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[jcm]

Sammy Samusu used to call the 3DS a Powerhouse(TM) last year for US sales, and I think jcm is just running with it whenever he can and wants

...However, if things continue like this, we could starting making the same thing with PS4 instead of 3DS, honestly, starting with April sales XD

Actually, it was Nintendo who coined the term.

"Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players," Nintendo of America marketing executive Scott Moffitt said.

Moffitt added that the "best days" of the 3DS are still to come in 2014 and beyond. To that end, Nintendo also announced today that Yoshi's New Island will launch March 14 in stores and through the eShop. The new Super Smash Bros. game is also coming to the 3DS sometime in 2014.

I'm very excited to see the "best days" of the Powerhouse™ 3DS. Unfortunately, it's down 25% YOY this year through July, and August will be the 8th straight month with a YOY decline, but I have faith in Moffitt.

No, that won't be done anymore.

It draws unwanted attention from the powers that be.

Ah, is this a new rule? I was planning to post YOY and Gen-over-gen comps once the 3DS number shows up. Is that a bad idea? Especially since I google that hockey player and I'm ready to go.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Within 3 years we could only have 3-4 active platforms. Consolidation is real and happening.

 

[Mpl90]

Actually, it was Nintendo who coined the term.

"Nintendo 3DS is a powerhouse with games and experiences that appeal to all kinds of players," Nintendo of America marketing executive Scott Moffitt said.

Moffitt added that the "best days" of the 3DS are still to come in 2014 and beyond. To that end, Nintendo also announced today that Yoshi's New Island will launch March 14 in stores and through the eShop. The new Super Smash Bros. game is also coming to the 3DS sometime in 2014.

I'm very excited to see the "best days" of the Powerhouse™ 3DS. Unfortunately, it's down 25% YOY this year through July, and August will be the 8th straight month with a YOY decline, but I have faith in Moffitt.

...Now I remember that. Moffitt, please.

EDIT: Still, I remember Sammy using it a few times in 2013. This must be a case of GAF -> Nintendo -> GAF!

 

[Ty4on]

Someone should make a voiceover of that post with the last paragraph much faster spoken than the firsr two

 

[metalslimer]

It's also a shame to hear PW vs Layton bombed. There is no way the new one will have a physical release. I said it earlier, but the 3DS is so stagnant right now. From the way the system is marketed, I wouldn't blame you if you thought a successor was coming out next year. The n3DS should assure 2015 is up but 2014 has been a bad year.

 

[Genio88]

Xbox One is selling fine, PS4 keeps on selling like hell though, even without better exclusives than Xbox so far.

 

[Ty4on]

I can't figure out any numbers other than reading through the stats (I didn't understand) I found 91pts on Wikipedia which seems somewhat close.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Ah, is this a new rule? I was planning to post YOY and Gen-over-gen comps once the 3DS number shows up. Is that a bad idea?

I don't think it's a rule, it's just to be taken under advisement. Otherwise we may no longer have nice things.

I don't think something like:
Handhelds total 2007 2014 %change

Constitutes a compilation, I think it was zomg who suggested against it and was referring to the round-ups of all the hardware and software numbers that get leaked.

 

[MDSLKTR]

Yeah, nevermind the fact that it's GTA V, which had meteoric sales regardless of where you put it on the timelines of the gaming industry.

Nope, let's go for the badly thought out one-liner instead, like usual.

My thoughts exactly

 

[Nirolak]

Not super unpredictable in a month where it does poorly and this time had no software. It has been around 100k for quite some time now.

Well it was "confirmed". Also 3DS has been hovering around dropping to 5 digits for a while now. It's not a surprise in dead August it finally did it. It should be in the 90-100k range. If it was below that I'm pretty we would know if 3ds had its worst month ever.

Yeah I guess it's technically not that much different.

It's also a shame to hear PW vs Layton bombed. There is no way the new one will have a physical release. I said it earlier, but the 3DS is so stagnant right now. From the way the system is marketed, I wouldn't blame you if you thought a successor was coming out next year. The n3DS should assure 2015 is up but 2014 has been a bad year.

My question is how much it will actually affect things in the West though. In Japan it's an upgrade to the default system. In the West we're definitely looking at some upgraders, but just the number of titles even releasing for the system is pretty sparse at this point, so there's not as much incentive to get a new system to get a benefit to a ton of upcoming games.

I don't think it's a rule

I'm not enforcing or advising on any specific behavior. This is something that each user can decide.

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Xbox One is selling fine, PS4 keeps on selling like hell though, even without better exclusives than Xbox so far.

PS4 has more console exclusives and games. It's not a stretch to say PS4 is handily winning in the games department and is starting to lap XB.

 

[Vanillalite]

If the release list is gonna be stagnant I'd rather have seen Nintendo just wait and release a full blown real successor next Fall vs this lame ass 3DSi half step.

Plus the new system could be easier to port indie games to as well for the eShop.

 

[TMaakkonen]

3DS is so weird.

On the one hand 45+m sales is already good. It can reach 60-80m, which would be very good. It even actually survived mobile phones (to an extent). 3DS is also proably going to be 2nd best selling system of 8th gen.

...And on the other hand it is weakest performing Nintendo handheld, its even possible that PSP beats it. It has almost missed its forecasted sales, it had to have get so many new models to get good sales. And worst of all, it hasnt even be able to make Nintendo get profit properly. Even if its entirely the fault of Wii U, 3DS is not even able to cover up Wii Us sales. Laugh at Vita, but it hasnt tanked Sony almost at all. (Unless we arent told about it.)

 

[Manmademan]

He was saying that no one buys nintendo consoles which is clearly wrong.

Don't be so pedantic. Obviously there aren't "literally zero" people buying the wiiU. Even the Ouya still has someone, somewhere paying for it.

The WiiU has long since passed the point where it's relevant to anyone but the hardest of Nintendo die hards. When talking about the mass market Nintendo has failed here, and the number of new customers buying it not already hip deep in the Nintendo ecosystem likely isn't significant. Kids are playing mine craft, not Mario, and mine craft being totally absent on WiiU speaks volumes.

It's the worst major console release of all time, pulling sub dreamcast numbers even before it had next gen competition. Even GameCube level sales seem completely out of reach now, it's just not happening.

Best case scenario it ends up around 15 million units lifetime, assuming retailers don't banish it from shelves before then. 15 million units lifetime is "no one is buying this" territory, when the criteria for a successful platform is closer to 50 or 60 million.

I would say the same thing about the Vita and I own one. No one is buying it. It's a dead platform that survives thanks to the good fortune of the ps4, as well as Sony's tendency to support niche products (minidisc, aibo, psp,) longer than most companies.

 

[Opiate]

Brad Richards was a good hockey player back when he was with the Stars.

That intense stare.

Yes, I too found Brad Richards of the Dallas Stars to be particularly interesting. You can read more about his career here, and see his Jersey numbers.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/r/richabr01.html

 

[donny2112]

In the West we're definitely looking at some upgraders, but just the number of titles even releasing for the system is pretty sparse at this point, so there's not as much incentive to get a new system to get a benefit to a ton of upcoming games.

I'm expecting/hoping an increased VC presence with SNES/GBA, and a n3DSWare-specific store (can't see Xenoblade being retail due to the likely consumer confusion, so it'd have to be digitial-only and probably in an n3DS-specific area of the store). If it only turns out to be faster browsing/Miiverse and C-stick usage, then would have to rethink buying it. :/

 

[Toki767]

Oh software revenue is up 2x over July for Microsoft. That makes sense considering nothing came out in July for them.

 

[donny2112]

Brad Richards was a good hockey player back when he was with the Stars.

That intense stare.

Someone should photoshop Luigi on him to make it a death stare. Then, he'd be ... Oh!

Within 3 years we could only have 3-4 active platforms. Consolidation is real and happening.

Sounds about right.

Edit:
And those 3-4 platforms will be weaker than the equivalent 3-4 platforms from the PS2/XBX/GCN/GBA generation.

 

[Nirolak]

I'm expecting/hoping an increased VC presence with SNES/GBA, and a n3DSWare-specific store (can't see Xenoblade being retail due to the likely consumer confusion, so it'd have to be digitial-only and probably in an n3DS-specific area of the store). If it only turns out to be faster browsing/Miiverse and C-stick usage, then would have to rethink buying it. :/

Well I guess my thought process is more this.

What's releasing for the 3DS in the West after the New 3DS comes out?

It's not timed with Smash so anyone getting that in the first few months might end up finding they're fine with playing it on the system they have already been using it on.

And more generally, I actually am having trouble thinking of what games are coming out after that point. Maybe Bravely Second and Final Fantasy Explorers? Project STEAM? Am I forgetting anything else?

 

[Mpl90]

Yeah I guess it's technically not that much different.


My question is how much it will actually affect things in the West though. In Japan it's an upgrade to the default system. In the West we're definitely looking at some upgraders, but just the number of titles even releasing for the system is pretty sparse at this point, so there's not as much incentive to get a new system to get a benefit to a ton of upcoming games.

Well, the New 3DS seems to be a far bigger upgrade than even I thought, and, if it follows Japanese prices, it should be at prices quite similar to the current models, so we should definitely see an uptick in sales shortly after launch. But yeah, its long-term effect (which means, until the brand new handheld system launches) is going to depend on the amount of actual exclusives for New 3DS (Xenoblade Chronicles is already a far bigger affair than what seen in the DS-to-DSi shift, retail-wise, and it has been said there are exclusives being worked on, but we can't state now how much), the marketing itself (it's not outlandish to see a renewed marketing effort when the new version comes out, right?) and the fact actual newcomers would already have a pretty big library of games to buy (I can see a scenario where other 3DS titles see their prices discounted, just like DKCR3D, Animal Crossing, MK8, etc.etc. this year...maybe right in time with New 3DS' launch?).

I can see New 3DS helping quite decently 3DS sales till the new handheld drop, but Nintendo must play its cards well enough.

 

[KillerMan91]

If n3DS is just a way to get some extra cash from upgraders in a west I think it a good idea if the hw margins are allright. If they try to extend the life of 3DS line with it and prolong the launch of real successor I think it is a terrible idea. I really don't see it improving the software sales of the 3DS ecosystem at least not enough to extend its life.

 

[RespectThySole]

Oh software revenue is up 2x over July for Microsoft. That makes sense considering nothing came out in July for them.

Yeah, that's pretty much the only reason tbh. Nothing of any real note released in July for XB1. Of course sales would double with Madden, Diablo and Metro releasing, in comparison to a month that essentially had nothing.

Of course, this isn't really a bad thing, but I can't say it's particularly good either.

 

[Ty4on]

How stupid can I be. Here I was adding up all sorts of stats hoping they'd be close to a reasonable number


At the very least I have one prediction that is good

 

[metalslimer]

Holy shit 91k must be extremely close to 3DS's worst month ever.

As for the n3DS, I said it would be up because I just can't imagine that even with a new model the 3DS slipping into constantly under 100k for the entire year, but the 3DS has always managed to be below expectations in the west post holiday 2011 (i.e. being down after the 2ds launch).

 

[donny2112]

I'm not enforcing or advising on any specific behavior. This is something that each user can decide.

True, but it was strongly recommended by someone who's been worthwhile to listen to before, so it'd good if each user decided against it. Said the same years back that bits of data wasn't the issue so much as it all being in one place and easy to track down.

91k must be extremely close to 3DS's worst month ever.

Worse since July 2011. i.e. The month before the announced massive price cut.

 

[RetroStu]

PS4 has more console exclusives and games. It's not a stretch to say PS4 is handily winning in the games department and is starting to lap XB.

Does it?, are you including Indie games or something?

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Well, the New 3DS seems to be a far bigger upgrade than even I thought, and, if it follows Japanese prices, it should be at prices quite similar to the current models, so we should definitely see an uptick in sales shortly after launch.

I can see New 3DS helping quite decently 3DS sales till the new handheld drop, but Nintendo must play its cards well enough.

How will consumers really appreciate more RAM and faster clocks on still incredibly weak hardware? The 'New 3DS' is an absolutely terrible, horrific plan if they think that's going to reignite sales.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Holy shit 91k must be extremely close to 3DS's worst month ever.

Not close to. Is.

 

[metalslimer]

Not pretty close. Is.

Is it? I went back to thread and the best I could find was 3DS at 90k. I'm starting to wonder if even with Smash the 3DS will be down this holiday.

 

[Guevara]

3DS is so donezo. The new 3DS seems like it has no chance of reinvigorating sales. Nintendo really should have announced a successor earlier this year.

 

[Nirolak]

I think the biggest issue to me is that the DSi had two years (or more in Japan) after it came out until the 3DS released.

If they really don't intend to ship a new handheld until Fall 2016 or Spring 2017, that's going to be very painful outside of Japan, and put them into a tough spot for any business revival.

In Japan they at least have defacto last dedicated platform standing status so like the 360/PS3, being a bit long in the tooth, while not super helpful, isn't incredibly dangerous.

 

[Ty4on]

Holy shit 91k must be extremely close to 3DS's worst month ever.

90k in 2011 apparently. I don't wanna be too smug (just look at the rest of my predictions), but I said that first

Edit: 3DS down 15K. Previous trends seem to indicate it can be the worst month ever and I feel too optimistic.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Is it? I went back to thread and the best I could find was 3DS at 90k.

The lowest I have 3DS going to previously is 94.5K in July 2011, although open to confirmation from others. Edit: this may have been from pixel count, so disregard if there's more official number.

At any rate, it's not a good number.

 

[StormKing]

Well I guess my thought process is more this.

What's releasing for the 3DS in the West after the New 3DS comes out?

It's not timed with Smash so anyone getting that in the first few months might end up finding they're fine with playing it on the system they have already been using it on.

And more generally, I actually am having trouble thinking of what games are coming out after that point. Maybe Bravely Second and Final Fantasy Explorers? Project STEAM? Am I forgetting anything else?

Should be Xenoblade, Bravely Second, Final Fantasy Explorers, Project STEAM, Yokai Watch, Etrian Odyssey Untold 2, Senran Kagura 2, the Great Ace Attorney.

Maybe Monster Hunter 4G will be released with it as well. 3DS games will be mainly Japanese localizations.

 

[metalslimer]

I think the biggest issue to me is that the DSi had two years (or more in Japan) after it came out until the 3DS released.

If they really don't intend to ship a new handheld until Fall 2016 or Spring 2017, that's going to be very painful outside of Japan, and put them into a tough spot for any business revival.

Right, the 3DS in 2016 will probably be where Wii U is right now with no mindshare whatsoever in the market (hell the 3DS has essentially been forgotten for most of this year).

The lowest I have 3DS going to previously is 94.5K in July 2011, although open to confirmation from others.

Well this sounds more accurate, and so I'll take it as not to start posting links to old leaks.

 

[Nirolak]

Should be Xenoblade, Bravely Second, Final Fantasy Explorers, Project STEAM, Yokai Watch, Etrian Odyssey Untold 2, Senran Kagura 2, the Great Ace Attorney.

Maybe Monster Hunter 4G will be released with it as well. 3DS games will be mainly Japanese localizations.

Thanks.

Looking at that list the main issue I see is that they're basically all niche interest products.

I mean, that's a good way to monetize the remaining active audience, but it's a hard sell for keeping the system sales themselves going.

 

[AmaterasuOni]

Xbox One is selling fine, PS4 keeps on selling like hell though, even without better exclusives than Xbox so far.

What what? TLOU and Second Son are both a lot better than anything Xbone has to offer at the moment. No idea what you're talking about.

 

[donny2112]

Nintendo really should have announced a successor earlier this year.

Terrible, terrible idea. They need a cash cow and not another drain. 3DS is generating profit, and it's well within the "normal" 5-year lifespan. One of the reasons DS was supposed to be a third pillar was so it wouldn't hurt the GBA sales, as much. A real successor would end 3DS's cash cow ability. It was only 3 years old earlier this year, after all.

 

[metalslimer]

3DS is so donezo. The new 3DS seems like it has no chance of reinvigorating sales. Nintendo really should have announced a successor earlier this year.

They don't have the software and launching a new handheld next year with no software would damage them a lot more than waiting another year.

Terrible, terrible idea. They need a cash cow and not another drain. 3DS is generating profit, and it's well within the "normal" 5-year lifespan. One of the reasons DS was supposed to be a third pillar was so it wouldn't hurt the GBA sales, as much. A real successor would end 3DS's cash cow ability. It was only 3 years old earlier this year, after all.

I do hope they manage to get a real successor out in the first half of 2016 though.

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

It's also a shame to hear PW vs Layton bombed. There is no way the new one will have a physical release. I said it earlier, but the 3DS is so stagnant right now. From the way the system is marketed, I wouldn't blame you if you thought a successor was coming out next year. The n3DS should assure 2015 is up but 2014 has been a bad year.

I didn't buy it and I'm crazy about the AA series, kinda sucks if they don't release physical versions of the series because of a spin off.

 

[jcm]

So here's some comps with fewer numbers than usual. If it's a problem to post this much let me know and I'll take some down.

Year Over Year

         2014    2013  % Change
XB1                     
360                        -56%
PS4                     
PS3                        -68%
WIU                         71%
WII                        -61%
3DS                        -32%
NDS          
PSV                        -60%
PSP         
                        
Family                  
MSFT      209     114       83%
SONY      223     104      114%
NINT      165     238      -31%
                        
HAND       97     186      -48%
CONSOLE   500     270       85%

Gen over Gen

Console  2014    2007  % Change
360               277     
PS2               202     
WII               404     
PS3               131     
TOTAL    500    1,014      -51%
                        
Handheld 2014    2008  % Change
NDS               518     
PSP               253     
Total      97     771      -87%

Powerhouse™ vs the PSP and NDS

        3DS 2014  PSP 2008  NDS 2008
January       97       230       251
February     153       243       587
March        159       297       698
April        106       193       415
May           97       182       452
June         152       337       783
July         108       222       608
August        91       253       518
September              238       537
October                193       491
November               421      1570
December              1020      3040

Through Aug  963      1957      4312
Total                 3829      9950

3DS is down 26% YOY. It's going to need a hell of a holiday to achieve Best Days status in 2014.

 

[Nirolak]

What what? TLOU and Second Son are both a lot better than anything Xbone has to offer at the moment. No idea what you're talking about.

I know a lot of people have trouble separating the two, but in the context of a sales thread, a better exclusive is a bigger seller, not someone's personal opinion of the quality of a product.

Titanfall is a bigger force than Infamous or the TLOU remaster. Dead Rising was also a bigger franchise than Infamous.

 

[Journey]

Madden #1 on PS4 is scary.

Not sure why its scary or a surprise to some.


360 US sales = ~47 Million
PS3 US sales = ~28 Million

Football is a US sport, so it's no surprise 360 version of Madden would stomp the PS3 sales wise based on the US installed base.

Currently PS4 has about a cool million console lead in the us over X1, so it's no mystery that Madden is doing better there, doesn't have much to do with demographics dudebro and what have you, PS4 is simply killing it on sales

 

[Nirolak]

We're not doing this giant list image thing. If you want to discuss giant lists of XB1 and PS4 exclusives, find a different thread.

 

[theprodigy]

Wait when did we jump on 91k?

 

[metalslimer]

I've been going back to older NPD threads recently, and it's amazing the defensiveness (including myself) about how much handheld gaming had changed. It's only been a few years and now it's an indisputable fact. I wonder what we will be saying about the current consoles 3 years from now.

 

[AmaterasuOni]

I know a lot of people have trouble separating the two, but in the context of a sales thread, a better exclusive is a bigger seller, not someone's personal opinion of the quality of a product.

Titanfall is a bigger force than Infamous or the TLOU remaster. Dead Rising was also a bigger franchise than Infamous.

Ah, true! Yes.

 

[Ty4on]

Wait when did we jump on 91k?

It was quick and cryptic. Let's just say we did

 

[shinra-bansho]

Wait when did we jump on 91k?

Illusions, Michael, tricks are something a whore does for money.

 

[theprodigy]

It was quick and cryptic. Let's just say we did

Illusions, Michael, tricks are something a whore does for money.

Let me in on this PM train