October 2008 Sales Numbers (RIP Sony's silver medal hopes)

[Big Fo]

Hardware: ....... Sept ..... (Aug).... Lifetime

Wii ................... 687.0K (453k) 12.6m
Nintendo DS ..... 536.8K (518k) 22.4m
Xbox 360 ......... 347.2K (192k) 11.2m
PSP .................. 238.1K (253k) 12.7m
PlayStation 3 .... 232.4K (185k) 5.5m
PlayStation 2 .... 173.5K (144k) 42.9m

Software:

360 STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED ........... 610K
WII WII FIT W/ BALANCE BOARD ......................... 518K
360 ROCK BAND 2 ....................... ..................... 363K
WII MARIO KART W/ WHEEL ............................... 353K
PS3 STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED .......... 325K
360 MERCENARIES 2: WORLD IN FLAMES ........... 297K
WII WII PLAY W/ REMOTE .................... .............. 243K
360 MADDEN NFL 09 ............... ............... .......... 224K
WII STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED ............ 223K
PS2 MADDEN NFL 09 ................ .............. ........... 158K

Others:

PC Spore ............ ............. 409k
PC Warhammer Online ....... 274k
360 Too Human ................. 34k
360 Tales of Vesperia .......... 37k
NDS Dragon Quest IV ......... 34k

Star Wars: FO = 1.42m units combined across all platforms
Lego: Batman = 544k units combined across all platforms

Lifetime sales:

Wii Play ................. 6.852.000
Mario Kart Wii .......... 3.086.000
Wii Fit ............. ........ 2.346.000
Smash Bros. Brawl .... >3.7m
Super Mario Galaxy .... 3.3m
Madden NFL 09 .. 1.224.000 (360 version)

Originally Posted by NPD

"This is the first true monthly decline the industry has experienced since March of 2006. It's important to keep in mind, however, that this month's 7% decline is against a month (September 2007) that itself was up 75% from the prior September. Last year, Halo 3 released in September 2007 and that game had a huge impact on hardware and software sales."

"Overall, the health of the video games industry remains quite strong despite the rocky economic conditions. Tracking against typical industry seasonality, the U.S. video games industry is positioned to realize $22B or more in revenues for the year (does not include PC Games)."

Software

"A full 35% of last year's software sales came from one title: Halo 3. This year, the wealth is spread a bit more broadly as seven titles achieved sales of 250K units or more while last year only three hit that mark."

"A wide array of content found retail success from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, to Wii Fit, to LEGO Batman. Rock Band 2 achieved sales of over 360K units on just one platform and this title should continue to make its mark on the industry when the PS3, Wii and PS2 versions are released later this year."

"Although PC games sales are not included in these numbers, there were two that should be pointed out. Spore realized sales of 406K units and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning sold 274K which would put them both in the top 10 list of combined console, portable and pc games sales for the month."

Hardware

"Hardware unit sales were flat versus last year so the decline in dollars is due to lower prices. The average retail price of hardware across all platforms declined 8% from last September."

"Compared to August, nearly all hardware systems realized an increase in unit sales in September. The price reduction on the Xbox 360 helped deliver a month-over-month unit sales increase for that platform of 78%. This increase, despite the acceleration of economic turmoil during the month of September, is solid indicator of the health of the industry heading into the holiday season."

Accessories

"Although down slightly in dollars, unit sales of accessory items increased slightly as compared to last year."

Originally Posted by Nintendo PR

Unique Controls Put Wii at No. 1 for September NPD; Nintendo DS at No. 2

Backed by a variety of unique interfaces, Nintendo’s Wii™ console topped the U.S. video game hardware sales charts with nearly 687,000 units sold in September, according to the independent NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. Nintendo DS™ was the No. 2 best-selling system, with nearly 537,000 sold.

Wii enjoyed the biggest monthly unit sales increase with 234,000 more units sold in September than August. Wii also saw a year-over-year increase of more than 37 percent over September 2007.

Four games made for Nintendo systems placed in the top 10 best-selling games of the month, including Wii Fit™ at No. 2 with nearly 518,000 sold, Mario Kart™ Wii at No. 4 with more than 353,000 sold, Wii Play™ at No. 7 with nearly 243,000 sold and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed for Wii at No. 8 with more than 223,000 sold.

“The four Wii games in the top 10 all feature controls just not possible on other video game systems,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “The Wii Balance Board and Wii Wheel give players new ways to interact with their games, while the Wii Remote controller transforms into a pool cue, table tennis paddle or lightsaber. Consumers have truly responded to this variety of entertainment options.”

Originally Posted by Sony PR

PS3 Sales Setting the Stage for a Solid Holiday Season; Total PlayStation Sales Up 20 Percent Year-Over-Year
PlayStation 3 Hardware Unit Sales Top 232,408
PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) again experienced consistent momentum in September 2008, with 232,408 hardware units sold according to The NPD Group, an increase of over 94% year-over-year and an increase of more than 25% over the previous month. Additionally, software sales for PS3 experienced year-over-year growth of 130% with 1.72 million units sold.
Software sales are expected to continue their upward projection in October as SCEA kicks off the holiday season with the highly anticipated launches of LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift, and NBA ’09: The Inside.
PlayStation®Network remained a popular destination with newly added games and entertainment content such as WipEout HD, Linger in Shadows and PAIN: Amusement Park. There are currently more than 12 million registered accounts worldwide and over 240 million pieces of content have been downloaded worldwide.
PSP also experienced strong sales, with 238,056 hardware units sold.
Fueled by enthusiasm for the limited-edition LEGO Batman: The Videogame PlayStation®2(PS2) Pack, PS2 generated solid sales in September, with 173,527 hardware units sold, 20% growth from last month. An impressive 42.9 million PS2s have been sold in the U.S. as of September 2008.

Power of the PlayStation Portfolio
The PlayStation brand experienced strong sales across all three platforms, earning $379 million in September.
Year-to-date (Jan-Sept), the PlayStation brand has generated $4.03 billion in revenue, representing an increase of 20% year-over-year.
PlayStation total hardware revenue was $160.5 million in September, representing a year-to-year growth of 11%.
PlayStation total software revenue in September was $180 million, representing a year-to-year growth of 17%.

CEO Perspective

“We remain confident that our footing is solid as we enter the holiday season this year. Our new 80GB PS3 model has made its way to retail shelves and into consumers’ living rooms as the best value for both their gaming and entertainment needs. If the impressive pre-sale numbers and ratings for LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, and Resistance 2 are any indication, we anticipate hardware and software sales to continue to lift in October as we officially kick off the broadest and deepest software line-up this holiday, including LittleBigPlanet, SOCOM: Confrontation, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and NBA ’09: The Inside.

- Jack Tretton, president and CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment America

Originally Posted by Microsoft PR

347,000 Xbox 360 consoles sold in September following our U.S. price cut on Sept. 5 contributing to a U.S. install base of 11.3 million (September NPD data). Xbox 360 is now the most affordable next generation console on the market—$50 less than the Wii and half the price of the PlayStation 3.

Backed by September sales data, which showed $326 million in total consumer spend in the U.S. and a record software attach rate of 8.1 (September NPD data), we know Xbox 360 owners will continue to flex their buying power in the coming weeks when blockbusters like “Gears of War 2,” “Lips,” “Fable II,” “You’re in the Movies” and “Scene It? Box Office Smash” hit shelves.

Xbox 360 is the preferred stage for this holiday’s hottest music games

New music tracks for popular games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero extend every music experience so every party feels like a new party. Xbox LIVE has delivered more than 80% of the downloadable songs for music games, currently averaging 3.8 million music downloads per month. In total, Xbox 360 users have enjoyed more than 45 million music downloads. (Microsoft internal data)

In addition to leading the online music game market, Xbox 360 sells more copies of the world’s favorite music franchises. To date this generation, in the U.S., nearly 2 million copies of the Rock Band franchise have sold on the Xbox 360, almost 1 million more than the competition combined. Life-to-date sales of the Guitar Hero franchise on Xbox 360 top 4 million, securing more than 50% of franchise sales this generation (September NPD data).

“Rock Band 2” debuts exclusively on Xbox 360

· Since its U.S. launch on Sept. 14, “Rock Band 2” on the Xbox 360 sold 363,000 copies in September, making it September’s #3 selling game.

· This holiday, Xbox 360 will continue to sell more third-party games like “Rock Band 2” than the competition. In September alone, Xbox 360 generated $167 million in third party game sales.

Calling all shower singers, wanna-be rappers and pop princesses – “Lips” hits the stage in November

· “Lips” will have music fans singing their favorite tunes this holiday season as this totally new singing IP lands around the globe. “Lips” lets people sing the music they want with breakthrough wireless motion-sensitive microphones, backed by master tracks and original music videos. “Lips” hits in mid-November, exclusively for Xbox 360 from Microsoft and iNiS.

“Guitar Hero® World Tour” drops on Oct. 26 with a cooperative band experience, newly redesigned controllers and in-game Music Studio music creator

· “Guitar Hero World Tour” launches on Oct. 26. Xbox 360 gamers worldwide have early access to an R.E.M. track pack featuring three songs from the band’s new album, and Metallica’s highly anticipated full-length album, “Death Magnetic,” was offered to music fans around the world as downloadable content on Xbox LIVE in its entirety on the same day the record was released.

At the Tokyo Game Show last week we announced that the New Xbox Experience will launch worldwide on Nov. 19. For the first time in the history of the internet, 14 million consumers across 24 countries will all tune in at the same time to watch their Xbox 360 completely reinvent itself, for free, with the New Xbox Experience.

From the best music games and blockbuster titles, to LIVE Parties, photo sharing and access to a movie and TV show library 30,000 deep through the New Xbox Experience, Xbox 360 has something for everyone this holiday.

The XBox 360 price drop almost doubled monthly sales. But do keep in mind that this was a five-week month while August was a four-week month so a 25% increase across the board is natural.

Looks like Nintendo found some extra Wiis and Wii Fits this month, though it could just be the start of the holiday ramp-up.

Never underestimate the power of Star Wars to help sell a mediocre game.

Anyone that owns a DS but didn't buy Dragon Quest IV is a bad person.

[wade moore]

This is a big impact than the PS3 pricecut had, right?

[Big Fo]

PS3 sales had a jump of 209k to 406k from May to June. Metal Gear Solid 4 (and the MGS4 bundle) might have played a big role in this though. Although Rock Band 2 and Star Wars: Force Unleashed were big sellers this month I don't know if those are as big as MGS4 in terms of selling systems.

edit: Also, in June Wal-Mart had their $100 gift card if you buy any Blu-Ray player deal.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Hardware: ....... Sept ..... (Aug).... Lifetime

PlayStation 2 .... 173.5K (144k) ?

Originally Posted by Sony PR

An impressive 42.9 million PS2s have been sold in the U.S. as of September 2008.

Your Sony PR quote has a lifetime number for the PS2.

[Big Fo]

Nicely spotted! (op edited)

[twothree]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Anyone that owns a DS but didn't buy Dragon Quest IV is a bad person.

In my opinion, $40 is to much for a DS game. That is why I didn't buy DQ IV or any of the other DS Square-Enix games that have been released at that price point.

I will probably pick them up in a few years when they are cheaper.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This easily had to be the most predictable month we've seen in awhile. Wii's aren't selling quite as well as the increase in stock has shown, so a slight decrease was expected. 360 gets a price cut, so we see a jump in sales for the first month of cheaper prices. PS3 doesn't change much at all with no big releases to boost sales. That doesn't appear to be changing much in the future either, due to Sony's continued comments that no price break is coming this fall. Looks like the chip set costs on the PS3 will be significantly reduced in early 2009 due to 45nm chips being introduced. I'm guessing that they're targeting that time period for a price cut, but that's only a guess.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by twothree

In my opinion, $40 is to much for a DS game. That is why I didn't buy DQ IV or any of the other DS Square-Enix games that have been released at that price point.

I will probably pick them up in a few years when they are cheaper.

I totally agree. There's absolutely no way that a DS game should cost over $30. $40 falls outside a level of comfort for most people who own a DS.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm still waiting for the Tsunami or whatever the Sony exec predicted when saying the PS3 would catch the 360 by the end of 2009.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'm still waiting for the Tsunami or whatever the Sony exec predicted when saying the PS3 would catch the 360 by the end of 2009.

A wave has to have a source to trigger its creation. Someone in Sony evidently has yet to realize that they are the ones who are the sole source of the creation of that tsunami.

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'm still waiting for the Tsunami or whatever the Sony exec predicted when saying the PS3 would catch the 360 by the end of 2009.

Heck they've been outsold by the 360 in Japan for the fifth consecutive week which is just amazing considering their predecessors. All those JRPGs that Microsoft bought are bearing some fruit, or at least keeping them off the PS3 is hurting that console. As far as the US goes I think it's more about pricing than a lack of games people want because outside of a few games on either side both consoles have a very similar library.

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Wii's aren't selling quite as well as the increase in stock has shown, so a slight decrease was expected.

Nearly 700k sold in September (the best September any console has had in US history and 150k more than the PS2's best September in 2002) and a 230k increase from August. I'm confused.

Originally Posted by twothree

In my opinion, $40 is to much for a DS game. That is why I didn't buy DQ IV or any of the other DS Square-Enix games that have been released at that price point.

I will probably pick them up in a few years when they are cheaper.

I forgot about that point, a lot of people loathe the Square-Enix tax. For me I don't mind so much if the game is good, I get the same 30+ hours of fun as I do out of a good $60 PS3 game or $50 Wii game. On the bright side the fact that the games are released at $40 often means they get discounted sooner than normal $30-35 DS games.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Heck they've been outsold by the 360 in Japan for the fifth consecutive week which is just amazing considering their predecessors. All those JRPGs that Microsoft bought are bearing some fruit, or at least keeping them off the PS3 is hurting that console. As far as the US goes I think it's more about pricing than a lack of games people want because outside of a few games on either side both consoles have a very similar library.

The problem with Japan right now is that it's just a lousy console market. The sales are brutally underwhelming over there. There will obviously be a very heavy surge in PS3 sales when FFXIII comes out over there as a PS3 exclusive, but Sony can't wait on that. Sony's only saving grace is that they're doing very well in Europe.

I agree that price is by far the biggest hinderance.

[MJ4H]

Isn't DQ4 an RPG? I just don't like RPGs. I don't mind paying $40 for a good DS game, either.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I'm still waiting for the Tsunami or whatever the Sony exec predicted when saying the PS3 would catch the 360 by the end of 2009.

I'd left this thread for awhile and decided to come back and see what the numbers were now. What a surprise, the 360 still has a commanding lead on the PS3, it still has double the base of installed units in the US and the WII continues to slaughter them both worldwide.

I'm still not at all convinced Sony will ever catch MS in this generation and will go from dominance in the market to last in it.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by twothree

Your Sony PR quote has a lifetime number for the PS2.

Which in itself is telling...

[gstelmack]

Sony's news gets even better:

Sony issues planet-wide LittleBigPlanet recall - News at GameSpot

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Sony's news gets even better:

Sony issues planet-wide LittleBigPlanet recall - News at GameSpot

Translations from the Arabic lyrics:

'Every soul shall have the taste of death'

'All that is on earth will perish'

So is this a disgruntled employee trying to sabotage Sony and Media Molecule from the inside, a strange stunt from Sony to increase awareness of their big fall release, or just an honest mistake? Crazy either way. (I bet it's the latter)

If anyone gets a copy with the Koran lyrics still in there it might be worth something as a collector's item one day.

edit: The game is only going to be delayed one week in the US. It will be out October 27.

[Big Fo]

Top 20 for the month and top 10 per each console are out:

September 2008
Overall Top 20 Video Game Titles

1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (360)
2. Wii Fit (Wii)
3. Rock Band 2 (360)
4. Mario Kart (Wii)
5. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS3)
6. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (360)
7. Wii Play w/ Remote (Wii)
8. Madden NFL 09* (360)
9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Wii)
10. Madden NFL 09* (PS2)
11. Madden NFL 09* (PS3)
12. Lego Batman (PS2)
13. Super Mario Sluggers (Wii)
14. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PS2)
15. Kirby Superstar Ultra (NDS)
16. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PS3)
17. NHL 09 (360)
18. Lego Batman (Wii)
19. Lego Batman (360)
20. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (360)

Breakdown:

360 - 7
Wii - 6
PS3 - 3
PS2 - 3
NDS -1

Top 10 Wii Titles

1. Wii Fit
2. Mario Kart
3. Wii Play w/ Remote
4. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
5. Super Mario Sluggers
6. Lego Batman
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
8. Madden NFL 09*
9. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
10. Rock Band

Top 10 (top 9?) Xbox 360 Titles

Something doesn't make sense. Since NHL 09 made the top 20 it should be #5 for the 360 in between Madden and Lego Batman. Maybe whoever posted this made an error.

1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
2. Rock Band 2
3. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
4. Madden NFL 09*
(NHL 09)
5. Lego Batman
6. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway*
7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare*
8. Infinite Undiscovery
9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09

Top 10 PS3 Titles

1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
2. Madden NFL 09*
3. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
4. Lego Batman
5. NHL 09
6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare*
7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09
8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
9. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway*
10. Silent Hill: Homecoming

Top 10 PS2 Titles

1. Madden NFL 09*
2. Lego Batman
3. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
4. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
5. TNA Impact
6. God of War II
7. NCAA Football 09
8. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith*
9. WWE Smackdown vs. RAW 2008
10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Top 10 Nintendo DS Titles

1. Kirby Superstar Ultra
2. New Super Mario Bros.
3. Lego Batman
4. Mario Kart
5. Guitar Hero: On Tour
6. Spore Creatures
7. Mario Party
8. Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games
9. Mystery Case File: Millionheir
10. Imagine: Babyz

*Includes Collector's, Limited, Bundles editions.

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Translations from the Arabic lyrics:

'Every soul shall have the taste of death'

'All that is on earth will perish'

So is this a disgruntled employee trying to sabotage Sony and Media Molecule from the inside, a strange stunt from Sony to increase awareness of their big fall release, or just an honest mistake? Crazy either way. (I bet it's the latter)

If anyone gets a copy with the Koran lyrics still in there it might be worth something as a collector's item one day.

edit: The game is only going to be delayed one week in the US. It will be out October 27.

A few games arrived back home just after I moved out here, and one of them is from Sony. In light of the last couple of days' events, I am, needless to say, curious which of the recent SCEA releases it is.

[stevew]

That's pretty silly that they are so afraid of muslims that they recalled the entire game. Meanwhile they have no problem with throwing pentagrams or upside down crosses in games. I guess those wouldn't be a kids title though.

Still, this a stupid recall.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by stevew

That's pretty silly that they are so afraid of muslims that they recalled the entire game. Meanwhile they have no problem with throwing pentagrams or upside down crosses in games. I guess those wouldn't be a kids title though.

Still, this a stupid recall.

Agreed. The world has become an over-sensitive society as a whole when this kind of thing provokes a recall on this scale.

With that said, it's only a 7 day delay, so no big effect from a release standpoint.

[Mustang]

Not sure how the game will be, but the commercial for Resistance 2 made me want to go get a PS3...

(although, still planning on one by the end of the year)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Huge release day. Several great multiplatform titles and 3 PS3 exclusives hit the shelves. The Nerf game has also been generating some hype.............

Xbox 360

Fallout 3
Guitar Hero World Tour
MotoGP 08
Scene It? Box Office Smash Bundle
High School Musical 3: Senior Year DANCE
Baja 1000: Score International


PS3

LittleBigPlanet
Fallout 3
Guitar Hero World Tour
SingStar Vol. 2
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Baja 1000: Score International
Moto GP ‘08


Wii

Guitar Hero World Tour
FIFA Soccer 09 All-Play
MySims Kingdom
Nerf N-Strike
Six Flags Fun Park
Twin Strike: Operation Thunder
TV Show King Party
Baja 1000: Score International
Hunt for Black Beard’s Booty
Ben 10: Alien Force
Monster Jam: Urban Assault
Ultimate I Spy

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some info about the new feaatures on the Xbox Experience coming next year.......

5 reasons hardcore gamers will love the New Xbox Experience | GamesRadar

Great deal at Amazon for those looking for a PS3. $100 rebate on a PS3 when you buy 4 Blu-ray movies. Not only that, but the Sony Style credit card deal can be stacked with this deal ($150 off a PS3 when you purchase it with the Sony Style card). So, you can get an 80 GB PS3 with 4 BR movies for roughly $230-250 total depending on which movies you buy.

Save $100 When You Buy a Blu-ray Player and Four Warner Blu-ray Discs Together

Interesting numbers coming out in the latest financial reports that mirror the 3rd party sales trend that EA has shown in earlier financial statements. Namco, Konami, Ubisoft and EA are all reporting in the 3rd quarter that worldwide software sales on the PS3 are 33-70% higher than the Xbox 360, despite the fact that the 360 has a 5 million unit lead in installed hardware base.

EA

In our previous story, we talked about how the PS3 is EA’s new bread-winner in terms of bringing home the bacon. According to EA’s previous financial statement, the PS3 accounted for about 17% of total revenue in comparison to the Xbox 360’s 10%. That is quite significant when considering that EA is the largest third party video game publisher in the world.

Namco Bandi

Namco Bandi is the largest third party publisher in Japan. According to the publisher’s recent financial statement, the PS3 currently moved approximately 57% more software than it’s direct competitor, the Xbox 360. Namco Bandi is sort of the EA of Japan, considering the amount of revenue it generates from software.

Konami

Konami is one of the top three publishers in Japan in terms of revenue. With the recent release of Metal Gear Solid 4, it is not all that surprising that the PS3 would have a larger piece of the pie. However, according to Konami’s recent financial statements, the PS3 accounted for a whopping 57.3% of the sales this past quarter, while the Xbox 360 accounted for only 2.6%. This changed from last year, when the Xbox 360 brought in more sales compared to the PS3.

UbiSoft

UbiSoft is considered to be one of the top three publishers in all of Europe. According to UbiSoft’s half year financial report (6 months 2008/09), the PS3 accounted for about 20% of the software sales compared to the Xbox 360’s 14%. Considering UbiSoft’s presence in Europe, this is quite a significant turn of event.

Analysis: PS3 selling more games than Xbox 360 with smaller install base - GAMER.BLORGE

[Neon_Chaos]

Managed to join a live auction and bought a PS3 for about $200.

Woohoo.

Only thing missing in my gameroom now is a Wii.

[Big Fo]

Nintendo's latest financial results are out and with them are new lifetime worldwide totals:

Wii - 34.55m
DS - 84.33m

With the DSi about to launch in Japan and coming to the West next year, it just might pass the PS2 (which is around 130m iirc) in a few years.

Nintendo Consolidated Financial Highlights

[Icy]

On a related note to Mizzou post, one thing that i think is helping the PS3 support by software companies is that after over a year, the PS3 is still the only console that has not been pirated, while you can run pirated games in every other console in the market.

At least in Spain, everybody wants a PS3 but people is buying 360's because are cheaper and because you can run pirated games on them. At 60€ per game (around $80), just getting 3 or 4 pirated games makes the 360 purchase price equal to zero.

It's weird how being un-pirateable is helping the Ps3 in this generation to get support by games companies, when being easy to run pirated games was probably one of the big reasons of the sales of the PS2 and it's now helping the 360 sales. I'm talking specially about Europe were piracy is way more common than in USA (20% rate), lead by Italy, Greece, France and Spain with over 50% rate of pirated software vs original as reported by the BSA. (pirated software numbers in the world http://www.bsa.org/upload/idc-findings_summary.pdf )

[Eaglesfan27]

Sony's game division lost over 400 million for the last 3 months and Sony's overall profits and operating income are way down. I guess that is why no price cut is coming:

PS3 sales near 17M as Sony profits sink - News at GameSpot

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Sony's game division lost over 400 million for the last 3 months and Sony's overall profits and operating income are way down. I guess that is why no price cut is coming:

PS3 sales near 17M as Sony profits sink - News at GameSpot

Interestingly enough, they would have actually lost more with a price cut. You know you're in a catch-22 position when selling more units increases your losses.

Another interesting statistic from the last quarter is that the PS3 did outsell the 360 worldwide. Note that quarter included the September numbers boost due to the slashing of Xbox 360 sales. Microsoft has got to be discouraged that a price cut of that magnitude still didn't allow them to win the quarter.

The holiday season will be interesting to watch.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Interestingly enough, they would have actually lost more with a price cut.

Really? Charge less for something that it costs you to make and you'd lose more money? How can that be considered interesting? That is Economics 101.

Another interesting statistic from the last quarter is that the PS3 did outsell the 360 worldwide. Note that quarter included the September numbers boost due to the slashing of Xbox 360 sales. Microsoft has got to be discouraged that a price cut of that magnitude still didn't allow them to win the quarter.

Microsoft erased almost the entire sales deficit for the quarter in the last month of the quarter. How on earth can that be considered discouraging?

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by cartman

Microsoft erased almost the entire sales deficit for the quarter in the last month of the quarter. How on earth can that be considered discouraging?

So MBBF, how's that "catch Microsoft in total sales by 2009 end" prediction coming?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by cartman

Microsoft erased almost the entire sales deficit for the quarter in the last month of the quarter. How on earth can that be considered discouraging?

1. The sales in the first two months were miserable.

2. They used their silver bullet against a console that is roughly double the price of its competitor and still broke even for the quarter. That's very concerning. A console at their price point should be beating the higher priced competitor by a much bigger margin.

The PS3 is a relative lame-duck at this price point. This should be the prime sales point in the Xbox 360's lifecycle. It's not turning out that way at all.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

1. The sales in the first two months were miserable.

2. They used their silver bullet against a console that is roughly double the price of its competitor and still broke even for the quarter. That's very concerning. A console at their price point should be beating the higher priced competitor by a much bigger margin.

The PS3 is a relative lame-duck at this price point. This should be the prime sales point in the Xbox 360's lifecycle. It's not turning out that way at all.

I usually avoid this but I've got to say, you seem to be arguing both sides of this.

IF the sales were so "miserable" than the fact that they made up that ground in the third month would be quite the opposite of discouraging but could actually signal a good trend (kind of like the first month when PS3 outsold the 360 and you touted it as encouraging) and quite an accomplishment.

OR on the flip side, the sales were miserable and yet they were able to make up the defecit means that PS3's sales were also quite miserable and it is basically a dead stick right now.

[Fidatelo]

Arguing with MBBF is like fighting a punching bag. The bag acts nothing like a normal opponent, doesn't have any real substance behind it, you can land devastating blows with relative ease, and yet it will always win, because eventually you will get tired and walk away.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Arguing with MBBF is like fighting a punching bag. The bag acts nothing like a normal opponent, doesn't have any real substance behind it, you can land devastating blows with relative ease, and yet it will always win, because eventually you will get tired and walk away.

Ironic that you would make a post like this with little relevance to the discussion and then complain about a lack of substance in the discussion.

I don't believe that staying even with a PS3 that is at a high price point and not selling well is on the top of Microsoft's goals, but maybe someone has some information saying something otherwise.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Ironic that you would make a post like this with little relevance to the discussion and then complain about a lack of substance in the discussion.

There is nothing ironic about it at all. I refuse to bother trying to have a substantive discussion with you involved at this point because it is pointless, as described in my post above. I'd put you on ignore except that people tend to quote your inane offerings so often that it becomes pointless, and also that you flood the threads you are interested in so badly that every second post becomes hidden and I can't follow what is going on anymore.

Frankly at this point I'm just going to spend my energy highlighting the pointlessness to others in a hope that more people will stop feeding you.

[Big Fo]

Coming into this generation Microsoft would have been delighted to be matching the PS3's sales but you're probably right, with all the problems Sony has had they are probably thinking a bit more ambitiously at this point.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Coming into this generation Microsoft would have been delighted to be matching the PS3's sales but you're probably right, with all the problems Sony has had they are probably thinking a bit more ambitiously at this point.

Exactly. I don't think the PS3 bar is the one that Microsoft is shooting for at this point. At least they shouldn't be.

[Big Fo]

Originally Posted by Big Fo

Nintendo's latest financial results are out and with them are new lifetime worldwide totals:

Wii - 34.55m
DS - 84.33m

With the DSi about to launch in Japan and coming to the West next year, it just might pass the PS2 (which is around 130m iirc) in a few years.

Nintendo Consolidated Financial Highlights

Some lifetime totals for first-party software (worldwide):

Wii:

Wii Sports - 30.87m (bundled everywhere except Japan remember)
Wii Play - 16.15m
Mario Kart Wii - 9.53m
Wii Fit - 8.76m
Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 7.47m
Link's Crossbow Training - 2.75m

DS:

Nintendogs - 20.03m
New Super Mario Bros. - 15.89m
Brain Age - 14.48m
Mario Kart DS - 12.12m
Brain Age 2 - 12.03m
Mario Party DS - 4.73m
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness - 4.12m
Pokémon Platinum - 1.56m

Awesome sales for Mario Kart in just six or seven months which is nice to see, it's such a good game. I would like to have seen updated Super Mario Galaxy numbers.

[sterlingice]

The Wii Fit numbers jump out at me, too- that's sick

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

BIG release day today. Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 hit the shelves along with 2 other PS3 exclusives. Crazy good games to be had. Get those trade-ins ready!

[BrianD]

I'm about to do my part to help Microsoft win the console war. After a long time being on the fence and not sure if I needed a new console, I'm going to be getting a 360 for my birthday this year. The actual purchase will be made sometime in the next few days.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Saw that the 40 GB bundles at Toys R Us have all been discounted to $299. It's in-store only, but probably worth a quick drive-by for those looking for a cheap PS3 deal.

[Neon_Chaos]

Xbox Live: Microsoft Swings Xbox Live Banhammer, Thousands Fall

Great timing by M$. Expect all those banned users to flood the market and boost XBOX360 sales for the holiday.!

[Kodos]

Yep. Screw those guys.

[gstelmack]

Good for Microsoft. It also helps keep cheating away by making sure folks are playing legitimate rather than hacked copies. It's one reason I pay my $50/year for the service.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Good for Microsoft. It also helps keep cheating away by making sure folks are playing legitimate rather than hacked copies. It's one reason I pay my $50/year for the service.

You should expect that kind of service for no cost. You may be paying for certain services that you enjoy such as matchmaking, but you're certainly not paying to keep other people from playing pirated games. That's Microsoft's job. Kudos to them for whacking those accounts.

Surprisingly, Sony has managed to keep the pirates from hacking the PS3. Not sure what they've done to make it difficult, but it seems to be working. The PSP on the other hand.........

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Surprisingly, Sony has managed to keep the pirates from hacking the PS3. Not sure what they've done to make it difficult, but it seems to be working. The PSP on the other hand.........

This is surprising. I'm wondering how long this will be the case. On a side note, what do you think this fact does to hardware sales? I have to believe they would sell more units if people could hack them. Of course software sales would go down, but is it possible that hackability would lead to a net gain?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by BrianD

This is surprising. I'm wondering how long this will be the case. On a side note, what do you think this fact does to hardware sales? I have to believe they would sell more units if people could hack them. Of course software sales would go down, but is it possible that hackability would lead to a net gain?

I think I'd probably agree. The PSP continues to be a very popular handheld and I think the home-brewed firmware only furthers those sales. I haven't played a pirated copy of a game in some time, but I remember when I was young and had an Apple II GS. I'd copy games from friends all the time and it was great to have free games. I can definitely see the attraction, though I don't pirate anymore as I see the downside now that I'm older.

[Big Fo]

I think it costs too much to burn Blu-Ray discs at this point and that's the reason pirates have yet to embrace the PS3 like they have most other consoles past and present.