Sony Computer Entertainment UK has announced that the PlayStation 3 gaming console has reached a new milestone in the UK; 2 million sold. The company also noted that the PSP handheld has now reached 3 million sold.
According to an interview with GI.biz however, Sony Europe senior VP Ray Maguire admitted the company in general is facing a very tough time, namely because of the ongoing worldwide recession. Maguire was confident that they console will sell another million over the next 12 months, as people flock to entertainment systems.
"I think it's a tough time for everyone," he said. "Probably more so in the UK, because we're hit by the effects of currencies - euro, pound, yen and dollar - and the weakness of the pound is definitely an issue that affects us more than the rest of SCEE.
"We have to do as much in this office as we can to make sure that we can build on the success we had last year in terms of the units we sold, great IPs that we had to bring to market.
"This year we've got even more, even better product to put out there - but trading is difficult, it's really tough. Just credit insurance - credit limits are going to be challenging for the whole of the year.
"These are things which are completely out of Sony's control - it's about the environment in which we trade, but we have to be responsible, we have to do what we need to do to make sure we give back to the shareholders what they need."
"I think it's a tough time for everyone," he said. "Probably more so in the UK, because we're hit by the effects of currencies - euro, pound, yen and dollar - and the weakness of the pound is definitely an issue that affects us more than the rest of SCEE.
"We have to do as much in this office as we can to make sure that we can build on the success we had last year in terms of the units we sold, great IPs that we had to bring to market.
"This year we've got even more, even better product to put out there - but trading is difficult, it's really tough. Just credit insurance - credit limits are going to be challenging for the whole of the year.
"These are things which are completely out of Sony's control - it's about the environment in which we trade, but we have to be responsible, we have to do what we need to do to make sure we give back to the shareholders what they need."
