20th January 2010 - Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) today released details of its own 2009 sales performance, on the back of strong industry results announced by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA). Official 2009 calendar year GfK Retail and Technology Australia data shows that PlayStation®3 (PS3™) experienced the highest percentage of growth in console hardware units in the industry. PS3 enjoyed a 27% hardware unit sales growth for the calendar year, outstripping the industry hardware growth and that of competitors(2). PS3, combining all hardware, software(3) and peripherals, represented a 19% total value share of the industry by platform, accounting for AUD$394 million of industry revenue. During 2009, SCE Aust. installed an additional 318,000 PS3 devices into Australian homes, taking the lifetime installed base to 770,000 units(1). Almost 30% of all PS3 units were installed since the successful launch of the new, slimmer PS3 model on 3rd September 2009.
Michael Ephraim, Managing Director SCE Australia & New Zealand, commented on the figures, “2009 was really the year that PlayStation 3 hit its stride. These results clearly show a positive response from Australian consumers to the new PS3 model, available at a more affordable price, resulting in a massive uptake as the ultimate game and interactive entertainment system for the home.”
“2009 was also the year when more families began to enjoy the value entertainment offering of PS3, where gaming is just the start of the PlayStation experience. From the successful launch of PlayTV™ and catch up TV services, to driving the continued growth of the Blu-ray format, consumers were drawn to PS3 for a whole variety of reasons this year and we expect this to continue in 2010 as we diversify and evolve as the entertainment hub of the living room.”
(1) Combined figures are GfK sales data plus B2B. 2009 318K unit sales include 46K business-to-business units. Cumulative total of 770K units includes 645,975 official
data plus business-to-business unit sales.
(2) Growth rate based on official GfK data
(3) Software includes 1st party and 3rd party, but excludes online revenues generated through PlayStation Network
A compelling line-up of software titles, peripherals and expansion of home entertainment content and services via PlayStation®Network all supported the leading PS3 hardware offer.
In Australia, new television on-demand services were added to the PS3 offering, with the arrival of PlayTV and catch up TV service, ABC iView. The desire for the ability to watch, pause and record live TV resulted in PlayTV enjoying a highly successful launch. Unit sales of PlayTV reached 36,000 since launch on 26 November 2009, resulting in consumer demand outstripping retail supply in the lead up to Christmas. While in an industry first, catch up TV service, ABC iView, was also introduced in 2009, with PS3 delivering a 28% share of all visits to the service in the first week alone, and it continues to perform well.
Exclusive software titles, such as UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves™, inFAMOUS, Killzone®2 and augmented reality genre defining, EyePet™, hit the shelves alongside third party stand outs such as Assassin’s Creed® II from Ubisoft® and Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 from Activision®, ensuring PS3 continued to deliver the ultimate gaming experience.
Free to join and play, PlayStation Network registrations increased year on year to a connect rate of 55% of all consoles. One of its biggest success stories of the year, VidZone™, is now the most popular dedicated video music streaming application globally, with over two million users and 200 million videos watched in just six months.
GfK data shows the increase in Blu-ray household penetration in Australia doubled year on year in 2009, from 6% to 12% of all households. With film studios ramping up their offering of both new release and catalogue content, PS3 still holds the number one place as Australia's preferred BD device in the home. PS3 accounts for over 75% of all Blu-ray players in Australian homes.
PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) also enjoyed a consistent year, with a strong software line-up, including LittleBigPlanet™, MotorStorm® Arctic Edge and Gran Turismo®, all arriving on the platform. New hardware also joined the PSP family, with PSP™go helping to increase the portable’s installed base to 604,000 units. PlayStation®2 also continued its successful run, with the installed base reaching 2.5 million units by the end of 2009, driven by highly competitive pricing at retail. PlayStation 2 still enjoys the highest rate of software attachment of any platform in Australia.
Looking ahead to 2010, PS3 is equipped to deliver some of the biggest innovations in home entertainment consumers will have ever experienced. From 3D stereoscopic games and movies (to be made available to all existing PS3 users through system software upgrades), to the launch of new motion controller innovation and the Australian arrival of an on-demand movie delivery service via PlayStation Network.
Ephraim added, “We will continue to work closely with our Sony sister companies in Australia to offer the best entertainment and technology to the consumer, while enhancing our network content and services globally. The next phase of the make.believe campaign in Australia will further capture this united spirit.”
More blockbuster game titles are also scheduled to launch in the coming months including God of War® III, Heavy Rain™, ModNation™ Racers and 256 player online game, MAG™. Eagerly anticipated Gran Turismo® 5 also promises to deliver the world’s ultimate driving experience in 2010.
Beyond games, more on-demand catch up TV services are set to arrive on PS3, while with the continuing Australian digital TV switchover and trends toward time shift viewing, the highly affordable PlayTV is expected to continue to appeal to new audiences.