European territories have always been PlayStation land, and here in South Africa, though we’re at the tip of the African continent, the same is true. While official figures are hard to come by, we know that PlayStation brand loyalty is rather strong, and that PlayStation dominates the local console space. In Europe proper, that figure may be as high as 90%.
According to Sony Europe’s president, Jim Ryan speaking to VG247, Sony has at least a 70% market share in Europe
“We have a very significant market leadership,” he told them at E3. “Well, we have market leadership in every country in Europe, and have very significant market leadership in continental Europe. Extremely significant. I don’t think market share’s any less than 70%, and frequently greater than 90% in continental Europe.”
It’s one of the reasons there’s no need for Sony to drop the price on the PlayStation 4 just yet – but also allows the company to take a few more risks when it comes to making games.
“Particularly in Europe… our momentum is still very considerable,” Ryan said. “We’re happy with the price and we’re happy with the value proposition. Consumers, equally and more importantly, appear to he happy with the price and the value proposition. We’ll leave it where it is for now.”
The Xbox 360 threatened to turn the European situation around thanks to a cheap console, a huge library of amazing games and a robust online system, but things started going downhill when Microsoft injected all of its resources in to Kinect and an attempt to take over the living room. The Xbox One and its initial focus didn’t help much, and neither did the system’s staggered launch, which glossed over large parts of Europe to focus on a handful of countries. Here in South Africa it took nearly a year after the PlayStation 4’s release for the Xbox One to hit shelves, which likely hasn’t helped the system’s popularity either.
Europe has always favoured PlayStation, and that status quo isn’t about to change. And neither is the price of the PlayStation 4.
Last Updated: June 30, 2015
Dutch Matrix
June 30, 2015 at 14:36
The rites of Urdnot are Dominant!
Pieter Kruger
June 30, 2015 at 14:42
Hmmmm…..
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 30, 2015 at 14:48
I lol’d.
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2015 at 14:45
No need for a price cut, it’s still cheaper than when the PS3 launched back in 2007
Dutch Matrix
June 30, 2015 at 14:57
What was the launch price again??
Pieter Kruger
June 30, 2015 at 14:58
A second job…..
Geoffrey Tim
June 30, 2015 at 15:15
Kitaragi was such an ass.
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2015 at 15:01
Ps3 was R7500 I think
Aries
June 30, 2015 at 15:10
I bought the slimline and paid R5500 with two controllers and two games, uncharted and killzone
Jonah Cash
June 30, 2015 at 15:30
I bought in 2010 on special for just over R3000. Very happy that I did, caught up on the Uncharted games first!
Aries
June 30, 2015 at 16:02
Same, though mine wasnt on special
Francois Knoetze
June 30, 2015 at 16:01
paid R6500 for my fat 60gb on launch day actually. don’t remember it ever being 7k O.o…unless people started milking it afterwards. Will never forget a client walking in with an xbox 360 he bought and said to the guy at the counter: “i just bought this and it doesn’t work. keeps showing a red ring” my general reaction at the time: thank goodness I bought a ps3 then. YLOD 2 years later. CURSE YOU KARMA!!!
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2015 at 16:02
hahahaha, No I’m pretty sure it was R7500, you got a very good deal though.
BurninZ
June 30, 2015 at 15:52
Yip got my 40gb fatboy just after launch, R7699.00 or something like that. Picked my ps4 up on the one year anniversary of the console and paid R5499 with two games which included TLOU! Seems fair enough.
konfab
July 1, 2015 at 10:48
And that is before you take inflation into account.
Hammersteyn
July 1, 2015 at 10:58
Indeed!
Guild
June 30, 2015 at 14:47
They could at least improve the PSN then if they making so much cash. Or are they still busy paying for the other divisions at Sony that were a complete bust?
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2015 at 14:54
Plus we are paying to play online
Jonah Cash
June 30, 2015 at 15:05
I seriously think that they are growing faster than what they could have ever imagined with the PS4. I just think they were and are still trying to catch up on the amount of people online with PSN…. Still not a good enough excuse but I do think that is the biggest problem they have. Someone on here said something about this on Friday, just can’t remember who or on what article. But he explained it quite well…. Will see if I can find it.
Hammersteyn
June 30, 2015 at 16:54
At least they’re making money then.
Bagel
June 30, 2015 at 16:12
or you know. increase security. just your customers data. no biggie….
Steffmeister
June 30, 2015 at 15:47
I would have maybe considered xbox if they weren’t a year late and would have forced that stupid kinekt thing on me. And the online thing worried me.
Francois Knoetze
June 30, 2015 at 16:06
As a guy who owned a ps4 first. you are in safe hands. As an gaming whore who now owns an xbox too: it is actually a pretty awesome console. Love the controller. luckily they did away with kinnect. The backwards compatibility news would have helped you make your choice if it was announced earlier.
Steffmeister
June 30, 2015 at 16:58
I am leaning more and more towards getting an xbox as well. The controller is still better. Miss the 360’s controller, and yes, backwards compatibility did get my attention. Still don’t think I would have been able to wait a year thou…
AfricanTimeZA
June 30, 2015 at 16:51
i will never buy an xbox one, due to the red ring of death debacle.
konfab
July 1, 2015 at 10:51
I had the yellow light of death on my PS3. Similar issue to the XB360.
It was an issue of IBM not being able to design CPUs which don’t melt the solder on which they are mounted.
Fortunately this time around we have AMD designing the chips, and they have far more experience in designing CPU chips which run hot.
SargonTheBatpandaOfTI5
June 30, 2015 at 17:23
Nothing like a good old monopoly to keep prices high. Little wonder that.. DAMNIT I LANDED ON YOUR WATERWORKS AGAIN?! ANOTHER 200? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!
poneros
June 30, 2015 at 20:10
This article was brought to you by Sony Entertainment
Hammersteyn
July 1, 2015 at 10:58
http://img-9gag-fun.9cache.com/photo/a1YAY4D_460sa.gif