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CNBC — Can The Sony PlayStation Remain The Top-Selling Gaming Console?
- Thread starter Thick Thighs Save Lives
- Start date
Gameplay Gods Bless
Member
They won in 1994 when they beat the pants out of the Saturn and the N64 was delayed by another year. By the time the N64 launched it was over. Sega launched Dreamcast and 98 and it died to the PS2 two years before the PS2 even launched as people were more interested in seeing what a second playstation could do than buying another company's next gen console. Then the PS2 launched and won the gen before the gamcube and Xbox were at the starting line.
PleazureDome
Member
"Piss on your enemies corpses and then use their skull cap as a cereal bowl." - Me
HeWhoWalks
Member
Nintendo pivoted and is doing fantastic as a result. They always bounce back and no longer have to take Sony head on.
Microsoft, on the other hand, buried themselves. PlayStation simply existed, which helped further that demise. And that sounds awfully familiar. At the same time, they [Microsoft] are pivoting too and that's why we'll continue to see their games on competing platforms.
Microsoft, on the other hand, buried themselves. PlayStation simply existed, which helped further that demise. And that sounds awfully familiar. At the same time, they [Microsoft] are pivoting too and that's why we'll continue to see their games on competing platforms.
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nowhat
Gold Member
OK, but is Nintendo or Microsoft the bottom?
Killjoy-NL
Member
So, by 2025 they expect to put 50% of their investment into new franchises.
Sounds like they're about to step up their game with 1st party output.
Should ease the minds of some of the critics who whine about Sony only focusing on remasters.
Sounds like they're about to step up their game with 1st party output.
Should ease the minds of some of the critics who whine about Sony only focusing on remasters.
reinking
Gold Member
Cyberpunkd
Gold Member
That is historically not true. Ever. All companies die.
Edgelord79
Gold Member
I disagree with PlayStation beating Nintendo. Nintendo is in a better gaming state imo.
Xbox… well…. ya that’s a whole other thing.
Nintendo is probably currently in a more secure position imo than Sony due to their IP’s and their cost to market for games and probably hardware.
Xbox… well…. ya that’s a whole other thing.
Nintendo is probably currently in a more secure position imo than Sony due to their IP’s and their cost to market for games and probably hardware.
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Cyberpunkd
Gold Member
I tried looking into it and without checking financial statements it’s impossible - people do not understand the difference between revenue and net profit, so all numbers found online are thrash.
Not in numbers, it's like he meant they did their part.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
and sega
ChorizoPicozo
Member
sony beat N and then Xbox put the nail in the coffinSony beat Nintendo?
Killjoy-NL
Member
Gaf: "With Xbox gone, Playstation will have a monopoly. Nintendo isn't a competitor to Playstation"
Also Gaf:
"Sony beat Nintendo? Lolz"
We all know what they mean when they say "playstation beat Nintendo".
It's just a touchy subject.
Also Gaf:
"Sony beat Nintendo? Lolz"
We all know what they mean when they say "playstation beat Nintendo".
It's just a touchy subject.
willothedog
Member
Playstation's operating margin is in the toilet compared to Nintendo 
ViciousAgenda
Member
Chad Warden eating good tonight
RickMasters
Member
But for how long? Their core audience of children are rapidly moving over to tablets for gaming instead. They look comfy now, but I think they are gonna have a few challenges of their own in a few years. With that said….. I think they will be the last dedicated gaming hardware company. I’m just wondering how many more of these hardware ideas they have in them that will differentiate them from their competition in their usual target audiences eyes ( kids with ever shortening attention spans)
Killjoy-NL
Member
Sony is also investing part of the profit into Playstation, which could be the reason why it's lower compared to Nintendo.Playstation's operating margin is in the toilet compared to Nintendo
MISTER INVEIGLER
Member
N64? Gamecube? WiiU?Sony beat Nintendo?
Edgelord79
Gold Member
Possibly don’t know. I thought this a while ago too then the Switch came out and there are 40 year olds playing Mario…. so I’m not so sure.
Nintendo seems to have a resiliency I wouldn’t bet against.
Romulus
Member
They'll be fine, but Nintendo has relied on their gimmicks and first parties. If either of those are not exciting or innovative, their sales slump for 5 years. This happens fairly often.
Sony just needs to not build another PS3. Easy. I would argue PS5 exclusives are worse than all PlayStation consoles at this point in its life, or at least arguably close to dead last. But they're still killing it.
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SlimySnake
Flashless at the Golden Globes
Yes. They locked them out of the console business forever. 125 million compared to the 150 ds + 100 million wii is not winning.
They no longer get cod, ac, battlefield, and any of the big third party games Sony gets 30% royalties from. Re4, Star Wars, Alan wake, avatar, cod, and even hogwarts which came out on ps5, pc and xs and sold a billion worth of copies before it was hastily ported to switch for a fraction of the sales.
Nintendo has effectively conceded the console space but i would give the credit to both ms and Sony for that. Not just Sony.
RickMasters
Member
Sony beat Nintendo?
I think people look at their choice to not directly compete with Sony ( or Xbox for that matter) as their internal admission of defeat.
I can’t say I entirely disagree. They stepped out of the graphics arms race. The avoid putting out games that are in trend ( FPS for example) in favour of their family friendly IP. I can’t blame them for doubling down on their strengths. They are Nintendo. But perceptions have their way of sticking with people over time. I don’t think they lost anything. They made the right call and it’s enabled them to thrive.
And honestly I think when things are more sub driven they stand to do better than Sony or Xbox.
TropicanaTwista
Member
It's weird to say a company "beat" another company but would say Sony probably did if you view it as a competition, as least back in the 90s and early 2000s. Sony crushed it with PS1 and PS2 while 64 and GameCube bombed (even though those systems were great). It kinda forced Nintendo into a new route of being more aimed at a younger audience or family friendly games. Although one could argue that were on that route already before Sony joined in.
Badlucktroll
Member
Wonder what would have happened if N64 was a CD system like the others and kept the japanese developers that went to sony
RickMasters
Member
To be fair I think Nintendo would get a lot more of those games if they built more powerful hardware. They did it to themselves and ( maybe unrealistically) expect devs to show horn games meant for more power hardware into their console. Never really works outside of sales but I think they have just leaned to accept it. And still sell a tonne of hardware.
Killjoy-NL
Member
Xbox has been trashed by Playstation pretty much all the time, with the exception of X360, but that was because Sony messed up at the start of that gen.
Xbox has never been a threat to neither Playstation, nor Nintendo.
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FIREKNIGHT2029
Member
Sony always wins baby
Faust
Perpetually Tired
Last I remember, Nintendo is the company with zero debt, doesn’t have to release their games on other platforms, and still is able to sell their games for full price years after launch with no issues.
Sony and Nintendo are in direct competition and will continue to be doing so for years to come, as much as some here like to claim the opposite.
Sony and Nintendo are in direct competition and will continue to be doing so for years to come, as much as some here like to claim the opposite.
Mibu no ookami
Demoted Member® Pro™
It's going to be easier for Sony to pivot into Nintendo's market than Nintendo to pivot into Sony's market.
I fully expect Sony to release a handheld within the next 2-3 years and that handheld will position themselves to eat into a lot of the market share that Nintendo enjoys today.
Without putting out a system that can compete with parity (price and power) with the PS5, it's going to be very difficult for Nintendo to gain headway into that market.
Releasing a hybrid system that is about as powerful as the PS4 Pro isn't going to cut it.
RickMasters
Member
I agree they do seem to always find a way. I think the whole mobile- hybrid bought them some time. But with tablets giving the switch a run for its money and giving kids all them other apps they like I lived Nintendo as a kid, but nowadays all the kids in my family are playing dieting on tablets…. Some even want steam decks as the next step up… no mentions of a console let alone building a PC for Bdays or xmas. They just don’t care about none of it. ….. these are the devices of their dads and uncles. I’m wondering… what with Nintendo being such a kid focused company….. how do they engage with post Gen alpha kids?
Xbox for all their faults sort of realise and anticipate some of where things are going…. Sony are slowly starting to smell the coffee. But Nintendo ? They will be the ones to find a way for their hardware to have a reason to control exist. Atleast for a while….
Mibu no ookami
Demoted Member® Pro™
Playstation's operating margin is in the toilet compared to Nintendo
This is kind of short-sighted thinking.
Their revenues are higher. There is a lot that Sony can do to drastically improve their margins over time.
- Fewer exclusive deals now that they don't need to compete with Xbox
- That money can instead be utilized in other ways
- Fewer and Less expensive 1st party titles
- Releasing those 1st party titles on PC
- Creating a PC Storefront to sell their own titles and 3rd party titles
- Releasing a handheld system to expand software sales
- Continuing to use their transmedia apparatus to enhance the reach of their IP
- You look at something like Pokemon and it wouldn't be nearly the phenomenon as it is today without the animated series.
Crm114
Member
Xbox had their window of opportunity but got greedy and messed it up. Even though Sony sold a few more consoles at the very end, microsoft won the 360/ps3 generation. Unfortunately all the good will they built was gone almost immediately with the Xbone.
At least they’ve provided a case study to companies on how to completely shit the bed and give up huge swaths of market share.
At least they’ve provided a case study to companies on how to completely shit the bed and give up huge swaths of market share.
IFireflyl
Gold Member
It's hard for Microsoft to be the bottom when they aren't even in the same house, let alone the same room.
On topic, Sony didn't beat Nintendo or Microsoft. Their business model appears to have been more successful than Microsoft's considering their much higher player base, but that is hardly a reason to say that Sony beat Microsoft. I would argue that Microsoft was its own worst enemy, and that their failings shouldn't be spun out to be Sony's victories.
Also, as others have mentioned, Sony didn't "beat Nintendo" at all. Nintendo is doing real well.
Unknown?
Member
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
CNBC coming for that Financial Times crown.
Mibu no ookami
Demoted Member® Pro™
I think we shouldn't try to forecast too much based off on fads or trends.
I was very much into PC gaming in 1997. Ultimately, I still found my way into consoles, because that's where the games I wanted to play were and how I wanted to play.
There are a lot of genres that just don't work as well on PC as well.
I think it is incumbent upon consoles to really re-focus on their own strengths. Consoles have mirrored PC for the last couple generations, but it doesn't mean that they have to.
You can do whatever you want with a console, PC doesn't have the same freedom in design language. You were never going to get a Wii style gaming on PC.
I think consoles will struggle to keep up with PCs if they just remain PCs, but we don't know the form factor going forward. You could have a console with a dedicated RTX chip or a dedicated AI chip. That's really difficult to replicate on PC at scale. Show me a Steamdeck or windows handheld the size of the Switch Lite.
Dedicated hardware features are how consoles need to differentiate themselves in the future.
Topher
Identifies as young
Nah man. The first thing Sony fans (myself included) point to above all else when proclaiming victory in the console war is console sales. Nintendo Switch hasn't been defeated by anything in that regard. Damn sure can't turn this into a teraflops fight when it suits us.
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CLW
Member
Topher
Identifies as young
PS3? PSP? Vita? Nintendo Switch? DS? 3DS?
These companies have traded a hell of alot of blows over the years and both are doing really well as of right now.