Sony: "We have to do better" in UK

Sony has admitted it must improve PlayStation 3 sales in the UK, as the company's worldwide price drop takes effect.

European boss Jim Ryan told MCV he hopes the PS3's new £199 price point will boost the console's fortunes in the UK, where sales figures lag behind Microsoft's Xbox 360.

"This is something we have been planning for a while," Ryan said. "Getting to £199 is fantastic in the UK. It's a real milestone. UK is one of the territories where we have to do better."

Ryan compared the UK market to the US, where Microsoft is similarly dominant. In continental Europe the opposite is the case.

"If you look across the PAL territory, where typically we outsell our competitors by around 50 per cent on a weekly basis, it's inverted in the UK," he said. "That is something we want to address."

Sony hopes history will repeat itself and PS3 sales will "hit lift off" when priced at £199, similar to how previous price drops boosted sales for the PSone and PS2.

"Once you get to £199 you hit lift off. We can do some serious business and this kick-starts that. Getting to £199 was a defining moment for the PSone and PS2 - this will be no different."

Will the PS3 match PS2 sales figures? Sony still thinks so.

"PS2 across our territory went well over 50m units. We're at 22m on PS3. So there's lots of life in that still to come," Ryan concluded.