PS3 Slim sales are beyond expectations, says Sony UK

Sony has admitted that first week sales of the PlayStation 3 Slim in UK territories have vastly surpassed the company’s expectations.

Data from Chart-Track revealed that the launch of the revamped machine caused PS3 sales to skyrocket over 1000 percent. However, Mark Howsen, sales director for Sony UK, revealed that this number highly exceeded what the platform holder had in mind:

Speaking to GI.biz, Howsen commented, "The first week's Chart-Track numbers for sales of the new PlayStation 3 were ahead of our expectations, so we were extremely pleased.”

“A new price point and a new machine has proven a significant catalyst to help consumers make the move onto PS3."

Elsewhere, Howsen pledged that the company aims to sustain this momentum through a massive advertising campaign highlighting the console’s features and exclusive content, as well as services such as the PlayStation Video Store.

"Our new advertising campaign, The Game Is Just The Start, is also demystifying the value proposition," he continued. “This ongoing campaign and the addition of some great exclusive and new IPs - Uncharted: Among Thieves, EyePet, Heavy Rain - and services [such as] PlayStation Video Store, will hopefully provide even more trigger points to drive future purchases of PlayStation 3."

From the look of things, Sony’s fortunes aren’t just limited to the UK, with Japan also reporting a significant rise in hardware sales on the release of the PS3 Slim this past week. Hopefully we’ll hear how the platform is shaping up in North America soon enough.