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April 2014 NPD (U.S. Hardware) Predictions - Closes May 12th

Hope


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They should in theory with the new sku. MS hung around except for Jan and that was with the expensive sku.
 

Frillen

Member
"Wait until the xbox launches in the us"
"Wait until the holidays" (It actually took this month only because ps4 was out of stock)
"Wait until January because first non holiday"
"Wait until February when holiday rush is over"
"Wait until March when Titan fall launches"
They can't say anything for April and May because they know ps4 will win these two without a doubt
"Wait until June because they will win E3 "
"Wait until June because kinectless sku "
"Wait until November when Cod bundle launches"
"Wait until this holiday season when exclusives come out"
"Wait until Halo 5 launches"
"Wait until Gears 4 launches"
"Wait until Xbox releases in more countries"

And they will not stop.

What the hell are they supposed to say then? "In the month of April we think the Xbone will get crushed by the PS4".
 
Major releases this month to look out for in terms of NPD leaks:



NPD Reporting Period: April 6th - May 3rd


Kinect Sports Rivals (XB1) - April 8th

LEGO The Hobbit (PS4 + XB1 + PS3 + 360 + 3DS + PSV) - April 8th

Titanfall (360) - April 8th

Disney Magical World (3DS) - April 11th

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PS4) - April 14th

EA Sports 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil (PS3 + 360) - April 15th

Trials Fusion (PS4 + XBO) - April 15th

Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars (PSV) - April 15th

LEGO The Hobbit (Wii U) - April 22nd

Demon Gaze (PSV) - April 22nd

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (PS4 + PS3 + 360 + Wii U + PC + 3DS) - April 29th

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle (PS3) - April 29th

Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS) - May 2nd

Mario Golf: World Tour (3DS) - May 2nd
How far into the following month does an NPD month track? Is it based on weeks, so April's NPD would end at May 3rd?
 
I'm guessing the PS4 is in the 250K range. X1 in the 210K range.

Other numbers, do they even matter anymore? lol. We know 3DS will be good, Vita will be horrible, and the last gen systems will be as usual.
 
Yes, it's based on weeks. So for this 4-week tracking period, it tracks 28 days, and the reporting period ends on May 3rd.
Thanks

First post has the tracking period ending at may 3rd.

And it's the second line of the post Thunder quoted. :p
Yeah, I worded it weird, I was trying to ask if it was based on finishing the week and that's why it ends on May 3rd or if it was based on something else.
 
Yup agreed. If this doesn't catapult the Xbone above the PS4 in June I think most of GAF will be pretty shocked. Even more so than last month's results.

Not me. I was shocked at March, but I don't think a price drop alone will push the Xbone over the PS4. Maybe if a big exclusive was launching in June too, but I don't think a price drop alone will do it.
 
Yup agreed. If this doesn't catapult the Xbone above the PS4 in June I think most of GAF will be pretty shocked. Even more so than last month's results.

i don't expect the xbone to catapult above PS4 anytime soon, but I would be shocked if the gap isn't significantly narrowed.
 

MikahR

Banned
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?
 
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

Bragging rights like any other competative hobby!
 

Bgamer90

Banned
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

I'm personally interested in sales stats right now due to wanting to know overall userbase of the new consoles (especially after the whole "consoles are doomed" stuff last year) and seeing more game support due to that (mainly a quicker shift from cross gen games to current gen only). I knew before the launch of both systems that the Xbox One more than likely wouldn't be #1 after it launched due to its price and most games early on being on both consoles.

But yeah, it is obvious that some only follow the news to gloat and/or bash the competition and nothing more.
 

Longsword

Member
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

I can only speak for myself, but I see a combination of the excitement of making predictions and seeing if they come true, and the carnival atmosphere of awaiting to see how the numbers turn out, and which console is winning the "console wars". We love to argue about what is selling well, and NPD is accepted as the most accurate data in the world we can lay our hands on.

On the other side, many here (me included) work for the industry, and we want to know what the competitive landscape looks like, what titles sold well, and how US, one of the main markets for video games is buying hardware so when we plan our work we do it with as much concrete data as possible.
 
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

NPD tracks USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand sales to consumers. This topic just concerns USA sales.

Microsoft considers the USA market as its most important market for Xbox One. Iwata uses NPD figures when he presents to Nintendo investors. In general, Microsoft + Sony + Nintendo release PR when NPD releases because NPD results are key to their overall hardware strategies.

That's why we care so much about them...because the three major companies care about them.
 
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

North America is a pretty big market for consoles (and the 3DS) and it tells us (to some extent), how well games are selling and what games are of interest to consumers in North America.

They are interesting in this current console generation because NPD numbers are VERY important for Microsoft since a majority of their console sales came from North America. If they are being consistently outsold by the PS4 month-after-month then they cannot rely on it to increase it's install base and will have to work harder increasing international XB1 sales.

MS' gaming division has spent A LOT of money on the XB1 in order for it to be a success in the United States and thus far it has not done well at all, as evident by the price drops and the changing of upper management. MS needs to do well in NA or their shareholders will be upset.
 

Yaoibot

Member
Agreed. I had no intention of buying the Titanfall bundle. But I'm seriously thinking about this new SKU. I can't be the only one.

I think that the people - outside of the microcosm of GAF - that really wanted an Xbone, have one already. Price alone isn't the issue, or even the worst thorn in MS' side. I was right about TF and I'm nearly certain I'll be right about this price drop not doing a whole Hell of a lot.
 
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

Hmm for me it's mainly two-fold. I love making predictions and seeing how they turn out [I am apparently quite awful at it though lol] And then I love to see how the industry is doing in any given month. I mean we're still coming off the idea many people held [hold?] that the Wii U doing abysmal was a sign that console gaming was dead and irrelevant

Both XB1 and PS4 are showing that's not the case thus far
 

frizby

Member
Yup agreed. If this doesn't catapult the Xbone above the PS4 in June I think most of GAF will be pretty shocked. Even more so than last month's results.

It wouldn't shock me more than March.

The $399 XB1 is the first thing you see on Amazon games, and it was in the national news yesterday, and it isn't in the top 100 sellers right now. It was in the high 90s earlier today FWIW.
 
Sony has june with Last of Us, it won't do crazy numbers but I think it will have PS4 outselling the Xbone in june.
lol
That's if it comes out in June, which it better.
 

shandy706

Member
PS2 - 326K

XBOX - 77K

GC - 82K



360 - 295K

PS3 - 82K

WII - 360K



WII U - 37K

Perfect example of just how much it does not matter early on. I'm guessing people would look at that and think the PS3 would have tanked. That's not the reality though.

I wouldn't be surprised if the X1 is in the 80k-120k range and the PS4 was in the 150k-250k range. Despite that.....history has shown that a console (the PS3) can have those numbers and do just fine with eventual adjustments.

Good stuff.
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
It's like putting bets on a few racehorses and seeing if your prediction comes out on top.

To me, the most interesting stuff is the actual, tangible effect that certain games or announcements have on monthly sales.
To see console sales surge after a good AAA release just makes me happy, seeing them plunge afterward less so. It's to get a feeling of sales momentum and consumer awareness.

Perfect example of just how much it does not matter early on. I'm guessing people would look at that and think the PS3 would have tanked. That's not the reality though.

I wouldn't be surprised if the X1 is in the 80k-120k range and the PS4 was in the 150k-250k range. Despite that.....history has shown that a console (the PS3) can have those numbers and do just fine with eventual adjustments.

Good stuff.

You do know that the Xbox 360 shat all over the PS3 in the states, right? This is NPD, not worldwide.
The X1 tanking like that in the US is not even remotely similar to the PS3, seeing as the PS3 had Europe to make up the sales. The X1 doesn't.
 
Perfect example of just how much it does not matter early on. I'm guessing people would look at that and think the PS3 would have tanked. That's not the reality though.

I wouldn't be surprised if the X1 is in the 80k-120k range and the PS4 was in the 150k-250k range. Despite that.....history has shown that a console (the PS3) can have those numbers and do just fine with eventual adjustments.

Good stuff.

I'm going to have to disagree with you there. Those NPD numbers are only for the US and as far as I can tell, the 360 and the Wii absolutely thrashed the PS3 in the US in lifetime sales.
 
Perfect example of just how much it does not matter early on. I'm guessing people would look at that and think the PS3 would have tanked. That's not the reality though.

I wouldn't be surprised if the X1 is in the 80k-120k range and the PS4 was in the 150k-250k range. Despite that.....history has shown that a console (the PS3) can have those numbers and do just fine with eventual adjustments.

Good stuff.

So much like the PS3 you expect XB1 to be far outselling its closest competitor the PS4 signficantly in Europe and Japan then?
 

TalonJH

Member
I wonder if someone can help me out here, I'm new to being able to post. My apologies if this is an inappropriate question to ask, but I am honestly curious.

What exactly is people's fascination with NPD results each month for consoles, and why does it attract so much attention? Do some think XO is magically going to outsell PS4, or is it purely to gloat?

It's interesting to see how releases and game releases effect console sales and just for an idea of how well some games sold.

Last month, a lot of us thought the XB1 would outsell the PS4...didn't work that way. It's biggest game was being bundled with it for only $450.
 
You do know that the Xbox 360 shat all over the PS3 in the states, right? This is NPD, not worldwide.
The X1 tanking like that in the US is not even remotely similar to the PS3, seeing as the PS3 had Europe to make up the sales. The X1 doesn't.

Excluding April results:

Xbox 360 sold 41 million to consumers in the USA and PS3 sold a mere 26 million.

You can see how the USA is absolutely crucial to Microsoft's Xbox One strategies. NPD is really, really important to them.
 

doby

Member
Thanks for all your answers so far, everyone. Very informative. :)

Just to add my thoughts...

I think its pretty fascinating from a business perspective. In no other market do 2 direct competitors release a product within a week of each other and go all out for market share in a market which, before their release, was wide open. Its a unique scenario and the NPD figures each month slowly build a picture of how the war is playing out.
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
What are you guys talking about, the spin is the best part of NPD!

If I close my eyes and focus, I can already hear the Xbox marketing team sweating in a dank room in redmond somewhere.
How will they make this sound good? We'll find out shortly.
 
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