ROFLMAO...this seems a bit...errr...desperate:

Sony has revealed that website and PSP sign-ups to PlayStation Network were counted to bring the overall user-count to 17 million - the same number Microsoft announced for Xbox Live.

"The PSN numbers include people who have created accounts on PS3, the website and PSP," the platform holder explained to MTV Multiplayer, refusing to be drawn on PS3 specifics.

"Additionally, since PSN is a free online gaming service, some households create multiple IDs so that a father can keep a separate list of friends, trophies and stats from that of his daughter for example." Yes sharing the same friends would be strange.

The press release, issued by Sony last night, boasted 2.1 million sign-ups during December alone, which represents a 90 per cent monthly improvement. This, reasoned the company, was as a result of PlayStation Home entering open beta.

Sony Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai told us recently that Home had been downloaded 3.4 million times, and we now know around 900,000 items of clothing, furniture and so on have been acquired by the virtual inhabitants.

According to the latest official PS3 figures, Sony has sold 16.84 million PlayStation 3 consoles around the world, prompting much eye-bulging over the 17 million PSN user announcement.

The last PS3 count came on 30th September 2008, however, and so excludes the rampant holiday months of October, November and December - Q3 of Sony's financial year.

Microsoft, meanwhile, has shifted 28 million Xbox 360 consoles around the world, over 10 million of which have yet to sign-up for Xbox Live.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-explains-inflated-psn-numbers

 ?...one of us is wrong here...

This thread has been done before.
Deja vu much?

http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=56853

 MS adds Live for windows to it's totals, and many users have multiple accounts. Also, MS doesn't have a handheld yet.

My PSP account is the same one as my PS3 account by the way, and I only have the one account. I can't be the only one.

Microsoft should add theit hotmail accounts as a part of xbox live.

Umm yes PSN is free, but so is Xbox LIVE silver.

So while 17 million PSN accounts dosn't mean 17 million unique PS3 owners using their console online - 17 million XBL accounts dosn't mean 17 million unique 360 users using their console online ...

Now if only Nintendo would create some unified online profile for us ...

Sony is in conflict with reality itself... It needs to regain credibility instead of constantly spin stories and numbers.


Imagine Sony marketing the PS4 with it's current image. Journalists would systematically put every claim in doubt, and fanboys would be either bash or lol.


SCE needs to contain damage now. The Playstation brand is at stake.

Just another reason why these stats are meaningless. Companies can pull any number out, and turn it into a giant pissing contest. Well done Ninty for not getting involved.

In the end only ONE number matters: annual profit.

Actually Sony have been marketing the PS3 with rather thick bullshit pretty much forever. Heck, it was the same with the PS2, and probably even PS1.

So far the mainstream media has been too clueless to catch on, and the gaming media satisfied with how close the Playstations have come to what was promised. Will be interesting what happens if the PS3 continues to perform below expectations, though.

Sony is trying to make people believe that PSN is a plateform worth of investment ... but can't guarantee any ROI !

PSN : Users >< Customers

XBLive : (gold) Users = Customers

Nice try Sony ...

PS: I'm subscribed on PSN and don't use it anymore...

the official PS3 figures are from Q2 financial statements. New "official" numbers will be out at the end of January and cover til Dec 31, 08. so no one is wong here.

However, this article is stupid for using the "official" numbers as obviously there were more than 17m units sold before the number of PSN accounts was anounced, so it isn't all that "eye-bulging" although it is obvoius they had to include PSP and PSN website accounts.