PS3 to beat PS2 sales total? - Metal Gear Solid 4 boosts Sony in Japan
By Dave Parrack
As news filters in of Metal Gear Solid 4 prompting a huge rise in sales of the PS3 in Japan, could the Sony console do the unthinkable and actually beat the lifetime sales of its predecessor the Playstation 2?
The Playstation 2 has sold in huge numbers since being release all the way back in the year 2000. And it continues to sell in fair numbers, with many gamers unwilling or unable to afford a PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii and the expensive new release games which come with purchasing a next-gen console. They are instead opting for the machine as a kind of starter console instead.
The Playstation 3 on the other hand has sold pretty badly since it came out in 2006 although there are signs that sales are now finally picking up. This is thought to be because of a number of high profile games finally making an appearance, the first of which, Metal Gear Solid 4, was released on June 12th.
In Japan, the game certainly seems to have made a difference, with Media Create figures for the last week showing that sales of the PS3 have risen from around 10,000 to a huge 75,311. With the PSP having dominated the sales chart in Japan for over a month now, Sony has achieved a hardware one-two.
The Wii is still holding strong in third place with sales of 45,564, the Nintendo DS managed 39,201, the PS2 had 7,297, and the Xbox 360 is unsurprisingly bringing up the rear with just 2,163. Metal Gear Solid 4 itself managed sales of 465,000, giving it a huge lead over the second-placed Mario Kart Wii on just 38,000.
But will this Playstation 3 surge on the back of just one game keep building enough so that the PS3 ends its life more successful than its predecessor? SCEE president David Reeves has recently made a comment on the subject, saying:
The PS3 install base is growing faster that the PS2’s was at this point in its life cycle. The next five years are going to be turbulent.
[But] I think it is going to be the most exciting period that we have ever seen in the past ten years of video games.
We welcome all competition. Whatever happens, we are all going to do well. We should celebrate the growth of the industry.
Despite not saying at any point that he believes the PS3 will beat overall sales of the PS2 anywhere in that statement, it has been widely reported as if that was his claim. All he does say is that were the sales trend to continue then it is feasible that the PS3 could outperform the PS2 over the next five years, which is hardly the same thing.
I personally can’t see it happening. The Playstation 3 will do fine, as will the Xbox 360 despite the early Red Ring of Death hiccup. But the Wii will dominate, and as discussed yesterday, that success could potentially change the games industry for the foreseeable future.
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June 21st, 2008
about to beat ps2?!! holy jesus, didnt ps2 sell like 100 million units…or is that just me??? thats optimistic suggestion, love to see it happen but…..wow.
June 21st, 2008
“The Playstation 3 on the other hand has sold pretty badly since it came out in 2006″
Youre a 360 FANBOY DAVE PARRACK!!! STOP WRITING LIES!!!! NOOOOOooooo
June 21st, 2008
I’m clearly a fanboy of all 3 current gen consoles… but it’s taken you guys this long to figure that out?
June 21st, 2008
The sales rate of PS2 and PS3 are virtually identical since launch. Both outpace the XBOX360, but are dwarfed by Wii. That is if you are to believe vgchartz. Regardless, most sources will indicate this. However, the EXPECTATIONS were high for the PS3 hence it seemed to be low sales. I’ll give you that, otherwise you’re comment is incorrect.
http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=PS2®1=All&cons2=PS3®2=All&cons3=X360®3=All&weeks=156
June 21st, 2008
If anything, Parrack has been a fanboy of each console in his articles at one time or another. Which could really just mean that he calls it like he sees it.
The PS3 will do fine in Japan. I mean it’s big and all, but it ain’t much bigger than the PS2. And it’s an awesome machine.
June 21st, 2008
wow, i’ve just finished mgs4 and i wont spoil anything (but the 60ft lazer rabbits were a bitch to shoot with a socom) but let me just sum it up like this…..wow.
June 21st, 2008
DaveP
Don’t pay much attention to Dwh.
That I guess was just his weak attempt at lame comedy.
June 22nd, 2008
Bourne,
You mean you just finished WATCHING mgs4, right?
June 22nd, 2008
well mgs4 does have long cutscenes, but the game is long and can be played in different ways…..and the online play is fun and challenging, but it doesnt beat cod4……..and you know what, MGS4 is better than any 360 game ive ever played…..im not kidding….im not being a fanboy….it is such an awesome game……its so nice to play the game, go to sleep, wake up, play the game, go to sleep..etc. every game on the 360 takes about 4 hours to beat…..i bought halo 3..it was so damn short….and the ending was gay….gears of war was stupid, step into the dark and its basically an instant death, but some of gears was fun….like walking on that wooden floor and you had to be careful not to break the floor and not fall in
June 22nd, 2008
watching/playing, its all good. Great gameplay, great cut scenes, the best. I expect you’re a 360 fanboy Gilamesh? i guess you’re relying on GeOW to be a 360 saviour?
June 22nd, 2008
Yes, I am a 360 fanboy. Is that a bad thing?
June 23rd, 2008
@ Gilgamesh
Being an Xbot is a bad thing. Besides, we need both consoles so that these companies can push each other. Xbot’s don’t see it that way, like their leader Bill they want a monopoly on everthing!
June 23rd, 2008
Its actually Steve Ballmer, not Gates any longer. And he is not my “leader”. And no, I am not praying for the Ps3’s failure, I just took a shot at a single game. How many times have I read how god awful Halo 1,2 and 3 is from Sony fanboy rants? Beyond count. But what the hell, I feel retarded for arguing taste anyway, but here I am.
June 26th, 2008
wylie- we HAVE “both consoles”.. the 360 and the wii… what more does a gamer need?
July 2nd, 2008
ps3 has slod just fine, better than the 360 in that time period !!
x30 = 19 million worldwide sales while the ps3 is a year younger with 14 million sales worldwide !
and there have been many of these pridictions by many proffessionals that say it will outsell any console ever created, i personally dont think it will outsell the wii but it properly will outsell or at least come very close to outselling the ps2 and it will definatly outsell 360, because 360 life span is nearing its end, and im not a fanboy i love every console ever made (except for the original xbox) and i love all current gen consoles and handhelds !!