Time to start a calendar year DS 2006 x 3DS 2012. If Nintendo keeps releasing bundles every 15 days, maybe the 3DS can try to keep up with the DS Lite...
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Media Create Sales: Week 8, 2012 (Feb 20 - Feb 26)
- Thread starter Chris1964
- Start date
Time to start a calendar year DS 2006 x 3DS 2012. If Nintendo keeps releasing bundles every 15 days, maybe the 3DS can try to keep up with the DS Lite...
What exactly is stupid about what I wrote? Please explain. For what its worth I was not likening the Vita to the Go and VB, I was just using those as examples of price cuts doing nothing.
To clarify my point:
Software = hardware sales drivers
Price = sales inibiter
Right now if there is no real compelling software to drive Vita sales so lowering the inhibiter alone won't do muc in the current situation.
Now things are probably not going to stay this way but until that killer app is anounced (or comes out of nowhere in the case of a sleeper hit) all these "Price drops will save the Vita" claims are rather silly.
pieatorium
Member
It was kinda stupid since those were two pretty dead platforms regardless of what happened, especially the virtual boy. A better example would have been the gamecube which got pretty drastic cuts but never really picked up steam.
One Piece games sell-through by Famitsu (first week / LTD):
Code:
[PS1] One Piece: Grand Battle! 2 (Bandai) - 247,345 / 546,015
[PS1] One Piece: Grand Battle! (Bandai) - 83,342 / 452,336
[NGB] One Piece: Yume no Lufy Kaizokudan Tanjou! (Banpresto) - 91,567 / 375,962
[NDS] One Piece: Gigant Battle! (Bandai Namco)- 135,280 / 332,003
[PS1] One Piece: Tobidase Kaizokudan! (Bandai) - 101,003 / 324,917
[PS2] One Piece: Grand Battle! 3 (Bandai) - 106,691 / 321,396
[NDS] One Piece: Gigant Battle! 2 New World (Bandai Namco)- 108,301 / 292,645
[GCN] One Piece: Treasure Battle! (Bandai) - 81,496 / 251,982
[3DS] One Piece: Unlimited Cruise SP (Bandai Namco)- 76,578 / 229,032
[NGB] One Piece: Maboroshi no Grand Line Boukenki! (Banpresto) - 67,119 / 205,932I remember when Dragon Ball games pulled those numbers.
It feels like a distant era.
Price was never the reason the PSPgo didn't go anywhere except to the bargain bins. It's also really strange to compare an experimental revision to separate platforms. That's why it was a stupid post.
It feels like a distant era.
Price was never the reason the PSPgo didn't go anywhere except to the bargain bins. It's also really strange to compare an experimental revision to separate platforms. That's why it was a stupid post.
BassForever
Member
I used to remember when Dragon Ball games pulled those numbers.
It feels like a distant era.
Well to be fair outside of the new Bardock special that was released it's pretty much been an era since anything new content wise came out for DBZ which is really scary when you consider we getting yearly games for the series.
One cannot kill Dragon Ball, even though Spike and Scamco have tried really hard to these past couple of years. It will return. It's too much of a hallmark to not.
It sounds like you're describing my WoW addiction...
What happened?
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
Dragon Ball Kai killed itself.
And even then only in Japan, DB enjoyed a complete surge in America thanks to Kai.
BassForever
Member
Kai was basically a chopped up version of the anime attempting to make it more like the manga and got rid of most of the filler. Fans who grew up with the anime and never read the manga or view the original anime as perfect really dislike it.
pieatorium
Member
can't be too many of those
I'm of the opinion that Kai shouldn't exist because something that bills itself as a manga accurate rendition and bails out 2/3rds of the way has no purpose. The entire life of Kai was truly outrageous. Despite very high ratings Dragon Ball merch in Japan started selling like cancer pops once Kai hit the airwaves. It was also rocked by a music scandal that saw its entire soundtrack dropped and replaced with the 80s music as its composer was finally revealed to be a gigantic plagiarist. Also, the last episode of the series went DVD/BR exclusive due to the disaster of last year.
bigtroyjon
Member
Econ101, if you drop the price the quantity demanded will rise. Games will move the demand curve itself but a price drop will boost sales along the current curve because there are plenty of people who like what the Vita currently offers but just not at the current price.
Games take time to make, price drops are instant and if sales continue along this pattern they are going to need a shot in the arm a lot sooner than it will take a system selling game to come on the market. Yeah, a price drop isn't going to boost Vita above the 3DS or anything like that but if 10-15K a week becomes 20-25 that would be a much more stable proposition for Sony.
I remember when Dragon Ball games pulled those numbers.
It feels like a distant era.
There are gameboy games in that list.
That's a distant era too.
Gaming hardware as a product is intrinsically tied to software, though. So there's no guarantee that dropping the price on the hardware will substantially improve the baseline if the product is lacking in that vital software component.
The main reason the 3DS price drop was effective was because it lowered the barrier to entry for consumers who were interested in its future lineup. Which is why in the months after the price drop, and leading up to the holidays and the major software releases, the hardware/software ratio was so muted.
Which would suggest that Sony doesn't have to wait for software to be released before cutting the hardware price, only for major titles to be announced.
bigtroyjon
Member
Price matters, outside of GAF in the real world people actually base their purchasing decisions on budgets and how much a product costs. When you lower the price there will be more people who currently want a Vita that can now afford it. As I said before, software will shift the demand curve, price will change the quantity demanded along that curve.
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
Well vita is no pspgo. it's at least sold through its first shipment.
Except that you don't buy a Vita to have it sit on your desk looking pretty, you buy it to play games. Gaming hardware is an enabling product for the actual software, in that sense, so unless you have games people actually want to play on the system any impact of a price cut will be minimal.
And I think it's fair to say most people talking down the benefits of a price cut feel the Vita doesn't have much of a lineup right now.
StickSoldier
Member
What I really wonder is if they actually aren't going to have a revision anytime soon, how would it affect their sales if they came out and said they weren't planning to release a revised 3DS for another few years.
Cool Escalator
Banned
So PS3 outsells Wii 9:1 next week? Maybe 8:1?
WoW just noticed YTD and PS3 is just destroying the Wii this year.
It doesn't take much effort to kill something that is already dead.
Cool Escalator
Banned
It is rather hilarious that Wii is considered this resounding success while PSP sold about 6 million more units (and is currently still outselling the Wii lol) and many still consider the system a failure.
Lowered expectations (Wii) vs. unrealistic expectations (PSP) it seems?
Lowered expectations (Wii) vs. unrealistic expectations (PSP) it seems?
History seems to suggest they wont roll out a revision until 2013. It'd probably be for the best.
Poor Wii :-(
Your time has faded, but another will soon take your place.
Metallix87
Member
Not surprising. Nintendo has totally abandoned that ship in 2012 with regards to Japan. North America and Europe are getting late scraps to keep it going.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find people who call the Wii's long-term performance in Japan a success, nevermind a resounding success.
boiled goose
good with gravy
i see you just took intro micro.
That is not how it works. The model is too simple to capture the complexities of a video game console.
Vita is not a normal good. It is a luxury item.
Is the demand curve linear?
Making a product more appealing (ie more software) is not a demand shifter. Rather, a whole new demand curve is needed. A video game machine plays software.
Even if we assume a simple model, the demand curve for vita is so flat that changing the price will not lead to a big change in demand.
Sony needs to make it more appealing. Cheaper is not enough.
yes there are lowered expectations for consoles vrs handhelds in japan.
I dont think anyone would call the Wii a resounding success in Japan. More like a pyrrhic victory
The system died an early death after it fell off a cliff when the software completely dried up.
bigtroyjon
Member
I guess Sony fucked up then if price isn't a factor, they should have been charging $500 this whole time. Can't believe they left that much money on the table.i see you just took intro micro.
That is not how it works. The model is too simple to capture the complexities of a video game console.
Vita is not a normal good. It is a luxury item.
Is the demand curve linear?
Making a product more appealing (ie more software) is not a demand shifter. Rather, a whole new demand curve is needed. A video game machine plays software.
Even if we assume a simple model, the demand curve for vita is so flat that changing the price will not lead to a big change in demand.
Sony needs to make it more appealing. Cheaper is not enough.
The Vita's demand curve isn't linear nor is it flat. If they were 1/3 of the price sales would be making the 3DS sales numbers look insignificant in comparison
boiled goose
good with gravy
Despite the silly exaggeration. At this point you would be right.
Sales would probably not have been different enough at this point even with the high price tag, so the extra revenue would have been nice.
If you charge me $20 dollars for a rock it won't buy it. I still won't buy it for $10. If I can play Monster hunter on the rock, I will gladly pay $20.
Vita is the rock
Consumers gladly pay for overpriced apple products because they want them.
MasterSheen
Member
PSP came out 2 years before the Wii + Monster Hunter and is still being supported.
bigtroyjon
Member
what a terrible example. If Vita were half the price right now sales would be through the roof. Demand for it isn't zero which is evidenced by the fact that it's sold 600K units in Japan.
3DS sales didn't take off because there were games in the pipeline, they took off the moment the price cut went into effect. Plenty of people wanted a 3DS, just not a the higher price. Just like there are plenty of people who would want a Vita, just not at the current price.
While that's a nice thought, I don't think it's necessarily a foregone conclusion. The 3DS never sunk as low as the Vita is currently sitting in Japan. I don't think you can say with certainty that the upcoming games for the 3DS last fall weren't a major contributing factor in its upswing when the pricecut actually hit. I'm not sure whether or not you're trying to imply that the only reason the 3DS is selling is because of its price advantage. Frankly speaking, there's no guarantee that the Vita would be doing gangbusters at $170. It'd certainly be doing better, I just don't believe it'd be flying off shelves. Not everything comes down to price.
boiled goose
good with gravy
3DS would not be selling at all without Mario Kart, 3DLand and MHTriG.
See the gamecube.
Was $99 soon after release. Did not really help too much.
It wasn't really that. Kai was just a rushed, half assed cash in riddled with controversy throughout its entire run. I'd love a filler-less Dragon Ball Z. Not a Dragon Ball Z with newly retraced scenes that make flash animation look like a fucking Ghibli film.
Anyways, on topic. God DAYUM @ those Musou numbers! As expected from One Piece =)
The scary thing: It's retail price is 8,190 yen, or about $100 USD. Sweet Jesus.
pieatorium
Member
Well you could go back to the media create threads from last year and check out the 3ds seling 45k+ a week from the pricecut all the way up to when those games released, often with no games in the top 10 software sales.
I'm sure knowing those games were releasing soon helped also.
Well I was using the go and the VB as an example of the worst case scenario not a parallel to the Vita but you're right, I should have used the GC.
Again as above. Just trying to prove that it is possible for price drops not to stimulate sales at all. Obviously a price drop would do more for the Vita than those platforms but that wasn't my point in the first place. Upon reflection, I probably shouldn't have used those examples but hey whatever.
I've done Economics as well. The problem with Economics 101 is that it's a 101 course and paints the world in grossly simplified strokes that don't even begin to capture the complexity of real consumer behavoiur.
Video game consoles are a special case because they are co-dependant on software. If you really want to simplify that into a supply and demand curve then the evolving software library will not only shift the demand curve left and right, it'll also affect the curve's slope. Right now, I'm willing to bet the Vita's slope is rather flat, so whilst dropping pricing will increase sale, it won't be drastic. As you say, it would only realistically reach 20-25K which is still not good. That's what the 3DS was selling before it's price drop and everyone was still screaming bomba left and right.
Like I said, the 3DS did not see a particalurly large boost post price drop. I'm at Uni right now and my gaming site access is limited so I can't provide you with the graph myself, but if you look at Nintendo's 5 million in 51 weeks graph, you'll see the system got a spike straight after the cut and then settled at only slightly better than before weekly sales. It wasn't until the holiday big hitters rolled around that we really saw the systems fortunes turn around.
The same thing would be true of the Vita. A price drop alone will do little but if a system seller comes along then we'll see the sales really pick up. The lower price will enable greater success than what would realistically be possible at the original price but it'll be the system seller that really transformed the demand curve.
Edit: Wow beaten. amtentori put it much better than I did too.
MasterSheen
Member
The sales kept declining until Nintendo's pre-TGS conference which helped sales stabilize, sometimes even going up for no apparent reason.
pieatorium
Member
i don't doubt it played a part but the price drop itself was what drove the sales.
they were a bit erratic with some high jumps but mostly in the 45-55k range iirc
Does this mean they had replaced the soundtrack with a new one but put the old one back in afterwards due to scandal? If so, that's a good thing, the soundtrack for DBZ was the best thing about it.
When I was in Japan in 2009 Kai had just started and I managed to see one episode but it was one that had hardly any filler in Z either so it wasn't too different from what I remembered.
But the concept was great, I'd watch it
for free
pieatorium
Member
Actually it spiked up on the drop and settled at over double what it was doing weekly before the drop some weeks triple.
The console market in general has been mediocre-to-dead for a while now in Japan.