Pachter estimates only 100k PS3's sold in April ... ouch
by Nick Doerr 
{ May 15th 2007 at 9:00PM }
Wedbush Morgan analyst David Pachter just can't seem to stay out of the spotlight -- he's already been quoted on here today claiming a price cut for the PS3 is due this summer. Now he's estimating console sales for April and it seems like he's decided that April was the worst month for the PS3 so far. Citing a mere 100,000 consoles sold for the US (these are NPD numbers, so it's just the US), this is about 30,000 fewer units than the previous month and way lower than the competition. He estimated 300,000 Wii's sold, 175,000 360's, the usual dominance of the DS and the PS2 selling better than both the PS3 and 360.Software sales are up 24%, he estimates. Chances are this is no thanks to the PS3 since it released zero exclusive titles. He says that upcoming multiplatform games (like those based on movies) will sell the best on the PS2. This is probably due to userbase, plus cost of games for the PS2 seems to have dropped to a $39.99 price point (at least, around Georgia it seems that way). Sales of the PS2 may taper off once people replace the system for a next-gen one (but want to keep their current library), but that's only if the PS3 can show its muscle. In the coming months, that seems very likely.
[via GameDaily]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Arno @ May 15th 2007 9:34PM
Can I answer "why?"
massive_98 @ May 15th 2007 9:38PM
So much bad news today for the PS3. Why are these lawyers trying to predict console and gaming sales?
That would be like me saying we will find a cure for cancer in 2011 and it will cost $45.21 to get cured, which will result in 100 million cures.
With a pricecut to $12.99 we will be able to cure 1/2 the world. (I'm not a doctor I'm a lawyer.)
Real Gambler @ May 15th 2007 10:14PM
He is not credible as an accountant either.... Saying "The lower than expected demand of the PS3 has been figured to blame for Sony's quarter loss..." If they had sold more, the loss would have been bigger, not smaller!. So in fact, since they loose money on each PS3 sold, the fact that it doesn't sell well does not explain the loss. It means they didn't loss more than they did... Poor guy
TheBigFatJ @ May 15th 2007 10:21PM
Nick, why do you insist on disinformation? NPD video game sales numbers aren't just for the US. From the NPD's site:
"NPD's Retail Tracking Service monitors retail sales of PC games and video games hardware, software, and accessories in the U.S. and Canada, covering all distribution channels, including online sales."
http://www.npd.com/corpServlet?nextpage=entertainment-retail-tracking-service_s.html
So this includes the US *and* Canada, and it also includes online sales in those regions. Please make an effort to be accurate.
I think 100,000 units in the US and Canada might be slightly low, but not far off.
TheAssman @ May 15th 2007 10:55PM
No one cares about canada! lol im sure your head will be a flappin after this EH
John @ May 15th 2007 10:41PM
All this stuff about the ps3 price coming down. Now I'm almost starting to think it will. But will a ps3 at $499 make that huge of a difference? I can't see it, although it may be a mental thing... like if it comes down to $499, in people's minds, it's under $500, therefore a go.
It's also troubling that MGS4 isn't due until March of 08... however...
I wonder if a ps3 for $500, around the time when Final Fantasy XIII comes out will be just enough?
Sony is already losing huge money on ps3... we get an $800+ machine for only $600... if they move it down to $500, they're still losing money.
But maybe if they did that, in the long run, it would be smart, with enough adopters that developers would be more willing to bet their wages.
This is a very close war
deftblue @ May 15th 2007 11:15PM
NO EXCLUSIVES ON PS3!?!
What about MLB 07 The Show? Resistance? Motorstorm? Genji? *cough* Flow *cough*. How about the NBA series from Sony? These are all exclusives that add up to considerably more than "zero".
Don't you love the media for stretching the truth. PS3 may not have any THIRD PARTY exclusives right now, but the best games across many genres come from Sony franchises. Baseball is owned by the MLB series Sony puts out. Motorstorm is blazing a new/old trail in offroad racing with its early next gen features. Solid franchise dominators and new IPs are what Sony is about. Don't forget where many larger franchise printed their feet in the first place...ie FF, etc.
"We're in it for the next 10 years." Bring the short term losses. Reward us with long term gains!!!!
PS3 Fanboy fo' life, bishes!!! KosmoCrisis out!
TheBigFatJ @ May 15th 2007 11:28PM
----
"We're in it for the next 10 years." Bring the short term losses. Reward us with long term gains!!!!
----
You do realize that the "10 years" strategy is similar to the ones taken by both the PS2 and the PS3. The PS3 will be obsoleted by Sony in 5 or 6 years, but they will continue to support it until it is approximately 10 years old.
I don't see why 10 years is such a sticking point since it represents no change in strategy. You don't see people freaking out about the original playstation anymore, and interest in the PS2, while still good in the US, is dwindling. The PS3 will be in the same spot in 5 or so years.
Strike Man @ May 15th 2007 11:31PM
"What about MLB 07 The Show? Resistance? Motorstorm? Genji? *cough* Flow *cough*. How about the NBA series from Sony? These are all exclusives that add up to considerably more than "zero"."
The blog post and article are only referring to the month of April, not the entire lifespan the system has had thus far. To the best of my knowledge, not a single "exclusive" game released in April on the PS3, although I could certainly be forgetting a title. But the recent exclusives that I can think of, such as Calling All Cars and Super Rub a Dub, were both early this month, not April.
And what are these "early next-gen features" you speak of?
Kspraydad @ May 16th 2007 12:01AM
@Bigfat...
You may also wish to mention that two of the biggest retailers in the US are NOT part of NPD data: Walmart and Costco.
Scott Krueger @ May 16th 2007 12:20AM
Comment about what John wrote.
A price drop would help because there is a $499 and a $599 version of the PS3. So $100 drop would be $399 and $499.
Alot of people only need the cheaper version. The $600 version adds a bigger hard drive, memory card reader and built in wifi. But more people Buy the more expensive version because if your spending $500 already then why not go the extra $100? Unless your sure you are not going to use the other features.
My biggest reason for Favoring my PS3 over my XBox360 is Backwards Compatibility. When Microsoft rolls out the Next XBox I will either have to scrap my Whole Library AGAIN or keep around another XBox around in my entertainment center...
Believe it or not alot of people like to play their old games as they Transition to a new system, and many of those people may keep around many of their favorites for years after the transition.
Sgphilip @ May 16th 2007 12:51AM
Lets look at what happened in the US during April. Oh Yea tax Season. So I can understand why its such a crappy month ppl have to pay their bloody taxes that the gov is estorting from them. Or else they are waiting to get their tax refunds in order to buy a new ps3 system. I did the later and was able to get a pretty sweat deal through Gamestop and trading in a bunch of used games as well as my old ps2.
mccomber @ May 16th 2007 12:55AM
Hey Scott, the $499 version went MIA before Sony announced it was dead. Pretty sure you're only going to find the $600 one since the vast majority of retailers probably sold their 20gb machines they still had a while back now.
SlyTheBoss @ May 16th 2007 7:52AM
@Kspraydad, ever heard of 'extrapolation'?
@Sgphilip LOL, people used to say what for April, with all the tax returns, the PS3 will fly off the shell! Now it's the 'because we have to pay tax'! LOL
SlyTheBoss @ May 16th 2007 7:55AM
LOL, the comment for Sgphilip should have read
@Sgphilip LOL, people used to say wait for April, with all the tax returns, the PS3 will fly off the shelves! Now it's the 'because we have to pay tax'! LOL
Kspraydad @ May 16th 2007 8:27AM
Yes Sly...I have...ever looked at how far off NPDs 'extrapolation' is from reality when you go back and compare to REAL results from annual reports? NPD is a great tool but it isn't exactly accurate.
Galley @ May 16th 2007 9:23AM
Who is supposedly buying all of these Wiis? Other than launch day I have NEVER seen a Wii for sale anywhere.
TheBigFatJ @ May 16th 2007 9:33AM
@Galley
You have to camp out on Sunday mornings to see the Wii shipments. When I got mine, there were only 61 Wiis delivered to the Best Buy on that side of town so a lot of people were turned away before the store even opened. Although the people in line around me were psyched. It was unbelievable.
Oh, and kids, if you haven't played Godfather on the Wii you're missing out. The motion controls are so amazing for extortion.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 16th 2007 9:57AM
Continuing with what TheBigFatJ said, I think people should use their brains when finding the Wii. I got my Wii at launch, and I waited 2 hours. Not overnight. Not five days before. I got a few hours of sleep, drove to Circuit City, waited 2 hours, got a flier, went home, caught an hour of sleep, came back, and got my Wii.
The sad part about all of this is that it takes a whopping 30 seconds to drive from the crowded Best Buy to the nearly empty Circuit City over here. People were lined up at Best Buy for days, and most of them KNEW they weren't going to get one (same with the PS3). Meanwhile, I was willing to not even bother to wait in line the night before at CC, and came back later to find NO ONE from Best Buy came over. Sad.
majorwedgie @ May 16th 2007 11:35AM
Sony is in trouble compared to Microsoft. There is no way around it - by this time last year the 360 had GRAW, FNR3 and double the library of the PS3. The PS3 has nothing worth buying a console for - especially in the light of the influx of 360 games coming in the next months - the LIVE Marketplace is booming - Couple that with the repeatedly inferior multiplatform games and the continued loss of exclusives, and Sony is plain and simply in a bad position with no releif in sight. They are already globally 7Mill+ units behind in the install base. Devs are shying away (Saints Row) until they see an install base that can gaurantee revenue. The PS3 has been poorly handled since it's inception.
neonchez @ May 16th 2007 2:03PM
one of sony's biggest mistakes was continued support for the ps2. it's making money for them but why would you spend $600 when games are still coming out for the ps2. i love my ps3 but i can see why people who can't really afford the $600 price tag would just keep playing there ps2. on the flip side of things, if you don't have a playstation and you want one are you going to buy the ps2 for $150 or the ps3 for $600. if sony could intice current ps2 owners to make the switch sony would take the lead in no time. sony needs a price cut for the ps3 and set a date for cutting off the ps2. oh, and stop losing exclusives.
TheBigFatJ @ May 16th 2007 5:24PM
New Japanese sales figures courtesy of VGCharts came in and the numbers were much lower than anticipated for the PS3. For the first time ever, it came in below 10,000 units at 8,872.
It is approaching Xbox 360 levels of success in Japan. In fact, the Xbox 360 is selling more software on a weekly basis than the PS3 in Japan right now, which suggests that it's more successful as a game console.
Is this the first time an American console sold more software than a Japanese console in Japan for a couple of consecutive weeks?
massive_98 @ May 16th 2007 10:32PM
"360 is selling more software on a weekly basis than the PS3 in Japan right now, which suggests that it's more successful as a game console."
The only reason the PS3 isn't selling games(and consoles for that matter) is because there are no games to buy. Only a handful of PS3 games have been released in Japan.
I don't really know what Sony can do.
This does remind me alot of the PS2 situation.
Any news on Afrika?