February Console Sales Numbers

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'll find it later today when I have time, but it said GT 5 was actually pushed back into "mid-late 09 - at least a year away."

It's all relative anyway. It's not in 2008. That's the crux of the story as some had mentioned that it may come out this fall. My understanding is that they feel they've bought some time with the Prologue release. They'll be updating that game with new features over the course of the year to keep people interested through '08 in anticipation of the '09 release of GT5.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Couple of price drops of note.....

-Warhawk (Downloadable PS3 version) has been dropped to $29.99. Another expansion coming in a couple of weeks.

-Eternal Sonata (360) price is dropped to $39.99. Good RPG for those looking for something to keep them busy until GTA4 comes out.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by RedHawk00

anyone else notice that sales of games for the wii seem to be far behind the ratio of games to systems for the other next gen consoles. if i were nintendo brass i would be a bit worried about that. the people buying games own the 360 and ps3.

i wonder if selling to the non-gamers is a good idea for the longer run. we will see.

The adoption rate for games is much lower on the Wii than on other systems such as the Xbox360.

However its user base is quite extensive now - I know a lot of publishers who are drawn to the Wii simply because of that user base and the lower development costs on the platform, then again a lot are put off because outside of the core Nintendo titles strong software sales are generally scarce ...

From Nintendo's perspective they can't really lose unlike the other consoles they make a profit per unit sold so if they sell games then fantastic - if not then they're still making some money from the original unit (plus as mentioned its the Nintendo games which are those which generally sell best).

(oh and selling to the non-hardcore didn't seem to hurt the PS-2 when people started picking them as DVD players)

[Big Fo]

One industry analyst blames Wii shortages on the weak dollar.

Wii shortage may finally be near an end

...

During the course of the interview, the analyst, Michael Pachter at Wedbush Morgan, said the real culprit for the Wii shortage in the U.S. is the weak dollar.

I know this is getting rather dense for a game column, but bear with me.

With a weak dollar, foreign companies that sell their goods in the U.S. for dollars and then convert those dollars to their native currencies get a smaller profit than if they sell their products in countries with strong currencies of their own (such as Europe with the euro). In other words, Nintendo makes a bigger profit on Wiis sold in Europe than on Wiis sold in the U.S.

So Nintendo, Mr. Pachter said, has been behaving perfectly rationally by sending excess Wii consoles to Europe to satisfy the more profitable consumers there.

But now that demand in Europe is subsiding to normal levels, those surplus consoles will be redirected to American gamers, Mr. Pachter said, and the Wii should finally become more plentiful in the States later this year.

...

That's a good theory at least. What would be interesting is if Nintendo became the first (as far as I know) console maker to raise prices during the middle of the generation due to the dollar struggling, it might be a PR hit but I bet they'd still sell pretty quickly.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Microsoft tells customers that they have no ETA on a fix for the DRM issues that RROD console owners face.........

http://consumerist.com/355519/micros...-xbox-live-drm

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

FCC reveals approval for new PS3 model with improved WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities..........

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=809146&fcc_id='AK8CBEH1101'

[SackAttack]

Mizzou - read the article Kotaku posted about that:

http://kotaku.com/374289/at-least-on...3-model-coming

Notice the words "Sixaxis wonkiness"?

I'm not the only one!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pretty good post here from Surfer Girl. Evidently, a lawyer from EA has already sent a request that this be taken down, but she is refusing to do so..........

http://softrockhallelujah.blogspot.c...ccitiello.html

GT5: Prologue release boost the PS3 past the 360 in latest sales figures out of the UK; PS3 now is outselling the 360 in all PAL countries in a week-over-week basis..........

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=129707

Hands-on preview of the new Penny Arcade game.........

http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/04/...on-penn-1.html

Warhawk 1.3 is released today (April 2nd). Included is the interface software for Home, raising thoughts that a Home beta could be coming sooner rather than later.

[Cringer]

Home? Does everyone know what this non-existant Home is?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Home? Does everyone know what this non-existant Home is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Home

[Cringer]

So Home is what I expected, nothing important, interesting or useful to someone who isn't locked in a room with their PS3 all day.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

So Home is what I expected, nothing important, interesting or useful to someone who isn't locked in a room with their PS3 all day.

The features are quite useful actually. Basically speaking, it brings the free online components of the PS3 in line with the 360 Live Gold online components. There will now be in-game chat, an achievement-based system, and matchmaking lobby capabilities for online play. Negating the XBL advantage should have been a primary goal of Sony long before now. These options should have been in the system when it was released, but better late than never I suppose.

[Cringer]

Sorry, nothing in what you said makes any difference to my world and is nothing I give a rip about. I am sure plenty of kids out there would love that crap but I have no use for an achievement-based system and online matchmaking for games.

Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do and I need to boot up Civ IV.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Sorry, nothing in what you said makes any difference to my world and is nothing I give a rip about. I am sure plenty of kids out there would love that crap but I have no use for an achievement-based system and online matchmaking for games.

Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do and I need to boot up Civ IV.

I'll use the matchmaking stuff, but the other two I feel the same as you do. But as you said, there are a lot of people with far more time on their hands than you or I who will use that stuff quite a bit.

I played Civ IV last night for several hours. Who knew that I was able to stay awake until 2 AM?

[SackAttack]

Just got my DUALSHOCK 3 in the mail about an hour ago, and holy schnikes, is there a "feel" difference between the DS3 and the SIXAXIS.

I mean, good Lord. It's not a danger to small children the way the original Xbox controllers were, but you could just about break somebody's jaw with a pistol-whip with the DS3. Sucker's got some heft to it.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Just got my DUALSHOCK 3 in the mail about an hour ago, and holy schnikes, is there a "feel" difference between the DS3 and the SIXAXIS.

I mean, good Lord. It's not a danger to small children the way the original Xbox controllers were, but you could just about break somebody's jaw with a pistol-whip with the DS3. Sucker's got some heft to it.

$55 is outrageous for a controller. Especially one that should have shipped at launch.

Not as bad as Sony trying to charge $100 for a HDMI cable, but still pretty damn bad.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Atocep

$55 is outrageous for a controller. Especially one that should have shipped at launch.

Not as bad as Sony trying to charge $100 for a HDMI cable, but still pretty damn bad.

I think they still thought they could win on appeal on the Immersion lawsuit at launch, but didn't want to risk an injunction torpedoing the business if they lost and had the rumble tech in controllers.

I expect a price cut announcement on accessories at E3; the timing would be about the same as the PS2 controllers dropping from $40 to $25. I'd expect we'll see the DUALSHOCK 3 selling for around $40-45 by late July.

As for the HDMI cables...they're actually selling them for $79.99 with a ten-foot USB cable for the controllers. Still overpriced, but coming in below the rest of the "gaming accessory" market, which mostly seems to be hitting the $85-100 range.

[Calis]

Where are the HDMI cables $100? Or was this at launch? I know when I bought mine I paid well under $100 or I would've been quite angry.

The controller price is too high for my liking, but then again I have no interest in upgrading to one so I don't see it as a negative. A controller shaking isn't worth $55 bucks to me.

Lets be fair though, all the companies are doing what they can to way overcharge for accessories/add-ons. I'm looking at you MS Wireless Adapter.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Calis

Where are the HDMI cables $100? Or was this at launch? I know when I bought mine I paid well under $100 or I would've been quite angry.

The controller price is too high for my liking, but then again I have no interest in upgrading to one so I don't see it as a negative. A controller shaking isn't worth $55 bucks to me.

Lets be fair though, all the companies are doing what they can to way overcharge for accessories/add-ons. I'm looking at you MS Wireless Adapter.

Best Buy has them listed at $79.99 like SA said, but I'm positive I saw them at a best buy here in Tacoma for at least $90 when I bought my PS3 because that led me to ask the salesman if they were proprietary (I didn't know at the time). When I was told they weren't, I decided to pick one up on monoprice for around $5.

Still, at $79.99 you're essentially paying $70 for the 10 foot USB cable.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Calis

Where are the HDMI cables $100? Or was this at launch? I know when I bought mine I paid well under $100 or I would've been quite angry.

The controller price is too high for my liking, but then again I have no interest in upgrading to one so I don't see it as a negative. A controller shaking isn't worth $55 bucks to me.

Lets be fair though, all the companies are doing what they can to way overcharge for accessories/add-ons. I'm looking at you MS Wireless Adapter.

I think the better way to look at it isn't in a vacuum, but by comparison with what you'd otherwise be buying. If you're looking at buying a second PS3 controller, and you go with the SIXAXIS because it has tilt sensitivity while none of the other PS3 controllers currently on the market do, then what you're really paying to go from that to a DUALSHOCK 3 is $5.

If, on the other hand, the talk is upgrading from your existing SIXAXIS, then yeah, that's a discussion of a whole 'nother nature.

Originally Posted by Atocep

Best Buy has them listed at $79.99 like SA said, but I'm positive I saw them at a best buy here in Tacoma for at least $90 when I bought my PS3 because that led me to ask the salesman if they were proprietary (I didn't know at the time). When I was told they weren't, I decided to pick one up on monoprice for around $5.

Still, at $79.99 you're essentially paying $70 for the 10 foot USB cable.

The Sony ones haven't gotten that high, AFAIK. The component cables got vastly overpriced compared to what Sony had previously been selling them for (from $20.99 to, what, $79.99 or $89.99) once they started including that USB cable.

With HDMI, though, we had three cables in the gaming dept. before the Sony cable popped up.

A six-footer for $64.99, a twelve-footer for $94.99, and the Psyclone 10-footer for $99.99. The Sony one is ten feet and includes that cable. For the folks who are going to pay retail because it's right there in front of them, the Sony cable isn't THAT bad.

But yeah, obviously with even just a little effort you can find a perfectly fine HDMI cable for significantly less.

[stevew]

The MS wireless adapter is totally rediculous. I'm honestly shocked Sony didn't patent some sort of proprietary end for their HDMI port, in order to make sure you'd have to spend 80 bucks on the cable.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by stevew

The MS wireless adapter is totally rediculous. I'm honestly shocked Sony didn't patent some sort of proprietary end for their HDMI port, in order to make sure you'd have to spend 80 bucks on the cable.

Probably didn't because, at the time, it was a $600 system. There were enough reasons not to splash the cash on one without tacking on another "optional" $80 surcharge.

Incidentally, I got my MS wireless adapter for around $50. Open box blowout at Circuit City. They've had 'em like that at that price a few times at the store near me. Might be worth investigating, since a lot of people who buy those things are too clueless to figure out how to set them up. Save $50 on the backs of other people's tech-dizziness.

[rjolley]

Do you have to use MS' wireless adapter? If not, do the others ones cost about the same?

[Calis]

Originally Posted by rjolley

Do you have to use MS' wireless adapter? If not, do the others ones cost about the same?

You can use 3rd party ones, and there are some available for significantly less. I haven't used one because I hardwire all my consoles into the network, but I know most people don't have that benefit.

[stevew]

you can buy a 3rd party network bridge, but afaik, there are no 3rd party traditional adapters.

[Kodos]

Kudos to Nintendo. I actually saw two Wiis in stock today at Walmart!

[Kodos]

The MS wireless adapter's price is pretty much the reason I let my Xbox Live account expire.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

A six-footer for $64.99, a twelve-footer for $94.99, and the Psyclone 10-footer for $99.99. The Sony one is ten feet and includes that cable. For the folks who are going to pay retail because it's right there in front of them, the Sony cable isn't THAT bad.

But yeah, obviously with even just a little effort you can find a perfectly fine HDMI cable for significantly less.

I still have no clue why people would ever buy a HDMI cable in a retailer. You can get a 15-foot HDMI cable at monoprice.com for around $7. Best Buy makes an absolute KILLING off of ill-informed consumers who buy accessories at retailers.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Former FTC lawyer indicates that the FTC will likely scrutinize any possible EA takeover/merger due to possibly monopoly issues in the sports games sector..........

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/level...-take-two.aspx

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Former FTC lawyer indicates that the FTC will likely scrutinize any possible EA takeover/merger due to possibly monopoly issues in the sports games sector..........

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/level...-take-two.aspx

I'm sure they'll take a look at it, but hard to say there is a monopoly when there are other choices such as MLB: The Show, Sony's NBA Game, etc.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Tons of new gaming previews/news.

Xbox 360 chief Neal Thompson discusses his first experience with the RROD on his own 360.......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...rosoft.xbox360

GT5: Prologue will have a fall update that will include damage modeling............

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=186046

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed set for September 16th release.............

http://www.themanroom.com/news/The_F...360_Dated/2383

Hands on previews of Metal Gear Solid 4............

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3167223
http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps3/game...s/173848.shtml
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/863/8638...0&RSSid=840683

Preview of White Knight Chronicles (PS3) due for release in late 2008..........

http://www.consoleme.ca/white-knight...-talking-about

New Tom Clancy multiplatform flying game due in late 2008 from Ubisoft.........

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/863/863558p1.html

Fallout 3 preview.........

http://www.oxmonline.com/article/pre...3-0?page=0%2C1

Gosen picked to lead Xbox 360 efforts in Europe............

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...push-in-europe

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Developers discuss how rude behavior of online gamers is hurting mass appeal of online games............

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur..._idiocy_a_.php

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

The Sony ones haven't gotten that high, AFAIK. The component cables got vastly overpriced compared to what Sony had previously been selling them for (from $20.99 to, what, $79.99 or $89.99) once they started including that USB cable.

Not sure how meaningful it is, but to follow up on that, EBgames.com is now showing that component cable bundle at $29.99, although admittedly listing it as "not for sale."

Don't know if that's a markdown that'll mean anything or not, but somebody appears to be getting the "vastly overpriced" message there.

[Eaglesfan27]

An analysts opinion that actually seems likely to happen. He predicts the Wii will outsell the PS3 and 360 combined this year:

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/ne...analyst/?biz=1

[Big Fo]

Sam and Max Season One is coming out on the Wii this fall. According to a Gamespot podcast the new episodic series from Telltale Games will be announced next week and the first episode will be available for the US WiiWare launch.

hxxp://www.gamespot.com/news/6188738.html

In the latest of the Itawa Asks series of interviews (which have been really good for past games like Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Wii Fit), he sits down with the producer of Mario Kart Wii, the project leader on the Wii Wheel, and Miyamoto who apparently was nearby or something since he didn't have much at all to do with the game. There's some good stuff in here on Mario Kart's online features which are a lot more robust than Smash Bros. and Mario Strikers Charged. One nice thing is that by clicking on the Mario Kart Channel on the Wii main menu you can see if your friends are online without booting the disc. Small potatoes for XBox Live users but a nice step forward for Nintendo.

hxxp://uk.wii.com/software/interviews/mario_kart/vol1/index.html

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some interesting early numbers coming out of the preorder phase of GTA4. Sales of both the 360 and PS3 version of the game are high (Xbox version is currently #3 at Amazon while the PS3 version is #6). The PS3 console has received a major boost to hardware sales in North American, jumping 10 spots to #12 in the video game sales chart. Xbox 360 hardware sales have seen no significant increase.

Similar numbers in Canada as the software versions are selling nearly identical numbers, but the PS3 is seeing a hardware boost much like the U.S.

At Amazon UK, the PS3 version of GTA4 is outselling the 360 version. The PS3 is also seeing a major hardware sales boost on Amazon UK. Other online retailers are reporting similar trends, as the release shipment is sold out in most online stores.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/30131/UK-r...-out-of-GTA-IV

UK retail running out of GTA IV
Tim Ingham
Today, 2:33pm

Major online stores struggling to meet pre-order demand

Play.com has sold out of its allocation GTA IV pre-orders - whilst GAME and Gamestation’s online offerings have already put up warning of stock running low.

Play.com’s head of games Gian Luzio told MCV that the title was “far and away the biggest selling title” he’d ever seen on PS3 – but predicted the site would have more stock back in for the game’s release date of Tuesday, April 29th.

He added that it was “already proving a real hardware driver” – especially for Sony’s next-gen console.

Luzio told MCV: "This is the biggest ever title for PS3 by a long way - and probably 360 as well. I've been really blown away by how quickly it's sold on PS3.

"Sales have gone crazy and have proven to be a real hardware driver already. We've sold out now, but will be getting in more stock as soon as it becomes available.

"We expect to have some stock back in for the day of release on April 29th."

GAME’s website at www.GAME.co.uk says: ‘We cannot guarantee delivery on the day of release for orders placed on or after the 7th of April’.

Gamestation’s site reports: ‘Due to unprecedented demand for the standard editions of Grand Theft Auto IV, we are no longer taking pre-orders for this version.’

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

MS may be developing a Nintendo-like motion controller for its own system with the intent of making it easier to port third-party Wii games to the 360. I'm not sure that's something that would be an advantage...........

http://kotaku.com/376987/microsoft-t...ar-says-source

[MJ4H]

Of course it would be an advantage. There are good 3rd party games and new concept games (not just ports) would be as well. Hell, it would be a big deal just to get something like Pro Evolution Soccer over on the other systems the way it is on Wii. The truly great stuff for that controller hasn't really even been made yet if you ask me. PES 2008 should shine a light on what is truly possible with this control system. It would be foolish for the other consoles to ignore it.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

Of course it would be an advantage. There are good 3rd party games and new concept games (not just ports) would be as well. Hell, it would be a big deal just to get something like Pro Evolution Soccer over on the other systems the way it is on Wii. The truly great stuff for that controller hasn't really even been made yet if you ask me. PES 2008 should shine a light on what is truly possible with this control system. It would be foolish for the other consoles to ignore it.

Given that the source in the article has termed the project a 'clusterf**k' at this point, I'm not too optimistic that it will do anything near what you're describing. If someone wants motion control, they're going to buy a Wii. If anything, this new controller is nothing more than a nod to developers hungry to spread their crapware over multiple consoles to mitigate development costs.

I don't dispute that there are a few good third party games for the Wii, but the vast majority of the third party games are underwhelming on the Wii and will be even worse as a port to the 360.

[Cringer]

Crap, I can't remember if I asked this a while ago or not, but I am now seeing that only the 80 gb PS3 is backwards compatible, and the 40 gb is not. Is this correct? I only see the damn 40 gb around here and if I get one I want to be able to play my PS2 games.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Crap, I can't remember if I asked this a while ago or not, but I am now seeing that only the 80 gb PS3 is backwards compatible, and the 40 gb is not. Is this correct? I only see the damn 40 gb around here and if I get one I want to be able to play my PS2 games.

If you don't want to buy a 60 GB or 80 GB used model, just wait until the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle release in June. It will be an 80 GB PS3 with MGS4 included for $499.99. Basically, they're giving you MGS4 for free when compared to the previous 80 GB offer.

[Cringer]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

If you don't want to buy a 60 GB or 80 GB used model, just wait until the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle release in June. It will be an 80 GB PS3 with MGS4 included for $499.99. Basically, they're giving you MGS4 for free when compared to the previous 80 GB offer.

So there are no new 80 gb units right now, only used ones? Is that why stores only have the 40 gbs? Crap man, not sure I can wait until June, I will have GTA IV on PS3 or 360 at the end of this month, I NEED something to play it on.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

So there are no new 80 gb units right now, only used ones? Is that why stores only have the 40 gbs? Crap man, not sure I can wait until June, I will have GTA IV on PS3 or 360 at the end of this month, I NEED something to play it on.

That's correct. You can pick up 60/80 GB used machines if you want the BC feature before June. Given the reliability of the PS3 system, I wouldn't let the used option scare you away. I have a 60 GB machine from the launch and run it constantly without any problems. You always have the option to upgrade the HDD as well.

[Cringer]

Well, I guess I may look into used ones around here I guess and see what I find. I don't really care about the HDD size, 40 gb, 60 gb, and 80 gb are the same thing to me, more then I would ever use probably since I have never done online gaming up to this point and probably wouldn't start now. I just want the BC for myself and my daughter's games. Our PS2 crapped out back in the fall.

Thanks for the info.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Cringer

Well, I guess I may look into used ones around here I guess and see what I find. I don't really care about the HDD size, 40 gb, 60 gb, and 80 gb are the same thing to me, more then I would ever use probably since I have never done online gaming up to this point and probably wouldn't start now. I just want the BC for myself and my daughter's games. Our PS2 crapped out back in the fall.

Thanks for the info.

FYI.....go to your local store and have them check stock in the area. If there's a used machine in the area, they can transfer it to the store nearest to you. It'll save you a lot of time.

[Cringer]

Well, not sure I trust the stores around here to make transfering quicker, unless it is halfway across the Valley here. I am going to look into it though. We may end up waiting until June, just told the wife about it and she agrees that the free game in the MGS 4 bundle would be nice, especially since it is a game I would like to have. Waiting over a month with GTA IV sitting on the shelf may drive me mad though.

[SackAttack]

You could always check into renting a PS3 from Blockbuster for a few days if you absolutely cannot wait an extra six weeks to play GTA IV!

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

You could always check into renting a PS3 from Blockbuster for a few days if you absolutely cannot wait an extra six weeks to play GTA IV!

Hmm.. don't know if they did it nationally, but my Blockbuster doesn't rent systems anymore.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by wade moore

Hmm.. don't know if they did it nationally, but my Blockbuster doesn't rent systems anymore.

Well, I have to be honest and tell you that I haven't rented games from a Blockbuster since I was 9 years old, but the last time I did, they advertised system rentals.

I do wonder, though, if they might have stopped doing that after the PS2 'shortage' six or seven years ago. People renting the systems and "losing" them or having them "stolen" because they couldn't get them in stores, if I recall.

Might be.

[Fidatelo]

I bought a used DreamCast from Blockbuster, but that would have been like 5 years ago now.