Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) announced that it was able to sell more than seven million units of PlayStation 4 (PS4) computer entertainment system, five months after its availability in the market worldwide as of April 6, 2014.
The company also said that the sales of its PlayStation 4 software are still strong, with more than 20.5 million copies sold in retail stores globally and through digital downloads on PlayStation Store as of April 13.
Overwhelming response
In a statement, Andrew House, president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said, “The response from the global gaming community for PS4 has been overwhelming and we are truly humbled that gamers are selecting PS4 as their next generation console of choice.“
House added that the company is still struggling to meet the strong demand for the PlayStation 4 around the world, but he emphasized that the management of Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) “remain steadfast” in their commitment to meet the needs of their consumers and “surpassing the wildest expectations of gamers by delivering new user experiences that inspire and engage.” He added, “We look forward to unveiling many of these experiences to our fans in the coming months.”
PlayStation 4 shipments beat Xbox One
Based on the estimate of VGCharts.com early in April, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) sold 4.2 million units of Xbox One. The figure shows that PlayStation 4 outperformed Xbox One in terms of sales performance. The price of the Xbox One is $499 while the PlayStation 4 costs $399.
Some retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) are offering discounts for the Xbox One to reduce its price difference with the PlayStation 4. The Xbox One bundled with the exclusive game title Titanfall from Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:EA) is offered by retailers for $450.
The PlayStation 4 is available in 72 countries and regions worldwide and it offers a broad genre of games of approximately 120 titles available and some are still coming this year.
Positive signs
According to Kazuyuki Terao, chief investment officer at Allianz Global Investors Japan Co, the sales performance of the PlayStation 4 is a good sign for Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758). He said, “The consoles sales are a positive sign for Sony even though the overall electronics business is not performing well. It is more important for other products in the electronics unit to recover.”
Sony to sell stake in Square Enix
Sony Corp (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) (TYO:6758) announced its decision to sell its stake in Square Enix Holdings Co Ltd (TYO:9684) (OTCMKTS:SQNXF) for ¥15.3 billion yen ($150 million) and will book a ¥4.8 billion-yen gain on the sale in the first quarter of this year.
