Sony committed to PS3 "for 10 years and beyond"

SCEA president Jack Tretton has confirmed that the company has long term plans for PlayStation 3, playing down concerns over initial sales figures.

As reported by the LA Times, 1.2 million PS3 consoles have been sold in the US since November. The figure for Wii, which launched around the same time, stands at 2.1 million, while Microsoft's 18 month lead has given Xbox 360 an installed base of 5.3 million units.

"We didn't get into PS3 for the first six months of 2007 - we're into this for the next 10 years and beyond," said Tretton.

"A million units one way or another at this point isn't going to worry us."

Tretton's argument was backed up by IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon, who agreed that Sony is playing a longer game. "The PS3 is ahead of the market, while the Xbox 360 and the Wii were designed for immediate market impact," he said. Pidgeon also confirmed that he expects sales of Sony's next-gen console to ramp up in 2008.

However Kyoshi Shin of Japan's International Game Developers' Association was less positive, suggesting that many developers are shifting their focus to Nintendo Wii.

"When people talk about the PS3 on chat forums, they say it's like going to a very expensive restaurant and not getting anything to eat," he added.