The latest gaming and electronic devices have forced this year’s festive-season shoppers to dig deeper into their pockets. But high prices have not deterred South Africans from scratching digital cameras or the latest iPod accessories from their Christmas wish lists.
According to Gary Hadfield, CEO of South African online shop Kalahari.net, games and electronics have been popular internet-based purchases since the emergence of e-commerce.
“Sales for electronic gadgets and games have, however, increased exponentially as more and more people become comfortable with online shopping and as their mass market appeal increases,” he said.
The most popular items in the Kalahari.net electronic shop include MP3 players, digital cameras and PlayStation Portable (PSP) consoles and accessories, as well as blank DVD media.
In gaming, Need for Speed Most Wanted (PlayStation 2, PC and PSP), Quake IV (PC), Age of Empires III (PC), Sid Meier’s Civilization IV (PC), F.E.A.R. (PC), WWE Smackdown! vs Raw 2006 (PlayStation 2) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (PlayStation 2, PC & PSP) have all proven very popular, said Hadfield.
PlayStation 2 (PS2) console sales have slowed down this month on Kalahari.net “as gamers start to look towards the next generation of gaming consoles”, such as the Xbox 360 (recently released overseas but only officially available in South Africa in 2006) and Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 3 console, added Hadfield.
“Sony’s new handheld console, the PSP, and associated peripherals have, however, been well received by South African gamers. Sales for PS2 games remain strong, buoyed by a large install base and ever-decreasing prices on new releases and platinum titles.
“Similarly, PC games, particularly strategy titles and first-person shooters, remain very popular,” he said.
The Apple iPod was the number-one top seller on Amazon.com on Tuesday. The top sellers are updated hourly on the website and the top 10 also includes the PSP, iHome (the home entertainment system added on to the iPod), games, Canon digital cameras and a Phillips DVD player.
In the computer and video-game section, the PSP proved Amazon.com‘s best seller, with the Game Boy Advance SP coming in at third place and games such as F.E.A.R. and Microsoft Age Empires III in the top 10.