Sony Play Station sales top 185 million

Global cumulative sales of Sony's three Play Station models has reached 185 million, of which over 67 million units in European markets, including Malta.

According to the latest statistics made available to the media, Sony Play Station 2 sales have reached 130 million (of which 48 million in Europe); Sony Play Station Portable (PSP) sales hit 41 million (13.4 million in Europe); and Sony Play Station 3 sales are now at 14 million (5.8 million in Europe).

Commenting on these figures, Mark Schranz, director of FGL Entertainment Ltd, a Forestals Group subsidiary, said: "Both the PSP and the PS3 have built an enviable track record in the market. Todate there are over 44,000 Play Stations in Malta, of which over 6,000 are PS3s, over 11,000 are PSPs with the remaining 27,000 PS2s (excluding over 35,000 Psone consoles).

"What is more impressive about the figures is that they reflect actual sales and not shipments, so there is no stock element involved. The Forestals Group is proud of its long-time association with the Play Station brand."

Sony is expecting global sales of over 37 million Play Sations in the current fiscal year, split 14 million each between the PS2 and the PSP, with the PS3 accounting for the remaining 9.24 million units.

It is forecasting slightly slower sales in the 2008 fiscal year, largely due to slower sales in the PS2, with both the PSP and the PS3 expected to continue growing.

Meanwhile, global Play Station software sales have exceeded 1.6 billion, of which 1.39 billion are for the PS2. There are 1,834 games for the PSP and counting, which have produced sales of 157 million.

The 475 games for the PS3 have produced sales of 71.3 million of which 20 per cent are first party titles. There are about 250 PS3 titles, with the highest sales reaped by Global Motorstorm with three million and GT5: Prologue, accounting for sales of 1.5 million.

Sony said total European sales of Blu-ray discs, which can also be used in the PS3, amount to 3.5 million, while there are 34 million homes with an HDTV worldwide.