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[Opiate]

that's easy.

the PC is a moving target. it has to scale. consoles don't.

No problem! Just make it for the high end. Games don't actually have to scale on PC, developers just choose to in most cases. But that's a monetary concern, and apparently the "top guys" just want to work with the best equipment and tools, regardless of monetary concerns.

 

[GhaleonEB]

Sony made some major major mistakes. I had some feeling that they might've been able to overcome it, but it quickly became obvious it isn't the case. People need to realize it's no longer about "winning" or about "sales" for Sony, it's about making profit, period. They can't play like they're working to catch the 360 because, honestly, that's not practical.

In some ways they are in a similar situation as the first Xbox - they locked into a business model that just doesn't support their hardware cost structure. Now it's all about finding profitability, or at worst minimizing losses. As you said, the horse race as GAF measures it isn't something they can play. At least not in the short term.

 

[mr_bishiuk]

This is ridiculous to the point of making me angry. When a console sells 300k in FREAKIN JANUARY, are you honestly trying to say that within those 300k people and the MILLIONS of others who bought the console already there isn't an audience for those kinds of games? How can you seriously ask that? It makes absolutely no sense at all. There is no way that it's only non gamers buying the console, not in the amounts we've consistently seen on a monthly basis

The people I know who buy Wii's are very different gamers to those who buy HD consoles, I think thats quite clear from Nintendo's marketing as well as my own experience.

 

[SimpleDesign]

I think Sony has figured out that the PS3 will never be first or second-place.

Hey, you don't need to be first or second to be the official leader of the industry.

 

[AFreak]

Sony will probably reduce PS2 price before anything. Maybe even PSP Price as well....It's still at 180 and it's been 4 years now...

 

[Paracelsus]

So PS2 looks pretty limp now. Is it finally done?

Spoiler

A friend of mine brought his PS2 to repair to a Sony center. The guy at the center told him the PS2 (as in PS2 production) won't make it to the second half of 2009.

If that is true, I wonder how is gonna Sony do, with two zombies instead of three. No shit.

 

[Pachael]

If this month's ratio continues, Wii Fit will pass the PS3 in the US as of the April NPD release.

Wii Fit :bow :bow

 

[Grampa Simpson]

Dont look at me if i were anything it would be a nintendo fanboy.

This is why I changed my avatar to note my (relatively slight) bias - I was tired of being called an XBox when pointing out Microsoft's stronger position in comparison to Sony's.

 

[charsace]

Sony can still take first. If KZ2 doesn't sell the system HR will. And if HR doesn't sell the system secret game will. And if secret game doesn't sell the system, secret game #2 will. It should be obvious to all by now that if a sony game fails to be the ace they need, another potential ace is always in the wings.

 

[Thrakier]

Doubtful. It's over. The perception is now that PS3 is a dead fish, a lame horse, pick your metaphor.

Oh shit. I was looking forward to soooo many stuff this year. But now, I'll just throw it away. Thanks for opening my guys, xbox-avatar-guy.

 

[Timan]

I'm curious what the stats would be if usage in hours was tracked with all 3 of the controls

 

[Redd]

Great sales for Left 4 Dead. Even though I've beat all 4 campaigns on expert I still go back and play a campaign almost every day. My favorite 360 game so far. Wii sales are just insane. Third parties need to put out some good quality games to get some of that pie Nintendo is hoarding.

Maybe I'm crazy but I still think the PS3 has got a shot to make a decent turnaround and grab second place this gen or at least finish in a respectable third. I just hope this teaches Sony about pricing their consoles so high and expecting people to get second jobs just to buy their machine.........still can't get over that comment.

 

[xbhaskarx]

So what does that make PS3, a Gobot?

:lol

If this month's ratio continues, Wii Fit will pass the PS3 in the US as of the April NPD release.

Wow, that's crazy considering Wii Fit is still somewhat hard to find.

In before someone with a Killzone 2 avatar says that's not a fair comparison because a PS3 is $400 whereas Wii Fit is (supposed to be) only $90.

 

[Gaborn]

In some ways they are in a similar situation as the first Xbox - they locked into a business model that just doesn't support their hardware cost structure. Now it's all about finding profitability, or at worst minimizing losses. As you said, the horse race as GAF measures it isn't something they can play. At least not in the short term.

That's actually a great point... I think it's a case of a large corporation being too in love with it's own rhetoric. They knew they were the market leader and just got so convinced they could do anything and make anything work and so they became arrogant trying to push Blu-Ray and not really thinking what it would do to their gaming division, because of COURSE consumers would buy it, they'd get 2 jobs to buy it in fact!

 

[GDGF]

The people I know who buy Wii's are very different gamers to those who buy HD consoles, I think thats quite clear from Nintendo's marketing as well as my own experience.

The people I know who buy Wii's are looking for experiences that are similar to the ones they had on last generations consoles with the added benefit of motion controls. It's a mix of both really (plus other demographics that we're not even considering)

Lot's of money to be made either way.

 

[mr_bishiuk]

Out of curiosity, why are these hypothetical top guys not building games for the high end PC that won't even exist for 2 years (when their game comes out)? It could look considerably better than Crysis at that point. Considerably. With better online functionality and more control options.

This question has been asked before, but I don't think there is an answer. And Bishiuk, I don't really disagree with you, but as a PC Gamer first and foremost, it's always frustrating to see an hypothesis like the one you've just provided... only to discover you mean the PS/360, not the PC, when the PC is indeed the "best equipment and tools" while 360 is now 4 year old technology.

Your splitting hairs PC/360/PS3 have their differences but they are not that different, all the major PC games like Fallout 3, L4D have passable console equivalents. The point is the designers, artists and so on can realise what they want to achieve on the uptodate equipment. Plus there is less money in PC games so on console they can make the games they want and get the bigger reward.

 

[Barrett2]

Oh shit. I was looking forward to soooo many stuff this year. But now, I'll just throw it away. Thanks for opening my guys, xbox-avatar-guy.

Coming from someone with an avatar of two LBP Sackboys fucking, I find your post mostly just sad.

 

[Burai]

I think Sony has figured out that the PS3 will never be first or second-place. They're destined for last place forever, and will likely not price cut until it's financially sound for them to do so. They will continue to try to make profit as that is the goal of any business, though, obviously, they'd love to sell more consoles (who wouldn't?).

The problem Sony have with this approach is that it really fucks retailers off. Retailers have finite shelf space and games console are ridiculously low-margin products. If sales keep falling at this rate, retailers are going to be stuck with PS2, PS3 and PSP units that they'll never shift, aren't worth shit and take up room that they can put Wii and DS consoles in. You couldn't get away with stockpiling high price items no-one wants when times were good. You certainly can't get away with it in a recession.

Sony have to drop the price ASAP or else retailers will drop it for them when they clear out their final PS3 shipment and drop the platform completely.

 

[Blame!]

Anyone have LTDs?

we'll see who's laughing when KZ2 numbers come out next month :lol

 

[Hesemonni]

Sony can still take first. If KZ2 doesn't sell the system HR will. And if HR doesn't sell the system secret game will. And if secret game doesn't sell the system, secret game #2 will. It should be obvious to all by now that if a sony game fails to be the ace they need, another potential ace is always in the wings.

Just wait until Virtua Fighter 5.

 

[deepbrown]

The PS3 isn't "keeping up" with anyone. They are behind millions of consoles and fell even further behind last year. Starting off ~100,000 behind the first month of the year isn't a good start.
Hell, just look at the software sales.

Wow...you guys have never met a colon... that was said by the character named "fanboy"...are they meant to make sense?

 

[Arde5643]

The people I know who buy Wii's are very different gamers to those who buy HD consoles, I think thats quite clear from Nintendo's marketing as well as my own experience.

Seriously, dude - did you just wake up a year ago?

Stop using this stupid anecdotal evidence as proof for your stupid thesis or at the very least wear a Killzone avatar or something so we can make fun of you.

 

[FrankT]

we'll see who's laughing when KZ2 numbers come out next month :lol

Can't say I was expecting that one.

 

[J-Rzez]

Doubtful. It's over. The perception is now that PS3 is a dead fish, a lame horse, pick your metaphor.

So Sony drops the price. Who's the console going to sell to? 360's already become the de facto standard for the hardcore, and its grip is tightening, not loosening.

I'm sure the price tag is still a massive deterrence for the consumer, even at $400. It has the games, but it doesn't have the price. It's probably too late, but if they dropped the price, they could at least make things more interesting. They probably won't drop it until PS2 sales fall off the map though, and that it's all on the PS3 and PSP for their sales. It's odd that the 3rd place consoles has the brightest selection of titles coming that we know of to many people though.

 

[The Librarian]

we'll see who's laughing when KZ2 numbers come out next month :lol

*quotes your avatar*

 

[AniHawk]

Holy god. This was today? Man, I've really fallen out of sales-age. I blame PoliGAF. And getting toasted. Niiiiiicely toasted.

 

[harSon]

The problem Sony have with this approach is that it really fucks retailers off. Retailers have finite shelf space and games console are ridiculously low-margin products. If sales keep falling at this rate, retailers are going to be stuck with PS2, PS3 and PSP units that they'll never shift, aren't worth shit and take up room that they can put Wii and DS consoles in. You couldn't get away with stockpiling high price items no-one wants when times were good. You certainly can't get away with it in a recession.

Sony have to drop the price ASAP or else retailers will drop it for them when they clear out their final PS3 shipment and drop the platform completely.

It's not selling that bad :lol

 

[Blueblur1]

I've never read an NPD thread before. man, I've been missing out. :lol

 

[Frillen]

we'll see who's laughing when KZ2 numbers come out next month :lol

Bu.. But it will be only out for two days...

 

[SimpleDesign]

Wow...you guys have never met a colon... that was said by the character named "fanboy"...are they meant to make sense?

So...you have split personality's now?

 

[FrankT]

Holy god. This was today? Man, I've really fallen out of sales-age. I blame PoliGAF. And getting toasted. Niiiiiicely toasted.

Put your old avatar to good use I'll have you know, page back.

 

[Barrett2]

I've (never) read an NPD thread before. man, I've been missing out. :lol

Wait til next month, thats when shit will get REAL.

 

[Burai]

It's not selling that bad :lol

There's only one way for sales to go when you saturate a market (as the PS3 has at it's current price) and it's not up. It's not static either.

 

[Frillen]

I've read an NPD thread before. man, I've been missing out. :lol

Wait what?

 

[deepbrown]

Aren't people forgetting that the PS3 and 360 sold exactly the same numbers in 2008, worldwide?

 

[Arde5643]

Bu.. But it will be only out for two days...

Lol, are you going to be creating a list of all possible explanations should KZ2 numbers not turn the tide for PS3?

 

[Stoney Mason]

we'll see who's laughing when KZ2 numbers come out next month :lol

Why don't you make us a sales prediction for the next two months on both Killzone 2 sales and hardware sales.

 

[Blueblur1]

Wait what?

never read* i edited my original post to fix the typo.

 

[Liabe Brave]

In some ways they are in a similar situation as the first Xbox - they locked into a business model that just doesn't support their hardware cost structure. Now it's all about finding profitability, or at worst minimizing losses. As you said, the horse race as GAF measures it isn't something they can play. At least not in the short term.

Agreed. Sony have actually done a pretty good job ameliorating losses, actually. Yes, they have the PSP and PS2 where Microsoft didn't. But those other pillars have crumbled a bit recently, and the PS3 itself had to be price-dropped harder and faster than I'm sure Sony wanted. Yet they've already gotten closer to profitability than Microsoft ever managed during the Xbox years.

They can't and won't be king of the hill this time around, though, which is something they counted on when initially planning PS3. It'll be interesting to see how the failure affects their next-generation map.

 

[sprocket]

360 has a grip on the hardcore gamer? that sentence alone is dumb for many reasons. mainly if you are such a hardcore gamer should you play all consoles ?

But here is a question .. What are you going to do if all those HARDCORE games start becoming Wii exclusives.

 

[The Librarian]

Aren't people forgetting that the PS3 and 360 sold exactly the same numbers in 2008, worldwide?

 

[Mindlog]

:lol

Traditional 8th page summary request line begins here.

The Zombie Apocalypse is popular. Good to see.

 

[xbhaskarx]

we'll see who's laughing when KZ2 numbers come out next month :lol

So... do you think PS3 will be second in just the February NPD, or will it hold that position in subsequent months?

 

[joshcryer]

Wait til next month, thats when shit will get REAL.

This. I read NPDs, just don't post. Next month is going to be wicked evil. Month after next, too. Going downhill from here, I think. And NPD is the cesspool of GAF, so it's hard to imagine it getting worse.

 

[Barrett2]

Aren't people forgetting that the PS3 and 360 sold exactly the same numbers in 2008, worldwide?

Too bad Sony LOSES money on every system it sells.

 

[deepbrown]

So...you have split personality's now?

It's called poking the hornets nest. God you all get on edge when it comes to sales.

 

[Strike]

I've never read an NPD thread before. man, I've been missing out. :lol

You sure have! Where've you been?

 

[Salami Inferno]

Great job L4D! Its great to see that game doing so well, and it getting such great support.

And its ALWAYS wait until X PS3 game comes out next month. Allow me to predict the future...

Killzone will sell a ton of copies, somewhere close to a million units. The PS3 will come close to, or maybe even surpass, wii numbers for february. Everyone will say the numbers were great but not terribly high because feb is a short month and we should all wait for the huge bump in march. March numbers will come and ps3 sales will flatten out again and kz will be in the middle of the top 10. Meltdown, meltdown, meltdown...just wait until GOW3.

 

[Pachael]

That's actually a great point... I think it's a case of a large corporation being too in love with it's own rhetoric. They knew they were the market leader and just got so convinced they could do anything and make anything work and so they became arrogant trying to push Blu-Ray and not really thinking what it would do to their gaming division, because of COURSE consumers would buy it, they'd get 2 jobs to buy it in fact!

It was worth it just for the Blu-Ray win. You know you're getting old when you think about the HD disc wars, it was only one year ago when the Blu-Ray/HD-DVD wars were rampant - PS3 got them in bigtime. In retrospect, HD-DVD was like the Dreamcast, inferior, made cheap and pulled in January

 

[SilverLunar]