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[Curufinwe]

Sony losing NA to Microsoft, and Japan to Nintendo.

Sony are still well ahead in the US. It's not similar to Japan in the slightest.

 

[Crossing Eden]

This gif actually makes me want to play it kinda

You'd be disappointed because that gif is was made months before the game came out. Finally caught up after reading 50 pages, this is a thread for the history books.

 

[Dunlop]

All Sony has to do is lower the PS4s price to 350 and MS will start shitting bricks again. Good to see Xbox doing good though.

You understand that MS sits on a mountain of cash that they could just keep throwing at this right? Sony not so much, plus why would they lower the price when they are the world leader?

Inquisition low sales is discouraging ; (

 

[Randolph Freelander]

The launching of the New 3ds will definitely boost sales next year

Don''t hold your breath.

Though, is the thing smaller? Lighter? That could help get some re-sales. The 3DS XL is a brick.

 

[orochi91]

You're looking at things in a bubble. A price cut isn't going to be announced for only one region, it's a global strategy. A lot of factors have to be considered.

Right now, the PS4 is dominating EMEA. In the US, it's more competitive, but the PS4 is still leading. Even after December, that will still be the case. At which point, we enter the smaller months, and even if Xbox One continues to outsell it (which I don't believe will happen consistently), that lead would mostly remain or they'd mostly be on equal footing until the next big Holiday quarter. This is ignoring the revenue which would suffer a big impact from cutting the price in such a short-sighted move. I'll keep this very simple here since it's more complicated really. But let's say I cut $50 off the price of the system, but have effectively reduced my profit margin from $70 to $20. How many more sales am I really going to push over the Holiday season, and what does it mean for my bottom line? Neglecting that, what's the forecasting looking like for the console at its current pricing? And what does cutting the price now mean long-term because I can't simply cut price every year? After doing all these calculations, what about the other regions? What does it mean for them? SCEE where everything is fantastic, or SCEJ/A where they're still waiting on getting some momentum going and a price cut would be better strategically placed next to a huge title to help push it. All of this has to be taken into consideration.

Xbox One is doing well after dropping the price $170 in a year, but their desperation was necessary. They cut their own legs off by starting at $499, and they know that they cannot afford to be anything less than competitive in the US. That is simply far too important for them. Even so, they're closing in on 10 million units shipped now as per their last release. PS4 has remained at $399 from the beginning and is closing in on 20 million units shipped.

No company makes such a short sighted move based off one month's results, especially when it's affecting one region and to a mostly insignificant extent. I'm sure SCEA executives will sit down and plan thoroughly for whatever they want to do, but it's not just about cutting price. Maximising the potential of the PS4 at its current pricing is part of the longevity of the system. Lots of people continue to purchase the system, and it's setting a fantastic pace for sales. We're now leaving the biggest quarter of the year so cutting price at this stage would be idiotic. Cutting price prior to entering it would be equally idiotic considering the strength of sales, and the fact that we're entering the biggest quarter of the year.

A price cut isn't necessary. SCEA has done fine this month. Where they messed up is with their marketing and promotional push in face of a much more aggressive Microsoft, but to be fair, there was only so much that could be countered there.

Great post.

Very insightful.

 

[Faustek]

Come on guys, buy Dragon Age Inquisition. Don't you want to win her heart?

Is this not a hybrid action RPG? With less tactical elements than the first release?
If so, no thanks.
And No I don't want to make pixels happy. If I wanted that I would have downloaded some Oculus *dating* sim. Which I'll do as soon as I can be certain that the NSA or PRISM aren't spying on me.

 

[SwiftDeath]

I meant Nintendo is the titanic itself, not the Wii U

I don't know how bad it is going to get from here. Trajectory is only down from here, you and I both know that. It is really ... 12 million max? I mean, Dreamcast levels now. This is easily Nintendo's biggest console flop at this point, unless we count Virtual Boy.

Ah ok yeah I suppose that is a better metaphor. Nintendo still has quite a bit of time before they are truly out on the street though. I do wonder where they go from here though. Clearly they want to continue with dedicated devices but they appear to be less and less relevant.

 

[Nightengale]

Uncharted could fill in for Destiny, maybe not to the same degree of interest but I imagine that's their best option for a bundle in the Fall. Would MS do another fire sale for the next holiday? Without a hardware redesign? It doesnt seem likely. I think Sony could actually be a bit safer next year, and better still if they can get Morpheus out in time.

I was thinking a pre-October/November firebomb type of game. A pre-season bomb that extends a higher-than-average lead prior to the Holidays.

Realistically speaking, unless Uncharted 4 turns out to be an unexpected megahit, whatever MS has lined up for Holiday 2015 will be plenty competitive with what Sony has next year, either by bundles, value, or popular exclusives.

The closest thing Sony has to something like that pre-holidays is Batman.

 

[Cow Goes Moo]

lol no.

I would never use real figures.

I know, it's probably much less

 

[mysteriousmage09]

Hope Cboat is perma banned. Sick of that fucks wrong info the last year.

 

[Bass260]

Around 515k

Much appreciated

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Unity sales are inflated, people bought the bundle even without interest for the games.

This AC Unity and CoD comparison is not fair.

You could make this argument for any bundled game in the history of bundles that didn't increase the price, marginally increased the price, or came with a special edition console.

Edit: Even if you bought the bundle with the intent to sell the cards, who is buying them other than Xbox One owners?

 

[Nightengale]

You're looking at things in a bubble. A price cut isn't going to be announced for only one region, it's a global strategy. A lot of factors have to be considered.

A price cut isn't necessary. SCEA has done fine this month. Where they messed up is with their marketing and promotional push in face of a much more aggressive Microsoft, but to be fair, there was only so much that could be countered there.

Verendus knows his global stuff.

 

[PhatSaqs]

Hope Cboat is perma banned. Sick of that fucks wrong info the last year.

Maybe he will come back with some Sony goodies this time lol.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

Don''t hold your breath.

Though, is the thing smaller? Lighter? That could help get some re-sales. The 3DS XL is a brick.

3DS will have a single nonholiday month next year over 150k(New 3DS month) is my prediction. Most of the year under the 100k mark.

 

[vin-buc]

Xbox will have Halo and Tomb Raider

This is going to be big for xbox next year.

 

[Busaiku]

Don''t hold your breath.

Though, is the thing smaller? Lighter? That could help get some re-sales. The 3DS XL is a brick.

New 3DS is bigger than 3DS.
New 3DS XL is the same size as 3DS XL.

 

[Big Green Anus]

I'm not sure what's going at SCEA, but they need a wake up call and I'm hoping this NPD and LIKELY next months as well, changes their poor decisions.

LB3 launched at an awful time and I was hoping that they learned about GT6 poor launch last year, but obviously they didn't. At the very least, the game should had been offered for $39.99 like Sly 4 in 2013, but that did not happen sadly.

I said that the gap of sales between Xbox One and PS4 would be 300+ and I was correct, and I feel confident in my decision that December will look quite similar

Phil Spencer has done a tremendous job with the Xbox One, which I honestly did not thought it would be possible given the circumstances with that console, since I thought it would had been the next Dreamcast given how terrible it was doing the first half of this year.

 

[timetokill]

Hope Cboat is perma banned. Sick of that fucks wrong info the last year.

Why be so upset about it?

Summarizes the situation perfectly. MS was literally 1 step away from paying people to buy an Xbone and only managed to match a position Sony has been in every month.

Oh...

 

[BrokenFiction]

Ah ok yeah I suppose that is a better metaphor. Nintendo still has quite a bit of time before they are truly out on the street though. I do wonder where they go from here though. Clearly they want to continue with dedicated devices but they appear to be less and less relevant.

$10 billion in the bank doesn't hurt. I just wish they knew how to spend it better.

 

[MaulerX]

How you figure? It was being outsold and they had all the advantages last gen like multiplats,headstart [dont forget it was 1.5 yrs in europe],sony's own mistakes,etc.

Well if you want to credit PS4 for taking market share from Microsoft in the US (which is incredibly early imo) then you must have credited 360 from taking and even bigger chunk from Sony's PS2 days. Right?

 

[disastermouse]

I'm not a sales expert or anything like it, but it seems to me like Sony can afford to let MS catch up in the US while earning profit needed more desperately by the rest of the company. Xbox division may be fighting for its survival in a company where its division is a drag on the company. Playstation division is a rare bright spot in Sony. Meanwhile, Sony may be able to justify re-investment in its Playstation division on the profits it's getting - leading to more game development.

Strong MS with weak Xbox division and weak Sony with strong Playstation division explains some of what we're seeing in their divergent strategies.

 

[Trevelyan9999]

Their biggest selling titles barely made a blip.

That's reason enough to say 2015 will be worse.

For me, 2015 has their biggest titles coming with Mario Maker, Xenoblade, Star Fox and Zelda mainly, not to mention the many others everyone already knows about.

Smash Bros and Mario Kart are huge games, but the meaty portions of the ones coming next year are looking mighty tasty and should be enticing to anyone who is a gamer.

 

[Biker19]

You understand that MS sits on a mountain of cash that they could just keep throwing at this right?

Just because Microsoft has tons of money doesn't mean that they'll keep spending it all on the Xbox division as a whole.

I'm not a sales expert or anything like it, but it seems to me like Sony can afford to let MS catch up in the US while earning profit needed more desperately by the rest of the company. Xbox division may be fighting for its survival in a company where its division is a drag on the company. Playstation division is a rare bright spot in Sony. Meanwhile, Sony may be able to justify re-investment in its Playstation division on the profits it's getting - leading to more game development.

Strong MS with weak Xbox division and weak Sony with strong Playstation division explains some of what we're seeing in their divergent strategies.

I agree with this.

 

[Syphon Filter]

This is going to be big for xbox next year.

Halo is not what it used to be. TR may do a little but not a big deal.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Hope Cboat is perma banned. Sick of that fucks wrong info the last year.

Jesus this post is gross af

Lol

 

[Mohonky]

So what was the final verdict, the difference atually 390k?

 

[Megadragon15]

Hope Cboat is perma banned. Sick of that fucks wrong info the last year.

He's only banned for 5 months.

 

[psn]

lol no.

I would never use real figures.

How much $ can you make if you give away an xbox one for 399 - 2 games (2x60$?) and - 50$ in store credit? That is around 229$ for the best deal I read. Are they still making profit or are do they lose money with that deal? Don't need accurate numbers.

 

[allan-bh]

Edit: If any two games would do, why would MS not just dump in Sunset Overdrive and Forza?

I'm not saying Assassin's Creed doesn't have appeal. Certainly is a good bundle with a major franchise.

I just don't consider that AC was important at the level as you think.

 

[Faustek]

Hope Cboat is perma banned. Sick of that fucks wrong info the last year.

Well aren't you a peach.
Do yourself a favour. Go play some games that put you in a Zen mode.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Ah ok yeah I suppose that is a better metaphor. Nintendo still has quite a bit of time before they are truly out on the street though. I do wonder where they go from here though. Clearly they want to continue with dedicated devices but they appear to be less and less relevant.

Maybe, but the #1 rule in the vidya gamez business is never, ever, count Nintendo out.

 

[kitch9]

So Sony fucked it up?

Fucked what up?

They are still running the most profitable plan A. God knows what plan MS must be running but it won't be the most profitable one.

 

[DWinn7]

Just because Microsoft has tons of money doesn't mean that they'll keep spending it all on the Xbox brand as a whole.

Exactly.

Either way. The Xbox One marketing and pricing strategy paid off for this month. Props!

 

[Hawk269]

You understand that MS sits on a mountain of cash that they could just keep throwing at this right? Sony not so much, plus why would they lower the price when they are the world leader?

Inquisition low sales is discouraging ; (

Sony is banking on the PS4 and what it brings profit wise to the company. As long as it is still selling very well they have no reason to change the price. The more units they sell at $399.99 the more profits they will make. They have no need to react at this time due to the success they have had.

Sony is in a unique position because of the importance the gaming division now has for the company as a whole and they will do whatever they need to be profitable and if that means being outsold a bit, I bet you that they prefer to make profits than tout a win for a single month.

 

[x-Lundz-x]

I can't believe dragon age didn't chart.

 

[BlackBuzzard]

Maybe, but the #1 rule in the vidya gamez business is never, ever, count Nintendo out.

Except when it has to do with the WiiU then you can count them out.

 

[Amir0x]

Ah ok yeah I suppose that is a better metaphor. Nintendo still has quite a bit of time before they are truly out on the street though. I do wonder where they go from here though. Clearly they want to continue with dedicated devices but they appear to be less and less relevant.

It almost makes me feel like they sort of need to find the next big idea, the thing that captivates everyone's attention, for their home console to be really relevant again. People just keep relegating them to the sidelines when they make more standard types of consoles, and since they're not competing with PS4/XBO on technical grounds they have to set themselves apart. As much as some like the gamepad, it was not some big innovation. It was essentially an iteration on the dual screen concept. People understood what it was and were essentially, um, over it. There's certain concessions one has to make when they buy Nintendo platforms these days, so Nintendo has to make sure it's really worth it if you do. For Nintendo, that's having something no one else does and making people smile and get together in totally unexpected ways. That's what people associate with Nintendo's hardware now. That's just as much part of their image as Mario.

So, despite my own distaste for gimmicks, they need a gimmick. But one that will actually capture the imaginations of consumers.

 

[theprodigy]

For me, 2015 has their biggest titles coming with Mario Maker, Xenoblade, Star Fox and Zelda mainly, not to mention the many others everyone already knows about.

Smash Bros and Mario Kart are huge games, but the meaty portions of the ones coming next year are looking mighty tasty and should be enticing to anyone who is a gamer.

that's not how this works, out of those only Zelda will even sell a decent amount and even that isn't going to be pushing much

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

For me, 2015 has their biggest titles coming with Mario Maker, Xenoblade, Star Fox and Zelda mainly, not to mention the many others everyone already knows about.

Smash Bros and Mario Kart are huge games, but the meaty portions of the ones coming next year are looking mighty tasty and should be enticing to anyone who is a gamer.

These games + Splatoon + Fatal Frame + Team Ninja's game combined won't sell as much as Mario Kart and Smash.

 

[RBK]

No one truly believes Sony is doomed of course, but they should definitely pay attention if this sales trend continues beyond December, going with the general consensus that this temp price cut isn't one.

 

[Radec]

Yikes.. 400k difference.

How much of these are from Black Friday alone?

1240
840

 

[Usobuko]

Does the LBP sales include bundle?

It's kinda bad isn't it?

 

[Thunder Monkey]

For me, 2015 has their biggest titles coming with Mario Maker, Xenoblade, Star Fox and Zelda mainly, not to mention the many others everyone already knows about.

Smash Bros and Mario Kart are huge games, but the meaty portions of the ones coming next year are looking mighty tasty and should be enticing to anyone who is a gamer.

Again, Kart and Smash are their most consistent high sellers. They barely moved the needle.

No way can something as niche as Xenoblade and Star Fox, a Mario map editor, or Zelda going to have the pull of those prior two titles. I expect WiiU sales to be down by 300k YoY Dec next year.

 

[BlackBuzzard]

Fucked what up?

They are still running the most profitable plan A. God knows what plan MS must be running but it won't be the most profitable one.

I hear it was codenamed throw everything in except the kitchen sink.

 

[Hexa]

Sony would realistically need another "Destiny" type of push though. Something that accelerates its lead pre-season, because realistically speaking, whatever the outcome of December NPD, PS4's lead was given significant buffer thanks to Destiny + White SKU.

Though that depends on how competitive Sony is for next holiday. Realistically speaking, they should be better prepared this time round, unless MS ups it up another notch in 2015.

What are the upcoming marketing deals for next year?
Sony has Hardline, Arkham Knight, and MKX. I also believe they have Disney Infinity and Battlefront but I am not sure.
Microsoft has Evolve, the Division (though that might not come out in 2015), Witcher 3, and of course Call of Duty.
I have no idea what MGSV is going to do, as well as AC or any of the sports titles. I think AC especially might be a wild card.
Any other major game that I'm missing?
None of them will likely carry the impact of Watch Dogs or Destiny though. Ultimately because of CoD Microsoft is more secure and if they also keep their sports titles and AC they'll definitely win in this regard. AC going back to Sony would even things imo, but overall things look in MS's favor.

Beyond that, what are the heavy hitter exclusive when it comes to gaining console market share?
Sony: The Order: 1886, Bloodborne, Uncharted 4
Microsoft: Quantum Break, Halo 5, RotTR, Forza (Though since its the third title it probably won't be a huge gainer)
Naughty Dog has gained a lot of hype from TLoU and Halo has lost some from Halo 4, so while Halo is still bigger, I don't think the gap will be tremendous. Thus here I feel they're about matched. Sony has a much larger library of other exclusives as compared to MS, though none will likely be system seller, though overall they'll likely add a bit to the steady sales of the system.

I think next year is going to be very close. Ultimately, I think its going to come down to the deals they offer and how much they put into marketing.

 

[uncledonnie]

Fucked what up?

They are still running the most profitable plan A. God knows what plan MS must be running but it won't be the most profitable one.

No doubt but I think people are forgetting that MS is still making decent bank from the 360. I'm sure that offsets the XB1 cuts a bit.

 

[twdnewh_k]

Congrats MS. I might help them out for the Jan NPD

 

[Maximilian Kolbe]

Lazy to read comment(to many pages man)

So i have a question...

9.) Assassin's Creed: Unity (PS4, XBO, PC)

NPD not counting bundle right? so do we know how many of XBO ACU bundle version sold?

 

[allan-bh]

Does the LBP sales include bundle?

No.