PlayStation breaks sales records

[laurentius]

The PlayStation 3 console has broken UK sales records with more than 165,000 machines sold in the first two days of release, say analysts Chart Track.

More than a million consoles were shipped across Europe on launch day last week with 600,000 sold.

Sony is hoping to retake its title as the console market leader, as Microsoft and Nintendo head the next-gen race.

Meanwhile, games firm Namco Bandai has said it is to use the PS3's Cell chip in arcade machines.

Microsoft sold 71,000 Xbox 360 consoles during its UK launch weekend, while Nintendo sold 105,000 Wii machines.

But both companies offered limited stock to retailers, which led to shortages.

Ray Maguire, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment UK said the figures were a vote of confidence in the machine.

"Having broken the record for launch sales, we are now replenishing retail stock across the country," he said,

The first arcade title to use the PS3 microprocessor will be fighting game Tekken 6, Namco said.

While PlayStation technology has been used in arcade machines in the past it is believed to be the first time that the Cell will be used for games not running on Sony's console.

Namco Bandai has sold its PlayStation 2 arcade technology to other firms, but it is still undecided about whether to sell its PS3 Cell-based technology, a spokeswoman for the firm said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6499841.stm

So much for another posters claims of empty queues and staged photo shoots.

[Jon Miller]

Maybe it was more like the Vista sale. Let's see how it is in 6 months when the newness has worn off a bit.

JM

[laurentius]

With the launch of the Home interactive enviroment coupled with ever growing selection of games and movies I believe it will maintain the good groove.

Also many people probably wait for the price cuts so it might be already autumn before things really pick up.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
Maybe it was more like the Vista sale. Let's see how it is in 6 months when the newness has worn off a bit.

JM

Vista's sold 20 million copies so far. Twice as fast as XP.

What laurentius didn't mention was...
1) This is more of a factor of available supply than lots of demand
2) 20,000 preorders were actually cancelled just before the launch
3) They didn't sell out their launch allocation

The 360 and Wii were extensively supply-constrained.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Asher
Vista's sold 20 million copies so far. Twice as fast as XP.

There are twice as many computers out there, too.

[Asher]

And considering how many copies XP has sold, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

[laurentius]

Business

Video games

Console wars

Mar 22nd 2007
From The Economist print edition
All three combatants claim victory



IT IS a vicious fight—and one that all three participants claim to be winning. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are battling for supremacy in the $30 billion video-games industry, a struggle that takes place in rounds lasting five or six years each. The previous round, which began in 2000, pitted Sony's PlayStation 2 (PS2) against Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube. (Sony won, achieving a market share of 70%.) The present round began in 2005, when Microsoft began to sell the Xbox 360. Last year Nintendo came out with its new console, the Wii, and Sony shipped the PlayStation 3 (PS3) in America and Japan. With the start of sales of the PS3 in Europe on March 23rd, all three machines are at last available in all of the world's biggest markets. The fight is just getting started, and already everyone claims to be on top.

Microsoft can justly boast to have sold the most consoles: 10m Xbox 360s since launching the machine in November 2005. The 360 is popular in America and Europe, but is doing badly in Japan (though not quite as badly as the original Xbox did). The head start means that the 360 has by far the best line-up of games, the main reason for buying consoles. Microsoft's online service, Xbox Live, is also impressive, offering game and video downloads and allowing gamers to play together online.

For its part, Nintendo can boast that its new console has taken off the fastest, having sold nearly 6m units since November. The low-cost Wii is proving so popular that it is still hard to come by months after its launch, and is generating by far the most buzz. In part this is because the Wii's motion-sensitive controller means even non-gamers can quickly start playing tennis, golf or bowling. Nintendo hopes this will help to expand the market: non-gamers, it argues, are put off by the complexity of modern games. But sceptics warn that the Wii's novelty could wear off, that it lacks the “high-definition” graphics of its rivals, and that its online features are somewhat rudimentary.

What about Sony? The ageing PS2 outsold both the Xbox 360 and the Wii in America during December, so arguably it still rules the roost. Its maker insists that the PS3's relatively modest sales—2m units since November—are the result of supply shortages, though anecdotal evidence suggests that PS3s are far easier to find than Wiis. The PS3's high price—$499 and $599 in America, and €499 ($660) and €599 in Europe—may be putting buyers off, or prompting them to wait for price cuts. Sony says sales will take off once supply increases. This month it unveiled Home, an impressive virtual world similar to Second Life, which will become available on the PS3 in October and might also boost sales.

Analysts are divided about the outcome. The PS2 “achieved a level of market dominance never seen before, and I'm not sure we'll see again,” says Ed Barton, an analyst at Screen Digest. This time around, he suggests, different winners might emerge in different markets: it seems likely that Sony will do best in Japan and Microsoft in America. The wildcard is the Wii, which could trump the competition by attracting entirely new customers. IDC, a market-research firm, predicts that the Wii will be the bestselling console by 2008, and Merrill Lynch predicts that 30% of American homes will have a Wii by 2011. But Mr Barton warns that the Wii's success depends on publishers producing distinctive games for it. Also, its relatively underpowered hardware could soon look feeble next to the stunning graphics of its rivals.

So far, then, Microsoft has put in a solid performance, Nintendo is doing better than expected and Sony worse. The stakes are highest for Sony, which desperately needs the PS3 to succeed, both to protect its lucrative gaming franchise and to ensure success of its Blu-ray high-definition disc format, on which the PS3 is based. Let battle commence in earnest.

http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8903398

Now the battle really begins.

I agree with the article that the Wii’s novelty might wear off very soon. People just get tired of having to use their hands excessively with Wiimote. Its also just a regular console without any additional features such as DVD, BD or HD-DVD playback capabilities, its internet capabilities are a joke and its got no HD to play music, demos or videos from. It might bring new crowds to console gaming though and thus maintain its market share at a reasonable level. Its also got its niche of easy, innovative, cute and fun games. Its also the console I would buy for my young kids if I had them.

The huge influx of high quality LCD/Plasma HD capable televisions will probably play to Sony and MS' favour. Once Sony cuts PS3 price it will really start to out sell both its competitors. Its good to see its already selling well in EMEA despite its rather high price. I hope X360 will keep the battle going with new features and price cuts, keeping it the consumers market.

[laurentius]

Originally posted by Asher


The 360 and Wii were extensively supply-constrained.

Translation: PS 3 was not rushed.

[Asher]

Originally posted by laurentius
Translation: PS 3 was not rushed.

Considering it was delayed 2 years...that's quite an understatement.

It is funny that the software for the PS3 is still rushed. Hell, they just NOW issued a patch to add friends lists to Motorstorm multiplayer.

[Asher]

Originally posted by laurentius
Once Sony cuts PS3 price it will really start to out sell both its competitors.

Does not follow.

For the following reasons:
1) The 360 will have more games than the PS3
2) The 360 has a larger existing userbase who are game-purchasing happy, meaning more future titles keep jumping ship to the 360 (GTA, DMC, FF XIII exclusivity is up in the air now even)
3) The 360 will always be cheaper than the Ps3

[FrostyBoy]

Originally posted by Asher

Vista's sold 20 million copies so far. Twice as fast as XP.

What laurentius didn't mention was...
1) This is more of a factor of available supply than lots of demand
2) 20,000 preorders were actually cancelled just before the launch
3) They didn't sell out their launch allocation

The 360 and Wii were extensively supply-constrained.

So Microsoft only released 71,000 360's in the UK?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Sn00py
So Microsoft only released 71,000 360's in the UK?

Yup. (Seriously)

Are you really not aware how insanely tight supply of the 360 was in '05?

[FrostyBoy]

I don't care much for consoles.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Can we get the French numbers, please?

Especially those indicating that a vast majority of PS3s were unsold?

[loinburger]

As a consumer, I'll probably wait another six months and buy an XBox360. As a compiler nerd, I was (previously) excited about the PS3 and all of the innovations it would bring to heterogenous computing, but seeing as how it hasn't brought any innovations to heterogenous computing I'm now willing to dismiss it as a dismal failure. "So, y'see, we've got this single unconstrained processor and N constrained processors, and if all goes well then joy ensues!" "Huzzah, so, you've got the compiler taking care of the N constrained processors, right?" "Well, no, that's the programmer's job." "Oh. Well, then you've at least got the domain-specific programming languages for the hybrid processor setup, right?" "Well, no, we're expecting the programmer to heroically utilize all of the resources were giving them, no matter how unforgiving we make those resources." "What the **** were you thinking???" "We weren't."