It all seems a bit glum for Sony after the NPD sales figures for the US were released. The PSP, PS3 and PS2 were all beaten out by their current-gen rival, the Xbox 360, and sales of multiplatform games were also dominated by Microsoft’s console.

Despite this, Sony took what good news it could and decided to show it off anyway. Total PlayStation brand sales were up 20% year-over-year, while PlayStation 3 sales were up 94% year-over-year and 25% up over last month. Software sales for the PS3 also saw massive growth, with a 130% year-on-year growth, totalling 1 172 000 in PS3 software sales. This rosy growth is expected to continue in October with the release of SOCOM: Confrontation, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and NBA ’09: The Inside.

The PlayStation Network names and numbers were also thrown around, reminding everyone that WipEout HD, Linger in Shadows and PAIN: Amusement Park saw releases on the service, with 12 million registered PSN users and 240 million pieces of content bought and downloaded. You can read the full release below, read Microsoft’s NPD response here or check out September NPD figures here.

Sony’s September NPD Response

PS3 Sales Setting the Stage for a Solid Holiday Season; Total PlayStation Sales Up 20 Percent Year-Over-Year PlayStation 3 Hardware Unit Sales Top 232,408 PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) again experienced consistent momentum in September 2008, with 232,408 hardware units sold according to The NPD Group, an increase of over 94% year-over-year and an increase of more than 25% over the previous month. Additionally, software sales for PS3 experienced year-over-year growth of 130% with 1.72 million units sold.

Software sales are expected to continue their upward projection in October as SCEA kicks off the holiday season with the highly anticipated launches of LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, and NBA ’09: The Inside.

PlayStation®Network remained a popular destination with newly added games and entertainment content such as WipEout HD, Linger in Shadows and PAIN: Amusement Park. There are currently more than 12 million registered accounts worldwide and over 240 million pieces of content have been downloaded worldwide. PSP also experienced strong sales, with 238,056 hardware units sold.

Fueled by enthusiasm for the limited-edition LEGO Batman: The Videogame PlayStation®2(PS2) Pack, PS2 generated solid sales in September, with 173,527 hardware units sold, 20% growth from last month. An impressive 42.9 million PS2s have been sold in the U.S. as of September 2008.

Power of the PlayStation Portfolio The PlayStation brand experienced strong sales across all three platforms, earning $379 million in September. Year-to-date (Jan-Sept), the PlayStation brand has generated $4.03 billion in revenue, representing an increase of 20% year-over-year.

PlayStation total hardware revenue was $160.5 million in September, representing a year-to-year growth of 11%. PlayStation total software revenue in September was $180 million, representing a year-to-year growth of 17%.

CEO Perspective

“We remain confident that our footing is solid as we enter the holiday season this year. Our new 80GB PS3 model has made its way to retail shelves and into consumers’ living rooms as the best value for both their gaming and entertainment needs. If the impressive pre-sale numbers and ratings for LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, and Resistance 2 are any indication, we anticipate hardware and software sales to continue to lift in October as we officially kick off the broadest and deepest software line-up this holiday, including LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and NBA ’09: The Inside.

• Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America