PLAYSTATION®2
WORLDWIDE SHIPMENTS REACH 10 MILLION UNITS IN FIRST YEAR OF RELEASE
North American
Product Shipments to Hit Three Million Unit Target By Month End FOSTER
CITY, Calif., March 23, 2001
Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. announced today that it had achieved cumulative worldwide
shipments of 10 million units to support its groundbreaking PlayStation®2
computer entertainment system in its first year on the market. In comparison,
the PlayStation® game console achieved the 10 million-unit shipment milestone
over a three-year period. Given that PlayStation 2 production is currently
tracking twice the pace of PlayStation, the company is looking to nearly
double PlayStation 2 shipments during fiscal year 2002, beginning April
1, 2001, with a projected worldwide target of 20 million units. The shipment
figures and the launch date for each territory are as follows:
PlayStation
2 Worldwide Shipments (as of March 23, 2001)
· Japan (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.) 4.65 million units
March 4, 2000 launch
· North America (Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.) 2.76 million
units October 26, 2000 launch
· Europe/PAL (Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited) 2.63 million
units November 24, 2000 launch
"We are pleased to announce that five months after the introduction of
PlayStation 2 in North America the company is on target to meet the three
million unit shipment projection for this market by March 31, the end
of our fiscal year," said Kazuo Hirai, president and chief operating officer,
Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc. "Vigorous sales of PlayStation
2 hardware and software further demonstrate the mass market appeal of
the PlayStation brand and illustrates the company's ongoing dominance
in this highly competitive category."
As demand for PlayStation 2 continues to soar, Sony Computer Entertainment
Inc. is taking the necessary steps to ensure that it will continue to
satisfy consumer demand for the product in all markets worldwide. Aimed
at achieving the shipment forecast for FY '02 of 20 million units, the
company expects to increase PlayStation 2 monthly production capacity
from 1.5 million units in the spring to 2 million units this fall. With
unsurpassed support from the world's premier software developers and publishers,
PlayStation 2 is the most widely supported platform in history. In addition
to the more than 73 PlayStation 2 titles available for the system today,
the product offers the broadest software catalog ever created, including
the capability of playing more than 1,000 titles available for the PlayStation
and PS one™ consoles in North America. Sony Computer Entertainment America
Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation®
and PS one™ game console and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.
The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize
the home entertainment market, offering the most compelling interactive
content and the capability to be used as a network terminal in the coming
broadband era. Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer
Entertainment America Inc. markets the PS one game console and PlayStation
2 computer entertainment system and develops, publishes, markets and distributes
software for the PS one game console and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment
system for the North American market.
Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
PlayStation
and the PlayStation logo, PS one and PS2 are registered trademarks of
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of
their respective owners.
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