PSPgo Barely Sells 1000 Units in Australia on Launch Week

[John Funk]

PSPgo Barely Sells 1000 Units in Australia on Launch Week

The PSPgo has been struggling to gain a foothold Down Under, selling just over 1000 units its first week on the market.

The poor PSPgo just can't get a break, can it? After facing retail boycotts and strong criticism before its launch, the digital-distribution-only platform launched on October 1st, and was met with a resounding "eh" from consumers.

Though a "games industry source" told The Age [http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/games/psp-go-a-nogo-as-sony-struggles-for-sales-20091020-h5wn.html] that the PSPgo had failed to break 1000 units sold in its first week on shelves since its October 1st launch, that number was corrected by a Sony representative - sort of. Michael Ephraim, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand, said that the sales were not under 1000, but were in fact "slightly over 1000." Which is, of course, a significant difference.

While Ephraim acknowledged that the sales could have been slightly impacted by EB Games' Australia's refusal to stock the thing [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94934-EB-Games-Australia-to-Boycott-PSPgo-Too], he continued to carry the party torch, saying that the company wasn't especially concerned. "Clearly we haven't done massive numbers but it's not something that we're concerned about ... because there are still some issues that we need to work through," Ephraim said.

Yes, there are. Issues like, y'know, making the handheld actually attractive to consumers, for one. Of course, as long as it gets people to look at the PSP3000 in a more favorable light, Sony might as well be laughing all the way to the bank.

(Via GamesIndustry [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/poor-start-for-pspgo-sales-in-australia])

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[Kross]

Must be hard to gain a foothold in Australia when not only does the government hate to let people sell a large percentage of popular games, but a major retailer is also refusing to carry the platform.

Never mind Sony's track record of being hostile or condescending to people that aren't Sony.

 

[Teh_Doomage]

While this is unsurprising, it shows that what ever idea they were going for with the PSPGo just fell flat on it's face.

 

[Erana]

I still don't get what the deal is with the PSP go is-
Isn't it like a diet PSP?

I dunno, I think they could have done something more with the marketing, for one...

 

[orangebandguy]

Isn't it just a normal PSP with a bigger control panel? I don't really understand why it's better than a normal one.

 

[Amnestic]

Wow, that's...nothing. About 0.0045% of the population in Aussieland bought one according to my napkin maths. 'About' 1000 sales in the first week is just shocking and that they're not worried (or they say they're not) is, well, odd.

Also, that guy's name is actually Ephraim? [http://fireemblem.neoseeker.com/w/i/fireemblem/thumb/4/47/Ephraim.jpg/300px-Ephraim.jpg] That's just cool.

Isn't it just a normal PSP with a bigger control panel? I don't really understand why it's better than a normal one.

It's entirely run on Digital Distribution. No UMD slot which means retailers can't sell any games for it which means there aren't any used games which cuts out a fairly large portion of their profits - which is the reason EB in Aussieland didn't stock them.

 

[johnman]

Ditto - what the hell is psp go?

 

[Sparrow]

Wasn't it the same deal with the PS3? I'm not saying that negatively or anything. It didn't sell too hot in it's first week or so.

 

[Crunchy English]

Australia's numbers suck, and people more or less disregard the machine. But I'd like to see numbers for other areas. After all, Sony traditionally does better in South America and Europe right? Is the whole launch a catastrophe or is this one of those "limp along" scenarios that Sony seems to like so much?

 

[Desert Tiger]

Yeah, but let's take into account that not many of the retailers in Australia are stocking them.

 

[ultimasupersaiyan]

It's not selling because of it's price! I mean it costs $AU399.95! it's like Sony wants everyone to buy the PSP3000 model.

 

[jestertheork]

true, but when i was cgoing to buy a psp, i compared the go with the 3000, i went for the 3000, because someimes i don't just want to download games. and enjoy the psp 3000 very much

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

Wow.

There was that story about Konami's Rock Revolution selling only two copies in the first week of sale, in America, I do believe. That was earth-shatteringly, mind-blowingly, ball-bustingly bad, but this is a freaking console! And it sold a little over a million pounds?

People have been saying that Sony have been digging their grave with the PS3. I'm now thinking that the PSPGo could be a significant nail in the coffin of their demise.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Must be hard to gain a foothold in Australia when not only does the government hate to let people sell a large percentage of popular games, but a major retailer is also refusing to carry the platform.

This makes me think of a rather interesting contradiction that Australia has seemingly brought about on its own accord. I'm not sure about other countries but state-side when I see advertisements to "go visit the land down under" (as they say) they like to portray themselves as a very laid back country. Yet for a laid back country they sure do get their knickers in a twist over video games.

Then again its just tourism advertising meant to draw people to Australia to harass the local wildlife, so I probably shouldn't be putting to much stock in it.

 

[Go Fighting In The War Room]

I'm sorry, but Sony, should have expected that this would flop from day 1. It seems too unappealing, and clunky (In certain respects) for it to be a good alternative to the PSP, which is already good as it was.

Then again there is the DSi.....

 

[SharedProphet]

It's not getting me to look at the PSP3000 in a more favorable light.

 

[Georgeman]

Well creating a handheld game device based entirely around digital distribution was a bad idea. Selling said handheld game device alongside a cheaper model with the ability to play retail games was an even worse idea. It's not for existing owners since they don't have the ability to transfer their existing games library. It's not for people new to the PSP business. They are expecting to see the games on question on the shelves. And when there are no games to show, can you expect the customer to just go ahead and buy it?

And what if you end up not liking a game in question? You can't sell it, har har, you get stuck with it sucker! (I'm aware that this is the case with other digitally distributed game services like Steam)

 

[Andronicus]

Two words: Unjustified Expense

Wow, that's...nothing. About 0.0045% of the population in Aussieland bought one according to my napkin maths. 'About' 1000 sales in the first week is just shocking and that they're not worried (or they say they're not) is, well, odd.

Since when has Sony ever really cared about what goes on in Australia? I'm half amazed the Go was even released here. I have yet to actually see an advertisement outside of an game shop. They might be there, but they sure as hell aren't flogging it.