Sony admits: "poor sales" of the PS3 in America
by Nick Doerr 
{ Jan 16th 2007 at 1:30PM }
Japanese analyst group Nomura Securities has gone over Sony's sales predictions and outcomes for the holiday season and say that the company will miss its sales goal for the fiscal year by 25 percent. The leading factor for the drop? Nomura claims its the poor sales felt in America over the holidays. Instead of selling 6 million units, Nomura estimates Sony might come through with 4.5 million units sold. As for the next couple of fiscal years, the sales expectations have been lowered from 16 million to 10 million for the 2007-2008 fiscal year and 18 million to 11 million for the fiscal year ending in '09. Sony remains steadfast in its plan to sell six million units by the end of March, but we've got to step outside of the box and think: is this bad? The answer, of course, is yes. This is a sour prediction of Sony's future, but the sales numbers don't lie. However, looking simply at the numbers doesn't tell you the whole truth.
We've gone over the factors of Sony's poor sales already and think that, given time (of course, that ol' excuse, right?), these factors will disappear and Sony's machine will get adopted by many more people. Now, avid readers, be ye haters or lovers, leave us your thoughts. Extra brownie points if you use proper grammar and actually try to make a point!
[via Gamasutra]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kspraydad @ Jan 16th 2007 1:37PM
Regardless of Sony's rough start I would be ASTOUNDED if a minimum of 50% PS2 owners didn't move to PS3 within 4 years....
That would equate to approx 50 million units sold.
2 things contributed to slow sales:
Lack of units
Lack of games
Coxy @ Jan 16th 2007 1:45PM
Its started poorly due to the high price probably, but the other problem is the lack of games for it, i reckon once it is released in europe it will start to pick up, the europe market has bought more ps2s then North america so im predicting that they will move onto the ps3 as the ps2 has been such a good games console and in march there are a host of quality games coming out, once people have got there money back after christmas and there are a lot of good games to buy the ps3 sales will pick up again.
mietha @ Jan 16th 2007 1:56PM
To #1: Actually there is already a major trend of PS2 owners moving to the 360, not the PS3. The 360 currently holds the spot sony has held for the last two generations: cheaper, more widely available, more games, more good games, more variety of games, more exclusives, etc., etc. The only way sony can compete now is a MAJOR price drop. With the poor sales of the PS3, third-party exclusives, at least those worth playing, are going to be far and few between. Their first party franchises just aren't strong enough. Gran Turismo 5 WILL sell units. Honestly probably in the million unit range, but that's not enough, and who the hell knows when it is coming. If God of War 2 was coming on the 3 instead of the 2, it would be a major boost. Huge mistake there. They are always going to be behind in price unless they are willing to take even more massive hits. Even if they dropped to 400, MS is at a point they can drop the 360. Without at least a $100 price drop, sony doesn't have a prayer. One thing they do have going for them though is that the $500 version isn't complete shit like the $300 360. Another problem is that the PS3 package is obscenely poor. You can't just buy the system and play. You need a HDMI cable, or at least composite, unless you want to play in 480i. Ick. You also need a charge cable that is longer than a foot and a half or a second controller. The real 360 is pretty much all inclusive, at least simply to start playing in HD. Sony just continues to make bad decisions. I love the PS3. I hope it succeeds, but honestly, it really seems that if it does, it will be in spite of sony, not because of them. And there is no such thing as brand loyality. Ask Nintendo and Sega in the past and Sony right now. Consumers buy what product is best for them (usually cheapest with the most/best games), not what brand they bought 5 years ago. If anything, for most people, it's probably the opposite. For instance, if you only owned one of the systems last generation, you are more likely to buy the other company's system, simply because then you open up the back catalog of the older system through BC. Basically, they need a price drop, release a game that is worth playing and has name recognition (it doesn't really matter how good Lair or resistance are, they will never move the units FF XIII or GT5 will), and give square/enix whatever the hell they want to keep FF XIII exclusive. Also a way to play Guitar Hero probably wouldn't hurt either... The download service is a very bright point though. Not many games, but the quality is high.
Glenn @ Jan 16th 2007 1:59PM
Hmz...
It's not looking good for Sony, though I really must say I think it's great of them to just tell everyone, and not think stuff up around it...
I think for the main part it has to do with the fact that the PS3 can no longer be given as a gift, it's simply too expensive for that...
If I would ask a PS3 for my birthday my parents would Laugh out Loud...
It also has to do with the fact that there aren't (yet) are good/lots of games, and also, since the x360 is doing so very well, gamers go with their friends, if all (or most) of youre friends have a x360, you are going to want that one too, since else, you wont be able to play with eachother..
Now for the end, I must admit I am a 360 fanboy, but I really try to be objective here...
Also, could someone (and please be honest, and no fanboy comment on this) tell me how the PS3 is doing with online play?
Greetings Glenn
marklar2k5 @ Jan 16th 2007 2:04PM
DUH!!!
@ #1
Lets add a few more:
* Sony's Attitude
* Blu-ray forced
* Too expensive
* NOT WORTH IT
ymmv @ Jan 16th 2007 2:02PM
If 50% of all PS2 owners bought a PS3, Sony would be in big, big trouble. Sony's financial house of cards is completely built on the assumption that the PS3 would be as succesful as the PS2. If they only sell half of that, the whole house of cards will fall down on their heads.
Chances of that happening are rather high at the moment. The PS2 was a runaway succes so developers' came to it in droves. With the incredible number of developers producing games for it, the PS2 became the machine to own for mainstream gamers. The PS3 on the other hand is a slow seller and publishers are very disappointed in the low games attach rate. Most launch games are financial failures. Publishers are currently rather hesitant to put a lot of effort and money in developing many new franchises. This means less games and more importantly: less exclusives since the development costs have to be spread out on other consoles as well. Just about all 3rd party games will also be available for the cheaper Xbox 360 which will happily run them just as well as the PS3. In fact, it will run those games even better since the 360 will be the base version and the PS3 version will be a port.
I think for at least two years there won't be that many reasons to own a PS3 and those years will be decisive. The PS3 will squander most of the PS2's marketshare, the 360 will gain a lot.
Miniboss @ Jan 16th 2007 2:05PM
Actually, Sony didn't admit anything. This was a third party analyst. Admitting defeat is not the Sony way. Going down with the ship... now that's more like it.
Daniel @ Jan 16th 2007 2:17PM
It is true that time may make it possible to mend many of the current problems that the PS3 has.
Time, however, may not be something Sony has much of. The Playstation has always thrived due to the large number of exclusive titles that it was able to score due to being market leader.
If Sony can't get the various issues that are impacting sales (primarily price) sorted out in time to at least be competitive with MS and Nintendo on share, they're going to be losing a lot of those exclusives.
There is no unlimited time frame for Sony to get things right, at which point all will be right with the world and everyone will jump on the Playstation bandwagon once more - if the share swings to the 360 or the Wii, then the games will be developed for those platforms.
Within a single console generation, once one platform is established as dominant, it tends to stay there - as the dominant platform it sees more developer support, which in turn keeps it the dominant platform.
That's a boat that only sails once - and making an analysis based on just this moment of time... The PS3 isn't going to be on that boat. Sony may or may not be able to change that - but supply isn't the issue anymore. The things are on the shelves now and simply not selling. (I observed 18 units sitting in a Best Buy yesterday, in a pretty affluent area of New York City) That mans that there's a pretty fundamental problem with the PS3's value proposition - most likely that the perceived value of the unit is nowhere near the current price.
I'm not sure Sony has the capability of fixing this quickly enough, short of selling it for an even larger loss.
Freddy C @ Jan 16th 2007 2:17PM
First off, I'm a gamer, so I REALLY want to buy a PS3 to round out my collection. My friend and I were playing Motor Storm, I think it was, at Best Buy this weekend and it was pretty cool. But $500 (I'll be coming in on the cheap end =) ) for the 2 games that caught my eye (Motor Storm and resistance) is a bit steep. When I found out about the $100 off for trading in a PS2 at GameStop, it got my attention again. $400 isn't as big of a pill to swallow, but looking at what's coming down the pipe, I'm still a little resistant. Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Gran Turismo ... they just aren't doing it for me. And spare me the bit about getting a Bluray drive with the deal: the average consumer could give a d@mn about Bluray or HD-DVD; it's not a selling point to me. They could have saved me a hundred or so dollars and kept the bloody thing. I saw something at Best Buy I thought I wouldn't see for a long time: PS3's sitting in the middle of the floor for sale, and they had PLENTY of them. I'll probably give in the being a gadget-head and buy the thing, but I really wish the did things differently ...
Freddy C.
ymmv @ Jan 16th 2007 2:17PM
BTW I don't think European PS3 sales will be that great since it will be even more expensive here. Personally, I've just cancelled my PS3 pre-order. The only reason I was interested was because of it's high tech gadget allure. I'm interested in HD movies so a Blu-Ray movie player would be nice, but then again, there just aren't any movies for that format in Europe. I like the fact you can run homebrew software on it and replace the HD for an even bigger one. It is potentially a very powerful games machine. The trouble is: it has a lot of potential, but nothing to show it. There aren't any good games, there aren't any Blu-Ray movies I'm interested in, there isn't any interesting homebrew software at the moment. If I bought a PS3 now, it would really be a very expensive, useless box of chips. Plus I also have a 360 that can do everything the PS3 can, and my friends are now starting to buy a 360 as well. The more friends get on Xbox Live, the less reason there is for the undecided ones to go for a PS3 instead - unless they want to play games with strangers or on their own. I think Xbox Live will be the service that ultimately breaks Sony. In this console generation online play and functionality will be vital and if Xbox Live reaches critical mass soon enough, people will flock to that service because every one else is already there. The PS3 online service will then cater to a minority of gamers.
wiibouy @ Jan 16th 2007 2:41PM
SONY FANBOYS CARNT SEE A DINASOUR WHEN ITS SITTING IN A SHOP WINDOW.................
3 CAVEMEN AND THERE CAVEWHORES SITTING IN A CAVE HUNGRY, SO THE CAVEMEN TAKE THERE CLUBS FIRST HELD BY A INOTIVE MONKEY CALLED NINTENDO WHO SHOWED THE OTHER PRIMATES THERES MORE TO LIFE,AND ARE NOW MADE BY A FELLOW CAVEMAN NAMED SONY WHO BLANTANTLY COPYED NINTENDOS INVENTION THE HUNTING WACKING CLUB......
THEY DESIDE TO GO OUT GET SOME MEAT THEY HUNT ALL DAY BUT THEY JUST CARNT GET ANYTHING, MOST ANIMALS ARE TO FAST AND ALLSO LEARNED TO KEEP AWAY FROM MEN WITH CLUBS..
SO THEY ALL DESIDE TO SPLIT UP GO SEPERATE WAYS AND FIND FOOD, 2 OF THE CAVE MEN CONTINUE TO USE THERE CLUBS ONLY TO FIND ALL THE ANIMALS HAVE LEARNT TO KEEP AWAY AND SO GO ON TRYING BUT ITS ALL WORTHLESS........
THE 3RD CAVEMAN DESIDES TO GO TO THE CAVE MOUTINES WERE ITS BELIEVED THE NINTENO RACE MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE, HOPING THELL HELP HIM HUNT FOOD HE MAKES HIS WAY TO THE MOUNTINE TOP.........
THERE HE FINDS A NEW RACE OF PEOPLE A FUN PEOPLE HAPPY IN THERE LIVES AND USING SIMPLE YET AMASING TOOLS TO MAKE LIFE BETTER........
HE ASKS CAN YOU HELP ME AND TELLS HOW HIS PEOPLE WILL STARVE AS ALL THE ANIMALS WONT STAND STILL WILST WE HIT THEM ON THE HEAD WITH ARE SONY CLUBS.......
THE NINTENDOS GIGGLE HOLDING THERE FULL BELLYS ...
YES A LONG LONG TIME AGO WE INVENTED THOSE AND A FAMILY OF CAVEMEN NOWN AS THE SONYS STOLE IT FROM US, BUT THAT WAS LONG AGO WE HAVE MADE MANY ADVANCES WE DONT HUNT WITH CLUBS ANYMORE ITS OBSOLETE...
THE NINTENDOS HAND THE CAVEMAN A STRANGE WEAPON AND STICKS WITH SHARP POINTS, THEY GUIDE THE CAVEMAN IN LOADING THE WEAPON AND FIRERING IT, THEY CALL IT THE BOW AND ARROW, AFTER SUM PRACTICE CAVEMAN IS A VERY GOOD SHOT, THE NINTENDOS TELL CAVEMAN TO GO BACK TO HIS PEOPLE AND ON HIS WAY HUNT AND RETURN HOME WITH PLENTY OF FOOD........
ON HIS RETURN HE IS MET BY HIS STARVING FREINDS STILL UNLUCKY IN THE HUNT AND ALL THE CAVE WHORES HE SHOWS THEM ALL HE HAS KILLED AND THE WHORES START DINNER...
HE SHOWS HIS NEW AMASING WEAPON TO HIS STILL SONY CLUB CLUTCHING CAVE BUDDYS TELLING THEM HOW GREAT IT IS AND HOW HE WILL NEVER LOOK BACK..........
THEY LOOK AT HIM WITH A STRANGE LOOK IN THERE EYES KIND OF LIKE WEN A CHARICTOR IN A CARTOON HAS BEEN BRAINWASHED THAT LOOK.........
AND SAY SORRY WE DONT WANT A NINTENDO BOW AND ARROW WE ARE LOYAL TO THE SONY PEOPLE AND WILL STICK WITH ARE BELOVED CLUBS.........
BOW CAVEMAN TRYS TO REASON WITH THEM TELLING THEM THERE CLUBS WERE A NINTENDO INVENTION IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THERE LOYALITY TO SONY IS BLIND, BUT THEY JUST WONT LISTEN THERES SOME STRANGE SONY LOYALTY THING GOING ON THAT DOSNT MAKE ANY SENCE.......
BOW CAVEMAN DESIDES TO MOVE AWAY AS STUPID PEOPLE HE DOSNT WANT AROUND HIS CAVEKIDS AND CONTINUES TO LIVE AND HUNT HAPPY IN HIS WORK
ONE DAY HE DESIDES TO VISIT THE OLD CAVES TO ONLY FIND EVERYONE IS DEAD FROM STARATION STILL CLINGING TO THERE OBSOLETE CLUBS
I HOPE THE PS3 FANBOYS CAN SEE COMMONSENCE AND BUY A WII
OR THEL BE FOUND DEAD CLINGING TO A PS3 STUPID ZEALOTS
OFFCOURSE THE PS3 IS FLOPPING ITS RUBBISH AND OVER PRICED AND MORE IMPORTANTLY OBSOLETE AS A GAMING SET UP
SuicideNinja @ Jan 16th 2007 3:05PM
Still buying a PS3 today. That $100 off with PS2 trade in? Can't pass it up. I've got useless PS2's everywhere.
girlsgame2 @ Jan 16th 2007 3:41PM
erm im a sencable level headed humanbeing iv gamed for a long time desision time
do i bash a very outdated pad and endure long laborious loadtimes a very poor online mode and a disc format no one wants as disc formats are dieing out its all about stream and sd cards new disc formats dont make sence.
all for a very high retail price
or do i spend far less have a all new amasing experiance proper next gen fast loadtimes and very inventive use of the internet
IM SORRY BUT TO EVEN CONSIDER THE SONY OPTION IS NOTHING SHORT OF TOTAL STUPIDITY
I MEAN ITS NOT HARD TO WORK OUT IS IT FOR CHRIST SAKE
Joe @ Jan 16th 2007 2:54PM
I also think that GOW2 needs to be moved to te PS3. even if you want to keep GOW2 on the PS2 bring another version of the game on the PS3 in 1080P. I think another reason is Sony likes supporting there other system more then there newer one. When Nintendo makes a new system they stop making games for there old system Sony did not do that with the PS1 and are doing it again with the PS2. Even Xbox died when the 360 came out.
You say good are last system had a nice life let it be and die. We need to sell are new one more. I see none of that with Sony. I like my PS3 and 360. But right now I like my 360 more yes the 360 had a crapy launch but on launch day I bought three games. They where COD2,PDZ, and Kameo. I only bought one for my PS3 and that was Resistance.
Sony needs to bring out more games for the PS3 more so then then PS2. Even though they want to support the PS2 I think that is good but also bad in some ways too. They need to have there main focus on the PS3 right now.
I think for Sony it is as of right now the PS2, PSP then the PS3. I also like my PSP so the thing with Sony is they need to move the PS3 to the top spot leave the PSP where it is at and make sure you are supporting the PS2 last or kill it off either way that will help sell more PS3s.
Marketing is another factor Sony needs more getting the news of the PS3 out there. Right before the PS3 came out I saw on different shows advertisement for the PS3
Now I see none of that. Not a single thing that shows what the PS3 is same with the PSP. Sony needs to show there stuff more often not just hope by word of mouth there systems names get out there.
Sony needs to show advertisment for the PS3 and the PSP on late Night shows, Kid show, Prime Time and even shows that ladies watch. That way every market is getting a taste of there system.
I also think another reason the 360 sold well was because when it came out they did not have another system to support they jsut let the Xbox Die out.
Sony has the PS2 and PSP. Marketing has been for both systems. They need to cut back on the PS2 up the PSP and PS3.
Also another Big factor is Price. Last Time a system came out that was 600 was the Neo Geo great system sold not well at all. Sony could become the Next Neo Geo if price does not lower quickly.
Games need more First Party Games this is a must. Be it any thing. The only reason the Gamecube got a second called the Wii was because of there First Party games. Sony needs there FP games to help them sell the system.
I may get a head of my self but if the PS3 does not sell well and different companys say no more PS3 games they will need there games really badly to help sell the PS3 to who ever they can.
Also the PS3 online sevice needs to get a lot better. Even if I have to pay a one time fee of 50 dollars I will do that. They also need games on it some thing like Xbxo live Arcade or Nintendos version of Arcade.
Sony needs to talk to Sega to bring Saturn games to the PS3 download service maybe even a few good Dreamcast games too. also allow the PSP to download some of the stuff too.
Also Sony needs to make sure what ever it may be to make sure Metal Gear Solid does not go on the 360 and other Big Third Party games. Sony has money to pay people to keep a game on the system.
The List goes on and on so I just hope I got some of my things across and in no way do I want the PS3 to Die. I spent over 700 for every thing I got for my PS3. So I hope I did not waste it. So Sony do some thing smart and sell the PS3.
Kspraydad @ Jan 16th 2007 2:57PM
It hurts my eyes to read posts that are that poorly written...
Regrezz @ Jan 16th 2007 3:11PM
HEADLINE: R.I.P. SONY PS3........
Self fulfilling prophecy, or PS3 haters wet dream?
(All hail the mighty Bill Gates and his flawless inventions...)
Lets take a look at this last holiday season, what was the best selling console? The Sony PS2. That's right not the Microsoft XBox360 or the Nintendo Wii. It was a console from the "last" generation of video game systems.
So what does this mean? Well, it appears that most consumers have yet to throw their money into any "next-generation" system. The XBox360, even with all the "killer" games has yet to have the masses flock to it. The Wii has had a successful launch, but other than a few games, Wii Sports and Zelda, has failed to impress. It leaves me to wonder in a year from now will the Wii be anything but an expensive, impulse bought paper weight? And as for the PS3, less than spectacular launch, production issues, firmware issues, lack of impressive launch games, lack of additional games in over 2 months, etc....
But would I call the PS3 dead? Not by any means. Sony has a system hat has sold over 4 and a half million systems in less than 2 months. The figure could still be even higher than that. There is still a large install base who have not, as of yet, moved to the current generation of gaming system. And the PS3 has yet to have the killer app to show how bright it can shine. With the UK release and the flood of games that should be ready for that release, it should really increase sales, not only in the UK but here as well.
As the games come so will the players.
Rob S @ Jan 16th 2007 3:12PM
I am assuming that the poor numbers do not reflect future PS3 feature releases. Let's face it, Sony rushed the PS3 to market. The PS3 is not a finished product. Community and marketplace features are not finished. This is not a complete product. The Xbox 360 underwent many firmware upgrades that introduced additional features. I think that once Sony pushes out more game titles and releases an upgrade to their marketplace and community feature set, you will most likely see more interest in the PS3. Until then, analysts will base their reports on current situations which are not favorable to the Sony PS3. Perhaps, when there is a more to offer on the PS3 platform, potential PS3 buyers will be more apt to purchase the system. I PS3 sales predictions will increase once Sony convinces the industry analysts that there is a strategy behind the capabilities within the PS3.
Carlos @ Jan 16th 2007 3:17PM
Playstation success relies a lot on brand name image perceived by not only the casual gamer but also the general public. I think sony was the company that should've choose the cheap pricing approach before the competition since most of their potential buyers won't overlook a $600 pricetag as much as a hardcore gamer.
So i think their weak sales are due mostly cause casual gamers don't care about "ps3's potential", which everyone points out is its greatest "feature", and because it hasn't proven itself worthy to most hardcore gamers.
But i guess things could change with time and i agree with #1 commenter that many late PS2 users will also be late PS3 users, maybe coinciding with a price drop that will be very much needed.
ndoerr @ Jan 16th 2007 4:07PM
@ girlsgame2, wiibuoy -- I see that cubeboy001 is back. Stop spamming the site, please. Your rubbish makes the entire site look amateur and unprofessional.
Edit: Oops, not you, Regrezz. I can see people's emails, so... if you use a different name to spam hatred, I know. Sorry if I looked at the wrong one!!
Regrezz @ Jan 16th 2007 4:34PM
Huh?
Regrezz @ Jan 16th 2007 4:45PM
Sorry if I have offended with my last post.... But I feel I still have a valid argument, most of the casual gaming community has not moved into the current generation of the console wars.
Over the next year as we see what software is released over the three, four if you count the PC, different platforms you will see a larger migration that will truly start to define "the" system of the new generation.
If Sony can retain some of the exclusives they have enjoyed in the PS2 era, the PS3 will definitely be a contender.
Naaiif @ Jan 17th 2007 12:55PM
Nick why can't you just delete the posts with terrible grammar? Almost all of the posts predicting that the PS3 will fail are spelt atrociously. If you don't like, or have no intention of getting a ps3 why do you come to this site? Seriously. You're obviously interested, these people aren't gamers folks, they made an impulse buy, and now they want to feel like they spent their money well.
I don't care that much if the PS3 wins the console wars or not, i just want to play Final Fantasy XIII, Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4, Versus XIII etc, but if you look at the statistics of last gen, this is exactly how the ps2 started before, infact the ps3 has made a slight improvement.
People like the posters here who just spout out incredibly inaccurate bogus information about one companies piece of hardware seriously need to get a life. What do you think your post is really going to do anything other than give people a headache? If that was your goal well done, but please just shut up and go and play some games or something.
SuicideNinja @ Jan 16th 2007 6:40PM
"14. Still buying a PS3 today. That $100 off with PS2 trade in? Can't pass it up. I've got useless PS2's everywhere."
Um, whoever said this think was light compared to the 360? It feels like a brick.
*waits impatiently for updates and account setup*
ndoerr @ Jan 16th 2007 6:53PM
@ Regrezz -- Oops! My apologies, m'boy. Your post wasn't bad at all. Wiiboy001 likes to post as numerous names, but I can see his email =) Either he used your name or (most likely) I didn't look carefully enough and accidentally used you. Again, I'm sorry!
Deric @ Jan 17th 2007 3:41PM
I bought a PS3 right before christmas...the first games I bought were Madden 07, Ridge Racer 7, and Resistance: Fall of Man...all in which were expected to be top games for the new next-generation platform...the graphics are top, equal or better to a 360. Sony went outside of gaming and provided MANY more options, Music, Photos, Videos, DVD Player, Blu-Ray disc Player, Online Chat...everything is wireless now...controllers, internet, etc. and of course the Playstation franchise has always been the name people love. the issue here is the high-price, lack of games, and nobody on the block is there to tell you how great the PS3 is....the platform got released WELL after the 360 had made a name for itself...and the exclusives for Microsoft started rollin' in. The PS3 is too expensive for any average american to want to buy, and there are very few games...as soon as the developers that made the PS2 so popular start puttin out some material(Electronic Arts, Rockstar, Etc.), the systems drop 100$, and the systems become more available, the PS3 will begin to sell and recliam its spot on top. and its not because of Sony, or Microsoft...its because of the names behind them, and the past platform cridibility.
welshbloke @ Jan 17th 2007 3:39AM
PS3 has to many archiles heels.
1. If you believe that PS2 owners are going to flock to the PS3 you will be disapointed. They have no need for a PS3 to run the PS2 games. The PS2 sells better than the PS3 and will likely receive more support and better games for the shorterm.
2. The Price, It is simply to expensive. Although it has technology for that price it does not necessarily have all the right technology for gamers at the price point they are willing to pay.
3. Rumours that is is failing. Lets face it coupled with price and rumours that they are sitting on shelves it is going to be hard to convince your plastic freind it needs to shell out for this system.
4. The other systems are not struggling. Both the 360 and Wii are selling well and will no doubt see plenty of development. The 360 has a headstart that means it will not fail now and the Wii is priced competively and contains what the gamers wanted today.
After all is said and done will it fail? No but it will not be the force it once was. It may now have to wait for 360 developer scraps but it will not fail and eventually it will gather its own momentum. Will it be a failure behind closed doors at Sony HQ, hell yes.
Kojima rocks @ Jan 17th 2007 6:39AM
Its funny that the previous post actually does more to support why the PS3 is a good deal
1. “The PS2 sells better, receive more support and better games for the shorterm”
Which highlights two key points.
ONE, the PS2 is cutting PS3 sales till 2007, and once its dead, 100mn people with PS2 can either buy a PS3 and play PS games as well, or buy 360 (PS2 games >> XBOX, Who will play halo 2 hen 3 comes out)
And TWO – the PS3 lifetime is FAR LONGER. The PS2 is supported 2 years after the XBOX is dead, despite launching one year before. What happens if 3 years later HD becomes standard, and you get the 720 (with HD player)?
And the reason it could fail? A brilliant round of negative marketing / rumour spreading by MS fans / press, and these are also there in the same post:
2. The Price: its JUST 100 dollars more expensive than the 20GB 360. And the core? If you are that tight, you should be buying the Wii anyway.
3. Rumours that is failing: TWO MONTHS within launch? Wow. But you are right, unfounded rumours are a good way to kill a great system.
4. PS3 may now have to wait for 360 developer scraps: Lets see, which system is desperately trying to grab the other’s games? GTA4, Assassin’s creed, VF5? And games that did come out on 360 and to PS3 later? R6, Oblivion. ALMOST EVERY major non-exclusive game has waited for the PS3 to come out before launching!
About other systems not struggling: If you check out stores, as many unsold 360s. AND despite NIL competition, the 360 reached just 3mn units and 6mn by October. The PS2 got 33mn units in 1.5 years – the 360 wont even reach halfway there!
And the Wii is not competing with 360 / PS3. Before you start – I am a gamecube fan, my fave game is RE4 – and I cant see that kind of games on Wii (except Metroid). A year later you will have to choose between Resistance/MGS4/Motorcross/FF/Assassin Creed/RE5/GT5/Lair/Heavenly sword/GTA4 VERSUS Mario Ware, Rayman. What would you choose? I will buy Wii as well..to play RE4, Eternal darkness, Zelda and Metroid Prime ONLY
welshbloke @ Jan 17th 2007 7:58AM
The points are valid. I did not say the PS3 was going to fail it just will not be the platform winner by any large margin if at all.
PS2 > Price > Negative press >
Why would a PS2 owner move to the PS3? I think that needs to be addressed. Currently I do not see an attractive preposition for PS2 owners all I see are reasons to continue using that platform. End of the day Sony make money out of it but maybe at the cost of the PS3.
You can pretend it does not matter but the PS3 is significantly more expensive than its nearest rivals. If you believe that your consumer base care about the technology and hence are willing to pay for it then you may think this a good price. If on the otherhand you think you are being forced down a path and being asked to pay for it then you may not.
The PS3 needs to have significant numbers behind it before 3rd party vendors will support in the same way they supported the PS2. The PS3 has two things going against it complexity and small market share. This will likely mean the PS3 will not receive the same level of developer exclusivity and to some degree niether will the other platforms. What I do see is more development on the 360 with more cross platform support second.
In the above post you mention what if? Which kinda works both ways but if in 3 years time things change then expect add ons in the same vein as the HD DVD add on or maybe in 3 years the Blu Ray add on but dont assume the gamers will pay for your mistakes.
Kojima rocks @ Jan 17th 2007 11:18AM
welshbloke...I should first thank you for sensible arguments / counterpoints rather than the usual "PS3 is satan" BS
Regarding market share - the 360 sold 10mn in 2006..with more competition it should just double i guess? and if the PS3 sells 10mn as well then its 2:1, hardly a killer margin. My hunch is that the halo community has already bought in big time..and Halo 3 is unlikely to be a bigger boost to 360 than say MGS4 for PS3.
I still dont think its much more expensive, but seems there is a perception (due to Blu-ray) that PS3 is full of useless add-ons that make it expensive. 100 dollars over the 7-year life of a console is small change, just 5-6 games a year sets you back 300.
Metalcore @ Jan 17th 2007 12:35PM
I STILL CANT UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE CONSIDER PS3 MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE 360 (WWW.AMAZON.COM)
XBOX360(PREMIUM):$400
WIRELESS NETWORK ADAPTER:$87.99
2 20GB HDD: $179.98($89.99 each one)
RECHARGEABLE BATTERY PACK: $11.45
XBOX PLAY N CHARGE KIT: $14.82
XBOX HD-DVD PLAYER:$199.92
XBOX LIVE: PRICELESS($57.99 EACH YEAR FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE)
SO THE 360´S PRICE IS......$1242.1(IT WAS $347.94 FOR ABOUT 6 YEARS OF XBOX LIVE CALCULATING THAT THE CONSOLE LIFETIME COULD BE OF 6 YEARS)
SO $1242.1 AGAINST $599 THAT ALREADY INCLUDES THAT AND WE´RE NOT COUNTING THE MS, SD, CF READER, HDMI OUTPUT
BOTH (AND I SAY BOTH BECAUSE WII IS JUST A GAME CUBE.5) NEXT-GEN CONSOLES ARE ACTUALLY GOOD, AND THATS THE REASON WHY WE´RE ALWAYS FLAMING THE ENEMYS PRODUCT BECAUSE BOTH SIDES KNOWS THAT THEY´RE PRODUCT GOT FLAWS, BUT THATS WHAT MAKES THIS NEXT-GEN WAR SO BEAUTIFUL. GO SONY¡¡¡(SORRY IM JUST ANOTHER FANBOY :))
seedaripper @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:54PM
pleez pleze pleaz lurn 2 speel...
jesus 'h' christ on a rollercoaster!!!
im serious...i beg you...no more text chat...no more 'yoof' language...did anyone actualy goto school?
Regrezz @ Jan 17th 2007 3:45PM
Thank you Metalcore!!! THis has been one of the arguements I have been having with my "friends" in the 360 camp. By the time you add the features to a 360 that are included in the $600 PS3, you are actually saving money on the PS3 and getting a blu-ray player to boot. It may not have been a selling point to you, but I want to watch HD movies on my Sony SXRD, and this is still the least expensive option on the market.
As for gamers believing this is too expensive for a system, just take a look at what most gamers will spend on their PC's. Video cards alone will run $600 for a single card solution, and video cards are outdated every 18 months. So over the span of the 6 year life cycle of the PS3, you are looking at 4 upgrades. Will every gamer do this? No, but they will probably at least twice. Not to mention the other upgrades needed to keep your PC a top performer. So $600 really does not look so bad.
And as I have said before:
Make games and they will come......
welshbloke @ Jan 18th 2007 5:03PM
Unfortunately metalcore for the argument to work the 360 owner actually has to purchase all the items you listed, which they do not. In addition the items can be purchased as and when meaning to get gaming I could buy the absolutely cheapest Xbox whatever that costs or a Wii whatever that costs and it would be a fraction.
Europe had the choice of both the 360 Premium and Core at launch, it looks like this will not be an option for Europe and the PS3 launch this time round at least on day one.
With the announcement today that the PS3 will likely retail for £425 in the UK which is $830+ for the basic 60gb unit I think choice would of helped.
As for the live option it only costs money if you want to play games online. The premium consoles offered free access to live minus the online gaming.
Choice it is what most consumers want admittedly not all though ;)
Carl @ Feb 2nd 2007 9:39AM
I live in Canada and there is a lot of PlayStation 3's here (There is 21 when I went and no one was lining up).
My guess is there are a lot of factors why this is happening.
1. Retailers dont really bring it out on the floor. It is always on the back (I had to ask on 3 different stores on that one).
2. Not a lot of Good Games. Sony was a year late, they shouldve released launch titles.
3. Low supply on demanded accesories (Memory Card Reader - SIXAXIS Controllers)
If you are wondering why XBOX 360 was succesful before, the reason is they released it a year before, and there was no competition. So consumers only have one choice. So now, PlayStation 3 users will have to be patient to see what Sony and other Game Developers will do for the next year.
Doesteph @ Jan 20th 2007 6:22PM
Whoever said "lack of units" is rather incorrect. When I checked a local EB in Maine in the Lewiston/Auburn area which are two vastly populated areas here, they had overstocked PS3s. This was also back before Christmas and you'd suggest that the Wiis that people CAMPED out for at the big mall (Maine mall, no pun intended) would have Wiis in stock and PS3s as well just to sell out later... but they didn't.
Just shows the rather UNFORTUNATE sale of Sony. 600 dollars? That's way out there. It's not good for the general mass especially when people who save up close to 1000$ like that for Christmas would rather spend it on other good things that are even smaller than 600$.
John What @ May 8th 2007 6:33PM
The only way Sony can drop it's sales is to take out the Blu-Ray and put DVD or HD-DVD in it's place.
Shinto @ Feb 23rd 2007 4:38PM
This is disconcerting.. UK may have bought the most PS2's than North America but take that $600 price tag convert it to Euros or Pounds and put in VAT and other taxes (17.5%) and you got yourself an extremely expensive console. And thats with out the games wich are also more expensive than its competition (of the same ported titles I might add)
The price is the clear problem here. Even if there are people willing, the price will ruin the PS3's chance of adaptation. The price is so terrible and unrealistic that the head president of sales for the UK division of Sony resigned immediately.
And ontop of this most game developers no longer adheres to exclussive titles. They want to make the most money so they'll support as many consoles as they can afford. Unfortunately the PS3 devs are a lot more expensive and with a fewer install base compaired to its competitors I just dont see them doing too well this time around.
As one person above stated not all PS2 owners are going to be PS3 owners as many of the Xbox360 owners also owns PS2's so the PS2's install base is no indication or guarantee. We'll just see how long this dry spell for the PS3 will last. Only time can tell
YourMatePaul @ Mar 4th 2007 11:36AM
I love to see someone claiming they are an able-minded being when they say they are "sencable" and good at making "desisions".
Good point about brand loyalty and it's non-existing state, #3 (mietha). I was one of the first to rush out and buy a Dreamcast in my Sega fanboy days, then it tumbled head-first down the metaphorical stairs of commerce. I've always hated Sony for stealing Sega's thunder, but i also liked the idea of the PS3 doing better than x360. The lesser of two evils? Perhaps.
I'll probably get an x360. (see that brand loyalty point cropping back up?)