It's Friday evening, I should be relaxing. Instead, I'm reading over a bunch of stats firmly concentrating on that little Playstation 3 doohickey. You might remember it was launched a couple of weeks ago... and we've just received word that the platform (and associated peripherals, games and accessories) has generated more than $33 million in sales, according to GfK, the third-party analyst group that keeps track of these things.

Daniel Morse from GfK stated, "Our data revealed that in a matter of just ten days the PLAYSTATION 3 created a spike in retail spending not previously witnessed at the launch of any other console in Australia. This spending continued into the second week of trading, resulting in sales of 27,083 PLAYSTATION 3 consoles in just ten days."

And it wasn't just the hardware - PS3 software did kinda good as well, with Sony again dominating the top of the sofware titles charts. Resistance: Fall of Man, MotorStorm and Formula One: Championship Edition were the top three highest selling games in the week ending March 25th, and in the overall console games charts, PS3 took out nine of the top ten places (with FFXII sneaking in there at #5). Mind you, these stats are without any PC titles involved - but even when you introduce the other platform, PS3 has seven out of the top ten, with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and The Sims 2: Seasons at 9 and 10, respectively.

Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia & New Zealand, said: "Following a great launch for the PS3 across the country, it's very satisfying for us to see that our close planning with retail and channel partners has ensured that all consumers wanting to get their hands on a PS3, whether they pre-ordered or not, were able to. With the PS3 now realised, the strong consumer support to date indicates that we've had a successful platform launch and are at a great starting position for us to grow and develop the PS3 platform. The inclusion of a Blu-ray Disc player in the PS3 has also helped firmly launch the new disc format in Australia, with the install base growing over 40-fold in just three days."

Michael Ephraim Australian PS3 Launch

The introduction of the pink PlayStation 2 last month has helped sales of the seven year old console, seeing some impressive figures - in the first 10 days of the PS3's release (March 23 - April 1), 27,083 PS3s were sold, with the PS2 coming second, with 7,954.

"Having three platforms selling strongly in Australia clearly demonstrates that PlayStation products are true category and technology leaders. The continued success of the PlayStation 2 offers an insight into our vision for the PS3; to have a platform that in ten years' time offers a diverse range of entertainment options enjoyed by the whole family, playing a significant role in the living room and home," said Michael Ephraim.

Sony Australia is also concentrating their marketing efforts on making sure people can "experience" the PS3.

"At a retail level there has been a significant investment in interactive display units to ensure interested consumers are able to explore the product. Through this interaction and demonstration, people will truly appreciate the value of our product offering . While the PS3 is a fantastic gaming machine, its feature set goes far beyond this, offering broad home entertainment functionality that will be relevant for at least the next ten years," Ephraim concludes.