Console Sales War

The Americans are a peculiar lot at times. The latest cause for concern is a market research study by PC Data, which claims that the PS One is now hogging 42% of the sales market, followed by Sega's Dreamcast with 27% and the PlayStation 2 with a measely 6%. I suppose that's what happens when you don't actually manufacture any units to sell... We have always had a soft spot for Sega's Dreamcast, and it's pleasant to see it commanding a decent share of the American market. With Sega's recent announcement that they intend to discontinue console development in favour of concentrating on software, the swansong is starting to look more and more appropriate. It's a touch ironic though that Sega's success this Christmas is based almost entirely on Sony's inability to shift PS2s. What nobody had counted on was the continuing sales of the PS One, a console that has been available for several years now in various forms. The buyers may have a point though, the PS2 is shipping in astonishingly low quantities; early reports indicate that there are even fewer of them than expected.