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UK PS3 sales skyrocket following new model debut

Laura Parker
By Laura Parker, Associate Editor

GFK reports that PlayStation 3 sales in the UK jumped 138 percent following the debut of Sony's new 500GB PS3 model in the region.

PlayStation 3 hardware sales have skyrocketed in the UK market, following the debut of Sony's latest PS3 model.

According to GFK data released on October 1 for the UK market, PS3 hardware sales increased by 138 percent from the previous week, coinciding with the UK debut of Sony's new 500GB PS3 model on September 28.

GFK reported that the new 500GB version of the console accounted for 37 percent of all PS3s sold in the UK market during the week.

Sony unveiled the new PS3 model during Tokyo Game Show in September. The new PS3 has a new body and design, approximately 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the current PS3.

It is available in 250GB and 500GB versions, in both black and white colours. A 12GB flash memory model will replace the 250GB model in PAL territories. This version of the console will be released in the UK on October 12.

Laura Parker
By Laura Parker, Associate Editor

Laura Parker is the Associate Editor of GameSpot Australia. She loves adventure games, sparkly stuff, Trivial Pursuit, cake, Master Chief, earthworms, and rhetorical questions. She once stole a sandwich from Peter Molyneux.

70 comments
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enoslives7
enoslives7

No backward compatibility, no thanks

Kravyn81
Kravyn81 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @enoslives7 Back when B/C was a hot topic, I would agree with you. Considering where we are today and how older games are having a resurgence of sorts, not so much. B/C is not a big deal. My PS3 model was the last model to contain the feature and I can count on one hand how many times I've used it. Which brings me to my next point: If you find yourself in the position that playing last gen games is of monumental importance then you should keep the respective console for those games and not complain that new consoles don't support it.

oflow
oflow

 @Kravyn81 Well said.  Theres only a few games from ps2 that I'm still interested in playing and most of the best ones have been converted to PS3 like Shadow of the Colossus and GoW.  If you just have to play ps2 games buy a ps2 they are pretty cheap like $15 cheap.

Dav_id83
Dav_id83

It usually is the case here in the Uk Microsoft release a 360 early and it took off like wildfire but Sony usually do come back to be on top has happened with PS1 & DREAMCAST AND PS2 AND XBOX

DiscGuru101
DiscGuru101

I'm interested in units sold. I hope Sony has the guts to share the US sales figures. --Too bad the PS3 12GB isn't coming to the US.

Ravenlore_basic
Ravenlore_basic

STILL #^(&!%* Sony Should have added Backward compatibility.   Really I know they have a lot to FEAR but they just do not reach as far as they can go because of FEAR!!!

DevaGolgotha
DevaGolgotha like.author.displayName 1 Like

Wow.  And so late in its career.  So many people seem to want Sony and Microsoft to shut up and take their money.

mariokart64fan
mariokart64fan like.author.displayName 1 Like

lol dominating in third place? get real ,   wii u comes out in 2 months,  this is only fans buying this thing  ,  no other explaination 

dreamfist11
dreamfist11

 @mariokart64fan LOL I told you before marikart64fag, people would rather buy this than the WiiU, this is definately going to eat into wiiU's sales

Ravenlore_basic
Ravenlore_basic

 @mariokart64fan YET IF it were people who already owned a PS3 it would be FREE.... compared to the money that Xbox owners pay to USE live over the years.  2005 - 2012 = 370 Retail  or less for some deal. (2005 - 2009 $50.00 2010- 2012 $60.00)

DevaGolgotha
DevaGolgotha

 @mariokart64fan Whether you like it or not, Sony has a huge fanbase.  While not quite as massive as Nintendo's surge of fans, it's pretty damn big.  Its console capabilities are also more comfortable for non-gamers who buy PS3s and 360s for CoD, Battlefield, and Assassin's Creed.

SolidTy
SolidTy

Well, that's sales for ya. I dig games related news more personally, but kudos to the companies sales and those that fancy reading about it. :P

midway_nights
midway_nights

we all knew one day sony will dominate the gaming market as it did with ps2....eventually that day is not so far.

Zloth2
Zloth2 like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @midway_nights

 They better hurry up.  The next generation starts in about a year.

bubba_1988
bubba_1988 like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

It's a well known fact the space is limited in Britain, with the new slim slim ps3 the Brits don't have to chose between a phat PS3 or their fridge. They can have both now!

warhawk-geeby
warhawk-geeby like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 9 Like

America = Microsoft

R.O.W = Sony/Nintendo

 

Pretty much a well known fact, the Americans will back their own product.  Fair play to them though really.

 

I'll always been a Sony gamer because I prefer the games, not so much 'Hoowah' focused, instead you'll find a vast array of weird and wonderful things (they are Japanese afterall!).

 

Good news though, the company needs a little lift.

enoslives7
enoslives7

 @warhawk-geeby Very true. Japs refuse to buy anything American. I guess they never got over getting nuked and all.

SirNormanislost
SirNormanislost

one factor missed out in the article for the huge jump in sales is that Fifa13 came out at the same time and there was also a PS3 bundle for it

Megavideogamer
Megavideogamer

With the success of the PS3 500GB superSlimline how long will the 12GB flash memory model last? Unless Sony is going to price that model at $149.99 the same price as the wii. Sony should just release the 250GB superslim in the U.K since the original PS3 20GB model was the first to be discountinued. But we shall see if their is demand for the 12GB flash memory edition. On Oct 12th or should Sony just give them the 250Giger

Sigil-otaku
Sigil-otaku

I bought one. not bad but not great. Essentially the only reason was that the old 60gb with backwards compatibility broke. Tried swapping the HD of the old one onto the new one and it formatted it so got rid of all the old saves and stuff ... not cool. Especially since I was rocking Dragons Dogma so hard and now lost all my gear which I was saving ready for the expansion :(. Other than losing my data and the new PS3 not looking as good as the original ones it's not bad though, much smaller, much lighter and the ventilation goes the other direction (used to vent to the right but now vents left) which is good since the old one probably died due to it venting it's heat with barely any room because of a 360 being near it.

 

On the other hand at least I was able to get the PSN account resynchronised so I didn't lose PSN money / downloaded games (such as Tokyo Jungle which is awesome).   Still annoyed the PS3 had to reformat my hard drive and kill all my saves though.

EPaul
EPaul like.author.displayName 1 Like

Good, Sony needs the money right now

FlashCharge
FlashCharge like.author.displayName 1 Like

Whatever went through the decision-making progress for the Brits to buy a new PS3 is a great thing.  Hardware sales means more profits and more people working and more games, music, and pictures.  Now MS will be thinking what do we need to do?  Competition is brewing. 

Marky360
Marky360 like.author.displayName 1 Like

Wow guess it's true that everywhere else other then the US the PS3 dominates in sales both in UK and Japan the PS3 sales like hot cakes.

cheamo
cheamo

Surprised... and happy to hear this news. Hope those figures stay up for a while, I think Sony could use a bit of cash.

Derrick79
Derrick79

This just shows how much the Brits are idiots...     A cheaper made more espensive model and it sells because they were to lazy to swap out the HDD on their own?

 

 

Cillah187
Cillah187

@Derrick79 One, the "Brits" are smarter than people think. Two, the price of the 500GB model at GAME is the same as one of the 320GB models and both come with extras. And three, the word is expensive.

PixelAddict
PixelAddict like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Cillah187  Who are these "people" who think the English aren't very smart?  Ol' Derrick can't spell expensive, so we can't trust his judgement.

 

I've heard (and said) many things about the English, but stupidity generally isn't one of them.

 

Still, snapping up this "new" console in droves is, you would have to admit, a curious thing.

Psylumin
Psylumin like.author.displayName 1 Like

I am very surprised to hear that. Was Sony just lucky with the UK market, or was Ryan Davis right when he said that people are just yearning for some new piece of hardware?Then again, if I had not bought a Slim model to replace my fat backwards compatible PS3 in August, I would have grabbed this new model as well! 

warhawk-geeby
warhawk-geeby

 @Psylumin Ditto, I bought a silver 350GB slim recently because my old fat console died (Skyrim).  If i'd have known this was coming out though i'd have no doubt bought it.

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