Report: PlayStation 3 Sales Hit 2 Million In UK, PSP Passes 3 Million

Sales of the PlayStation 3 have passed the 2 million mark in the UK, according to Sony, and the PSP has broken through the 3 million-unit milestone. "Obviously PS3 is a premium product with a premium price tag," Sony Computer Entertainment UK senior vice president and managing director Ray Maguire told trade paper MCV. "Interestingly, because it has sold two million at a higher price, it suggests more longevity of the PS3 because we have chipped away at the top end of the triangle." In terms of the PSP, Maguire added: "There was a renewed vigor from consumers once we had the Slim and Lite out there, as it emphasized the portability of the device." "If you look at the evolution of the PSP to a value-added proposition in terms of online content -– which gives a new business model for third parties -– then you see that it’s an area publishers should invest in," Maguire added. "And they have woken up to that over the last nine months to a year." Although PSP titles in the UK sales top 40 have been few and far between for much of the platform’s lifetime, Maguire was keen to emphasize the success of Killzone 2 on the PS3. The game debuted ahead of Halo Wars in the UK sales chart this week. "We've seen not just a really good day one -– but also for the game to be a good solid seller all the way through," said Maguire. "We’ve got good bundles out there with hardware and software and that has picked up nicely according to our early numbers." The European market as a whole, of which the UK is the largest single component, has seen both Sony and Microsoft claiming dominance at various points. Most recently, Microsoft said that the Xbox 360 had a 1 million unit lead over the PS3 in Europe as a whole. Specific figures for the UK were not given, but the UK is generally considered to be one of Microsoft’s most successful markets in Europe.