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[ArkkAngel007]

Is this the most a system has sold at $399, or did Xbox 360 sell more before dropping price? Last generation was such a weird procession of kinda-sorta-nope with price drops that it is difficult to remember.

Very impressive either way. I figured it would hit the 18 month mark at full MSRP the way PS2 did. I wonder if we will see PS4 and Xbox One hit $299 at E3 or if they will go with half assed $349 prices.

The Wii is the only system last gen that was in a better position sales wise by about 2 million to where PS4 stands now iirc from the numbers being thrown around here. Numbers from each generation per system were 2-5 pages back I think.

Don't see how $349.99 is a half-assed price drop in consideration to how well it's doing WW, and will be outselling XBO again next month if they aren't already set to take this month with the XBO going back to $399.99 in the US. XBO definitely can't drop that far down atm. Unless you're like my wife who likes what she calls 'round numbers' which is basically multiples of tens, hundreds, thousands, depending on what hair brained scale she is using.

Edit: But by holiday Sony can do a drop to $299 through sales at that base $350. Just wouldn't expect a $100 drop at E3. I'll gladly eat crow though if they pull such a huge maneuver.

 

[3rdamention]

My gut saying Xbone hasn't broken 10M sold through yet. If they did, wouldn't MS come out and announce it already? 10M console sold is such a solid achievement that MS wouldn't just sit on it.

With the way that MS has been with numbers, and their PR (we are the best selling console the past 2 weeks, sales are x amount more than the previous week, fastest selling console, preseason, will ship 10 million "soon") it is obvious that the numbers they do want to share are bullet points. They are to paint a picture of success. The Xbox One sales have been very successful, they have been very good.


However, Microsoft doesn't exist in a bubble, the gaming landscape doesn't exist in a bubble. Microsoft is in a competition with Sony when it comes to their gaming console. Coming out and saying they have shipped or sold over 10 million, now, after Sony has released PR stating they have sold over 18.5 million, is not going to paint the Xbox One in the light they have been basking in PR wise recently. It is just going to be gaming site and gaming forums statistics to further compare the PS4 and Xbox One sales, and in comparison to the PS4, and it will just show how big the deficit really is.


I think Microsoft will continue to release the numbers they want to release that show the growth of the Xbox One in the past few months, over the Holiday, to show how much the system is growing sales wise, not exactly how far it is behind the PS4 worldwide. That is why they released the 9 million shipped consoles "soon" PR, it was information that was going to coincide with incredible numbers in November, and show how much the console was growing and improving sales wise. Of course, up to date shipped numbers will be revealed at the investor meetings this year and it will show exactly where the Xbox One stands, but until then, I dont expect any real sales numbers from Microsoft outside of the Holiday Season sales aka PostSeason. They haven't really offered them since launch month ( I believe that was the last time).

 

[Shengar]

Japan also dropped the ball, rather badly.

With their current state, nothing will stop Japan migration to mobile. Let us just hope that there still developers who create games for dedicated console.

 

[BigDug13]

People also forget that Wii was $250 at launch. When was the last time we had a major console launch at that price? (Even lower at 20,000 yen in Japan iirc)

 

[serversurfer]

so there's no hope for the xbone. that's basically what you're saying. what everyone's saying.

What do you define as hope? XBone shipments for all of 2014 are going to be right around 6M units total, worldwide. That includes a bunch of likely-well-stocked-yet-lackluster launches in TIer 2+. The XBone sales you see in the US and UK represent almost the entirety of their overall sales. Other countries aren't buying it. Honest.

But let's assume it is selling just as well in countries that don't speak English, and rather than having stock gathering dust worldwide, those launch shipments are being replenished regularly. So that's ~6M shipments in 2014 for MS, compared to ~15M shipments for Sony in the same period.

So let's look to 2015. We know MS will have some exclusives for the holiday, and we know Sony will have exclusives all year long. MS are already back to $400, where they were being outsold by Sony nearly 2:1, even in the US. This holiday, MS were able to pull ahead of Sony in the US and UK by drastically undercutting Sony on price/freebies. Meanwhile, Sony mostly stood pat on their value proposition and handily outsold MS worldwide, even counting the slight loss they took in the English-speaking countries.

But, by next holiday, PS4 will almost assuredly be at $299, so where do MS go to buy sales at that point? $199 with two games? For Black Friday 2014, XBone bundles were literally going toe-to-toe with PS3 bundles on price. So seriously, what's the plan for 2015?

Sony shipped 15M in 2014, and with a legitimate price cut 2015, they can include a steamy turd in the box and do the same again. 20M units in 2015 with a price cut is easily possible; it's only 33% more than they shipped at $399. They could maybe even do a bit more than 20M if the $500 bundle with Morpheus takes off.

So another 15M-20M for Sony this year, and realistically what, 5M for XBone? That'd be 3M US, 1M UK, and 1M Elsewhere. That's only a little off their 2014 shipments; I think they'd have to be pretty happy with that, especially in the face of a significant price cut on the PS4. So maybe 37M:14M by the end of 2015, 55M:18M for 2016, 75M:20M for the end of 2017… So probably something like the PS2 generation. Like PS2, PS4 could hit ~100M in five years, and continue to sell for a while after the PS5 launches. By the time the PS5 launches, the XBone will likely be a bit over 20M with the majority of those sales coming in the US and UK, much like sales of the XBox.

So with sales like that, I think XBone users can always "hope" for a port of Madden, and probably stuff like CoD too. Basically, about the same level of support the original XBox got. Were you hoping for more? It seems pretty unlikely that Ono will be the last developer to realize they're better off without Microsoft.

Also, MS could actually pull the plug on the entire project before it even runs five years. Again, that's what happened to the original XBox when they decided it was going nowhere. Earlier in the thread, some people were talking about MS likely wanting to "exit the market gracefully" or some fanciful shit like that, but that's not the MS I know. Look at the Zune; when MS decide they're done, zero fucks are given.

 

[BigDug13]

With their current state, nothing will stop Japan migration to mobile. Let us just hope that there still developers who create games for dedicated console.

Of course they will. They just need to transition to making Western-catered games like many Japanese developers have already done.

They may not be the quirky "designed-for-Japanese-culture" type games you see now, but they can still find success by following the market.

 

[AniHawk]

Ok and do you have any numbers of other nations where console gaming has increased over the years? Japan is one market. What do the numbers from 20-30 other smaller markets tell us if they all see small increases from last gen? We're seeing developers emerge from all kinds of other nations that were not making console games in previous generations.

do you?

People point to Japan as this epicenter like it determines the health of the industry. I propose that other nations can pick up the slack and Japanese developers can still make console games that cater to other markets like they are doing at Capcom, From, Namco, etc.

japan's important because that's where a lot of the modern industry was started. even in the playstation era, it was namco, capcom, konami, and square enix leading the way. it's a kind of variety that's been muted and essentially discarded for an increasingly focused library. i would say that traditional japanese companies are actually finding it difficult to reach out to this userbase because it is so much more focused and out of their league with regards to budget, and not part of their wheelhouse when it comes to style. a lot of them went to psp and ds last gen, and they're going mobile and even steam now.

the solution that these companies should disregard what makes them unique and focus on doing what everyone else is already doing is a poor one, and it feeds into the current problem of appealing to shrinking tastes.

 

[shinra-bansho]

has lost quite a good deal of support from families who purchased the 360 late in its life.

I should probably preface by saying I haven't been following the full conversation of whatever it is you and others are discussing...

I'm sure we've discussed this before, but I think it's premature to talk about the loss of late cycle markets and point to current sales data. It could very well be gone, but the current sales simply indicate there's still a viable core market, not that there isn't a family market.

Anyway, I think it's quite fair to say that Nintendo is the bearing the brunt of the dedicated market contraction as a result of convergent devices appealing to certain market segments, with which they had unprecedented success with the Wii and NDS. That and Sony's handhelds, although that can also be attributed to Nintendo absorbing that market with the 3DS, somewhat offsetting complete collapse on Nintendo's part.

Because these are the systems for which the convergent devices have best been able to replicate and substitute the experiences of. They as yet don't offer a sufficiently adequate substitute for the core home console gaming segment, due to both complexity of control schemes and presentation. When, not if, they eventually do, the remaining traditional market will presumably succumb.

While some have lapsed, a lot just move to whatever is best suited. And the existing platform holders simply aren't capable of competing given their current models with the proposition being offered to more price sensitive consumer segments that don't hold the dimensions they offer to be of significant value.

Which is why seeing the writing on the wall publishers and platform holders have been experimenting with service models. That's the long game.

I'd probably actually consider the likes of GameStop to be in more of an immediate and long term predicament. This generation I expect there to be increasing transition to digital (while next generation will be the transition to streaming). Whence digital comprises a big enough part of software sales, the power dynamic between physical retail and publishers will shift allowing for instance undercutting of physical retail, which in turn will spur digital adoption.

(Microsoft's European woes are a result of a more competitive proposition vying in the dedicated space, not so much a contraction in the target market. They also tried and failed to concurrently appeal to both an expanded audience family market and the core segment, to the detriment of their value proposition to either.)

/end of musing rant.

 

[xxracerxx]

But, by next holiday, PS4 will almost assuredly be at $299, so where do MS go to buy sales at that point? $199 with two games? For Black Friday 2014, XBone bundles were literally going toe-to-toe with PS3 bundles on price. So seriously, what's the plan for 2015?

I think the PS4 will be $349 come this holiday and more deals (dips down to $299) for Nov/Dec.

MS, I have no clue where they go with price at this point.

 

[unknownstranger]

Very impressive numbers. First half of the year is stacked compared to most so I wouldn't be surprised if there's no price drop at E3. Wouldn't be shocked to see a $399 Batman: Arkham Knight bundle in June though.

 

[RespectThySole]

That "approaching 10 Million" figure included the majority of their Holiday console shipments. Thus, it is basically impossible for their sales to have exceeded 10M before year's end.

We don't know that it was the majority of the their shipments of their Holiday console shipments actually(I doubt it). They stated this 1 week into November NPD.

The XB1 has sold 4.9 million+ through November. If it sells between 1.4-1.5 million in December that would put it at 6.3-6.4 million just for the U.S.

We know that the XB1 passed 1 million in the UK mid-November so it might be at around 1.3 million or so by now.
France XB1 numbers were at 330k earlier in the year. Those numbers alone put it above 8 million. It's not that hard to see another 2 million from the ROTW.

 

[BigDug13]

do you?



japan's important because that's where a lot of the modern industry was started. even in the playstation era, it was namco, capcom, konami, and square enix leading the way. it's a kind of variety that's been muted and essentially discarded for an increasingly focused library. i would say that traditional japanese companies are actually finding it difficult to reach out to this userbase because it is so much more focused and out of their league with regards to budget, and not part of their wheelhouse when it comes to style. a lot of them went to psp and ds last gen, and they're going mobile and even steam now.

the solution that these companies should disregard what makes them unique and focus on doing what everyone else is already doing is a poor one, and it feeds into the current problem of appealing to shrinking tastes.

Ok but nations are picking up some slack. Right now I can play a Russian-made game on my PS4. Some European countries that weren't developing console games before are now. Australia is seeing game development. Wasn't there an article about game development in Africa recently?

If Japan moves on to mobile, that is still not proof of a contraction. I don't need to provide numbers because I'm not the one making a "severe contraction" claim.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

Very impressive numbers. First half of the year is stacked compared to most so I wouldn't be surprised if there's no price drop at E3. Wouldn't be shocked to see a $399 Batman: Arkham Knight bundle in June though.

It is Arkham Knight marketing exclusive for Sony, isn't it...would help keep things going after a hopefully successful The Order 1886 and hopefully record console sales of a FROMsoft title with Bloodborne.

Are either of those getting bundles in the US by the way?

 

[biglittleps]

I think the PS4 will be $349 come this holiday and more deals (dips down to $299) for Nov/Dec.

MS, I have no clue where they go with price at this point.

I agree. PS4 will be 349$ with bundles and some retailers offering it for 300$ or lower for BF. Microsoft can go with 300$ but PS4 library(may be morpheus also exists to attract) will be better with the exclusives they are releasing this year overall because they have diversity compared to XB1 which caters only the fans that are established already.

 

[unknownstranger]

It is Arkham Knight marketing exclusive for Sony, isn't it...would help keep things going after a hopefully successful The Order 1886 and hopefully record console sales of a FROMsoft title with Bloodborne.

Are either of those getting bundles in the US by the way?

Arkham Knight has exclusive content on PS4 and has been featured at most Sony events, so yeah. I think a Batman themed PS4 would do really well.

 

[The Shogun]

Overall Xbone numbers aren't bad. Not at all.

Sony / Playstation 4 is just going fucking Super Saiyan at the moment.

Xbone is doing poorly outside of English speaking countries but their total sales number's aren't horrible.

That being said Playstation 4 is the clear cut winner of this generation. The debate is over barring some insane never heard before comeback by MS.

 

[biglittleps]

It is Arkham Knight marketing exclusive for Sony, isn't it...would help keep things going after a hopefully successful The Order 1886 and hopefully record console sales of a FROMsoft title with Bloodborne.

Are either of those getting bundles in the US by the way?

No bundles announced for US yet but there is Order 1886 bundles for Europe announced. We may see bundles for Bloodborne but not Order 1886 i guess.

 

[AniHawk]

I should probably preface by saying I haven't been following the full conversation of whatever it is you and others are discussing...

I'm sure we've discussed this before, but I think it's premature to talk about the loss of late cycle markets and point to current sales data.

Anyway, I think it's quite fair to say that Nintendo is the bearing the brunt of the dedicated market contraction as a result of convergent devices appealing to certain market segments, with which they had unprecedented success with the Wii an NDS. That and Sony's handhelds, although that can also be attributed to Nintendo absorbing that market with the 3DS, somewhat offsetting complete collapse on Nintendo's part.

Because these are the systems for which the convergent devices have best been able to replicate and substitute the experiences of. They as yet don't offer a sufficiently adequate substitute for the core home console gaming segment, due to both complexity of control schemes and presentation. When, not if, they eventually do, the remaining traditional market will presumably succumb.

While some have lapsed, a lot just move to whatever is best suited. And the existing platform holders simply aren't capable of competing given their current models with the proposition being offered to more price sensitive consumer segments that don't hold the dimensions they offer to be of significant value.

Which is why seeing the writing on the wall publishers and platform holders have been experimenting with service models. That's the long game.

I'd probably actually consider the likes of GameStop to be in more of an immediate and long term predicament. This generation I expect there to be increasing transition to digital (while next generation will be the transition to streaming). Whence digital comprises a big enough part of software sales, the power dynamic between physical retail and publishers will shift allowing for instance undercutting of physical retail, which in turn will spur digital adoption.

(Microsoft's European woes are a result of a more competitive proposition vying in the dedicated space, not so much a contraction in the target market. They also tried and failed to concurrently appeal to both an expanded audience family market and the core segment, to the detriment of their value proposition to either.)

/end of musing rant.

yeah, i agree the traditional model is being attacked on all fronts. the remaining portion is what we're seeing - the strongest, most lucrative (through its predictability, not necessarily return on investment) part is what microsoft, sony, and nintendo are all circling the wagons around. but even that's getting eaten from the inside out, i feel. ps now's subscription model of being roughly $200 a year sounds like it could morph into something even more once other features are added, perhaps absorbed from ps plus. microsoft kind of jumped the gun kind of a lot in may 2013 when they decided they wanted to have their cake and eat it to, trying to combine download-only principles with a retail market. i wouldn't doubt they try again but with a better plan next-gen, maybe being bold and trying the all-digital route (we are talking maybe 5 years from now, which is a very long time). even nintendo's been saying things about digital being a sort of gaming platform, and they're the most toylike company of the bunch. that's disregarding third-parties setting up shops in current marketplace and offering incentives to sign up for their service or use their download platform. that's disregarding gamestop's moves towards getting out of being a retail-only company. that's disregarding the massive success of steam. that's disregarding amazon throwing their hat in the ring with fire tv.

it's actually kind of exciting. it's sort of a new wild west out there, and it makes me think of what the early 1980s must have been for the industry with companies that had no prior investment in video games suddenly wanting in. that's the sort of thing that will drive the industry towards growth, but it won't be in the way people who grew up in the 80s, 90s, and 00s would know it.

 

[Brad Grenz]

We don't know that it was the majority of the their shipments of their Holiday console shipments actually(I doubt it). They stated this 1 week into November NPD.

Sure we do. Container ships aren't that fast so if this stuff was supposed to be delivered by the end of the year most of it had to be on the way already.

The XB1 has sold 4.9 million+ through November. If it sells between 1.4-1.5 million in December that would put it at 6.3-6.4 million just for the U.S.

We know that the XB1 passed 1 million in the UK mid-November so it might be at around 1.3 million or so by now.
France XB1 numbers were at 330k earlier in the year. Those numbers alone put it above 8 million. It's not that hard to see another 2 million from the ROTW.

You don't seem to understand just how poorly the Xbox One sold outside the US/UK last year. It would be nigh impossible to scrape up that 2M from the ROTW.

 

[mrklaw]

I thnk it is premature to say there is a core market contraction when PS4 has just sold through more than any other console at that price point in the first 12months. Nintendo's relative lack of success is nintendo being nintendo and I don't think reflects on the industry at large - more like going back to GameCube etc numbers showing the wii was an anomaly for them. And MS' relative lack of performance is more reflective of PS4 launching alongside it, which we didn't get last gen. Overall I'd say the core market is looking pretty ok. Maybe we,re used to paying crazy money for iPads and iPhones, so $399 for something that'll last more and two years is see as good value?

And family/mass market/late cycle market size is too early to predict. Will they have been distracted by tablets and phones, or will $199/249 boxes under the TV still bring them out in droves to buy? Probably another 12-18 months before we'll have a picture on that?

My main concern is whether this early success is bringing adoption forwards, meaning a shorter generation or lower overall sales but achieved faster.

 

[serversurfer]

I think the PS4 will be $349 come this holiday and more deals (dips down to $299) for Nov/Dec.

MS, I have no clue where they go with price at this point.

In May, Sony said the hardware was selling at profit in all regions, which would include the particularly unprofitable US market. I think they could've already knocked $50 off if they'd wanted to, and are instead waiting for the much bigger psychological impact a $100 cut will have on consumers than slowly chipping away at the price.

Plus, if they can announce a $100 cut in conjunction with the Morpheus launch, it significantly eases the blow for the latter; yesterday $399 got you a PS4, and tomorrow, $499 will get you a PS4 with VR. Almost makes the $200 headset sound cheap.

 

[AniHawk]

Ok but nations are picking up some slack. Right now I can play a Russian-made game on my PS4. Some European countries that weren't developing console games before are now. Australia is seeing game development. Wasn't there an article about game development in Africa recently?

If Japan moves on to mobile, that is still not proof of a contraction. I don't need to provide numbers because I'm not the one making a "severe contraction" claim.

you're claiming that they will make up for japan. so here are some numbers.

saturn: 5.5m
n64: 5m
psx: 25m
gb/c (1998-2002): 17m
total: 49m

dc: 3m
gc: 4m
xbox: 0.5m
ps2: 21.5m
gba: 17m
total: 46m

wii: 13m
ps3: 9.5m
360: 1.5m
ds: 33m
psp: 21m
total: 78m

okay, so what shows that those markets are making up for the loss of this one.

 

[mrklaw]

You don't seem to understand just how poorly the Xbox One sold outside the US/UK last year. It would be nigh impossible to scrape up that 2M from the ROTW.

Do you think Sony will hit 20m sold through before MS hits 10m?

 

[Man]

Slaying it.

 

[chadskin]

Ok but nations are picking up some slack. Right now I can play a Russian-made game on my PS4. Some European countries that weren't developing console games before are now. Australia is seeing game development. Wasn't there an article about game development in Africa recently?

Which Russian-made PS4 game? If you mean the Metro series, that was made in Kiev, Ukraine.
And which European countries weren't developing console games before lol?

 

[xxracerxx]

Do you think Sony will hit 20m sold through before MS hits 10m?

Ehhh....I don't think that is likely to happen but with MS raising the price back to $399...possibly.

 

[freefornow]

But, by next holiday, PS4 will almost assuredly be at $299, s

Sony have absolutely no reason to be at that price point by next holiday.
I honestly can't see their sales even "plateauing" to a point where they would need to go to this price point.

 

[RespectThySole]

Sure we do. Container ships aren't that fast so if this stuff was supposed to be delivered by the end of the year most of it had to be on the way already.



You don't seem to understand just how poorly the Xbox One sold outside the US/UK last year. It would be nigh impossible to scrape up that 2M from the ROTW.

I already gave you 8 million from just 3 countries. Last leaked numbers from Germany was 270K so it's 300K+ by now there. If we assume Canada is 10% of the U.S. market then there should be around 600K or so XB1s sold there. That already puts at about 9 million without numbers from Australia, NZ, China, etc.

I understand that XB1 is doing poorly outside of the US/UK, but it is very likely that it is at 2 million+ outside of US/UK/France. There is simply no way that there hasn't been more than the "almost" 10 million XB1s shipped to date because they would be sold out everywhere if that was the case.

 

[Qvoth]

surprised it hasn't hit 20m yet tbh, sales are slowing down quite a bit?

 

[Mooreberg]

The Wii is the only system last gen that was in a better position sales wise by about 2 million to where PS4 stands now iirc from the numbers being thrown around here. Numbers from each generation per system were 2-5 pages back I think.

Don't see how $349.99 is a half-assed price drop in consideration to how well it's doing WW, and will be outselling XBO again next month if they aren't already set to take this month with the XBO going back to $399.99 in the US. XBO definitely can't drop that far down atm. Unless you're like my wife who likes what she calls 'round numbers' which is basically multiples of tens, hundreds, thousands, depending on what hair brained scale she is using.

Edit: But by holiday Sony can do a drop to $299 through sales at that base $350. Just wouldn't expect a $100 drop at E3. I'll gladly eat crow though if they pull such a huge maneuver.

I just mean half assed in comparison to what was offered over the holidays. The bundled software with PS4 in November was good, and the Xbox One deals were crazy.

 

[Etnos]

That's pretty good news for the industry overallm good for us. Personally thought I wouldn't go as far as said "console gaming is saved"

Consider world population has grown since the 90s, sales should be bigger than the PS2 era for us to say: hey actually the console market is growing...

 

[Cyborg]

If they did better in Japan they would already be at the 20mil point. Final Fantasy is there to save them!

Real savior would be

Spoiler

Monster Hunter

 

[NEO0MJ]

I thnk it is premature to say there is a core market contraction when PS4 has just sold through more than any other console at that price point in the first 12months.

Maybe that can be attributed to the fact that the console market demographic is getting older? It seems that the people buying PS4/X1 now are the same people who have been buying consoles since they were 10, and can now afford to buy them earlier?

If they did better in Japan they would already be at the 20mil point. Final Fantasy is there to save them!

japan is dead, nothing can save the console situation there. It's better to focus on potential future markets instead.

 

[The Shogun]

If we assume Canada is 10% of the U.S. market

Canada, dat 51st state! Always knew you guys had it in you, welcome to the Union

Spoiler

jk

 

[the_batman]

so ******** was right!

edit: oh wow, it's censored? was trying to mention that video game site that has charts..

 

[Etnos]

Maybe that can be attributed to the fact that the console market demographic is getting older? It seems that the people buying PS4/X1 now are the same people who have been buying consoles since they were 10, and can now afford to buy them earlier?



japan is dead, nothing can save the console situation there. It's better to focus on potential future markets instead.

There is more people now than there was 10 years ago. Sales numbers should be higger, The same old peopel buying the products they like, since their were kids is not a growing market.

japan is dead, nothing can save the console situation there. It's better to focus on potential future markets instead.

That future market should be kids, but if marketing firms are to believe, kis want ipads these days and care not for Mario.

 

[TomShoe]

so ******** was right!

edit: oh wow, it's censored? was trying to mention that video game site that has charts..

Even a blind squirrel will find a nut eventually.

 

[stryke]

If they did better in Japan they would already be at the 20mil point. Final Fantasy is there to save them!

Real savior would be

Spoiler

Monster Hunter

Just because something is popular on portables doesn't mean similar success would translate to home consoles - particularly in Japan.

 

[ArkkAngel007]

I just mean half assed in comparison to what was offered over the holidays. The bundled software with PS4 in November was good, and the Xbox One deals were crazy.

Gotcha. Lowering by $50 will probably be best for both consumers and investors. The latter don't feel like rising profits are suddenly thrown out the window in an extreme fashion, while consumers still get the price drop AND the benefit of retailers/Sony having the field to lower it further during sales.

If they went all the way down to $299.99 from the get go, it would probably stay like that all year. A lot of people here in particular don't care for this mindset by these companies, but being able to provide sales to grab on-the-fence or frugal-minded consumers tend to be a great boon during the holidays and quarter lines. And, done right, it can be basically an unofficial price that is rotated between retailers until the company is ready to move forward with it as an official drop.

Spoiler

Rather than drop the sales price entirely, Microsoft.

But I agree from where you're coming from.

 

[Goodlife]

God I feel old.
Remember the first year or so of the Wii, really felt involved with it all, knew loads of people who had one / were trying to get one, seemed to be an "important" story.

But PS4 has, buy the sounds of it, sold only 2 mil less in it's first year, but I've heard nowt about it, I know nobody who had got one and it has all just passed me by.

 

[chadskin]

God I feel old.
Remember the first year or so of the Wii, really felt involved with it all, knew loads of people who had one / were trying to get one, seemed to be an "important" story.

But PS4 has, buy the sounds of it, sold only 2 mil less in it's first year, but I've heard nowt about it, I know nobody who had got one and it has all just passed me by.

Good lesson on how valuable anecdotal evidence is.

 

[Mooreberg]

That's pretty good news for the industry overallm good for us. Personally thought I wouldn't go as far as said "console gaming is saved"

Consider world population has grown since the 90s, sales should be bigger than the PS2 era for us to say: hey actually the console market is growing...

If the population growth is outside of Japan, North America, and western Europe, it is not terribly relevant to companies selling full priced software. At some point BRIC territories could come to make up for Japan being a mess in terms of hardware units. But I am not sure what that does for software. Forty to sixty dollar games are a first world affair. Everything that can be mutilated into a F2P equivalent is on PC in China.

Also, agree with you Arkangel.

 

[travisbickle]

We don't know that it was the majority of the their shipments of their Holiday console shipments actually(I doubt it). They stated this 1 week into November NPD.

The XB1 has sold 4.9 million+ through November. If it sells between 1.4-1.5 million in December that would put it at 6.3-6.4 million just for the U.S.

We know that the XB1 passed 1 million in the UK mid-November so it might be at around 1.3 million or so by now.
France XB1 numbers were at 330k earlier in the year. Those numbers alone put it above 8 million. It's not that hard to see another 2 million from the ROTW.

Where did you get that number from. I have literally kept numbers from each month of the prediction thread in a spreadsheet and come out with just under 4 million up to November.

 

[RespectThySole]

Canada, dat 51st state! Always knew you guys had it in you, welcome to the Union

Spoiler

jk

Haha!

 

[Game Guru]

People say that the Wii audience has disappeared completely into mobile, but consider this... The Wii was a $250 console that roughly 20 million copies in its first year. The PS4 is a $400 console that is only 2 million less than that. How well will the PS4 sell when it gets to the $250 price point?

Yes, console gaming appears to be contracting, but save for Wii U compared to PS3, it seems almost in line with last generation. For all we know, some of those former Wii gamers and Kinect players could be waiting for the PS4 to get to the right price for them to buy.

 

[biglittleps]

In May, Sony said the hardware was selling at profit in all regions, which would include the particularly unprofitable US market. I think they could've already knocked $50 off if they'd wanted to, and are instead waiting for the much bigger psychological impact a $100 cut will have on consumers than slowly chipping away at the price.

Plus, if they can announce a $100 cut in conjunction with the Morpheus launch, it significantly eases the blow for the latter; yesterday $399 got you a PS4, and tomorrow, $499 will get you a PS4 with VR. Almost makes the $200 headset sound cheap.

Looks like Sony want to do $499 PS4+Morpheus this holiday and standalone should be around $349 with game or $299 without games.

 

[detrimental]

When we talk about no other console priced @ level of PS4 selling this fast, are we factoring in inflation?

$400 in 2014 isn't equal to $400 in 1995.

BTW, I haven't looked at the numbers. Just a point I wanted some clarity on.

 

[RespectThySole]

Where did you get that number from. I have literally kept numbers from each month of the prediction thread in a spreadsheet and come out with just under 4 million up to November.

NPD thread.

US

PS4 is at ~5.6 million
XB1 is at ~4.9 million

 

[ArkkAngel007]

God I feel old.
Remember the first year or so of the Wii, really felt involved with it all, knew loads of people who had one / were trying to get one, seemed to be an "important" story.

But PS4 has, buy the sounds of it, sold only 2 mil less in it's first year, but I've heard nowt about it, I know nobody who had got one and it has all just passed me by.

No major supply constrains and no real catch to the system for those who aren't really a core/casual-core audience. PSOne had CD, PS2 had DVD, 360 was clear out the gate, Wii had motion controls and excelling as an affordable family center-piece...

It's really going to be about the games this gen. And it's looking good (unless you like JRPGs...which will hopefully be remedied) to where hopefully by the end of this year you will be hearing plenty about it.

Never going to be at Wii levels though. That was insane and to this day I feel I missed out in not getting one then.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Man, great news Sony! They really had a turn around at the start of this gen. 18.5 million since their launch at November 2013...13 months in..I wonder if they'll reach PS2 numbers.