German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

[lord of the mark]

this question has two parts.

It has been claimed that the superior sales of the PS3 over the 360 in Germany is due to anti-US feeling.

The evidence is the console sales themselves and the claim that there is no other explanation for it.

Now on the one hand, the games that sell well on the PS3 seem to be the same as in the USA.

OTOH its always been my impression that continental European gaming tastes, and particularly German tastes are quite different from US one - in particular greater popularity of PC games, greater preference for slower paced RTS games like Settlers and Anno Domini series, etc. Even a different style of board games. Though its not immediately clear to me if that impacts PS3 sales.


I look forward to your thoughts.

[Asher]

Re: German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

Originally posted by lord of the mark
this question has two parts.

It has been claimed that the superior sales of the PS3 over the 360 in Germany is due to anti-US feeling.

The evidence is the console sales themselves and the claim that there is no other explanation for it.

The evidence is the GAME SALES and CONSOLE SALES. You either do not understand the argument or are misrepresenting it.

If you look at which games are being sold on the 360 vs PS3, these are the exact same games or games employing the same game mechanics. The only difference between the two is the PS3 is more expensive with less complete online options, but is still having faster adoption.

There is some non-technical, non-market related force at work here. How else can you explain the fact that the cheaper product with the same games sells worse, other than some kind of widespread bias against the company? There's an anti-American cultural force in Germany much stronger than in the UK, and amazingly, the 360/PS3 market positions are reversed in these two countries.

In the fact of such a compelling argument backed up by sales charts, what do you bring forth here? How do you explain the PS3's success given that:
1) Gamers are playing the exact same games as on the 360, but with far less choice and less online options
2) Gamers are paying more for the privledge

[Kuciwalker]

Alternatively, Americans could have a pro-MS and/or anti-Sony bias...

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Alternatively, Americans could have a pro-MS and/or anti-Sony bias...

I think this can definitely be the case in parts of the southern US especially, where people are ridiculed for driving import cars as well.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Asher

I think this can definitely be the case in parts of the southern US especially, where people are ridiculed for driving import cars as well.

I lived in Jacksonville, FL for three years (Jax is more south Georgia than "florida") and Japanese cars were thick on the ground, and even Euro cars were common.

Driving an import if its an issue anywhere, is so in the midwest, which unlike the south, actually has a long history of MAKING cars.

[lord of the mark]

Re: Re: German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

Originally posted by Asher


In the fact of such a compelling argument backed up by sales charts, what do you bring forth here? How do you explain the PS3's success given that:
1) Gamers are playing the exact same games as on the 360, but with far less choice and less online options
2) Gamers are paying more for the privledge

Im not bringing forth anything, but ASKING a question of people who actually live in Germany. None of whom have responded so far.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Asher
I think this can definitely be the case in parts of the southern US especially, where people are ridiculed for driving import cars as well.

Was this supposed to be some sort of half-assed troll about Virginia?

[lord of the mark]

Re: Re: German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

Originally posted by Asher
In the fact of such a compelling argument backed up by sales charts, what do you bring forth here? How do you explain the PS3's success given that:
1) Gamers are playing the exact same games as on the 360, but with far less choice and less online options
2) Gamers are paying more for the privledge

Why one might ask, is ANYONE buying the PS3? Yet apparently millions are. And not for the PS3 exclusives currently out, which have sold well nowhere, AFAICT.

The only reasons someone would get a PS3 and buy games for it would be

A. They like its graphics/tech features more than the 360
B. They expect FUTURE exclusives to be better
C. They like Bluray, and ALSO play games.

All of the above have been claimed by various Sony fans, AFAICT. It could be any of them is a stronger factor in Germany than in the US.

[flash9286]

Re: Re: German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

Originally posted by Asher

If you look at which games are being sold on the 360 vs PS3, these are the exact same games or games employing the same game mechanics. The only difference between the two is the PS3 is more expensive with less complete online options, but is still having faster adoption.

And that it doesn't break every couple months.

I think this can definitely be the case in parts of the southern US especially, where people are ridiculed for driving import cars as well.

I drive a import car in the South and have never been ridiculed. Nor can I ever recall seeing this happen.

[lord of the mark]

Re: Re: Re: German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

Originally posted by flash9286
And that it doesn't break ever couple months.

Pardon, I keep forgetting about that.

[Apocalypse]

I think Asher was saying that it isn't weird for the US to drive imports while it is that way in Germany. I think.

[Patroklos]

I think this can definitely be the case in parts of the southern US especially, where people are ridiculed for driving import cars as well.

They are ridiculed for driving riced out import cars, as they are everywhere, and as they should be.

I am quite happy with my Samsung TV

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Alternatively, Americans could have a pro-MS and/or anti-Sony bias...

Presumably not anti-Nintendo, though

Curious, Kuci, not that it has probative value one way or the other, what do you think of Ashers theory that MS is the victim of anti-Americanism in Germany?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


Was this supposed to be some sort of half-assed troll about Virginia?

I don't give a damn about Virginia?

[Asher]

Re: Re: Re: German gamers - are German tastes in gaming different from US tastes?

Originally posted by lord of the mark
The only reasons someone would get a PS3 and buy games for it would be

A. They like its graphics/tech features more than the 360

Not valid, graphics are better on the 360 virtually across the board. There are sites such as EUROgamer that compare all the time, 99% of the time favouring the 360 on graphics/tech basis.

B. They expect FUTURE exclusives to be better
C. They like Bluray, and ALSO play games.

These are valid but they in no way describe why they would outsell the 360 so widely, and why this would NOT be the case in the UK, for instance.

It could be any of them is a stronger factor in Germany than in the US.

Why would any of B or C be stronger in Germany than the UK? Discuss that rationally.