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PSPgo Struggling Down Under With Roughly 1,000 Sold

by Tim Turi on Oct 20, 2009 at 06:14 AM



Australia has been seeing some very strong PlayStation 3 sales since the console’s price was slashed last month, moving 10,000 units. The PSPgo, on the other hand, has allegedly only sold around 1,000 systems. An Australian Sony Rep explains the console's lukewarm inception.

The source trusted by Aussie paper, The Age, also said the PSPgo has “a nice design and I think it's quieter [compared to the original PSP] and uses a little less power but those things are not worth the extra cost, they're pretty cosmetic."

Managing director of Sony Australia, Michael Ephraim, replies that those alleged sales are off the mark. In contrast, he said the units sold are sitting “not under 1,000 but it's slightly over 1000.” He also cites retailers such as EBgames as the reason the company is referring to the PSPgo’s release as a “soft launch.”

Ephraim also claims that despite lacking “massive numbers,” Sony isn’t worried about the handheld’s future. He also admits to some PSPgo “issues” that need to be rectified. He mentions that the ability to read e-books and download videos.

"I suppose the applications are going to catch up with the device ... the connectability to the PS3 and those other applications will start making this device even more viable," Ephraim adds.

It appears thrifty Australians are being smart in not purchasing a system that still has “issues,” according to a Sony representative. With the PSPgo’s lack of features negatively affecting sales, is anyone starting to think the system didn’t spend enough time on the drawing board?