PS3 Sales Boosted by Price Cut, Wii Scarcity

Sony's price cuts on the PS3, as well as the Wii's scarcity, has boosted Sony's position in the console war.

Since releasing a $400 PlayStation 3, Sony has moved more PlayStation 3s than in weeks prior. The company reported 75,000 units the week of October 29 and bested the 100,000 mark the week after, far surpassing typical weekly sales of around 35,000.

Also contributing to the spike is the relative scarcity of the Nintendo Wii. Production has not ramped up to levels that can satisfy demand for a full year now, and company officials have cited a production bottleneck as recently as a few days ago.

All of this ads up to a bit of a breather for Sony. "Obviously, we've taken so much heat over the year on [the] PS3. Finally, the turning point has been passed," Sony CEO Howard Stringer told the AP, later adding, "It's a little fortuitous that the Wii is running out of hardware."

Source: Ars Technica