Sony's gamble with a PS3 price drop worked and in a financial report released on Tuesday, the company revealed that its sale of the gaming console rose during the third quarter.

Sony revealed it has shipped 56 million PlayStation 3s worldwide to date, placing a million shy of Microsoft's gaming console. Microsoft reported in October it has shipped 57.3 million Xbox 360s, a small lead for the once dominant console.

For the quarter ending Sept. 30, Sony sold 3.7 million PS3 units up 200,000 units sold last year. The PSP also posted strong sales with 1.7 million units sold up a few hundred thousand units. Software for the PS3 also saw an increase in sales up from 35.3 million to 37.4 million.

In Australia, the PS3 is now the number one console for 2011. Official NPD Group Australia data from retailers show that the PS3 had the highest number of consoles sold in Australia.

A slew of games this last quarter will also push sales of the console in the lucrative holiday season. The latest installment of Uncharted, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, the Elder Scrolls, and Final Fantasy will make for a very busy season for gaming consoles in the last year.

The great sales Sony posted was good news for the beleaguered tech giant which had been hit by security breaches that bogged the Playstation Network and resulted in the theft of personal information from PSN users.

However, Sony still continues to be hounded by financial losses in the wake of lackluster TV sales and low foreign exchange rates as well as the impact of the Thai floods. Sony's Consumer Products and Services division fell to $9.99 billion for the quarter.