Sales of Sony Corp’s PlayStation 3 have surged in both the North American and Japanese markets following the release of the firm’s new 40GB console, which retails for a substantially lower price point compared to earlier models.

In its native Japan, the new SKU sold through more than 65,000 units during its first week; more than double the amount of weekly sales for its 60GB predecessor. This was further encouraged by the release of the PS3-exclusive Dynasty Warriors 6, which sold 180,000 units.

Nomura Securities analyst, Eiichi Katayama, commented: Although Sony’s game business has not been performing strongly, the first indications of the new lower-priced model’s sales look likely to alleviate overly negative impressions of the business.”

“It’s the breakthrough we’ve been anticipating,” added Sony Corp’s Howard Stringer. “We’ve been holding our breath.” This is a rare occasion where the one-week sales of the PS3 have surpassed Nintendo’s tiny behemoth, the Wii. “Obviously, we’ve taken so much heat over the year on PS3 … Finally, the turning point has been passed.”

The auspicious trend also looks set to continue in North America, where the new 40GB model is continuing to perform on an impressive basis.

Stay tuned for more coverage on PS3’s global success here at PSU as it breaks.

Source: PS3fanboy

Filed under: Sony news, ps3 weekly sales