US PS3 sales up 300% at 'top retailers' - Sony

Though the PlayStation 3 Slim's domestic impact won't be revealed until the NPD Group reports September sales numbers in October, Sony is already touting its success in the US. In a brief statement sent to the media today, Sony Computer Entertainment America offered enthusiastic but selective data pointing to the popularity of the $299 120GB console.

"Our top retailers have reported a 300 percent lift in PS3 hardware sales and an increase of 140 percent in total hardware revenue across the PlayStation portfolio when comparing the first week of September to the week before the $299 price adjustment," the company said, while also touting its new humorous ad campaign. The statement did not mention that US retailers began selling the PS3 Slim during the last week of August, earlier than planned.

SCEA's announcement comes the same week as harder, independent information about PS3 Slim sales emerged overseas. Research group Chart-Track said the new console sold 40,000 units in its first week on the UK market, boosting overall PS3 sales 999%. In Japan, Famitsu publisher Enterbrain said 150,832 PS3s were sold from August 31 to September 6, the biggest weekly total since the console's launch in November 2006.