Sony reveals Australian sales stats

PS2 News | Massive marketing push guaranteed for christmas.

Sony has revealed its christmas 2006 retail marketing strategy, hidden within the press release were quite a few statistics about some of their best selling games, which include the range of Buzz, Singstar and Eyetoy games.

Sony expects that up to 650,000 units of Buzz, Singstar, Eyetoy and Guitar Hero 2 games will be sold this year, which evens out to about 1 in 40 Australians. Since the launch of the Eyetoy camera 300,000 units have been sold, there are 265,000 pairs of Singstar microphones in homes and 130,000 buzzers. There are even 25,000 Guitar Hero guitars.

Whilst the PlayStation 3 won't be in Australia for christmas, it's clear Sony are ready to combat Nintendo, there will be a 3 million dollar marketing and more games will be added to the platinum range. The console recently eclipsed sales of 2 million units in Australia, taking the household penetration to 27%.

Sony are so confident about the success of the PlayStation 2 that they expect the sales from this christmas to be replicated in christmas 2007, which appears to indicate we'll be seeing more Buzz, Singstar and Eyetoy.

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8 Comments

iorkara

5 years ago

What about the PSP! Vice City Stories is gonna be HUGE. They need to advertise!

VOOK

5 years ago

And completly forgetting about the PSP in the Progress... not that Im complaining. Good work Sony dump all the PSP owners.

LeonJ

5 years ago

Ha, Sony will still probably clean up in Australia. Stupid masses that live in Australia. Oh well.

Spanca

5 years ago

I wouldn't be surprised at all if they totally dominate the markets the Wii appears to be going after. They're offering a very similar sort of thing, at a much better (ie more likely to induce impulse purchasing) price.

Kaboth

5 years ago

Can we get a link to the official press release? I'm interested in the PS2 deals.

Luke

5 years ago

It's on a press centre but i retrieved it for you:

YDNEY, 9 October 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) today unveiled its Christmas 2006 retail and marketing strategy for the promotion of the PlayStation®2 console and a range of software referred to as “Party Starters”. The company will invest approximately $3 million dollars in above and below the line activity to promote the range.

The SingStar®, EyeToy®, Buzz!™ and Guitar Hero™ products fall under the umbrella of games that will be collectively referred to as “Party Starters”. To qualify for this category the games are required to encourage social interaction and be non-traditional in form. For example, the “Party Starters” games all rely on alternative game controllers; game show style buzzers, a USB camera, microphones and a virtual guitar.

Buzz! Lifestyle Images - PlayStation 2_002

SCE Aust. forecast that the combined sales of “Party Starter” game titles will exceed 650,000 units of software during October, November and December and that the sales of PlayStation 2 consoles will eclipse the results from Christmas 2005.

Complimenting the range of games published by SCE Aust. is the PlayStation 2 exclusive game, Guitar Hero 2 from Activision. Activision will work with SCE Aust. to include Guitar Hero 2 in the promotion of “Party Starters” in all the above and below the line marketing activity.

SingStar - PlayStation 2_002

Alongside SCE Aust., games retailers have identified the growing demand for the PlayStation 2 offering and many retailers have committed significant marketing and in-store resources to support the console and software range.

Steve Wilson, Managing Director of specialist games retailer EB Games said, “We are extremely excited by this range of games, we feel that these products deliver exactly the experience customers will be looking for on their PlayStation 2. This Christmas these will be the best selling video games. To cater for the demand and ensure all our customers leave our stores satisfied, we are investing significant funds to create in store displays that will deliver an exciting, yet friendly, shopping experience.”

The Australian uptake of PlayStation 2 social gaming products has been exceptional. Since the launch of the EyeToy camera there have been over 300,000 units sold, there are now over 265,000 pairs of SingStar microphones floating around Australia, Buzz (game show style Buzzers for a trivia series) is now in the hands of 130,000 consumers and there are even close to 25,000 people strumming away on virtual guitars (Guitar Hero).

Commenting on the success of the social gaming category, Michael Ephraim Managing Director SCE Aust. and New Zealand said, “The social gaming products are one by one shattering gaming stereotypes and in-turn this is removing a barrier for many consumers who would have previously not considered ‘games’ as an entertainment option. Such is the growth from these new consumers that we anticipate demand for the PlayStation 2 and software this Christmas will again be replicated leading up to Christmas 2007.”

Amongst the launch of new gaming titles the PlayStation 2 has clearly dominated the console sales charts for 2006. The console recently eclipsed sales of 2 million units in Australia, taking the household penetration to 27%. In June 2006 the price of a PlayStation 2 console was reduced to $199.95 RRP [at launch in 2000 the PlayStation 2 was priced at $749.95 RRP] and since this time the console has seen massive growth. When comparing 2 months of console sales before the price drop and 2 months post there has been a sales increase of 443%.

“We have seen a healthy lift in sales since our price drop and in partnership with our retailers we are set to sell more consoles this Christmas than last year. With the addition of our Platinum range of software now selling for $29.95 the PlayStation 2 has never presented such an excellent value proposition. The “Party Starters” games will further enhance this offering and we look forward to engaging new customers who may be about to purchase their very first games console,” stated Michael Ephraim.

To support the strong product range SCE Aust. retailers will begin promoting “Party Starters” in catalogues, television and radio commercials beginning in mid October and running until January. SCE Aust. will follow the catalogue activity with a strong blast of television advertising on both free to air and subscriber channels. Additionally there will be a large investment in retail displays (front of store) and Point of Sale materials that display the range.

“Don’t be surprised if you’re invited to a SingStar party sometime soon,” concluded Mr. Ephraim.

James

5 years ago

This is the money that Sony presumably originally planned to spend promoting PS3 at Christmas. I wonder if this will be taking money away from their launch promotions in March. It's an interesting move if it is.

Kaboth

5 years ago

Thanks Luke.

I'm not always Sony's biggest fans but they do have some very good value PS2 deals these days. Those platinum titles are a steal at $29.95. Unlike the overpriced Cube software.

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