    (sorry for the bitterness...but I am...is this what it's like to be a jilted lover?)

  • bruiser2727

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 4:21 pm PT

    Yeah but 360 and wii have had the same thing + more. http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1=All&cons2=PS3®2=All&cons3=X360®3=All&start=39390&end=39411

  • Eagles5

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 3:18 pm PT

    good job sony

  • genericox23

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 2:08 pm PT

    Just wait a little more this is just the beginning, devil may cry 4 on january, haze, unreal III, maybe all this game are coming to to 360, but hey you can play this on your PS3 without the damn freanking sound that makes the 360 and the online is free!!!, the 360 the sounds like a damn vacum each time you start a 360 game and to the person who tell that this is a lie, is a fu#$%ing retard lier, i own a 360 elite my first one died(3 rrod anyone), and i will stop buying 360 games since almost all games coming to PS3, i dont want to have a bunch of 360 games that are going to be useless because maybe my damn 360 is going to die sooner or later. Congrats PS3!!FTW

  • jnvwv

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 1:57 pm PT

    Homerj:
    .
    "Why in the world would they do that.....dont people just download the demos? Oh wait..PSN....nevermind. PSN...you get what you pay for."

    Now heres the question M$ fanboys... why do you use the "get what you pay for" line about PSN, yet the same statement doesn't apply to the system as a whole.

  • Homerj

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 1:06 pm PT

    "Today i saw the only decent thing sony have done with the blu-ray discs.............drum roll please..............Fitting 24 demos on a single disc!!!! How rubbish is that"

    Why in the world would they do that.....dont people just download the demos? Oh wait..PSN....nevermind. PSN...you get what you pay for.

  • mcbride69

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 12:50 pm PT

    Today i saw the only decent thing sony have done with the blu-ray discs.............drum roll please..............Fitting 24 demos on a single disc!!!! How rubbish is that

  • Latinbro1

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 12:34 pm PT

    Uncharted! buy it, rent it, or play it at a friend's home. Play it though

  • Homerj

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 12:24 pm PT

    "Actually the most any PS3 game out or currently in development has hit is 62% of the Cell CPU. Lil' titbit for you there.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Gears of war used all of the 360's power. Lil' titbit for you there."

    And as soon as something even remotely similar to GeOW is released on for the PS3, a proper comparison can be made.

    A lil tidbit for you....AC is technically and visually superior to GeOW, and according to IGN and over 1200 posts on the official AC boards, AC is at best inferior (and according to a large number of PS3 owners, pretty much broken at worst) on the PS3. Ubi Montreal must have pulled some pretty big monkeys out of their butts to make a game that runs better than one that supposedly uses every bit of the 360's potential. That hyperbole about GeOW comes directly from Epic, which has lost every ounce of credibility they ever had except with the SFB crowd. I hope Sony pays Epic well enough in their timed exclusive contract to make it all worth their while. There arent enough PS3's out their to get them multiplatinum sales, the hardcore PC fanbase is relatively small, and any self respecting 360 owner will not bother to financially enrich a company that has become nothing more than a raving bunch of SFBs shilling for Sony for a few bucks.

  • Homerj

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 12:12 pm PT

    @GamerYnoX
    I cant speak for the other guy, but the reason I dont spend much time posting about the strengths of my favored gaming platform is: the games speak for themselves....all other points are pretty much moot.

  • UnholySaviour

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 12:12 pm PT

    @XanderZane According to the other GS article just posted Wii is selling 350,000 / week...so that would put it around 1.4 million for the month.

  • GamerYnoX

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 12:07 pm PT

    to PolkaStripe and dj_b02us:

    u talk about sony fanboys yet u drop your so amazing console to talk rubish about other consoles... u actually spend more time talking poorly on other consoles (PS3 in this case) than talking big over yours.

  • shoeman12

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:55 am PT

    the wii sold more than that just bf week lol!

  • vass86

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:51 am PT

    the funniest comment i ever read from a ps3 fanboy was "mankind isn't ready for the ps3", talking about it like it's colonizing other planets or something

  • vass86

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:47 am PT

    metal gear solid 4, final fantasy 13 and god of war 3. one more big game and i'll be getting a ps3

  • jk80

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:37 am PT

    i guess when sales are so low the only way is up

  • XanderZane

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:31 am PT

    So if Sony PS3 sales tripled and both M$ XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii sales also tripled? Hhhmm.. what does that mean? 429,000 PS3, 800,000 XBox 360 and 950,000 Wii's for the period of November 2nd to November 24?

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:15 am PT

    the thing about people saying wait for the games is the major franchise games. Sony launched w/o any franchise games. The PS2 didn't hit it's dominating stride until well into it's 4th year. Looking at the past the only real games that the xbox had was halo, fable, ninja gaiden. A handful of 'blockbuster' games doesn't support a system. look at the gamecube and the xbox. People keep praising halo 3, SMG.. but those games aren't enough to hold up a system. 20 - 30 million systems sold isn't bad at all, however compared to the 120 million systems sold is a sad, sad reality. So after fable 2 and Ninja Gaiden 2.. any other blockbusters comin for the 360? no? ok then. Yes, yes the wii has brawl.. but by looking at the numbers for SMG.. not very promising either. Much like all the other people saying wait, that's all I can say. Bash all you want, when I check back in 2010 and see that the PS3 is once again stomping the wii and 360, I'll just smile because "I told you so" is overused.

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:11 am PT

    I just got a 360 a month ago and I'm loving all of the selection and variety of games. My wii is starting to collect dust, except for here and there or parties... but I see no reason to buy a PS3 with the lascklust games or equally as good cross platform titles.

  • mashom

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:09 am PT

    November Sales Of PS3 great. Mass Selling PS3.

  • dj_b02us

    Posted Nov 28, 2007 11:09 am PT

    I swear sony fanboys spend more time voting the thumbs down to people who say anything slightly against sony or the ps3, than they do ACTUALLY PLAYING the ps3 itself. Though can you blame them? the ps3 doesnt have many good games to play! I mean to scroll through the comments and their votes is almost surreal. I can almost hear the whiny bi***ing from the fanboys as i read. No doubt this comment will also be voted through the floor, but then knowing the blind delusion that is a ps3 fanboy, ill just then assume ive said something correct. =D

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