(AP) - Sony Corp. said Monday that 1.2 million PlayStation 3 game consoles sold in North America during the key holiday season, boosting the strength of the electronics giant's Blu-ray next-generation video format.
The PlayStation 3 also works as a Blu-ray player.
Competition is growing intense not only among the latest video game machines - pitting Sony against Nintendo Co. and Microsoft Corp.
It is heating between the two latest video formats - Blu-ray and HD DVD, developed by Toshiba Corp.
Sony Computer Entertainment, the Japanese electronics and entertainment company's game unit, also said sales of the PlayStation Portable handheld reached 1.4 million in North America between Nov. 23 and Dec. 31.