Is the PSPgo already in trouble? In the UK that could very well be the case. According to Worth Playing, the new Sony handheld has already received a price cut.
Barely three days after its launch, the PSPgo has already received a £25 price cut at major retailers such as Amazon.co.uk, Game.com, HMV.com and Play.com.
Assuming this news is correct, that PSPgo must be a total flop in the UK. A price cut at this point is not only unprecedented, but it also shows that the unit was overpriced simply to help retails gain some margins with the absence of physical games to sell for the PSPgo.
Then we have this bit from PSPWorld …
So far we have only anecdotal evidence to go by as we wait for more detailed hardware sales numbers at the end of the month. But among those retailers that have agreed to stock the PSP Go, sales do not appear to have been brisk after those customers who pre-ordered picked up their machines. Without a launch party to speak of or a much needed UMD transfer program, the device does not seem to have strong backing from Sony in North America. One retail store manager writes that ‘so far this thing has been a colossal failure. Since launch we sold one (1) PSPgo. That’s three days of sales and only one unit sold. We sold 20 DSi’s the day it launched, for comparison.’ Other accounts from stores around the United states have been similar.
American chart tracking publication VGChartz estimates that the PSP Go would around 30,000 units during its first week on sale in the United States. These are decent figures, but certainly nothing to get excited about when compared with the Nintendo DSi or the recent success of the PS3 Slim.
If these numbers hold up, it will be a huge blackeye for Sony. Not only was the price point not acceptable, but Sony screwed the pooch by not offering a UMD trade in or transfer program. Throw in the fact that PSPgo does not even offer longer battery life and you have no reason for current PSP owners to “upgrade” to the PSPgo.
Looks like a major flop is looming for Sony. Of course there is probably some 10-year program, but I digress.
I scanned an article somewhere in which Sony claimed sales were 120% higher.
Not sure if it’s higher than their forecasts, higher than PSP sales a year ago or what exactly the benchmark is.
They claimed sales of PSP 3000 were higher too.
Oh well, some reviews pointed out this is the 4th iteration of the same system.
I can get over the PSPgo being the 4th iteration of the PSP. I like the system and the games. I would have “upgraded” if there was some sort of UMD trade in program. I would have even considered it for better battery life. In the end the $250 price point sucks when there are no other incentives to upgrade. I may still get one later …