"July's hardware performance was lackluster, suggesting, in our opinion, that promotional activity, either through a bundle or a hardware price cut, will be necessary for Sony to achieve its targeted hardware unit sales," Williams wrote in a research note.
Sony made a bundling move on Tuesday by offering a free game with its $199 PlayStation 2 online pack.
The PS2 sold 311,000 units in July to bring its U.S. installed base to 18.4 million units, while Microsoft Xbox sold 138,000 units to rise to 5.7 million installed, and Nintendo's GameCube sold 127,000 units to bring its base to 4.4 million.
|