March 2009 Console Sales Number

[gstelmack]

Bill Harris has some March NPD numbers out:

Originally Posted by Dubious Quality

First off, the March NPD numbers:
Wii--601,000
360--330,000
PS3--218,000
PS2--112,000

And March 2008:
Wii--721,000
360--262,000
PS3--257,000
PS2--216,000

Good analysis at Dubious Quality: Console Post Of The Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

Interesting analyis. I found this paragraph particularly interesting:

Here's something I hadn't realized: at this point in its lifespan, the PS3 is behind the original Xbox in terms of installed base in the U.S. Well behind, as in over 800,000 units. And if you have any questions about why the PS3 is not and will never be the PS2, just look at the graph. That chasm isn't going to bridged.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Interesting analyis. I found this paragraph particularly interesting:

Here's something I hadn't realized: at this point in its lifespan, the PS3 is behind the original Xbox in terms of installed base in the U.S. Well behind, as in over 800,000 units. And if you have any questions about why the PS3 is not and will never be the PS2, just look at the graph. That chasm isn't going to bridged.

The PS3 isn't that far ahead of the Gamecube either. That is so awesome.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Interesting analyis. I found this paragraph particularly interesting:

Here's something I hadn't realized: at this point in its lifespan, the PS3 is behind the original Xbox in terms of installed base in the U.S. Well behind, as in over 800,000 units. And if you have any questions about why the PS3 is not and will never be the PS2, just look at the graph. That chasm isn't going to bridged.

I gotta admit, I'm having trouble reading that graph, and as a result, having trouble identifying just what exactly Bill is talking about.

[spleen1015]

It is kind of tough to read, I guess.

The metric is the month in the life spam of the console. The Y metric is the 12 month average sales for that console ending that month.

That's what I think anyway.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

The PS3 isn't that far ahead of the Gamecube either. That is so awesome.

Man, everyone just loves to crap on the Gamecube

It's not like this was some giant blood bath between Microsoft and Nintendo. XBox and Gamecube were scrapping for the last 1/3rd of the market after the PS2 has the first 2/3rds in their pocket.

Console	XB	GC	PS2
Total	24,189,847	21,515,337	124,603,147
America	15,933,077	12,741,437	50,136,843

I think a difference of 10% (2.5M) worldwide over the life of the console isn't exactly a great victory, even considering where the two companies were coming from.

SI

[SunDevil]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

It is kind of tough to read, I guess.

The metric is the month in the life spam of the console. The Y metric is the 12 month average sales for that console ending that month.

That's what I think anyway.

Well the life spam of anything is about 20 years without the need of refrigeration.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

The PS3 isn't that far ahead of the Gamecube either. That is so awesome.

This is partly why I'm confused. If it's ahead of the GameCube, based on what's shown, it's ahead of the Xbox. The little PS3 line is higher at its termination point than either of the other two.

Originally Posted by spleen1015

It is kind of tough to read, I guess.

The metric is the month in the life spam of the console. The Y metric is the 12 month average sales for that console ending that month.

That's what I think anyway.

One of two things has to be the case for that to work, though.

1) There's a data gap on the chart, because no data is displayed that definitively shows the PS3 lagging the original Xbox in install base rollout.

OR

2) The comparison is one of extrapolation. "Look where the Xbox went over the next 14 months. Where's the burst of momentum for the PS3 to keep or exceed that pace? At this price point, it isn't reasonable to expect one."

[gstelmack]

The graph is "number of consoles sold over the prior 12 months". Note that the Xbox sold better early than the PS3 did, and the PS3 caught up and went ahead, but not by enough to overtake the early Xbox sales. It's hard to see because total units sold to that point isn't directly in there.

[gstelmack]

This might help, this was where he introduced the graph and applied it to Japan sales. There is some basic info in here missing from the link above:

Dubious Quality: Console Post Of the Week: Japan

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The console war has, and continues to be a non-discussion over the last 8-12 months. As Bill correctly points out, the PS3 is dead in the water as long as Sony continues to hold at the current price point. Even the comparison to Gamecube isn't close to valid. The lack of Gamecube sales has no comparison to the PS3 situation. The Gamecube price point had a much lower price point than the PS3. If the PS3 is selling for $200-250, we aren't even having this discussion. Even the Wii is showing signs of decline from a sales perspective, though I think it's fair to say that Nintendo is in a very good position to move on a price cut when they feel the time is right. They're sales have only just started to decline, so they've got time to work with.

As it stands now, we have Sony execs making silly comments to justify the lack of a price drop while the pink elephant with a 'Price Drop' sign draped over it continues to stand in the middle of the room. If a price drop ever occurs, then we can actually bother to have a discussion that actually has some merit.

[Big Fo]

Top 20 Games Overall:

1. RESIDENT EVIL 5* 360 CAPCOM USA
2. POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
3. HALO WARS* 360 MICROSOFT
4. RESIDENT EVIL 5* PS3 CAPCOM USA
5. WII FIT WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA
6. MLB '09: THE SHOW PS3 SONY
7. KILLZONE 2 PS3 SONY
8. WII PLAY W/ REMOTE WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA
9. MARIO KART W/WHEEL WII NINTENDO OF AMERICA
10. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K9 360 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
11. GUITAR HERO METALLICA 360 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
12. CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR* 360 ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
13. STREET FIGHTER IV* 360 CAPCOM USA
14. MARIO KART DS NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
15. STREET FIGHTER IV* PS3 CAPCOM USA
16. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
17. PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
18. MLB '09: THE SHOW PS2 SONY
19. HALO 3* 360 MICROSOFT
20. LEGO STAR WARS: COMPLETE SAGA WII LUCASARTS

Top 10 Wii:

1. WII FIT NINTENDO OF AMERICA
2. WII PLAY W/ REMOTE NINTENDO OF AMERICA
3. MARIO KART W/WHEEL NINTENDO OF AMERICA
4. LEGO STAR WARS: COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS
5. LINK'S CROSSBOW TRAINING NINTENDO OF AMERICA
6. GUITAR HERO WORLD TOUR* ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
7. GUITAR HERO METALLICA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8. NEW PLAY CONTROL! MARIO POWER TENNIS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
9. MADWORLD SEGA OF AMERICA
10. SONIC AND THE BLACK KNIGHT SEGA OF AMERICA

Top 10 Xbox 360:

1. RESIDENT EVIL 5* CAPCOM USA
2. HALO WARS* MICROSOFT
3. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
4. GUITAR HERO METALLICA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
5. CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR* ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6. STREET FIGHTER IV* CAPCOM USA
7. HALO 3* MICROSOFT
8. TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.X. UBISOFT
9. NBA 2K9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
10. WWE LEGENDS OF WRESTLEMANIA THQ

Top 10 PlayStation 2:

1. MLB '09: THE SHOW SONY
2. NARUTO: ULTIMATE NINJA 4 NAMCO BANDAI GAMES OF AMERICA
3. GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
4. NBA 2K9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
5. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 2K9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
6. RESIDENT EVIL 4* CAPCOM USA
7. TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD EIDOS INTERACTIVE
8. GOD OF WAR II SONY
9. CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
10. GUITAR HERO WORLD TOUR* ACTIVISION BLIZZARD

Top 10 PlayStation 3:

1. RESIDENT EVIL 5* CAPCOM USA
2. MLB '09: THE SHOW SONY
3. KILLZONE 2 SONY
4. STREET FIGHTER IV* CAPCOM USA
5. GUITAR HERO METALLICA ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
6. TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.X. UBISOFT
7. CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8. WWE LEGENDS OF WRESTLEMANIA THQ
9. SONIC'S ULTIMATE GENESIS COLLECTION SEGA OF AMERICA
10. NBA 2K9 TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE

Top 10 Game Boy Advance:

1. ASTEROIDS/PONG/YARS DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.
2. UNO 52 DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.
3. PUPPY LUV: SPA & RESORT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
4. BIG MUTHA TRUCKERS DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.
5. VALUE GAME BUNDLE 14.99 MULTIPLE VIDEO GAME MANUFACTURER
6. GBA SPYHUNTER/SUPERSPRINT DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.
7. VAN HELSING ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8. PRINCESS NATASHA: STUDENT SECRET AGENT DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.
9. UNO/FREEFALL DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.
10. GAUNTLET/RAMPART DESTINATION SOFTWARE INC.

Top 10 Nintendo DS:

1. POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION NINTENDO OF AMERICA
2. MARIO KART DS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
3. NEW SUPER MARIO BROS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
4. PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE NINTENDO OF AMERICA
5. GRAND THEFT AUTO: CHINATOWN WARS TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
6. LEGO STAR WARS: COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS
7. PHINEAS AND FERB DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
8. MARIO PARTY NINTENDO OF AMERICA
9. SUPER MARIO 64 DS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
10. CLUB PENGUIN: ELITE PENGUIN FORCE DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS

Top 10 PSP:

1. MLB '09: THE SHOW SONY
2. RESISTANCE: RETRIBUTION SONY
3. PHANTASY STAR PORTABLE SEGA OF AMERICA
4. GRAND THEFT AUTO: LIBERTY CITY STORIES TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
5. GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY STORIES TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
6. IRON MAN SEGA OF AMERICA
7. MEDAL OF HONOR: HEROES 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS
8. MIDNIGHT CLUB: LA REMIX TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
9. WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2008 THQ
10. MX VS ATV UNLEASHED: ON THE EDGE THQ

Top 10 Portable Games (All):

1. NDS POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
2. NDS MARIO KART DS NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
3. NDS NEW SUPER MARIO BROS NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
4. NDS PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
5. NDS GRAND THEFT AUTO: CHINATOWN WARS NDS TAKE 2 INTERACTIVE
6. NDS LEGO STAR WARS: COMPLETE SAGA NDS LUCASARTS
7. NDS PHINEAS AND FERB NDS DISNEY INTERACTIVE STUDIOS
8. PSP MLB '09: THE SHOW NDS SONY
9. NDS MARIO PARTY NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA
10. NDS SUPER MARIO 64 DS NDS NINTENDO OF AMERICA

Top 10 Accessories

1. WII NUNCHUK CONTROLLER NINTENDO OF AMERICA
2. 360 LIVE 1600 POINT GAME CARD MICROSOFT
3. WII REMOTE CONTROLLER W/ JACKET NINTENDO OF AMERICA
4. PS3 DUALSHOCK 3 WIRELESS CONTROLLER SONY
5. 360 LIVE 1 MONTH GOLD CARD MICROSOFT
6. WII REMOTE CONTROLLER NINTENDO OF AMERICA
7. 360 HEADSET MICROSOFT
8. 360 LIVE 12 MONTH GOLD CARD MICROSOFT
9. 360 LIVE 3 MONTH GOLD CARD MICROSOFT
10. WII WHEEL GRIP NINTENDO OF AMERICA

*Inclusive of limited, collector's, instrument bundles

It's nice to see the Show outsell MLB2k9 despite there being so many more 360s out there. For giggles I'd love to know what MLB2k9 sold on PS3.

Here's an interesting graph from Gamasutra's NPD: Behind the Numbers showing first quarter trends over the past three years.

[sterlingice]

Still truckin: Mario Kart DS and NSMB in the top 20 yet again

SI

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

The console war has, and continues to be a non-discussion over the last 8-12 months. As Bill correctly points out, the PS3 is dead in the water as long as Sony continues to hold at the current price point. Even the comparison to Gamecube isn't close to valid. The lack of Gamecube sales has no comparison to the PS3 situation. The Gamecube price point had a much lower price point than the PS3. If the PS3 is selling for $200-250, we aren't even having this discussion. Even the Wii is showing signs of decline from a sales perspective, though I think it's fair to say that Nintendo is in a very good position to move on a price cut when they feel the time is right. They're sales have only just started to decline, so they've got time to work with.

As it stands now, we have Sony execs making silly comments to justify the lack of a price drop while the pink elephant with a 'Price Drop' sign draped over it continues to stand in the middle of the room. If a price drop ever occurs, then we can actually bother to have a discussion that actually has some merit.

I don't care what you say. If the 12 month moving average for the PS3 ever drops below the GC at the same time in the life cycle then it is embarrassing.

Wait, never mind. The PS3 is already embarrassing.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I don't care what you say. If the 12 month moving average for the PS3 ever drops below the GC at the same time in the life cycle then it is embarrassing.

Wait, never mind. The PS3 is already embarrassing.

The system itself is far from embarrassing. Most of us that have a PS3 would tell you it's a very good system. It's just too damn expensive, which is the ultimate decider when it comes to console wars.

[Philliesfan980]

For what it's worth, I don't consider myself a fanboy, but I really like my PS3. I chose it over the 360 because of the Blu-Ray and other media capabilities.

I really don't play too many games at the moment, but I watch a good number of Blu-Ray's and DVD's on it. I'm happy with the purchase, but I can see the reasoning for people getting 360's if they aren't interested in these features.

[Cuckoo]

I'm not really sure I understand this "side" mentality with the game systems, those that are just bubbling with glee over the sales failures of the PS3. I have a PS3 and like it, for similar reasons Philliesfan noted, but I certainly have nothing against the 360.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Cuckoo

I'm not really sure I understand this "side" mentality with the game systems, those that are just bubbling with glee over the sales failures of the PS3. I have a PS3 and like it, for similar reasons Philliesfan noted, but I certainly have nothing against the 360.

I think it is more glee that MBBF's many predictions, spins, etc are all proving to be false as the sales numbers of the PS3 are embarassing and no where close to what he and other people were predicting.

[Cuckoo]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I think it is more glee that MBBF's many predictions, spins, etc are all proving to be false as the sales numbers of the PS3 are embarassing and no where close to what he and other people were predicting.

Ah... Well then, that's a different story. As someone who really only knows MBBF from his college football predictions, I suppose I can understand the mentality.

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I think it is more glee that MBBF's many predictions, spins, etc are all proving to be false as the sales numbers of the PS3 are embarassing and no where close to what he and other people were predicting.

Mostly this.

But also many of us like to see the Sony execs fail who have constantly acted like complete assholes during the past few years.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

I think it is more glee that MBBF's many predictions, spins, etc are all proving to be false as the sales numbers of the PS3 are embarassing and no where close to what he and other people were predicting.

Which is really somewhat silly. Those predictions were based on the common-sense ideas that proper price cuts would occur when needed. That didn't happen and Sony is paying the price. As I've mentioned before, the prediction was very sound. The management of the PS3 was not.

Originally Posted by KWhit

Mostly this.

But also many of us like to see the Sony execs fail who have constantly acted like complete assholes during the past few years.

As opposed to the Microsoft executives who tried to cover up the quality control issues that were resulting in failure rates never before seen in a console. The Sony executives certainly have said and done some stupid things, but they developed a very good quality console.

The sainthood of MS execs who tried to bury quality control issues while burning the Sony execs at the stake for little more than diarrhea of the mouth and stupid business strategies is pretty amusing. Neither is very impressive IMO. Both have made severe mistakes and allowed each of them to be buried in the console war by their competitor.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Which is really somewhat silly. Those predictions were based on the common-sense ideas that proper price cuts would occur when needed. That didn't happen and Sony is paying the price. As I've mentioned before, the prediction was very sound. The management of the PS3 was not.

1) Everyone said it was too expensive to begin with. They were laughed at when they announced the price at E3, yet the predictions of their victory still came fast and furious.

2) Good to know that when you're wrong, you're really right but the world was actually wrong.

[spleen1015]

I know what the PS3 can do. I have one.

I'm not saying it is technologically embarrassing. What is embarrassing is where it is in this generation after the PS2 did what it did.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Good to know that when you're wrong, you're really right but the world was actually wrong.

Quite the opposite. Everyone was right about how the PS3 should be handled EXCEPT Sony. There's not a soul on this board that couldn't have managed the situation more appropriately, even now.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Quite the opposite. Everyone was right about how the PS3 should be handled EXCEPT Sony. There's not a soul on this board that couldn't have managed the situation more appropriately, even now.

But the whole point is the evidence was RIGHT THERE. The initial price point was too high, period. Everybody but you and some analysts saw this fiasco right away. You ignored those warning signs, but are on here saying it was Sony's fault your prediction was wrong.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Which is really somewhat silly. Those predictions were based on the common-sense ideas that proper price cuts would occur when needed. That didn't happen and Sony is paying the price. As I've mentioned before, the prediction was very sound. The management of the PS3 was not.

It's real easy to sit there and say "just lower prices real low and you sell a ton of units". The PS3 has high manufacturing costs which ultimately crippled the product from its launch (Blu-Ray was a mistake). They also don't have the same revenue streams that Microsoft has with their system. Perhaps the reason Sony didn't lower prices was because they financially couldn't.

The system was a mistake from start to finish. Not some recent developments where the failure of the console is based on not reducing prices and taking a huge upfront hit.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's real easy to sit there and say "just lower prices real low and you sell a ton of units". The PS3 has high manufacturing costs which ultimately crippled the product from its launch (Blu-Ray was a mistake). They also don't have the same revenue streams that Microsoft has with their system. Perhaps the reason Sony didn't lower prices was because they financially couldn't.

Sure. The real debate there involves Blu-ray. On one hand, the format war was won mainly due to the inclusion of the format in the PS3. The Blu-ray format has done extremely well in recent months and $99 players are expected by the fall. So that was without question a major success for the company.

On the other side, was it worth it to sacrifice the flagship console's 1st place position in this generation to achieve that success. At some point 5-10 years down the line, we'll likely see financial comparisons to see if the gamble ultimately was a profitable one for Sony.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Someone alert me when these threads start reaching "My Oakland Raiders looking good in preseason" proportions. I know it's coming, but I don't know when.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Sure. The real debate there involves Blu-ray. On one hand, the format war was won mainly due to the inclusion of the format in the PS3. The Blu-ray format has done extremely well in recent months and $99 players are expected by the fall. So that was without question a major success for the company.

On the other side, was it worth it to sacrifice the flagship console's 1st place position in this generation to achieve that success. At some point 5-10 years down the line, we'll likely see financial comparisons to see if the gamble ultimately was a profitable one for Sony.

I don't think we have to wait 5-10 years. The war was lost when they came out with a console that was hundreds of dollars more than their competitors. That caused a chain reaction of Xbox and Wii gaining customers and having companies design games specifically for their systems. It's just too much of an uphill battle for them now thanks to the crappy start.

Blu-Ray may be a great format and there may be people buying it because of it. But ultimately the public decided that they didn't really need their movie player tied in with their video game system. Sony felt their console was bulletproof and they could tack on their movie format and people would jump for joy. Honestly, they should do what they can to compete but ultimately set themselves up for the next round of consoles. They've lost this one.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by Pumpy Tudors

Someone alert me when these threads start reaching "My Oakland Raiders looking good in preseason" proportions. I know it's coming, but I don't know when.

They blew by that milestone long ago. Now we are in "it has to be a whole chicken" phase.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I don't think we have to wait 5-10 years. The war was lost when they came out with a console that was hundreds of dollars more than their competitors. That caused a chain reaction of Xbox and Wii gaining customers and having companies design games specifically for their systems. It's just too much of an uphill battle for them now thanks to the crappy start.

Blu-Ray may be a great format and there may be people buying it because of it. But ultimately the public decided that they didn't really need their movie player tied in with their video game system. Sony felt their console was bulletproof and they could tack on their movie format and people would jump for joy. Honestly, they should do what they can to compete but ultimately set themselves up for the next round of consoles. They've lost this one.

You miss my point. If Blu-ray continues to become the money-maker that it's quickly becoming, it could be argued that they made the right decision to use Blu-ray, even if the PS3 hasn't done extremely well from a sales perspective. If MS is forced to used a Blu-ray drive in their next console, it's a huge win for Sony. I'm sure that MS is hoping to create a disk-free console in the next generation judging from their PR comments, but that's going to be an awfully difficult sell that could result in them losing what momentum they have gained in this generation. The recent moves to consider bandwidth caps only put that idea further into question.

[spleen1015]

I guess that depends on how you look at it.

Which do they want to make money from more, video games or Blu-ray? They sacrificed video games for Blu-Ray. That's the way it looks, intentional or otherwise. They thought putting Blu-Ray in the PS3 would get more Blu-Ray in the market when it really cost them their console market share.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I guess that depends on how you look at it.

Which do they want to make money from more, video games or Blu-ray? They sacrificed video games for Blu-Ray. That's the way it looks, intentional or otherwise. They thought putting Blu-Ray in the PS3 would get more Blu-Ray in the market when it really cost them their console market share.

No question. I would note that they likely don't care where they make money from, as long as the net result is positive. If they could break even on the console and rake it in on Blu-ray, they'd take that in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, their pricing structure has pushed that profit possibility into the future as you mention.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another day, another stupid comment from a Sony exec. Someone needs to muzzle these guys........

Peter Dille: Yeah, I don't want to steal [CEO] Jack [Tretton]'s quote, but he's fond of saying: "Microsoft owns the office; Sony owns the living room; and Wii owns the closet." And that's an aggressive, probably quotable line.

Gamasutra - Features - Catching Up With PlayStation: Peter Dille On Sony In 2009

[wade moore]

hah.

[spleen1015]

That is funny shit right there.

[MJ4H]

fail.jpg

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

You miss my point. If Blu-ray continues to become the money-maker that it's quickly becoming, it could be argued that they made the right decision to use Blu-ray, even if the PS3 hasn't done extremely well from a sales perspective. If MS is forced to used a Blu-ray drive in their next console, it's a huge win for Sony. I'm sure that MS is hoping to create a disk-free console in the next generation judging from their PR comments, but that's going to be an awfully difficult sell that could result in them losing what momentum they have gained in this generation. The recent moves to consider bandwidth caps only put that idea further into question.

It's not going to be the big money-maker you think it is. Digital is the future and Blu-Ray is simply a stop-gap till we fully get to that point. Yeah it'll sell nicely but nowhere near what DVD became.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's not going to be the big money-maker you think it is. Digital is the future and Blu-Ray is simply a stop-gap till we fully get to that point. Yeah it'll sell nicely but nowhere near what DVD became.

I used to think this, but the quality of the HD download movies isn't quite there yet. Action movies in particular suffer from pixellation you don't get on the physical formats, and until that's taken care of I'm seriously considering Blu-Ray in the near future and dropping even my cable movie channels.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

I used to think this, but the quality of the HD download movies isn't quite there yet. Action movies in particular suffer from pixellation you don't get on the physical formats, and until that's taken care of I'm seriously considering Blu-Ray in the near future and dropping even my cable movie channels.

But you are in the minority with your views on pixelation. The average consumer doesn't know or care about that right now. By the time it does become mainstream and people do care, HD download movies will have caught up.

I'm not saying Blu-Ray won't be a viable option, I'm just saying it's not going to come close to what DVD ended up being.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

But you are in the minority with your views on pixelation. The average consumer doesn't know or care about that right now. By the time it does become mainstream and people do care, HD download movies will have caught up.

I'm not saying Blu-Ray won't be a viable option, I'm just saying it's not going to come close to what DVD ended up being.

To piggy-back on this, take a look at what the average consumer is buying for TVs. Big and cheap is what is being bought...TVs that can't keep up with fast motion HD anyway. People buying these TVs won't know the difference between HD on Blu-Ray or pseudo-HD in a streaming format.

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's not going to be the big money-maker you think it is. Digital is the future and Blu-Ray is simply a stop-gap till we fully get to that point. Yeah it'll sell nicely but nowhere near what DVD became.

It is going to take a long time before everybody has a quick enough internet connection to allow them to take advantage of HD downloads. Until then, Blu-Ray is going to be the only way most people can buy HD movies.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

It is going to take a long time before everybody has a quick enough internet connection to allow them to take advantage of HD downloads. Until then, Blu-Ray is going to be the only way most people can buy HD movies.

They don't need everyone on a quick enough connection, just enough to put a dent.

DVD was succesful because it was a HUGE upgrade from VHS. Blu-Ray just isn't that big of an upgrade for the average consumer (especially considering the price differences). I have a PS3 and I don't even use the Blu-Ray option at Netflix because the difference doesn't matter to me much.

Blu-Ray is going to be a specialized industry for those who demand the best entertainment system. The average consumer doesn't care enough about it and is going to stick with the cheaper option (especially in this economy).

[Eaglesfan27]

My wife has told me that if I get a PS3 (and I think I am next week for our 10th anniversary), she doesn't want to buy any Blu-Ray movies cause she just doesn't see enough of a difference when viewing it at a friends place and she wants to be able to easily take movies to friend's houses (other friends who don't have a Blu Ray player and also her mom's house which doesn't have one.) I can't imagine families having similar discussions during the VHS to DVD transition. Despite this, if I get it, I still plan on getting at least the Dark Knight on Blu-Ray.

[Philliesfan980]

While I like the quality of Blu-Ray for certain movies, for most movies, upscaled DVD's work well enough for me. Regular DVD's look great on my PS3 (and many other newer DVD players) as well.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by BrianD

To piggy-back on this, take a look at what the average consumer is buying for TVs. Big and cheap is what is being bought...TVs that can't keep up with fast motion HD anyway. People buying these TVs won't know the difference between HD on Blu-Ray or pseudo-HD in a streaming format.

But on the 'cheap' end, Blu-ray players will be available by October for $99. That's a big mass market price.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another nice deal on the PS3 for those looking to buy. $300 for an 80 GB PS3 from Dell Online. Nice.

Slickdeals.net - The best coupons, lowest prices, and hottest deals.

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

But on the 'cheap' end, Blu-ray players will be available by October for $99. That's a big mass market price.

I think he might be talking about the disks. Right now there is a huge difference in price (in the UK). When "The Dark Knight" costs £7 on DVD and £20 on BluRay, most people are going to go for the cheaper version.

[BrianD]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

But on the 'cheap' end, Blu-ray players will be available by October for $99. That's a big mass market price.

You missed my point. People are buying cheap, big TVs. They care more about size and bright colors than they do about perfect picture. These cheap TVs don't even come close to doing DVDs justice let along Blu-Ray. That level of picture quality just isn't that important. That is why the quality difference between Blu-Ray and streaming HD won't matter.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by BrianD

You missed my point. People are buying cheap, big TVs. They care more about size and bright colors than they do about perfect picture. These cheap TVs don't even come close to doing DVDs justice let along Blu-Ray. That level of picture quality just isn't that important. That is why the quality difference between Blu-Ray and streaming HD won't matter.

I disagree with that. I love Olevia and Vizio TV's and see a huge difference between BR on my current TV's and what I had before. Is it as 'perfect' as an expensive TV? Probably not, but the difference is barely noticeable to the common consumer. What I do notice is the brutal quality of the streaming HD movies on console and cable. That's much more noticeable.