Financial reports by law must be accurate sales figures. I'm guessing that's what you are refering to. I think you misunderstood me. You can not lie on a financial report. These are legal documents that are filed with the IRS, and they must be completely accurate statistical data involving the finances of the company. Sony can not legally file a report for sold to consumers, because that is not Sony's finances. They don't sell to consumers, and they have no data on what is sold to consumers.

So, for example, say I sell rocks to walmart, who sells them to consumers. I can't file a financial report for how many rocks walmart sold, because after I sold them to walmart, they became walmart's product, no longer mine. It's the same thing with Sony. Sony ships electronics to warehouses (this used to be what they filed on their report), and then they sell the product to retailers. These are the only 2 units of meassure availbale to them to file in their reports. Those are the only 2 numbers related to their products. They can not say how much as been sold to consumers on a financial report, because they DO NOT SELL TO CONSUMERS. They can use things like NPD to say "look, worldwide we have sold about this much," but there is a large difference between a press release on statistical sales estimates (such as those given my NPD and VGC) and financial earnings reports. Does that explain it?

If you provided a link this would be more credible .I just read this new in some sites as playfrance and others and it said explicitly "sold to customers " .

Remember when David Reeves gave the 1.05 million sold in Europe ?Well ,it was sold to customers and he said also that they had shipped some 1.54 million in PAl region .So ,back in early june it was ,at least as Sony is concerned , 1.54 shipped and 1.05 sold .You ,or me ,can be dubious about this numbers or think they dont reflect reality ...but pretending they are saying other thing that they actually are doesnt change a thing .They may be telling lies ,they may be telling truth ,they may be doing themselves publicity ...but they were giving shipped/sold to customers numbers separated.

DKII ,in fact I am more in line with vgchartz numbers that with Sony ones .I think you are somewhat off in Europe but by a very acceptable margin .I dont believe the Starter Pack has only sold 1k more consoles in Europe its launch week ,but I know once you have better data you will fix this most probably .So I dont have any problem with this .I know you have some access to good sources ,but dont forget Sony 100% sure pays to have the full disclosure of NPD ,MC ,Gfk and gamecharts info .I would give the PS3 4.11 million or so ,not the 4.28+4 weeks sales that Sony would account .So ,I am more in line with vgchartz numbers that with Sony ones by a great degree .

I can accept Sony is giving themselves some publicity inflating somewhat the numbers or more credible by using statistic approachs that shed the more positive light posible on the sales .

The only problem I have right now is why some mods and users of this site are so agressive trying to impose a vision about what the new account method of Sony is .I read the clarifications of Sony ,I did read some webpages speaking of it ....and yet this is the only place I have seen this "Sony until now accounted consoles in warehouses and now accounts consoles in shops " approach .Since years ago the "shipped=consoles sold to retailers " as been the know modus operandi of Sony and others ,and the year before each and every poster of this site would say the same .Now that they are saying they no longer account the shipped but the sold consoles it is unnecesary to introduce and intermediary step that makes "sold=shipped for Sony " .I dont know if I expressed myself well ,as ioi says english isnt my native language .

I am not saying 4.28 have been sold to customers or not .They will or wont be ,what we say or not is irrelevant to the matter .In fact I think they werent when Sony told that ,and maybe only next week (one month and one week later ) they will reach near that number.So I am more in line with your numbers .But that doesnt change the fact that Sony told it was sold to customers ,lying or whatever but it said it .As examples

http://www.playfrance.com/news-infos-4-5-millions-de-playstation-3-vendues-dans-le-monde-325657.html

So dont tell me I am saying 4.28 sold and not shipped .I only say Sony said that .I dont support that number, they were lying if you wish ,but I dont like that some people insist so strongly in making me believe Sony new account method is other thing that what they said .In any case they could lie anyway so whats the problem ?