PS3 sales worse than predicted
by Andrew Yoon 
{ May 17th 2007 at 9:30PM }
The dire prediction that PS3 would only sell 100k units in April was way off target. It was too high.NPD released their numbers today, and unfortunately, the situation is so grim that Sony's PR machine may not be able to come up with a suitable spin. Sony's latest console endeavor sold through only 82k units. In comparison, the Xbox 360 sold through 174k units (which is also, admittedly, disappointing).
All hope is not lost, of course. NPD's Anita Frasier spoke to GameDaily about the state of the PS3: "Undoubtedly the sales results are not encouraging to date, but I for one am not counting out the PS3," she said. "While there has been good content available for the platform, there hasn't yet been the 'killer' title that tends to drive hardware sales acquisition among the broader audience. As the content ramps up, I'm confident the hardware sales will too. Rather than revisit this each and every month, particularly as we head into traditionally slower months of the year, I think we should really wait to see what the picture looks like in 6 months. Everything will be much clearer then."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
TK00 @ May 17th 2007 9:50PM
Are there any killer titles on the horizon?
I'm not picking either one of these (360 or ps3) until they drop to $300 or lower; I can't see that happening for the ps3 for many, many years.
apease @ May 17th 2007 9:56PM
When you think about it, what exclusive has been released recently, as in the last month or two besides Calling All Cars?
All that's happened lately is Sony's been adding to the list of "Coming Soon", but nothing's come yet. Yay for Home and Little Big Planet, but they also aren't out yet, and Lair and Heavenly Sword simply got delayed. All the other stuff is even more nebulous as far as street dates go... what sells consoles is what's in stores.
And I think a summer/fall price cut happened the instant those numbers hit Sony's desks, unless Lair and the Home beta somehow magically at least double sales.
Proper ps2 scaling would help too (anti-aliasing, anistropic filtering). Where the heck is even an official comment on the new firmware rumors?
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 17th 2007 10:04PM
"Lair and Heavenly Sword simply got delayed"
I question the whether or not we can even consider Lair and Heavenly Sword killer apps. at this point. Everyone I've talked to that went to Gamer's Day has said that Heavenly Sword is generic, and Lair is just plain bad. Apparently its not limited to a few people, as Kotaku and other sites are reporting about Lair being bad.
Don't take what I say the wrong way. I still think these games have a chance, and most PS3 owners will probably pick them up on hype alone. It just gives me this uneasy feeling that these two games will do absolutely nothing to spark interest in the PS3.
William Buckley @ May 17th 2007 10:08PM
Let's face it. The PS3 is overpriced, there are no must have titles for it, and the games have been so-so at best since the launch a little over six months ago. I purchased the 360 shortly after launch and the quality of the games was much better than what I am seeing on the PS3.
For the last 3 months all I have done with my Playstation is watch Blu-ray movies. I am seriously considering selling it and just buying a dedicated player that will let me hear 7.1 audio.
I am not a 360 fanboy. I own a Wii, DS Lite, PSP, 360, and the PS3. Sony just seems to be in a funk at the moment, and I really hope they are able to correct things.
kingofwale @ May 17th 2007 10:11PM
depends on what you're 'predicting' that is. In a console with 600 dollar name tag and the best game this month is what?? "Calling all cars"?
yeah, I was predicting double Japanese sales number (2 * 44K) = 88K
so, I guess my prediction is right on par.
and I predict similar number UNTIL Ninja Gaiden comes out. And then we will have our console war.
L @ May 17th 2007 10:24PM
" predict similar number UNTIL Ninja Gaiden comes out. And then we will have our console war."
A Port from a last gen system! to fight a next gen console war..... Emmmmm i think not -_-
massive_98 @ May 17th 2007 10:34PM
I sure hope Sony sheds some light on that Afrika game. Out of all Sony's exclusives this one is the most interesting of all of em.
Are they any other forgotten exclusives Sony has been lightly hinting about?
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 17th 2007 10:36PM
"and I predict similar number UNTIL Ninja Gaiden comes out. And then we will have our console war."
Ninja Gaiden = Also on DS
You seriously think Ninja Gaiden is going to help the PS3 in Japan?
kingofwale @ May 17th 2007 10:39PM
>You seriously think Ninja Gaiden is going to help the PS3 in Japan?
why, you DON'T think Ninja Gaiden will sell in Japan?
Matt B @ May 17th 2007 10:52PM
I think it is pretty incredible considering there was no game release this month. If release schedules keep on schedule, their is enough firepower dropping to get the PS3 6M unit sold by the end of the year.
The glass half full or half empty.
How do you exist?
Seminole @ May 17th 2007 10:53PM
I actually had a Wii but the graphics pissed me off so bad after seeing a PS3 in 480i that I returned it to get a PS3. I had the last gen Xbox and liked it a lot, but I'm not fond at all of the 360. But the PS3 and Sony are slowly pissing me off more and more. The PS3 is like the kid who gets straight C's in school, but scored really high on the SAT and has so much potential to succeed if he just put his mind to it. I'm tired of hearing what my PS3 is capable of and I want to play what it's capable of. I think we're stuck in a hard place right now. More developers are just porting games because of lackluster PS3 sales, therefor keeping the sales even lower. We need one or two massive just in your face exclusives that will never go to the 360, maybe some type of shooter and Gran Turismo. Until then I don't see the PS3 moving more units until the price comes down. People can't justify spending $500-$600 dollars to play a bunch of "meh" games. Every time I go to Wal-Mart I'm looking for a new game to buy but nothings come out that I want (I own 6 games.) I just hope that something really drastic happens to make the PS3 dominant so we can get some games that are actually designed to be played on the PS3, not just ported off the 360. If thats all that will end up happening I should have just bought the 360.
steve Johnson @ May 17th 2007 10:56PM
Sony needs to do three things to sell this console:
1- lower the price
2- lower the price
3- lower the price
C'mon, Sony! I'm rootin' for ya! Do the right thing!
Edge of Blade @ May 17th 2007 11:19PM
First, Sony has to lower those prices.
Second, use the lower cost per unit sold to build a time machine.
Third, bring those games that everyone feels compelled to list to justify PS3's existence from the future to the present.
I've said it a million times. Stop telling me what is coming in X years is worth me spending $600 now. I don't buy into that logic. For one, price might drop before then. How stupid would I look for subsidizing a price drop for everyone else in the world...
mccomber @ May 17th 2007 11:22PM
All I'm gonna say is; give me one good reason to buy a PS3 right now. It's not launch, and it's fall before we'll see anything new. With the rumours of price cuts and everything else, why would anyone considering it not wait if they hadn't bought it already?
Ninja Gaiden, while great, isn't going to appeal to too many more people than who already have the system. It's not a broad-market game to begin with, and it certainly isn't the sort of title that people are going to tell each other is worth buying the ps3 for. Until we have a couple of huge titles out and get some major support for the library, sales won't pick up.
Lair and Heavenly Sword seem to be the new "wel..." titles. From what I've read and seen, HS is being blasted as being too much like GoW. Which is a game a lot of people love, including the critics. Hopefully it rises above that, graphically it looks great to me in the new videos released, and gameplay does remind me of God of War and Devil May Cry. No complaints about that from me, I love both of those. Generic? Halo3 is generic, and people eat it up.
Lair is the game that is hyped, and everyone wants to like. The guys on Kotaku are certainly coming down on it, and the whole "who wants to ride a dragon for hours?" comments continue. Well, who wants to fly a plane or drive a car for hours? It seems part of his complaints were related to basic design, and part of them to the nature of the game itself. Fair enough, I'm sure it still has some work to be done on it, and hopefully they are able to iron out the issues that get brought up. However, I think it's a title that may benefit from sitting down and playing and getting to know, rather than 15 minutes worth of impressions of an unfinished build, but we'll see. Could be complete crap, but I give it the benefit of the doubt because of the teams previous work on Rogue Squadron, and because I really, really want to like this game.
It will be 2008 before we can make any real predictions to what will happen, specifically what goes down in good old December. If Sony has a poor holiday season, 360 sells another couple million, and Nintendo continues it's steamrolling...
Edge of Blade @ May 17th 2007 11:24PM
MattB:
Only 6 mil by the end of the year would cause me and the media to pick up shovels and start digging a hole. 6 million would be a MONUMENTAL failure.
John @ May 17th 2007 11:46PM
Kotaku is not a valid source, at least, not in the sense of truth. If you'll remember, they were the people who were spewing bad juju about ps3 before it was released. Funny thing: if you wanted to comment about their false information? You had to be accepted into their elite circle. So even if you had links to developers and websites to contradict them, you couldn't, because they required that you pass certain tests before being able TO COMMENT. To voice free opinion. To cite actual developer comments.
I'm not sure who runs Kotaku, but freedom of the press, it is not.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 17th 2007 11:48PM
"why, you DON'T think Ninja Gaiden will sell in Japan?"
Oh it'll probably sell extremely well, moreso for the DS than the PS3. Japan is the only country that I know of where a handheld can hurt a console. Just because we don't see it that way doesn't change anything. I think it could sell well on the PS3. Just not enough to be considered helpful.
"Only 6 mil by the end of the year would cause me and the media to pick up shovels and start digging a hole. 6 million would be a MONUMENTAL failure."
Yeah. I'm not sure what Matt B thinks is good, but with the PS3 floating around 3 million now, 6 million wouldn't be good by any stretch. Even if we pretend the 360 and Wii don't exist, the PS3 would be screwed at only 6 million.
John @ May 17th 2007 11:53PM
Another interesting thing: notice how the comments change when a bunch of good PR comes out about Sony.
I'm smellin ya, you little Microsoft plants!
Oh, and let's bring some discipline into this. Ever notice how someone will say, "I bought a 360, and the games are way better," but they don't justify it? They can't explain how they games are... "way better?"
Plants.
"Feed me, Seymo'!"
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 18th 2007 12:03AM
"Kotaku is not a valid source, at least, not in the sense of truth."
PS3 uber-developer David Jaffe, IGN, GameSpot, 1UP, and countless other sites hold Kotaku in high regard. If full-blown gaming news sites and press "insiders" believe Kotaku to be a valid source, then I seriously doubt anyone is going to believe you.
"If you'll remember, they were the people who were spewing bad juju about ps3 before it was released."
Did it sound like "the PS3 isn't going to do squat at $500-$600"? If so, that wasn't Kotaku. That was everyone. G4 gave the PS3 a chance, and that's about it.
"Funny thing: if you wanted to comment about their false information? You had to be accepted into their elite circle."
You mean registering for free? The only reason they monitor people's comments is so that they can avoid trolls. People argue over consoles all the time, and there are quite a few people who love the PS3. Not sure what "elite circle" you're talking about.
"So even if you had links to developers and websites to contradict them, you couldn't, because they required that you pass certain tests before being able TO COMMENT. To voice free opinion. To cite actual developer comments."
Really? That hasn't been my experience through reading Kotaku. People source positive and negative news about all consoles.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 18th 2007 12:06AM
"Another interesting thing: notice how the comments change when a bunch of good PR comes out about Sony."
Uh...what? "PS3 sales worse than predicted"...
bootsielon @ May 18th 2007 1:16AM
Next-Gen-Gamer:
I don't know who the hell you've talked to that's been so negative about those games.
1up said there's just one word needed to describe Lair: "Epic". After that, they said it is truly a next-generation experience. I suggest you see the gameplay videos. Not only are the graphics amazing on the enemies, on the dragons, and the landscapes, but the game seems to pack lots of action, and lots of thing running at the same time, with the highest resolution and frame-rate seen on a game console. Combine that with a great Score, and surround sound... and of course, great gameplay. Some videos show you how the sixaxis works with the game, when you jump from dragon to dragon, and so on. It definitely looks promising, perhaps a killer title/system seller.
Have you seen previews of uncharted? I have seen plenty, and none has said negative things. Some have even said that the game defines what a next-generation game should be. Oh I remember now, it was Gamespot that said that. I think this one is almost a pretty safe bet to be a system seller. All the previews have been positive.
About heavenly sword, have you read IGN's preview? I had many doubts about the game's AI, and special moves, but they pretty much clear it all up, and all seems positive. The only thing we don't know anything about are boss battles.
I can also tell you that I wasn't as excited about Ratchet as I am now that I've seen Sony's Gamer's Day footage. The trailer doesn't tell you much of anything. You have to see the game running. Not only is it graphically stunning; it looks extremely fun.
That's not counting the game "Pain", which looks like laughing out loud fun; I haven't seen any downloadable game like that on 360 or Wii.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 18th 2007 2:51AM
"I don't know who the hell you've talked to that's been so negative about those games."
I'm not going to deny that there are people that think its they're the greatest things since sliced bread. I just don't see how we can consider them killer apps. just yet. Robert Summa of Destructoid loves Lair, but acknowledges that there were people at the event calling the game's controls into question. It reminds me of Spider-Man 3 (the movie). If you ask someone what they thought and they said it was great, then that's just the way it is. However, I bet they would acknowledge the fact that others found it horrible. I guess it could be 50/50, but this is the first time I've even heard bad things about Lair, and its popping up around a few sites. As for Heavenly Sword, I could've avoided reading any opinions about it, and I would've figured it was generic. Ever since it was first revealed, everyone drew comparisons to God of War. Fast-forward to the present, it still looks and plays like God of War/2. It could just be me, but its rare that I'd rank such a clone up there with other potential killer apps. (LBP, for example).
"Have you seen previews of uncharted?"
Yes. In fact, I uploaded a couple Gamer's Day videos to YouTube right after the embargo was removed (along with LBP, Heavenly Sword, Lair). If I said something negative about Uncharted, then I apologize, but I don't think I even mentioned it. I'm actually pretty excited for Uncharted, especially after seeing the game in motion. The desaturation ('graying out') being used in place of a life bar is awesome.
And the other stuff...I'm lost. All I said was that Ninja Gaiden wasn't going to do much in the way of helping the PS3 in Japan.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 18th 2007 2:52AM
Edit: *that think its the*
matjet @ May 18th 2007 3:26AM
check out the trollsssies. they're swarming.
DD @ May 18th 2007 5:17AM
If the PS3 figures are so low, and the manufacturing speed is increasing, wouldn't that mean that there's a stockpile of PS3s' forming somewhere in the loop. And no matter how much of a loss is made for each unit sold, having them stocked in some warehouse or other can surely only add to the costs. Basic supply and demand theory suggests a price drop has to be imminent. Only other solution is to get a steady stream of top games out there to increase demand, which seems to be some time away. So it looks to me that the PS3 price will not yield the sales it needs for ongoing survival until a price drop occurs. Postponing the inevitable price drop is surely just prolonging the agony for those like me that really want one, can't justify the current cost and fear that it may not survive its' lacklustre start.
Iother @ May 18th 2007 11:08AM
The problem with these initial low sales is that this will affect sales in the long run. If you take the true lifespan of 5 years we can expect a new generation in 2011 with announcements being made prior. You can clearly see that if sales take off next year it would actually have to sell better then the DS to meer initial expectations.
Second is the software lineup, to make some profit most games have to sell 500k units, games like mgs will have to sell well over a million to be called a succes. Now if you see that there are only 3.5million units out there and expect 4.7-5.2million consoles at the end of the year you can't even hope for a major succes. (actually mgs will go multiplatform in the long run, they would have to be crazy not to and Sony can't bring out the money any more to make them do that...)
Major Mauser @ May 18th 2007 6:20AM
ONE QUESTION - WHERE ARE THE GAMES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE OUT IN MARCH. ITS SONYS OWN FAULT
matjet @ May 18th 2007 7:15AM
so this is where Microsoft spent that $billion in viral marketing..
SKI @ May 18th 2007 8:23AM
And with less then 10K selling last week in Japan, Sony is really going to be hurting.
Popfrogs @ May 18th 2007 8:34AM
"G4 gave the PS3 a chance, and that's about it."
Actually, G4 sold it's soul to Microsoft a few years ago. Have you actually watched AOTS or XPlay lately? They take snarky jabs at the PS3 and review the lame games for it constantly. They have little icons that represent everything for segments of the show, and of course they have an X360 controller representing gaming. The name Xplay says it all as well.
G4TV has no gaming credibility as far as I'm concerned and they're hardly a source for unbiased PS3 info. If I want to watch someone ride up and down on Microsoft's virtual cock I'll go to Best Buy and watch the sales people hawk Vista.
langx @ May 18th 2007 8:46AM
With only 3.6 million PS3's in households half way through 2007, it's looking like 2007 will not be the year for the PS3, that is for sure.
Posted at 7:25AM on May 18th 2007 by bkvalheim
Thats true. It's really a shame PS3 can't overtake a machine that breaks down about 30-40% of the time.
If MS makes the 360 more reliable and a price cut comes this fall the war may be over in the US before it starts.
If MS is really smart they will announce the pay cut or offer some type of deal when Halo hits.
Now if I was Sony I would reduce the price to the 360 elite. That would definitely crush the 360 momentum.
For the same price you would get blu-ray and a machine thats more reliable.
SOLD>
ymmv @ May 18th 2007 9:41AM
MS will have an updated Xbox 360 with a smaller, cooler CPU and GPU ready in the fall. That would make the 360 more reliable plus it will be the perfect time to announce the first price cut after almost two years on the market. The only way Sony can respond is with a price cut of its own. The only problem is that it should be a very drastic price cut. $100 off is not enough to compete.
If the price of the Wii would drop to $200 and the Xbox 360 Premium to $300, a PS3 at $500 is not going to sell. Most folks looking for a next gen system wouldn't mind paying more for a system they perceive to be more powerful. The PSX and PS2 have always been more expensive than offerings by Sega, Nintendo and Microsoft, but that has never been a problem. In the case of the PS3 it is, because the price gap is far too wide. Shoppers are willing to pay $100 more to get a PS3 instead of a 360, but the $200 difference in price is too much to swallow for most PS fans. In that respect dropping the 20GB SKU was a mistake, because dropping the price from $500 to $400 could be done. Now with that SKU, they have to drop the price with $150-200 to compete with Microsoft and Nintendo.
Sony has to get those sales going up before christmas, otherwise the PS3 is finished more or less. It's already clear the PS3 is not going to dominate the industry like the PS1 and PS2, but the way things are going now it may even end up in third place. Third party publishers have already reconsidered creating PS3 exclusives, but with Nintendo's current dominance they may also cut down the number of next-gen games and concentrate mainly on the DS, PSP and Wii. Publishers will reconsider that strategy if PS3s sales are finally going up but with current development schedules it will be 1-2 years before we'll see those games.
Arjaybee @ May 18th 2007 9:45AM
I think everyone here knew that once Sony announced the PS3 price @ E3 that the nails started going into the shiny black coffin. 82k is embarrasing...lower than even the lowest estimates. Sony would need a 'Kingdom Hearts 3' or 'Final Fantasy' type exclusive by year's end to save the PS3 against 'Halo 3' and 'Mario Galaxy'/'Super Smash Bros'. The PS3 lineup for the rest of 2007 looks like a lineup for the 3DO. There is no game coming for the PS3 in the next 8 months that is going to change fortunes for this system...this holiday season is going to be a disaster for the PS3. Given the competition, there is absolutly no compelling reason to buy a PS3 and I believe Nintendo and Microsoft are in a better position to do a price cut at any time, but they won't have to. The PSP was just a sleek looking UMD player for a long time and it is headed to the "gaming ghetto" thanks to the DS and now based on the numbers we'll see through to Fall of 2008, the PS3 will be just a sleek looking BluRay player headed to the "gaming ghetto" thanks to the Wii & Xbox 360. I just don't see where any rational case can be made otherwise.
TheBigFatJ @ May 18th 2007 10:40AM
Hey guys, bad news. The Xbox 360 has been selling more software in Japan than the PS3 for a few weeks now, and the PS3 is slowly selling fewer and fewer units in Japan while the Xbox 360 has been slowly increasing its sales in Japan. The current hardware gap is just over 5K units per week.
It must be very embarrassing for a Japanese console company to sell less software on their platform on a weekly basis than an American console company.
At first I felt that Sony was getting what they deserve for their ridiculous price point and odd hardware design decisions, but right now I really feel sorry for Sony and hope that this whole thing makes an unexpected turn around for them.
Titty Pink @ May 18th 2007 10:43AM
The 360 launch had great games???? Ummm...Halo 2 is STILL probably the most played game on the 360. At launch they had...Call of Duty (OK; no where NEAR Resistance), Madden (terrible), Chrome Hounds (Garbage), and a bunch of other mediocre shit. The 360 had the luxury of no new consoles to compete with, so a crappy set of titles wasn't as big of an issue. As far as the PS3, I bought it, if it sucks in the end I'll live with it. In all reality anyone who can afford a $600 video game system probably has many other toys as well, so it's really not a big deal...
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 18th 2007 10:45AM
"Actually, G4 sold it's soul to Microsoft a few years ago. Have you actually watched AOTS or XPlay lately?"
Yes. In fact, I watch them both (AOTS every day, X-Play from time to time). The 360 got a generic show in which Adam, Morgan, and Kevin just stood around while viewers watched the same trailers of launch games that we've seen thousands of times. The PS3 got an entire show dedicated to the launch, and it was actually well-produced. And the Wii got whopping 15 minutes on AOTS the following Monday.
"They take snarky jabs at the PS3 and review the lame games for it constantly."
X-Play reviews a lot of lame games on a daily basis, regardless of platform. That's the problem with X-Play. G4 feels the need to have them review nearly every console game that comes out, and then they don't get around to the great games until a month or two after they've released. Its definitely a problem, but not exclusive to the PS3 (yes that was a pun).
As for snarky jabs, I think you need to see Adam and/or Morgan appear on AOTS. They're apt to judging just about everything, 360 included.
"They have little icons that represent everything for segments of the show, and of course they have an X360 controller representing gaming. The name Xplay says it all as well."
Okay now you're either digging or joking. That tiny little icon has nothing to do with anything Microsoft, and as a fan who has watched since the ZDTV days, I find it sad that you would seriously believe its called X-Play because of the Xbox.
"G4TV has no gaming credibility as far as I'm concerned and they're hardly a source for unbiased PS3 info."
Right. So when they gave the PS3 its own show, aired it 5 times that same weekend, and then talked about how a few of the games were great (on AOTS the following week), they were talking with Microsoft bias. My mistake, sorry I never noticed before.
RPGJock @ May 18th 2007 11:04AM
Lets look at the real picture shall we...
The DS and the Wii are the two top seller for this month and has been for the last several months. Why? Mainly name and price. The next highest selling console is PS2. Why? Mainly name and price. Believe it or not, America is/are cheap consumers. Wal-Mart and Costco can be witness to that. According to the CEA, Consumer Electronic Association, the average american adult spends $1200 ANNUALLY on electronic products. This includes cell phones, portable media players, digtal players/recorders, TV and media entertainment. With that market share, people are incline to get what they feel need to necessities before luxury purchases. That is why 3/4 of the country have cell phones. Ideally, people think that you can get around with out one. In 2009, Digtal TV will be also somewhat be in that boat due to the "shut down" of TV analog transmission. With that and the introduction of low end, low COST Digtal TV at Wal-Mart and Costco, that number is on the rise. If they do incline to get a luxury purchase, they rather tend to get something that won't be a huge cost and long term in life. If you look at the video game market, you have 3 choices. Microsoft, an american company with the Microsoft name behind it. Most people either hate them or love them because of there software strangle/dominance in the PC market. You have Nintendo that won this country's heart for 20 years now with game systems. Some have been hits others have not, but you Nintendo has been around. Then you have Sony, the maker of the walkman and the creator of the last two generations of hot consoles. Well they all plus or minus to there names. So go on to look price. Hmm, outside of growing up with consoles, most "normal" (when I say normal, I mean people who don't go to game sites and blog sites for games and reviews) look at a "gaming machine" and say what is reason to buy something that is expensive, I want something to fun to play but not going break me. You look at the low end of things and see what available. Unless you travel a lot, you don't have a lot time or space, or have kids portables are not going to be looked at strongly. So then you look at consoles and the Xbox, not many games and the clerks at the store will let you know that Microsoft are not making anymore that system. The same can be said about the Gamecube but it at least a few more than the XBox. Next would the PS2. Well everyone has heard a little something about the Playstation 2. Good or bad. They see over hundreds and hundreds games for it, ranging from $5 to $50. Thats affordable. Some stop there. Others says, I don't want to have buy another "gaming system" in a year or two, what the newest system price. They look and see that Sony next system is the PS3, at $600!! For what they ask their selves. Blu-Ray? HDMI? I don't even have a HDTV yet, why would I need Blu-ray or HDMI? Next. Okay Microsoft 360, hm their system is cheaper, even this 360 premium is $200 less then Playstation 3. But look at these games, that is lot of money and some of these don't look very easy or kid friendly (if they are parents) Plus $400 is still bit much for a "game machine" Next. Then you get to the Nintendo Wii. Well its at least under $300. And doesn't looks like require internet connection or HDTV to enjoy it. It is new system and a lot people seem to be talking about. I can get this that comes with a game also, maybe another game or two and an extra Wii remote and still pay less then getting a 360 and a game and definitely less than a PS3. But you see that is right now. In three years when people have high def/digtal tv's and go out and get a "gaming system", its a whole different story. When the 20 million people who bought a PS2(figuring that at least half the people haven't moved on or some just bought a second PS2 along the way) in this country see a PS3 that is under $300 dollars, play HD movies and their old PS2 games that purchase this year and years before will come on aboard. Why? Name and price. Of course Nintendo will have announced their new system by then... Possible Microsoft also.... But if Sony keeps its word and supports this thing for 10 years, then people will be there for that. Why shouldn't Sony support for that long, the PS2 is still here and its almost been 7 years.
dunnypop @ May 18th 2007 11:20AM
I have a 360, wii, and my gf has a ps3.
I've been playing the 360 religiously, and my gf loves the wii.
the ps3 has been collecting a lot of dust and it just sits there. I occasionally turn it on to update the system. Thank god it was a present.
Anyhow, I think the ps3 will be doing really well in mid-2008... I don't see MGS4 or Gran Turismo selling more units with that $600 pricepoint.... if Final Fantasty is exclusive, I can see that moving units... but then again, Halo 3 is coming out, and if m$ plays their cards right, they can move 360's like water.
Time @ May 18th 2007 11:30AM
"Yes. In fact, I watch them both (AOTS every day, X-Play from time to time). The 360 got a generic show in which Adam, Morgan, and Kevin just stood around while viewers watched the same trailers of launch games that we've seen thousands of times. The PS3 got an entire show dedicated to the launch, and it was actually well-produced. And the Wii got whopping 15 minutes on AOTS the following Monday"
LOL, how can you sit here and not see the extreme shit G4 has pulled......you are right the ps3 got an entire show dedicated to its launch...it also got entire "Loop" specials on how horrible it is while a big name developer says his 360 got the red rings of death go ignored....you remember that episode?...Kevin and David Jaffe were drinking beer and David just said his 360 died...now if that was the ps3 they would have done an entire loop special on how horrible the ps3 is..but since it was the 360 it goes ingnored
remeber when sony was losing all of their excluvies left and right and AOTS and Xplay just constantly talked about it.."sony doesn't have the install base" or some other bullshit.....well way is it that the 360 has been losing exclusives for the past few months none of these so called "journalist" would talk about it?...I mean the 360 is the one with the largest install base, easier to program for and yadda yadda, blah, blah....just saying
Dude, I don't know what you have been watching but G4 clearly have some kind of Bias agaisnt sony.
P-Dog @ May 18th 2007 11:46AM
I Can't believe people are providing Friedman Units* when talking about the health status of the PS3. This ain't Iraq!
* More on Friedman Units (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedman_unit)
Jeremy @ May 18th 2007 11:54AM
@41
LOL!
Josh @ May 18th 2007 1:18PM
So, let's see.
The Gamecube sold 80,000 consoles in April 2001. Total consoles sold as of April 2002 (GC launched November 18th 2001): 1.54M
At the same point in the PS3's life, April 2007, it sold 82,000 consoles. Total consoles sold as of April 2007: 1.27M
NPD data source:
http://forum.pcvsconsole.com/viewthread.php?tid=11067
Seriously, that can't be a good thing.
RPGJock @ May 18th 2007 1:50PM
@38 "The problem with these initial low sales is that this will affect sales in the long run. If you take the true lifespan of 5 years we can expect a new generation in 2011 with announcements being made prior."
But that is the problem or solution. The industry keeps trying to push this "upgrade every 5 years" scenario to consumers who have gotten tired of it. Thats why Xbox 360 and definitely the PS3 are not run away hits. To the average and less than average consumer, the PS2 and Wii still looks pretty good to their standards. Only us tech nerds and video game freaks run out and buy a system way before its proven itself in the market. The Wii success is said to be because of the "waggle fad", but still it sold them systems with slightly above PS2/Xbox graphics with an affordable price. Nothing more nothing less.
Hey I own a PS2, PS3 and PSP. Chances are I will not buy Microsoft consoles, because I have contempt for them. I being in the IT business and having to deal with them and bow down to them because they are mostly the only game town. Believe me if I can convince 200 users and 50+ vendors to use a Linux/Mac OS, I would get out of bed with Microsoft and kick them out the door.
As for Nintendo, honestly going back to my statement before, the Wii is moderately better graphics than the PS2. I think games like GoW2 and Final Fantasy 12 look fantastic to me. So if I got a Wii, wouldn't cost as much as my PS3, I may even get my wife to play the Wii sports and similar ilk and I get to play Sunshine and Galaxy (I'm a Mario fan, I will admit it) since the Wii is backwards compatible to play Gamecube stuff. I skip the Gamecube gen because lack of adult games and PS2 exclusives. But with the popularity of the Wii, I am pretty sure that third party publishers will want to support it and they will have to rely on game play more than graphics as the Wii is limited.
TheSh0wstopper @ May 18th 2007 2:47PM
@36
"The 360 launch had great games???? Ummm...Halo 2 is STILL probably the most played game on the 360. At launch they had...Call of Duty (OK; no where NEAR Resistance), Madden (terrible), Chrome Hounds (Garbage), and a bunch of other mediocre shit."
You are a complete moron. For starters ChromeHounds was not launch for 360. And obviously you dont know jack about that game. CHROMEHOUNDS OFFERS THE BEST ONLINE EXPERIENCE FOR ANY GAME FOR ANY CONSOLE ATTHE MOMENT!!! The single player game was ehhh, but online was AMAZING!!! As for "other mediocre shit"... Oh you mean like Condemned which was better than any PS3 game at launch except Resistance. Perfect Dark was good as well. And Call of Duty 2 might be considered mediocre now but at the time it was awesome. I remember when I got my system on launch day I was a very popular guy on campus.
Unlike you I own BOTH systems and have no reason to be biased or call a game I have never played garbage. The problem with Chromehounds was that the reviews were based off of the single player game and not online. If that game was made by Capcom, Namco, Square or some other developer with a good track record the hype and sales it would have recieved would have classified it as AAA or a system seller. It is one of the top 10 games on BOTH CONSOLES!!! So before you call a game garbage how about you actually play it first. And if anyone in this forum has a 360, chromehounds, and LIVE then I am sure they completely agree with me.
TheSh0wstopper
Titty Pink @ May 19th 2007 12:29AM
Whatever there Showstopper. I've owned 3X360s, the first I stood in line for 10 hrs for and that now famous Live update killed it. The second got the 3 rings while loading Gears. I'm waiting for Halo 3 to drop b4 I even TOUCH the 3rd one, so eat me. 2nd I owned Chromehounds and gave it a month. WEAK!!! Halo 2 STILL kills everything on Live to this day. You're right, it wasn't a launch title, but it was the next 360 game I considered buying after Call of Duty. As far as top 10 for any next-gen system, I can't name 10 great 360 games, and obviously I can't do the same thing for the PS3 either, so what does that say about Chromehounds? I'd love to see your list of top 10 360 games. Maybe I don't like mech games as much as you, but it wasn't a good enough game to make me like mech games, so how can it be a great game at all? IMO, a great game will at least make you appreciate the genre. Perfect Dark was NOT a good game. It was the biggest disappointment of the 360s short life! It was the whole reason that I bought a 360 (since I actually played and LOVED the original on the 64). Talk about underacheiving, but since people didn't really catch on the PD like Golden Eye, I guess it was kinda glazed over. Moron huh? If you think your Xbots like ChromeHounds better than Halo 2, you're smokin something...
mhuda @ May 18th 2007 4:54PM
DOn't worry, when America's favorite video game Grand Theft Auto 4 is released, sales of the PS3 will take off like a rocket and squash the XBox 360,000. It si the most anticipated video game of all time, and I expect Rockstar Games to sell 35 million copies of GTA4 by the end of...well, by the end of tomorrow morning.
BlackBeltJones @ May 18th 2007 6:38PM
@ 48
You know that GTA4 is coming out the exact same time to both the PS3 and the 360 right? That pretty much nullifies one console having the advantage with that game, though I do believe that whichever console sells more units of that game will be very telling for the future.
oldxskoolxhollywood @ May 18th 2007 7:46PM
won't be long now.... just another nail in the PS3's coffin.
p.s: please don't start a flamewar over this comment
bootsielon @ May 18th 2007 7:58PM
Next-Gen-Gamer:
I agree with you that LBP is definitely a killer app. I also consider Home to be a killer app. Not that the 50 million or so people will buy PS3 for LBP or Home, but perhaps a million or two each, if not more. Same thing with Singstar.
Moving on to Lair, perhaps Lair is the either you Love it or Hate it game, like God Hand, which isn't critically acclaimed by everyone, but it does have its following. Then again, I hate sports games, but does that entitle me to criticize them? I guess Lair will find its good base of fans. It depends on how much it delivers.
On Uncharted, while I would love it to be 1080p as it somehow demonstrates the power of PS3 as some sort of achievement, the masses will buy it for its good share of detailed textures, animations, physics, storyline but most importantly gameplay, regardless of which of both HD resolutions it runs at (or if it's i or p, or 30 or 60 fps).
I disagree heavily with you on heavenly sword. Generic? I guess everything is generic in the Devil May Cry, Blood Omen, Too Human, Ninja Gaiden, God of War, Prince of Persia and Assassin Creed's realms.
I love the action genre, personally, but I don't see how it is generic. The storyline seems pretty original (or at least it doesn't seem like a complete rip-off of anything, even if it has in common the "heavenly sword" with kratos' sword). The cinematic sequences are awesome, and how the fighting sometimes become just as Cinematic. If they get the gameplay and AI right, then I'm betting it'll be a great game. It does have some gameplay elements taken from God of War (button pressing for cinematic sequences), but that's OK as long as it distances itself with the actual fighting.
On the framerate issues, Too Human had them too when they showed it last year, and I doubt that's how the game will be released in september.
Titty Pink @ May 19th 2007 1:00AM
360 launch mediocre shit list for showstopper: Kameo, Quake, Nba Live, NBA 2K6 (2K7 is STILL jaggie), King Kong (SHITTY), Tony Hawks American Wasteland... maybe I shoulda got Condemned, but I think this list more than proves my point...and I don't recall a release for that POS Chromehounds on the PS3. Maybe you own it though...based on THAT, maybe you own the new PS3 w/ the 120 GB HD...get your shit straight before you try to flame there asshat...