RESTON, Va. – Sony remains the dominant name in the
console industry, but its redesigned PS One is becoming the hit of this
Holiday season instead of the upscale Playstation 2.
The PS One was the top-selling console for week ending Nov. 25, 2000,
capturing 42 percent of all consoles sold in comparison with only six percent
for the hard to find Playstation 2. In a tight battle for second place,
Sega’s Dreamcast edged the Nintendo 64 with 27 percent of the market compared
with 26 percent. The PS One has been the top-selling console for three
consecutive weeks.
“Following the launch of Playstation 2, the market was anticipating
100,000 units a week to be available through the beginning of next year. Our
estimates show that during the Thanksgiving week, less than a quarter of the
expected units were available for sale,” said Matt Gravett, game analyst for
PC Data. “With the Playstation 2 in short supply, the PS One is becoming a
lifesaver for toy retailers.”
He added, “Dreamcast has retained its second place position in the market,
but it’s experiencing a tough slog competing with Sony’s massive Playstation
catalog and continued publisher support.”
The limited supply of Playstation 2 resulted in a 71 percent sales decline
for the console during Thanksgiving week (Nov. 19 – Nov. 25). During the same
time period, the three remaining consoles saw sales increase significantly
over the previous week. Dreamcast sales increased 104 percent, the Nintendo
64 saw sales increase 76 percent and the PS One increased unit sales by 58
percent.
