CES: Sony PS3 & PSP userbase breaches 61 million & other news

[xtop]

http://www.qj.net/CES-2009-PSP-and-P.../49/aid/127832

Sony's keynote at this year's Consumer Electronics Show at Las Vegas didn't have any big news about new software releases or hardware updates. Instead, it was filled with numbers. A lot of impressive numbers, at that.

According to figures given out by Sony Chairman and CEO, Howard Stringer, the combined user base for the PS3 and PSP have reached 61.3 million. Stringer didn't mention whether he was talking about individual user accounts or actual hardware units.

President Kaz Hirai was also on hand to give out some PSN numbers: 17 million accounts are on the network, with 2.1 million PSN accounts added in the last month alone. According to Hirai, 330 million pieces of content have been downloaded from the PSN so far.

Hirai also announced that EA is now a PlayStation Home partner. The game publishing giant is apparently working on a new space for Home. Home, which entered open beta last month, has been downloaded by 3.4 million people.

A demo of Life With PlayStation, Sony's weather and news service, was also shown. An update will supposedly be out this Spring.

As for software, LittleBigPlanet was the star of Hirai's speech. The game has reportedly sold 1.3 million units worldwide, and about 300,00 levels have been created for it.

Hirai also mentioned an SOE title called Free Realms, a free-to-play MMO for "tweens, teens, and families". Beta sign-ups for the PC version
have started, and a PS3 version is coming.

Gran Turismo 5 also got a mention, but it was restricted to a still image rendered in 3D. "You've never seen the game like that," said Stringer. Well actually, Sir Howard, we've never seen the game, period. Hopefully Polyphony Digital deems us worthy enough to finally release the game this year.

[Stephie_is_a_dork]

It says LBP has "300,00" user created levels. Is that really supposed to be "300,000" but the writer dropped a zero, or is it really supposed to be "30,000" but he misplaced the comma? Does anyone know which ballpark this figure should be in?

[xtop]

Originally Posted by Stephie_is_a_dork

It says LBP has "300,00" user created levels. Is that really supposed to be "300,000" but the writer dropped a zero, or is it really supposed to be "30,000" but he misplaced the comma? Does anyone know which ballpark this figure should be in?

i assume its 300,000. but i'll leave the error until i find the figure somewhere else. thanks for finding that tho

[Maximus]

300k levels. 1.3m sold to consumer (NPD/GfK/Enterbrain).

20.5m PS3, 40.5m PSP...

[androvsky]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

300k levels. 1.3m sold to consumer (NPD/GfK/Enterbrain).

20.5m PS3, 40.5m PSP...

I have this overwhelming urge to smack the neogaf thread around with this post. Oh well, I'll do what I can without linking back here or naming nicknames...

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by androvsky

I have this overwhelming urge to smack the neogaf thread around with this post. Oh well, I'll do what I can without linking back here or naming nicknames...

Yeah, please don't.

Just wait until SCE give clarification which I am sure they will.

[AranhaHunter]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

300k levels. 1.3m sold to consumer (NPD/GfK/Enterbrain).

20.5m PS3, 40.5m PSP...

They don't December NPD yet.....or do they?

Either way, I think these are tremendous numbers for PS3 and LBP, PSP a little lower than I thought, but overall pretty good.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by AranhaHunter

They don't December NPD yet.....or do they?

Either way, I think these are tremendous numbers for PS3 and LBP, PSP a little lower than I thought, but overall pretty good.

Sony do.

PSP has been doing extremely well in its own right, but in comparison to the DS it is not so good.

I mean to sell 40m in less than 4 years is no mean feat! Especially considering the growth rate is set to increase this year as the content starts to flow and piracy dampens (PSP-3000 still doesn't have a software based hack, it needs to be done in a different manner).

[AranhaHunter]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Sony do.

PSP has been doing extremely well in its own right, but in comparison to the DS it is not so good.

I mean to sell 40m in less than 4 years is no mean feat! Especially considering the growth rate is set to increase this year as the content starts to flow and piracy dampens (PSP-3000 still doesn't have a software based hack, it needs to be done in a different manner).

By content starts to flow, I hope you mean more games, I already bought 5 games for it, as well as some PSOne games from the store, but I'm always looking for new games .

I got a PSP2000 because of the screen problems that was widely reported with the 3000 and don't get me wrong, 40.5 million is a great number for a non Nintendo handheld, I'm willing to be that the PSP has sold all other non Nintendo handhelds combined, I just thought it would be closer to 45 million after the Holiday season, but it's still a good number.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by AranhaHunter

By content starts to flow, I hope you mean more games, I already bought 5 games for it, as well as some PSOne games from the store, but I'm always looking for new games .

I got a PSP2000 because of the screen problems that was widely reported with the 3000 and don't get me wrong, 40.5 million is a great number for a non Nintendo handheld, I'm willing to be that the PSP has sold all other non Nintendo handhelds combined, I just thought it would be closer to 45 million after the Holiday season, but it's still a good number.

I have added these up from my individual reports, so they could very well be different to what Sony count. I'll ask them for clarification on the hardware figures. The LPB number matches up though, 1.28m is what I get (a large part of it from PAL).

A lot of countries aren't properly tracked especially around the middle east and parts of Asia where my company has guesstimated sell-through based on patchy retail reports and shipping data.

This month's NPD for PS3 is going to get an interesting reaction, I think. I believe Sony already spilled the beans about

[AranhaHunter]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

This month's NPD for PS3 is going to get an interesting reaction, I think. I believe Sony already spilled the beans about

Hmmmm that doesn't sound too good, I just hope it's not worse than last month's NPD

[Bluoholic]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

I have added these up from my individual reports, so they could very well be different to what Sony count. I'll ask them for clarification on the hardware figures. The LPB number matches up though, 1.28m is what I get (a large part of it from PAL).

A lot of countries aren't properly tracked especially around the middle east and parts of Asia where my company has guesstimated sell-through based on patchy retail reports and shipping data.

This month's NPD for PS3 is going to get an interesting reaction, I think. I believe Sony already spilled the beans about

130% in dec?

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by AranhaHunter

Hmmmm that doesn't sound too good, I just hope it's not worse than last month's NPD

It's not worse, I don't think it can get much worse!

On the upside initial reporting from all Sony departments came in today. SCE is looking good for profit this calendar year, even with a price cut of 10k Yen.

Also I finally got SCE's build cost breakdown (not our estimates), to put a PS3 onto the sales floor costs Sony somewhere between 35k and 42k Yen depending on the region and where the parts were sourced.