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PlayStation Sales Down, Profit Flat In Q3

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

February 4, 2010

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Sony has reported increased sales and profitability in its Networked Products & Services Division for the third quarter ended December 31, 2009.

The division, which houses the company’s PlayStation and VAIO businesses, recorded an operating profit of 19.4 billion yen (£134.2m / $213.2m), compared to a loss of 5.9 billion yen (£40.8m / $64.8m) a year earlier. The result was “primarily due to higher VAIO PC sales”, the company said. “In the game business, despite a decrease in PS2 hardware and software unit sales, and PSP hardware unit sales, profitability was relatively unchanged mainly due to an improvement in the cost of PS3 hardware.”

The division’s sales were up 1.9 per cent year-on-year to 606.1 billion yen (£4.2b / $6.59b), “mainly due to sales of VAIO PCs”, Sony noted. “Sales in the game business decreased primarily as a result of a decrease in unit sales of PlayStation 2 hardware and software, and PSP hardware.”

Full quarterly PS3, PSP and PS2 hardware and software sales data can be found here.

The wider company posted its first profit in five quarters, reporting an operating profit of 146.1 billion yen (£1b / $1.6b), compared to a loss of 17.96 billion yen (£124.3m / $197.4m) a year earlier.

For the full business year to March 31, Sony halved its operating loss forecast to 30 billion yen (£207.6m / $330m).

DubsTF's picture
On February 4th DubsTF said:

So when Microsoft's sales go down we get a gushing piece about Windholes 7 that fails to even mention the comparatively poor Entertainment & Devices Division results, while for Sony we get not only a negative headline but also a separate story emphasizing the fact that even though sales of the flagship console are up the other two consoles are slightly down.

And people wonder about bias around here. I'm not saying that either of the Sony pieces are inaccurate or irresponsible, but seriously, compare them to Edge's coverage of Microsoft's results.

If there were no bias here at Edge, the headline on the Microsoft piece would have included the phrase "Xbox 360 sales down," the article would have included details of E&D's results and there would have been a separate story about the ongoing slow-motion dual Hindenburgs that are Zune and Windholes Mobile.

I'm sure someone will try and argue with me.

DCrappa's picture
On February 4th DCrappa said:

Your conspiracy theory comments I know are not meant to be comical but its really getting that way of late. They crack me up.
It's certainly not worth arguing over thats for sure. Perhaps one day you will have us all convinced.

DubsTF's picture
On February 5th DubsTF said:

Did you even bother to actually compare the tenor of the Sony vs. Microsoft coverage I linked above before commenting? Do you think I'm imagining the difference or that it's some crackpot 'conspiracy theory?'

jb1's picture
On February 5th jb1 said:

Yes you are imagining it. Yes you are a crackpot (amongst other things).

DubsTF's picture
On February 5th DubsTF said:

More valuable input from jb1, who prefers hurling insults to making reasoned arguments. Well done indeed. *golf clap*

Mooks's picture
On February 5th Mooks said:

I definitely agree with you on that one Dubs. Sadly some people just can't seem to construct an argument without resorting to bad language/insults/snide remarks/twisting peoples' words.

DubsTF's picture
On February 8th DubsTF said:

I just had a little browse through jb1's commenting history: light on useful commentary, heavy on personal attacks of the endlessly entertaining 'LOL, sdf' variety.

jb1's picture
On February 8th jb1 said:

I'm being taken to task for not providing useful commentary by dubs. Wow, bravo.

Alex Walker's picture
On February 8th Alex Walker said:

Games, not personal attacks.

StealthBadger's picture
On February 5th StealthBadger said:

There is a pretty clear discrepency in the coverage between the two, I agree Dubs. However, the writing style is also quite different, so hopefully that's just because of two different author's, rather than Edge bias.

DubsTF's picture
On February 5th DubsTF said:

These kinds of decisions happen at the editorial level rather than the authorial, and at the editorial level a decision was made to simply quote Microsoft's press release rather than delve into the unpleasant but relevant specifics.

grognard66's picture
On February 4th grognard66 said:

Not mentioned in this article, but Sony also slashed their software sales estimate from 240 million units down to 200 million for the Fiscal Year (despite MAG, Heavy Rain, God of War III being released before that).

Using the expression "profitability being unchanged" is an interesting choice of words since it was not profitable before. So shouldn't that be "losses are unchanged" for the Playstation group? That PS3 attach rate continues to hurt the PlayStation brand financially - hopefully the pick up in hardware sales will eventually improve that software number.

At least their computers and other products (combined with 16K layoffs) have restored profitability for the company as a whole for Sony though - that's a step in the right direction.