Electronics giant Sony has reported a 15 per cent fall in quarterly operating profits, with faltering sales in its videogame arm blamed for the slide.
The firm today said that operating profits for the three months ending December 31st was 179 billion yen (£75 million), down from 210 billion yen (£88 million) a year earlier.
Delays and high production prices to its flagship PlayStation 3 (PS3) console have hit Sony Computer Entertainment's balance sheets, while the PlayStation Portable (PSP) continues to experience lukewarm demand.
The PSP is competing directly against rival Nintendo's market-leading DS, while the PS3 faces stiff competition from Microsoft's Xbox and the Nintendo Wii.
However, Sony has still raised its profit forecasts for the full year, owing in part to the good performance in its flat-screen television and portable music player divisions.
"As a result of the strong performance of the electronics segment during the third quarter, operating results for the segment are trending higher than anticipated at the time of our previous forecast," the firm said in a statement.
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