Taiwanese PlayStation 2 Sales Hit Almost Half A Million

Representatives from Sony have said that the company estimates sales of 150,000 PlayStation 2 consoles in Taiwan this year, with the total installed user base for the country expected to be 450,000 by the end of 2004. Sales of PlayStation 2 software are expected to total 550,00 by the same time. This very healthy increase in sales has been mirrored across East Asia this year, with Sony recently announcing that PlayStation 2 console sales have passed 1 million units in South Korea – two months ahead of the company’s stated goal. With the Japanese market, though much bigger, showing little explosive growth, the rest of the Far East has become a prime target for all three console manufacturers. However, it is Sony that has so far reaped the greatest dividends – despite concerted efforts from Microsoft to improve on its performance in Japan. The total installed user base for the Xbox in the whole of Asia is just 1.3 million, though, giving Sony a clear lead overall, as well as in each individual market.