Sony Releases Black Friday Sales Stats

Sony Computer Entertainment America has released statistics pointing to an upswing in sales over the Black Friday period in North America -- centered around the notorious retail rush that takes place the day after the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. Sony has revealed that overall PlayStation brand sales during the week including Black Friday increased by 178%, while sales dollars increased by 154%. According to Sony, PlayStation 3 sales have increased by 245% compared to last year's Black Friday sales. Further, Since November 2nd, PS3 hardware sales have increased by 298% -- which includes both the 80GB and new 40GB models. Older products were not immune to the Black Friday sales spike: the recently-refreshed PSP increased its sales by 136% compared to its previous week's sales, while PS2 sold 287% better than its previous week. Broader statistics that help place these numbers in context were not immediately available. It's also worth noting that the December sales period is typically even stronger in North America than November.