During the week of Jan. 22-28, sales of the PlayStation 2 consoles reached 20,995 units while PlayStation 3 clocked in at 19,996, according to research firm Media Create.

The company receives data from around 3,000 stores across Japan and uses that to estimate nationwide sales.

Sony’s report was that its gaming division had experienced a significant operating loss during the quarter, “primarily the result of the loss arising from the sale of PS3 at strategic price points, as well as the recording of other charges in association with preparation for the launch of PS3.”

The games division reported an operating loss of US$445 million during the quarter, compared with a profit Free How-To Guide for Small Business Web Strategies – from domain name selection to site promotion. of $557 million in the same quarter of 2005. Net profit dropped by more than 5 percent to $1.3 billion. The company shipped 1.84 million PS3 machines worldwide during the quarter, though its availability in Europe has been delayed to later this year.