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NEWS > GAMES > PS3 FINALLY MAKES INROADS IN NIGERIA WITH SONY APOLOGY
PS3 FINALLY MAKES INROADS IN NIGERIA WITH SONY APOLOGY
September 21 2009
Tokyo, Japan – It’s fair to say that things have not gone all that well for Sony over the last few years. With profits dropping every quarter in virtually every division the mega-corporation is undoubtedly enduring it’s hardest times yet. Even the one time 
jewel in its crown, the gaming divisions has seen massive losses due in no large part to the relatively dismal performance of the PlayStation 3 after so many years of dominance in the home video game market. Sony though isn’t taking things lying down and recent events may yet turn their fortunes.
A major price drop and the introduction of the newest model of the machine, the slim, has spiked sales for the gaming system which has been lingering in third place since launch, trailing the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 by significant margins. Though that spike in sales was seen as temporary, new developments indicate that the machine may be gaining ground in territories not 
traditionally targeted by the gaming giant. A recent public relations issue with the government of Nigeria, spurred by an ad suggesting that internet scams may be run out of the country, has led to an apology and a fresh relationship with the country that may help turn the tide in the home video game battle back toward the one time giant.
“It has come to our attention that a recent TV advertisement for PlayStation may have offended some members of the Nigerian community,” said the company in a statement. “We never intended to create a situation that would upset anyone, and we have taken action to immediately remove the advertisement from the air. We apologise to anyone this may have offended and we look forward to working with the Nigerian government and the people of the country going forward.”
Sony has reportedly spiked shipments of the console to the West African country, bringing the total number to nearly one hundred machines in the nation. Not all have sold through yet in the country of 154 million.
“Between the first two PlayStation machines Sony had an iron grip on the gaming world. They ruled North America, Japan, and Europe by significant numbers and there was no reason to assume that things would have changed with the third machine. Unfortunately it came out a year too late, was inordinately expensive, and had a very weak software line-up. Couple that with the outright dominance of the Wii and you had a recipe for disaster,” said Scrape TV Gaming analyst Graeme Hawthorne. “The redesign and more importantly the price drop will help their situation somewhat but it will not return to the levels of the past. Those days are long behind them and really the best they can hope for is to restore some power to their brand and try again in the next round. That will be a challenge but Sony is an old dog with a lot of tricks still up their collective sleeves.”
Traditionally Africa has not been one of the markets gaming companies have pursued due in large part to the low GDP and larger concerns such as famine, drought, and war dominating the minds of most people throughout the continent.
“For most people gaming is a relaxation. You finish work and want to blow off some steam or you just find it a compelling hobby. Unfortunately that isn’t a luxury many people in Africa have. Nigeria is better off than most nations on the continent but gaming still has limited penetration there. If Sony can make inroads though, they will be in a good position for the next generation,” continued Hawthorne. “Nintendo has gained some ground in the East, particularly Ethiopia where they have apparently sold upwards of 200 machines, but it is West Africa that has the real population numbers that these companies need to succeed and that is where Sony now very much has the upper hand.”
It’s not clear what software titles have been selling in Nigeria but it’s believed that much of the software in the country is pirated, skewing the numbers.
Douglas Havermore, Games Correspondent
NEWS > GAMES > PS3 FINALLY MAKES INROADS IN NIGERIA WITH SONY APOLOGY
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