Or in other words:

If "untested assumption A" is true, then "random fact B" may well be true.

Yes there are only indications. UK PS3 games are being released simultaneously with other European countries, so this assumption isn't a bad one. VGChartz does not claim any higher ground with regard to European sales, it's acknowledged by ioi European sales are much harder to track / estimate than for North America and we know how much of a difference there was with regard to NPD's January figures. (UK figures were also way off before the MCV/Chart Track announcement, likewise this is still the case for Australian/NZ figures compared to Sony/GfK data )

@MikeB:
Could you please stop bringing up 20-22% in every thread. You don't know if it's shipments or sells (but probably shipments). Also it was only for brief period of time. The fact that it doesn't give you exact number doesn't add to credability.

Did you even care to check this site' numbers? It says UK accounts for 23.2% of total others sales so it's very close to your vague numbers. So maybe next time you will use vgchartz ok? I know it's not perfect but it is better than your 20-22% and it will be much more accepted by other users.

@kamil

agree with you

near 5 million unit sold in 31/12 in other probably means more units sold to consumer than sold to retailers worlwide (at least similar figures)

I think PS3 is not undertracked in europe. May be only in "others and no europe" countries

@ kamil

UK figures are (now) slightly undertracked (based on MCV/ Chart Track), the 20-22 figure is the best indication we have gotten from Sony so far and corresponds well with past PS2 figures (~21%).

From MCV (24th of January 2008):

“In December we sold just over a million PlayStation 3s during the month,” he told MCV. “That’s across all PAL territories and that’s a sell-through figure. About 20-22 per cent of that figure was sold in the UK alone."

"“We don’t often mention the competition, but I will give you some interesting data: In terms of installed base in some of our major markets, such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy – plus some distributor territories in smaller markets like Switzerland – our current cumulative installed base is now higher than Xbox 360."

"It’s also worth mentioning that last week we outsold Xbox 360 in PAL territories by a ratio of three to one."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/29430/Reeves-PS3-will-overtake-360-by-summer

MCV is a high profile retailer magazine with a close relationship with the tracking firm Chart Track, which is turn has close tied and co-operation with GfK.

MCV / Chart Track / GfK >>> VGChartz just like NPD >>> VGChartz with regard to coverage, expertise and resources.

The 70% up in Italy is easily explained: after Mr. Prodi picked our pockets lots of people can only afford sales, so the market after Christmas thrives (and before, with full prices, languishes except for vital commodities and staple foods).

@Mike
I know all what you have posted. It's almost sure that 20-22% are shipped. It's also attributes for only period of time so it's obvious that numbers for total userbase will be different. You don't see those flaws? So why can't you use 23% from vgchartz? It is really that big of a different? And if really UK is undertracked than your 20-22% are even more off than 1%.

here is the original interview

http://www.mcvuk.com/interviews/186/INTERVIEW-David-Reeves

Key things

 
1) About numbers:

Well, Sony Corporation will be announcing the full numbers shortly

Europe numbers soon... 

2)  In terms of installed base in some of our major markets, such as France, Spain, Germany, Italy, plus some distributor territories in smaller markets like Switzerland, our current cumulative installed base is now higher than that of Xbox 360.

So there is something strange about germany numbers. Gfk is saying another thing...

3) It’s worth mentioning that last week we outsold Xbox 360 in PAL territories by a ratio of 3:1 (about mid january)

Son, it he's speaking about sony numbers PS3+PS2+PSP it doesn't make sense because adding the three they surpass x360 more than 3 to 1

If he is speaking only about PS3 vs X360 it means VGchartz is undertracking PS3 in PAL in 2008 or overtracking X360 in PAL in 2008. Vgchartz "only" gives PS3 and advantage of 2 to 1. Or may be Reeves is not telling the truth...