Coming off of the busiest shopping days of the year, Sony Computer Entertainment America released today initial sales results, setting the tone for the remainder of the year and confirming consumers' voracious demand for interactive entertainment. Sales of PlayStation products surged during the first couple of holiday shopping weeks with retailers nationwide selling more than one million PlayStation2 computer entertainment systems in the month of November, growing the already massive PlayStation 2 installed base to more than 22.5 million and further validating the company's successful reach into the mass market. Sales of first party software also realized significant success with retailers.
Consumers in the days following Thanksgiving purchased the PlayStation family of products for those on their holiday lists more than any other gaming entertainment hardware and software. Gift-givers in droves checked off the new gamers on their shopping lists as they wrapped up the PlayStation2 Combo Pack (includes the PlayStation 2 console, Network Adaptor (Ethernet/modem) (for PlayStation2), and a copy of the online-enabled game, ATV Offroad Fury 2, all for $199 suggested retail price), the perfect present for those just getting in the game. Sales of the PlayStation 2 Combo Pack were double that of October, making up 30 percent of total hardware sales for the month of November, proving Sony Computer Entertainment America is meeting consumer demand for a value-priced, all-in-one entertainment system.
Holiday sales of software titles are also skyrocketing, with overall sales of first party software in November double that of the same time period one month prior, a 90 percent increase in sales versus the same period one year ago. Driven by the recent first party triple 'A' releases, including SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs, Jak II, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and EyeToy, Sony Computer Entertainment America's new catalog offerings accounted for more than 800,000 units alone during November. Overall first party PlayStation 2 sales volume for the month, which includes front-line software and "Greatest Hits" titles, achieved the two million-unit mark.
Gift-givers also stocked-up on established hits to expand the libraries of new and existing PlayStation 2 gamers on their lists. Sales of "Greatest Hits" titles soared, as new gamers began to establish their library of games with some of the most popular titles ever developed for the platform. And for less than $20, diehard fans couldn't resist scooping up "Greatest Hits" titles to fill the missing links in their existing libraries. The "Greatest Hits" series realized a 42 percent increase in sales year-over-year for the month of November.
"In this, our fourth holiday season with PlayStation 2 and our ninth for PlayStation, our goal is to grow our installed base by reaching new gamers while giving current gamers fresh content and new ways to experience PlayStation 2," said Jack Tretton, executive vice president, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "The sales we achieved on the brink of the key holiday selling season proves our ability to deliver consumers the best entertainment value, a philosophy that resonates with the new audiences we are reaching as we expand even further into the mass market.
"Having achieved critical mass with one million gamers with connectivity earlier this fall, we have quickly moved on to achieve the next milestone," added Tretton. "We've realized a swift increase of our networked installed base with more than 1.5 million gamers with online connectivity to date, dwarfing our competition."
Online console gaming exemplifies Sony Computer Entertainment America's commitment to expanding the reach of PlayStation 2. The emotive qualities that head-to-head play provides -- competition and camaraderie -- appeal to a broad demographic of consumers, not only gamers, but sports fanatics, PC gamers and more. Consumers have already shown vast interest in the PlayStation 2 online community, which has already surpassed 1.5 million connected consoles. Sales continue to be robust for the more than 50 online-enabled titles provided by 20 first and third party publishers this holiday season.
The videogame industry typically experiences about 50 percent of its annual videogame sales in the fourth quarter as holiday shoppers wrap up hardware, and particularly software, to give as gifts.