Honestly, with game as a service model I can see a console selling that much. For example, with PS+ subscriptions, there is no reason for Sony to stop selling PS4s, they can just keep selling it and releasing slimmer versions over time, every new PS4 owner is a potential 60 dollar per year revenue for them, not to say that its also a likely ps5 buyer. If Sony can have the PS4 for around 100-150 dollars in a few years, it can still sell well for a while, have much more legs than the PS3 had for example. I don't think the PS4 will sell that much, I'm just using it as an example.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Will we ever have another console sell as much (or more) as the PS2?
- Thread starter daTRUballin
- Start date
Yoshimitsu126
Member
Valve will make another steambox and Half Life 4, a spin off, and will sell 150 million.
Half Life 3 is skipped for no reason but no complains except us.
Half Life 3 is skipped for no reason but no complains except us.
entremet
Member
Japan still buying a lot consoles as well.
That market has diminished a good deal.
Saucycarpdog
Member
4. Jailbreak hack which caused sales in developing countries to skyrocket.
andthebeatgoeson
Junior Member
TIL the DS sold 150 million units. Holy fuck
Darkstorne
Member
Absolutely possible, but will take excellent market factors or something really ingenious. For the latter, if Sony double down on PS Now (since streaming is very much a viable option in the future, alongside digital and retail purchasing) there's no reason your PS4 can't play PS5 games. Example: subscribing to PS Plus gives you access to PS Now, which allows you to digitally purchase any PS5 game on the online store and immediately stream it to your PS4.
If the majority of income comes from software rather than hardware, and this allows Sony to keep the PS4 on the market for longer at $99, then it's possible. I think this scenario is more likely to happen with the PS5 though (streaming PS6 games). It's a neat thing for Sony to say to publishers though - "PS5 will launch in 2020 and thanks to PS Now on PS4 your PS5 games will have a potential audience size of 75 million+ on day one."
If the majority of income comes from software rather than hardware, and this allows Sony to keep the PS4 on the market for longer at $99, then it's possible. I think this scenario is more likely to happen with the PS5 though (streaming PS6 games). It's a neat thing for Sony to say to publishers though - "PS5 will launch in 2020 and thanks to PS Now on PS4 your PS5 games will have a potential audience size of 75 million+ on day one."
SavoyPrime
Member
I think the PS4 will come closer than any other console has by time its run comes to an end. But I don't think PS4 will take the crown from the PS2.
I really doubt that was even a dent in the lifetime sales.
potatohead
Member
I agree actually ps now streaming actually makes older consoles more viable
Personally super impressed with ps now it runs fabulously on my home Internet not tried it anywhere else great connection at home though the input lag is minuscule gaikai was definitely a great buy for Sony I hope more people with good Internet try it
Also made me realize how many quality of life improvements killzone 3 made over kz2 hadn't realized that before or just forgot because hadn't played it in so long
It definitely also helped psp sales a shit ton
Personally super impressed with ps now it runs fabulously on my home Internet not tried it anywhere else great connection at home though the input lag is minuscule gaikai was definitely a great buy for Sony I hope more people with good Internet try it
Also made me realize how many quality of life improvements killzone 3 made over kz2 hadn't realized that before or just forgot because hadn't played it in so long
Piracy definitely helped ps2 sales mid late and late gen
It definitely also helped psp sales a shit ton
Expansion Pack
Member
Pretty sure the Switch will sell 200M.
sixteen-bit
Member
I doubt it tbh
OrbitalBeard
Member
PS1 sold more than Wii. Sony has two of the three best selling home consoles of all time. And it's quite possible they'll add another one to the mix within a few years.
I doubt it. Maybe if Xbox does worse again next generation and the market is more monolithic? But I think we're going to see PS4 *maybe* hit 100 million and that's a strong home console performance today. I think PS5 would have to somehow manage a combination of greater affordablity, less competition, significant gains in new markets, etc. to do 3/2's that.
People game elsewhere, be it PC, mobile, portables and console gaming is an extremely expensive luxury. The value and software quantity was just different back then. As was the surrounding gaming scene.
I also don't think we'll see a portable do 150 million again like DS.
People game elsewhere, be it PC, mobile, portables and console gaming is an extremely expensive luxury. The value and software quantity was just different back then. As was the surrounding gaming scene.
I also don't think we'll see a portable do 150 million again like DS.
Soul of the Beast
Member
Unless PS4 is the last console generation, of course.
crazy monkey
Banned
Piracy helps a ton in selling consoles.
Wii ps2 ds. Games and good price also helps.
Wii ps2 ds. Games and good price also helps.
I'm not saying some people didn't buy a PS2 for piracy.
I'm saying it wouldn't be a real factor in the PS2's insane sales. Like, at all.
D.Lo
Member
Then you have never been to Indonesia or any of the rest of SE Asia.
It also doesn't help that they are competing with phones and tablets these days.
Back in the old days, some parents would succumb to that ceaseless begging we did, and got us what we wanted, nowadays, I would wager that they are probably going to just throw them on the family phone/tablet instead. Children may even be fine with that, depends on who they hang out with, Clash, Minecraft, etc.
The number of gamer parent(s) will help increase the sales number some, but due to society stigma, misunderstanding, and that non-gamer parents still outnumber gamer parents, I would say it's very difficult for another PS2 to appear, console makers can't possibly put in features to compete with phones/tablets while at the same time having a powerful machine to please us gamers AND staying at a reasonable price at the same time.
Back in the old days, some parents would succumb to that ceaseless begging we did, and got us what we wanted, nowadays, I would wager that they are probably going to just throw them on the family phone/tablet instead. Children may even be fine with that, depends on who they hang out with, Clash, Minecraft, etc.
The number of gamer parent(s) will help increase the sales number some, but due to society stigma, misunderstanding, and that non-gamer parents still outnumber gamer parents, I would say it's very difficult for another PS2 to appear, console makers can't possibly put in features to compete with phones/tablets while at the same time having a powerful machine to please us gamers AND staying at a reasonable price at the same time.
Southpaw Freer
Neo Member
The only way a console could ever surpass the PS2 in sales would be if it combined what made both the PS2 and Wii successful. It would have to have functionally outside of gaming which would make it attractive even as a non gaming device and be able to reach a mainstream audience of consumers who don't usually play video games.
Jawbreaker
Member
Sony has a chance to do it again in the future if they keep nurturing and expanding in console/industry-nascent territories, making themselves synonymous with gaming and embedding themselves into the public consciousness, establishing future nostalgia.
DarkConfidant
Member
But it didn't. 😯
Do you have specific sales from Indonensia or SE Asia?
Are there any statistics that back up the fact that piracy contributed a lot to PS2's sales?
D.Lo
Member
There are obviously no official stats for grey imported US/Asian consoles into SE Asia which were then modded for sale along with millions of pirated games on every street of Bali, Jakarta, etc in hundreds of stores in every street and market that sold dry goods for most of the 2000s.
DeuceGamer
Member
I'm probably in the minority but I think it's possible with emerging markets getting more attention.
Allan Holdsworth
Member
It would probably have to be a Sony console, as Nintendo ignores everything but the bigger markets, and they stop manufacturing their new consoles shortly after the new successor comes out. In contrast, Sony sells their consoles in a lot more countries and the keep production going for much longer.
But then again, mobile got a lot of the casual gamers now, so it's unlikely, barring an explosion of console gaming in China.
But then again, mobile got a lot of the casual gamers now, so it's unlikely, barring an explosion of console gaming in China.
Iced Arcade
Member
Doubt it. On top of a great catalog of games it was massively modded and that propelled the PlayStation brand. Console are not that easily modded now without repercussions
almostjuliuscaesar
Member
The PS4 will cross 100m, 150m is far though, but like the poster above said, china and india can make that happen. They are only on the 4th year and already are over 60m. and they haven't hit the magical $199 price point yet.
AdventureRacing
Member
Judging by PS2 SW sales it must have had a fucking amazing attach rate for the non pirated consoles considering how much SW it sold. I agree that piracy was rampant on both the PS1 and PS2, here in Australia it seemed like everyone did it (which I haven't seen being anywhere near as prevalent as any other console). I'd be surprised if that made much of any impact on WW sales though.
Doubtful. PC gaming was in a rut during much of the PS2 era and now it is booming. Big budget AAA games are so expensive now that very few can be made for just one console. It is far more likely a game will be one console and PC, if not just a timed console exclusive. There also weren't as many options for casual gamers back then.
The early to mid-2000's were just a perfect storm for PS2's success. There are just far too many gaming options from PC to mobile these days.
The early to mid-2000's were just a perfect storm for PS2's success. There are just far too many gaming options from PC to mobile these days.
Except what you're referencing:
China growth y/y is big*, and justifies the huge amount of attention Sony as a whole are putting on it.
*Smaller base, but it's already larger than 'other areas' and out of AP I think it should be near South Korea
Is not to do with Sony's Gaming division. Sony's Gaming division only accounted for 17% of Sony's total sales revenue in the image above. The image above was to do with the geographical split of all the revenue Sony made from everything it does.
I've always wanted to know how many DS units were bought by people who already owned one. Most DS owners I know double or triple dipped (I myself am guilty of this; bought one of those hideous launch units, upgraded to a DS lite ASAP).
I don't see a console hitting 150+ million with the way things are now. Even with a "rolling Xbox one family" with a 3-year refresh cycle, it would take decades for the platform to reach 150 million at current rates.
I don't see a console hitting 150+ million with the way things are now. Even with a "rolling Xbox one family" with a 3-year refresh cycle, it would take decades for the platform to reach 150 million at current rates.
Callibretto
Member
If we ever get one console future maybe.
kraspkibble
Permabanned.
I doubt it. PS2 was helped out because it had a DVD player and was at a good price point. Physical media is dying. PS3 has a Blu ray and that is still the most popular disc. Xbox 1 can already play 4K blu ray...there is nothing new on the horizon. Most people prefer to stream and pretty much any device can do that these days.
PC gaming is on the rise once more. Sony and Microsoft have released beefed up consoles to try combat this.
I guess it could be done but unlikely. They'd need to go all out with features and games. Price it cheap enough but make it as powerful as possible.
It would be cool to have a console beat PS2 but I'm happy with the way PS4 is going.
PC gaming is on the rise once more. Sony and Microsoft have released beefed up consoles to try combat this.
I guess it could be done but unlikely. They'd need to go all out with features and games. Price it cheap enough but make it as powerful as possible.
It would be cool to have a console beat PS2 but I'm happy with the way PS4 is going.
Futaleufu
Member
Console games are too expensive in those markets.
potatohead
Member
Well that would be a wrong assumption most likely. That's what I'm telling you. Maybe you weren't there or didn't see it, I don't know.
Likely not a massive factor like 20% of sales or anything, but certainly a component that would be called "significant" even in terms of like hundreds of thousands at the very least, and that's likely low-balling the figure.
Piracy on PS2 and other consoles is huge in developing markets like Brazil and India and China/Asian countries, and in some pockets of West also has impact.
Maybe you haven't seen it first hand but I've seen shops where half the merchandise was pirated PS2 games in some Asian strip malls here in US and Canada, and have known several people with libraries even at that time of early cable internet with like hundreds of DVD copies of pirated PS2 games they even made themselves.
The question is how much of factor was piracy. Not if it was a factor. It was certainly a contributing factor to a large number of sales, again only question is how much. Hard to define and measure.
OrbitalBeard
Member
Sony is super smart about this. I don't understand why Nintendo doesn't take emerging markets more seriously.
Melchiah
Member
It was 500 in Finland, but it didn't stop it from selling. People often assume 300$ was the global price.
Khaos Kontrol
Banned
Hasn't the PS4 been selling better than the PS2 was month to month? At least I think was at some point.
D.Lo
Member
Sony's always had the huge structural advantage of being a much larger multinational conglomerate that already has offices in every country on earth to sell TVs and phones and movies. Nintendo was sub-distributed in most of Europe until the Gamecube.
Nintendo moving into India would be from scratch, while Sony can roll out using an already existing distribution network.
IMO Nintendo missed their biggest opportunity by not bringing the Wii with a cricket game to India.