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[Tobor]

I read through 20 some pages before I finally caved and skipped ahead. The levels of bile and vitriol towards the Wii is reaching epic proportions around here.

For all the bitching about the Wii being so casual and killing "real" gaming, I would argue the opposite. You have to have a Wii + an HD console this gen. Anything less, and you're not truly "hardcore".

 

[Odysseus]

So you would argue that Wii Sports is not selling the Wii?

massive games don't sell consoles on day one. they sell them over time as word of mouth spreads and people try it out for themselves and get hooked.

internet forum nerds aside, people don't make hardware purchases day and date with the release of the game they want to play. they'll buy it whenever it's convenient, which might be weeks to months ahead of the release (meaing: they'll find another excuse to get it), or weeks to months after.

to make an immediate hardware boost, you need a price drop. to make a long term hardware boost, you need momentum from games. wii sports is a momentum builder. it got into homes, people tried it, and the wii took off. but if wii sports came out of nowhere tomorrow, you wouldn't see millions lining to buy a wii to play it, because they wouldn't know what it was.

people knew what gta iv was, and they've been buying 360s and ps3s in anticipation of it since day one. and they'll be buying 360s and ps3s to play it for months to come. just not all day one, week one, month one.

it sure was nice of microsoft and sony to not introduce any skus, bundles, or price drops leading up to gta iv. i imagine september 07 would have been much different without a price drop in august and a new limited edition sku. even with those, the boost was mocked by wii and ps3 fans alike.

well, the wii fans are still laughing, i guess.

 

[Shig]

Is the shrinkage of the hardcore market really a big surprise ? If the game industry is serious about competing with movie/music/... it has to become more mainstream.

The hardcore market has never been healthier. Try looking at software sales, not just hardware.

 

[Dave Long]

Wii Sports is still the driving force behind Wii sales. People who don't own one want to get one because many of their friends or relatives are telling them how much fun Wii Sports is and/or they're trying it out at someone's home and are hooked.

The Wii isn't viewed as a games console, it's a unique novelty form of entertainment for your home.

The other two guys are still selling "videogames". Nintendo is selling family entertainment.

 

[borghe]

I read through 20 some pages before I finally caved and skipped ahead. The levels of bile and vitriol towards the Wii is reaching epic proportions around here.

For all the bitching about the Wii being so casual and killing "real" gaming, I would argue the opposite. You have to have a Wii + an HD console this gen. Anything less, and you're not truly "hardcore".

I'll take you one step further. I would say that the Wii has seen the highest percentage of new IPs in core games compared to the other platforms, and that developers have in fact taken the greatest risks with core game concepts on the Wii compared to the other platforms. Not only is Wii not destroying the core gamer market, but it's pretty god damn hard to argue the fact that it's in reality the platform where most of the newest advancements in core gaming concepts are occurring.

Heck, and you can't even complain about graphics as most of the developers are even using the system's limited graphics hardware to explore new visual styles to make games appealing and stand out from the crowd.

To put it more simply, I think it's fair to say that the Wii has prompted as much if not more advancement in the core game market than the other two systems due to developers working within constraints as well as with entirely new controller concepts.

of course it has plenty of shovelware and ports, but focusing on those is a disservice to the developers that are really undoubtedly laying the groundwork for future console generations.

 

[Halcyon776]

Wii Sports is still the driving force behind Wii sales. People who don't own one want to get one because many of their friends or relatives are telling them how much fun Wii Sports is and/or they're trying it out at someone's home and are hooked.

The Wii isn't viewed as a games console, it's a unique novelty form of entertainment for your home.

The other two guys are still selling "videogames". Nintendo is selling family entertainment.

like Scene-it?

I recall in an interview in EGM a few years back that M$ envisioned grannies selling needlework on X-box live marketplace...

anyways as long as there are "actual" games like Zelda, or Fatal Frame IV on the Wii; you can not not merely brush it aside and claim it doesn't count; even if the hardcore owners make up only 10% of the systems owned...

 

[PhatSaqs]

I think the point you are indirectly making is that newer iterations of basically the same games are causing those series to shed their system seller status. whereas earlier iterations WERE new and unique experiences that caused them to shift consoles.

Determining what is and what isnt a system seller along with how many consoles that title specifically shifted will always be trivial at best. One could argue that since people are familar with a particualr system selling franchise they are more likely to buy a console for a sequel to that franchise sooner rather than later. That could be months before the title is actually released. Then again some games come out of nowhere (even sequels to established franchises), have good word of mouth and become system sellers later. We really have concrete way of knowing in the end.

Edit: Beaten and better said by Odysseus.

And I also agree with Dave Long.

 

[Moray]

The Wii isn't viewed as a games console, it's a unique novelty form of entertainment for your home.

Yep, it seems like the Wii isn't perceived as nerdy like pretty much every other console is.

 

[TwiztidElf]

I guess the fear is that popular videogames are going to become as meaningless as popular music and popular movies.
I remember days when good movies and music used to be popular.

Is this newly found mainstream casual market even a sustainable market?

 

[Deku]

massive games don't sell consoles on day one. they sell them over time as word of mouth spreads and people try it out for themselves and get hooked.

internet forum nerds aside, people don't make hardware purchases day and date with the release of the game they want to play. they'll buy it whenever it's convenient, which might be weeks to months ahead of the release (meaing: they'll find another excuse to get it), or weeks to months after.

to make an immediate hardware boost, you need a price drop. to make a long term hardware boost, you need momentum from games. wii sports is a momentum builder. it got into homes, people tried it, and the wii took off. but if wii sports came out of nowhere tomorrow, you wouldn't see millions lining to buy a wii to play it, because they wouldn't know what it was.

people knew what gta iv was, and they've been buying 360s and ps3s in anticipation of it since day one. and they'll be buying 360s and ps3s to play it for months to come. just not all day one, week one, month one.

it sure was nice of microsoft and sony to not introduce any skus, bundles, or price drops leading up to gta iv. i imagine september 07 would have been much different without a price drop in august and a new limited edition sku. even with those, the boost was mocked by wii and ps3 fans alike.

well, the wii fans are still laughing, i guess.

I actually see this much differently. This might make sense if the software sales was lucklustre. I'd pin this much closer to the Halo 3 effect than one where it's a slow start.

Will the game have positive sales impact for the months following. Almost certainly.
But GTA IV is a known quantity now, it's not a sleeper or breakout hit that grows by word of mouth. If it can't push hardware sales significantly after its tremendous software showing, it just means many if not most players who want it already bought in, which leaves little room for hardware sales growth.

I had predicted this in the preview thread, but I'm still surprised at how little it moved hardware. There may be a delayed response/effect but regardless of the boosts that may be received for May NPD, the failure to move hardware in April is a failure which cannot be explained away.

 

[jman2050]

I guess the fear is that popular videogames are going to become as meaningless as popular music and popular movies.
I remember days when good movies and music used to be popular.

If there's two things that annoy me more than video games snobs, it's movie and music snobs.

 

[pestul]

I can't believe how much has changed from the 'GC 1.5' days.. and then the unveil of the name 'Wii'. Seems like a distant memory.

 

[Tobor]

I guess the fear is that popular videogames are going to become as meaningless as popular music and popular movies.
I remember days when good movies and music used to be popular.

And this would be an irrational and uneducated fear, just as it is with movies and music.

 

[borghe]

I guess the fear is that popular videogames are going to become as meaningless as popular music and popular movies.
I remember days when good movies and music used to be popular.

Is this newly found mainstream casual market even a sustainable market?

let me guess, when you first took a major interest in them?

entertainment is almost never as "great" as it was during your inaugural generation. there's a whole generation of kids and teens right now who disagree entirely with you.

 

[RBH]

Wow @ Nintendo

Tremendous. :lol

 

[Davidion]

actually when you split it's sales across two consoles, they are even that much worse compared to previous installments. I also question "I feel that a game in a series with the notoriety of GTA". I feel that the days of GTAs "notoriety" in terms of selling units are done. Heck, just turn on the TV and.. oh wait, there isn't anything on GTAIV on the TV anymore (a week later).

And note that I am NOT bashing GTA nor pointing out its sales.. I am just saying that I think this one is going to perform completely different than all previous titles in the series since it hit the PS2.


umm... that's what all system sellers do. Provide a new experience. Whether it's waggle, shooting hookers, or fantastic multiplayer. Your definition of a system seller is spot on, but you don't need new hardware or tech to meet that definition. I think the point you are indirectly making is that newer iterations of basically the same games are causing those series to shed their system seller status. whereas earlier iterations WERE new and unique experiences that caused them to shift consoles.

When the sales are split across two or more consoles, the game might see higher sales but loses the impact of having a large sales volume focused on one format. I'm not sure we're really arguing here.

As for notoriety, I meant it int he context of peer-to-peer marketing, word of mouth, etc. The fact that GTA has received less controversial press this time around has not been lost on me, believe you me. However, it's of my opinion that the game will have a healthier tail due to the series general reputation within the general consumer market.

As for my comments about system sellers, you're correct on the indirect interpretation of my point. Further similar iterations on a series/franchises will most likely result in less consumer interest, no doubt. However, the misconception that I'm trying to point out is that somehow the name, the brand, the franchise of the game, sells systems. The real system sellers are those games that provide an experience so unique or special or engaging that it captures the mindshare of its potential audience and makes them want to seek it out to the point of ignoring what additional purchases they have to make in order to have that experience (ie. buying whatever consoles that they need to buy). The point I was trying to address is why wii sports is a systems seller and GTA4 doesn't seem to be one despite everyone's expectations that it would be. I think most people here adhere to the "brand name" school of thought on what makes a system selling game.

This isn't taking into account the system selling power of an overall stronger lineup, btw.

 

[King_Slender]

I guess the fear is that popular videogames are going to become as meaningless as popular music and popular movies.
I remember days when good movies and music used to be popular.

Is this newly found mainstream casual market even a sustainable market?

There will always be good music and movies, it's just that something like the Wii is analogous to bubble-gum pop music, a la the hey-day of Brittany Spears or New Kids on the Block. It's in a completely different category and the people buying it are not the same people that brought the industry up.

 

[Halcyon776]

I read through 20 some pages before I finally caved and skipped ahead. The levels of bile and vitriol towards the Wii is reaching epic proportions around here.

For all the bitching about the Wii being so casual and killing "real" gaming, I would argue the opposite. You have to have a Wii + an HD console this gen. Anything less, and you're not truly "hardcore".

so you're saying if someone spent million hours to perfect a speed run through the original Mario Bros, and because thats not on the 360 or PS3; and this said person doesn't own or is interested in owning either console; that he is in fact not hard-core?

In my opinion being hard core isn't what you play or on what platform; but how you play.

 

[Zerachiel]

People keep saying this but is this really going to change anything? Wii is selling out now so unless they have been stockpiling systems for the release the Wii will probably sell the same amount.

Even if they haven't been stockpiling, they can still divert supply from Japan and Europe, where the Wii is not selling out. Nintendo have been pretty consistently upping supply to meet the increased demand from a big title; supply increased precipitously in March, in anticipation of SSBB, and increased even more from that in anticipation of Mario Kart. Remember that March was a 5-week month. Wii sales are up week over week from 108k/week in February to 144.2 k / week in March to 178.5k/week this month, increases of 33% and 23% respectively. If the March to April trend continues into next month, and that's a conservative estimate considering that Wiifit's impact is likely to be more than Mario Kart's, we're looking at 880k next month.

 

[Sule]

Joke post?

Joke post? Would you pay good money for a FF7 figurine of Tifa with half a bare ass and something that could be a nipple slip but could also just be dust? Fuck no you wouldn't. Doesn't mean some people think it's worth the money.

 

[marc^o^]

Joke post?

By Wii's value proposition I meant product differentiation. Wii sells like hot cakes because it's unique, moreso than because it's cheaper than the next gen consoles.

 

[RJT]

I read through 20 some pages before I finally caved and skipped ahead. The levels of bile and vitriol towards the Wii is reaching epic proportions around here.

For all the bitching about the Wii being so casual and killing "real" gaming, I would argue the opposite. You have to have a Wii + an HD console this gen. Anything less, and you're not truly "hardcore".

Am I the only one going PCwii? I have the advantage of being able to use the wiimote on HD shooters...

 

[Davidion]

Am I the only one going PCwii? I have the advantage of being able to use the wiimote on HD shooters...

PCwii guy here.

 

[Tobor]

so you're saying if someone spent million hours to perfect a speed run through the original Mario Bros, and because thats not on the 360 or PS3; and this said person doesn't own or is interested in owning either console; that he is in fact not hard-core?

In my opinion being hard core isn't what you play or on what platform; but how you play.

This is a completely valid interpretation of the meaning, just not the meaning I was responding too. I'm responding to the moronic assertion that the Wii is not "real" or "hardcore" gaming.

If you'd like to insert another term, that's fine. My point still stands.

There will always be good music and movies, it's just that something like the Wii is analogous to bubble-gum pop music, a la the hey-day of Brittany Spears or New Kids on the Block. It's in a completely different category and the people buying it are not the same people that brought the industry up.

This is also bullshit. Anyone who has played Boom Blox and Super Mario Galaxy would know that's bullshit.

 

[bloodydrake]

its funny all this time people talk about the battle for first place. That battle seems to be decided.
then its the battle for second place. But its becoming really apparent that theres not going to be a second place its actually a battle for 3rd place. 2nd place sales aren't even feasible at this point.

 

[Dave Long]

There will always be good music and movies, it's just that something like the Wii is analogous to bubble-gum pop music, a la the hey-day of Brittany Spears or New Kids on the Block. It's in a completely different category and the people buying it are not the same people that brought the industry up.

This is such bullshit.

 

[Odysseus]

I actually see this much differently. This might make sense if the software sales was lucklustre. I'd pin this much closer to the Halo 3 effect than one where it's a slow start.

Will the game have positive sales impact for the months following. Almost certainly.
But GTA IV is a known quantity now, it's not a sleeper or breakout hit that grows by word of mouth. If it can't push hardware sales significantly after its tremendous software showing, it just means many if not most players who want it already bought in, which leaves little room for hardware sales growth.

I had predicted this in the preview thread, but I'm still surprised at how little it moved hardware. There may be a delayed response/effect but regardless of the boosts that may be received for May NPD, the failure to move hardware in April is a failure which cannot be explained away.

i think you may have partially misread my post. i'm not calling for a prolonged sales boost courtesy of gta iv. at best, they better hope for sales stability. once we get past the mgs4 bundle (keyword: bundle, which will have at least some impact on sales), hopefully all of neogaf and more than a few analysts will just get over the "one game boost" fallacy. from here on out, it will be about overall libraries, price drops, holidays, and a little thing called momentum.

currently, library and momentum favor the wii.

 

[radioheadrule83]

A small cartoon

 

[Halcyon776]

This is a completely valid interpretation of the meaning, just not the meaning I was responding too. I'm responding to the moronic assertion that the Wii is not "real" or "hardcore" gaming.

If you'd like to insert another term, that's fine. My point still stands.



This is also bullshit. Anyone who has played Boom Blox and Super Mario Galaxy would know that's bullshit.

I see; I missed some of the meaning to your original post.

 

[Stumpokapow]

A small cartoon

Not half bad.

The brawl-style knockout was funny.

 

[Leonsito]

A small cartoon

Music please?

 

[radioheadrule83]

Manowar - Warriors of the World United

 

[dammitmattt]

I'll take you one step further. I would say that the Wii has seen the highest percentage of new IPs in core games compared to the other platforms, and that developers have in fact taken the greatest risks with core game concepts on the Wii compared to the other platforms. Not only is Wii not destroying the core gamer market, but it's pretty god damn hard to argue the fact that it's in reality the platform where most of the newest advancements in core gaming concepts are occurring.

Heck, and you can't even complain about graphics as most of the developers are even using the system's limited graphics hardware to explore new visual styles to make games appealing and stand out from the crowd.

To put it more simply, I think it's fair to say that the Wii has prompted as much if not more advancement in the core game market than the other two systems due to developers working within constraints as well as with entirely new controller concepts.

of course it has plenty of shovelware and ports, but focusing on those is a disservice to the developers that are really undoubtedly laying the groundwork for future console generations.

I'm going to disagree with you here. The only new game concepts I've seen on the Wii skew towards the casual side of gaming (Wii Sports and Boom Blox being two of the best examples). Quickly perusing my Wii catalog, I don't have a single game (outside of "casual" games like Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Boom Blox) that introduce any new concepts. You might argue that these three games hit both demographics, but I don't think you'd argue that these were "core" games, as defined by your argument above. The best "core" games on the Wii (Mario, Zelda, Smash, Mario Kart, Metroid) take existing concepts and graft on the Wii controls. The same is true for the top 3rd party games (RE4, Zack & Wiki, No More Heroes).

I would argue that the true advancements in the core games mostly revolve around online aspects such as drop-in/drop-out co-operative play, Forge, Saved Films, and DLC. And yes I'm well aware that games such as Boom Blox are doing things similar to Forge. That's the innovation I've seen in the core space, in addition to the genre refinement that happens on new generations. Most of the gameplay innovation I've seen this generation revolves around the more casual titles on the Wii.

If you're talking new core game IPs, the Wii doesn't even come close. I don't want to start list wars, but to list a few we've seen Gears, BioShock, Assassin's Creed, Resistance, and Uncharted. There's not a single new core IP on the Wii that's close to the level (sales or metacritic) of these games. The majority of new core IP development is happening on the HD consoles. That's a fact.

I agree completely with you that there are plenty of great core experiences on the Wii, but the rest of your argument is a reach.

 

[DataBot]

Wii Sports is still the driving force behind Wii sales. People who don't own one want to get one because many of their friends or relatives are telling them how much fun Wii Sports is and/or they're trying it out at someone's home and are hooked.

The Wii isn't viewed as a games console, it's a unique novelty form of entertainment for your home.

The other two guys are still selling "videogames". Nintendo is selling family entertainment.

Let me correct you these are the reasons dont forget there is more than meets the eye...

 

[Bojangles]

The only explanation is that kids are getting Wiis.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Wow. Wow. GTA V better not release next month, or PS3/X360 are really in trouble.


In average time owned, Wii's huge month (+8.1% to its LTD) dipped it back below PS3.
System: Average weeks owned (Average purchase date)
Wii: 34.5 (September 5, 2007)
PS3: 35.5 (August 29, 2007)
X360: 59.0 (March 17, 2007)

In terms of massive single-month userbase percentage growth, chances for that are becoming rarer as LTDs increase. A ~2-million December for Wii is the only chance for another 10% jump I can see as a possibility for this generation.

The 360\PS3 numbers are quite normal for this month. The problem is that this month has neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeever seen a release as big as GTA4.

I've not got a list of past April biggies at hand, but Pokémon Diamond/Pearl were pretty notable last year. It didn't reach 2 million combined, though, so as a single month game it wasn't as big as GTA4 just was.

that's not in any way realistic.

Just as a what-if, let's say 700K/month is the new standard, November is a double month, and December is a quadruple month. In that case, May-December would come to 8.4 million. Still about 2 million short of hitting 20 million.

 

[DataBot]

The only explanation is that kids are getting Wiis.

:lol

One of my pals was always like you than he bought last month a wii with mkwii.

He plays it every day, my other pals told him he got owned and his new nick is "Kid". :lol

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

Wii has a wider audience. That is all.

The Wii appeals to all kinds of people. The variety of people I've seen that own Wiis is something I haven't seen even on PS2. As casual as gaming is with last generation, there were still a lot of untapped markets. I'm talking families and females. While both aren't blind, deaf and dumb to video games, they weren't rushing out en masse to buy a system. Now they are.

Wii Sports is an easy pick up and play game. Most X360 and PS3 games are not. Within a minute you could be bowling, golfing, etc. with the Wii but with a PS3, it might take a few minutes.

I think people are giving its software too much credit. It isn't cutting edge. Most Wii games are shit. It is why Wii Play, Smash Bros, and Mario Kart sell well and why most Wii games tank. It is very casual. In the end, I could see Wii Play outselling SSB Brawl, MK Wii, Galaxy, all of them, if it hasn't already. Why? It is easy to pick up and play; it is casual.

This doesn't necessarily mean dumbing down. I think it is always good when the industry gets a good shock of reality. Developers will adjust in time.

 

[Shiggy]

How long until Wii sales = PS3+Xbox360 sales?

 

[jibblypop]

Great sales for Wii. Absolutely fantastically great!

Grand Theft Auto pulled in some very nice sales as well. I think the reason it didn't sell consoles is because the most people wanting it badly would already have a ps3 or 360. It will sell consistently for a long time though because GTA games are like mario games in that the huge hardcore base snaps it up right away and then the casuals keep picking it up for a long time.

Also I think the biggest mistake people make is thinking that the biggest and most important game of a generation will be the sequel to the biggest one last generation. GTA 3 blew people away because people didn't see it coming and then it takes off and becomes the deciding game of the generation. The game ideas in GTA 3 were unheard of and changed gaming as we knew it. GTA 4 simply could not have the same impact because everybody already knows what it's all about this time around. It is hugely popular but won't be the deciding game of the generation anymore.

This generation Wii Sports seems to be that game that came out of nowhere and completely changed the way people thought about games. When a game does what GTA 3 and Wii Sports did, then you can expect the console that game is released on to take off and win the generation.

 

[Firewire]

The Wii is a beast!

 

[Halcyon776]

Great sales for Wii. Absolutely fantastically great!

Grand Theft Auto pulled in some very nice sales as well. I think the reason it didn't sell consoles is because the most people wanting it badly would already have a ps3 or 360. It will sell consistently for a long time though because GTA games are like mario games in that the huge hardcore base snaps it up right away and then the casuals keep picking it up for a long time.

Also I think the biggest mistake people make is thinking that the biggest and most important game of a generation will be the sequel to the biggest one last generation. GTA 3 blew people away because people didn't see it coming and then it takes off and becomes the deciding game of the generation. The game ideas in GTA 3 were unheard of and changed gaming as we knew it. GTA 4 simply could not have the same impact because everybody already knows what it's all about this time around. It is hugely popular but won't be the deciding game of the generation anymore.

This generation Wii Sports seems to be that game that came out of nowhere and completely changed the way people thought about games. When a game does what GTA 3 and Wii Sports did, then you can expect the console that game is released on to take off and win the generation.

But you would think that it would help sell at least a few; I think the real issue is that it came out in late April and we'll see a small spike in May once the mainstream realizes it came out. but you're statement is very true; GTAIV isn't revolutionary as its predecessor was; but it will help to sell some consoles.

 

[jarrod]

Sony does well = a bunch of companies do well

Microsoft does well = a bunch of companies do well

Nintendo does well = Nintendo does well

Sega, Square Enix, Activision, Hudson, Atlus, SNK, Ubisoft and several others beg to differ...

 

[Rocksteady33]

Sorry I got to this thread a little late, but were there any other games numbers not in the top 10 posted? What about LTD's of games like Wii Play, Guitar Hero Wii and Call of Duty 4? System LTD's?

 

[Odysseus]

Sorry I got to this thread a little late, but were there any other games numbers not in the top 10 posted? What about LTD's of games like Wii Play, Guitar Hero Wii and Call of Duty 4? System LTD's?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=11200242&postcount=2052

 

[Sule]

Everything not in the thread title so far from various sources...

-----

April 08:

360 TOM CLANCY RAINBOW SIX VEGAS 2: ~105K

PSP GOD OF WAR CHAINS OLYMPUS: ~65K

NDS THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU: ~45K
NDS NINJA GAIDEN DRAGON SWORD ~25K

-----

Rough LTDs:

360 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE: ~4.0 million
360 TOM CLANCY RAINBOW SIX VEGAS: ~855K

WII SUPER SMASH BROS. BRAW: ~3.0 million
WII GUITAR HERO III: ~2.15 million

PSP GOD OF WAR CHAINS OLYMPUS: ~400K

-----

Hardware LTD:

PS2: ~42.0 million
NDS: ~19.5 million
PSP: ~11.5 million
360: ~10.1 million
Wii: ~9.5 million
PS3: ~4.2 million

-----

WII PLAY W/REMOTE - WTF:

February 07 - 371K
March 07 - 273K
April 07 - 249K
May 07 - 227K
June 07 - 293K
July 07 - 278K
August 07 - 257K
September 07 - 282K
October 07 - 240K
November 07 - 564K
December 07 - 1.1 million
January 08 - 298K
February 08 - 290K
March 08 - 410K
April 08 - 360K

LTD: ~5.5 million

For anyone who missed it.

Ha! He'll see mine before yours!

 

[Struct09]

April Showers this month indeed

 

[besada]

 

[edwardslane]

lol that's insane. Nintendo are laughing all the way to the bank..Wii fit should be interesting as another big casual game. This nintendo machine isn't stopping anytime soon.

and yea those ps3 and xbox numbers don't even make sense.. Less numbers than the previous months? and GTA4 launched? that's messed up.

I'm sure Take two were wishing sony and MS had more market share. If ps3 had Nintendo's userbase they'd have sold another million copies i'm sure.

Ohh well what can you do.

 

[vdo]

To those people rationalizing it's all about price, that doesn't explain all of it. I think there were at least 3 really good 360 sales the week of GTA4s launch. And the 360 Arcade (Which would have played GTA4 perfectly fine if money was an issue) is only 30 dollars more than Wii.

I've been reading through this thread, but it is way too big to see if anyone has mentioned this, but I think that there is more than just the console price people are considering.

I think the PS3 and 360 are viewed as not only having to come up with more money for the console, but also that, being HD consoles, you would want to invest in an HDTV and possibly even a better audio system. Sure, the argument can be made that they could just play the HD consoles on an SDTV, but with the way the consoles are being marketed, that may not enter their thoughts or they may think they are spending more but not getting a bang for their buck without having the HD equipment to take advantage of the HD console. So some parents would look at the options and think "You mean I can get away with buying a Wii for my kids and put off having to get an HD setup until later?" And more will want to be putting off HD setup purchases until later with the economic fears they may have.