Support NeoGAF

[jarrod]

Oh Jarrod, Easter is a big holiday in the U.S. in case you hadn't noticed.

I noticed Darien continually shifting his argument behind exclamations of "no shit!". He's... shifty like that.

 

[jarrod]

Maybe not. I know that PES5 is popular in Japan, but I dont think its as popualr as it is in Europe. I know that in the UK this is THE game that everyone buys. Im sure it will move PSP's, but not enough to meet Sony's expectation.

It's easier to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. WE routinely sells about 2 million annually in Japan alone between all it's installments... I don't think PES manages that across all of Europe really, much less the UK.

 

[DarienA]

I noticed Darien continually shifting his argument behind exclamations of "no shit!". He's... shifty like that.

Please explain my argument shift... I've actually missed it... Easter happens in 1st quarter in the US... Easter spending has experience a rapid increase over the years not just in terms of traditional items purchased, but it's expanding(read the news articles). Sony seems to be trumping up their stocks just before 2 high volume shopping periods, Easter and Xmas... is it a coincidence? Possibly. But it seems to be happening with great regularity now for it to just be a coincidence.

 

[SolidSnakex]

It's easier to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. WE routinely sells about 2 million annually in Japan alone between all it's installments... I don't think PES manages that across all of Europe really, much less the UK.

Konami of Europe is one of the world’s most successful videogame manufacturers. Since its Europe-wide release last fall, Pro Evolution Soccer 4 has sold more than 3 million copies.

http://www.t-online.net/c/41/44/07/4144070.html

 

[jarrod]

Please explain my argument shift... I've actually missed it...

Okay...

What's fishy is that each friggin 4th quarter for the last few years Sony ups the shipments of their consoles in preparation for the fall sales and each 4th quarter we have to deal with the why is Sony shipping so many consoles posts.

No shit. This isn't the first, 2nd, or even 3rd time they've done this... they seemingly tend to do it at least twice a year in what they seem to think are leading up to high shopping periods.

...we suddenly went from "this is a Christmas issue" to "this is a Christmas/Easter issue" without skipping a beat and throwing in a diversionary "No shit!" to add some authority. Nevermind that the March figures were proportionately overshipped for Japan, rather than America.

This isn't a "Christmas issue" or an "Easter issue". It's a "Sony issue". Without fail, their figures tend to overshoot sold through by a dramatic amount over what Nintendo and Microsoft report. And the reason for that is likely that Sony counts production orders, while Nintendo/MS could actual shipped in-the-supply-channel units. This really isn't a big deal... but it tends to make Sony look better than the reality of the situation comparatively. And if things go slightly wrong, it has the potential to blow up in their faces (a la GameCube).

 

[jarrod]

http://www.t-online.net/c/41/44/07/4144070.html

Holy crap!? Geez, it is big in Europe... iirc FIFA routinely sells 7-8 million annually, WE/PES at 5-6 million has caught up fast.

 

[Servizio]

I thought this was going to be about action figures.

 

[DarienA]

Okay...

...we suddenly went from "this is a Christmas issue" to "this is a Christmas/Easter issue" without skipping a beat and throwing in a diversionary "No shit!" to add some authority. Nevermind that the March figures were proportionately overshipped for Japan, rather than America.

This isn't a "Christmas issue" or an "Easter issue". It's a "Sony issue".

There was no beat shift because it was part of the same thought. I was under the impression that the March figures for the US showed over shipping as well as for Japan, I also have the vague notion that we discussed around the release of the PSP in the US which I believe occurred around Easter why Sony expected to sell so many of the holiday. It was also discussed at that time that Easter has become a high selling period for other items besides traditional easter clothes, gifts, and candy.... but perhaps I'm the only one that remembers those threads.

EDIT:

Agreed on the if anything goes wrong part.. I personally think they've run the wire of being one misstep off the edge of disaster since the launched the original Playstation....

 

[jarrod]

There was no beat shift because it was part of the same thought. I was under the impression that the March figures for the US showed over shipping as well as for Japan, I also have the vague notion that we discussed around the release of the PSP in the US which I believe occurred around Easter why Sony expected to sell so many of the holiday. It was also discussed at that time that Easter has become a high selling period for other items besides traditional easter clothes, gifts, and candy.... but perhaps I'm the only one that remembers those threads.

I remember Easter becoming a never ending Japanese holiday and the explanation why DS routinely outsells PSP.

Really though, this isn't even about preparing for holidays or overshipping or anything. It's about Sony using a different standard to count units that makes their figures proportionately scew higher than what the rest of the industry uses. It in itself isn't much a problem, it's when the media runs with these figures making invalid blanket comparisons that the problems bubble up. Which invaraibaly happens. :/

 

[DarienA]

I remember Easter becoming a never ending Japanese holiday and the explanation why DS routinely outsells PSP.

Really though, this isn't even about preparing for holidays or overshipping or anything. It's about Sony using a different standard to count units that makes their figures proportionately scew higher than what the rest of the industry uses. It in itself isn't much a problem, it's when the media runs with these figures making invalid blanket comparisons that the problems bubble up. Which invaraibaly happens. :/

Here's the funny thing though....... what exactly is the problem? That certain folks think it shows an artificial lead? That other folks think it's cheating? That other folks use the numbers to tout some type of superiority?

So the hell what?

The REAL truth is that it really isn't a problem... outside a bunch of crazed forum folk(not just this forum, not just us folk) arguing back and forth about what the "actual" numbers are...

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

This big question is:

Since Sony's been doing this since forever why the outrage? It's not like there are a bunch of PSP fanboys claiming the PSP has outsold the DS based on this. At most, you're seeing fans say "Go Sony."

Unless I"m missing it. I read few DS threads, if the trolling there-- keep it there.

Edit: Darrien beat me to it.

 

[jarrod]

Here's the funny thing though....... what exactly is the problem? That certain folks think it shows an artificial lead? That other folks think it's cheating? That other folks use the numbers to tout some type of superiority?

So the hell what?

The REAL truth is that it really isn't a problem... outside a bunch of crazed forum folk(not just this forum, not just us folk) arguing back and forth about what the "actual" numbers are...

It has the potential for problems though, especially in such a brand/preception driven industry. There were multiple reports last March showing PSP leading DS in various ways that were untrue... and that artificially hurts these platforms.

Again, this information isn't at all a problem, one just has to see it for what it is. But that doesn't always happen, and frankly Sony doesn't bend over backwards to make the difference known. At some point it starts skirting the line to corporate PR... which is pretty open to criticism I think.

 

[DarienA]

It has the potential for problems though, especially in such a brand/preception driven industry. There were multiple reports last March showing PSP leading DS in various ways that were untrue... and that artificially hurts these platforms.

Wait... are you trying to toss out the line that this caused some folks to purchase PSP's instead of DS' because they read in the news that the PSP was selling more?

And you actually think that's a significant enough # to shift either usebase?

God jarrod that's reaching... even for you.

 

[jarrod]

Wait... are you trying to toss out the line that this caused some folks to purchase PSP's instead of DS' because they read in the news that the PSP was selling more?

And you actually think that's a significant enough # to shift either usebase?

God jarrod that's reaching... even for you.

So you don't believe brand perception has significant influence? No shit?

Did I say this caused "some folk" to sway their purchasing decisions? Specifically? Or am I not the only one reaching here?

 

[DarienA]

So you don't believe brand perception has significant influence? No shit?

Did I say this caused "some folk" to sway their purchasing decisions? Specifically? Or am I not the only one reaching here?

I think it's a reach that a few months of PR's showing the PSP "supposedly" outselling the DS all of the sudden shoots down the brand perception that Nintendo has dominated the handheld industry for years.

Then please enlighten the old man and explain what "artificial hurt" you are referring to.

 

[Izzy]

It has the potential for problems though, especially in such a brand/preception driven industry. There were multiple reports last March showing PSP leading DS in various ways that were untrue... and that artificially hurts these platforms.

Again, this information isn't at all a problem, one just has to see it for what it is. But that doesn't always happen, and frankly Sony doesn't bend over backwards to make the difference known. At some point it starts skirting the line to corporate PR... which is pretty open to criticism I think.

I actually chuckled while I read that. Mon dieu...

 

[jarrod]

I think it's a reach that a few months of PR's showing the PSP "supposedly" outselling the DS all of the sudden shoots down the brand perception that Nintendo has dominated the handheld industry for years.

Then please enlighten the old man and explain what "artificial hurt" you are referring to.

Where did I say "shoots down"? I believe my language thus far has consisted of phrarses like "potential for problems" and "when problems bubble up".

Ever the drama queen Dar.

 

[jarrod]

I actually chuckled while I read that. Mon dieu...

PSP sold through 151k in the US this September? Is that figure off by more than 5k, yes or no?

 

[Jonnyram]

So is this the official PSP sales topic now or will this be locked too?