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[lopaz]

children, please

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

Wait, why would sales rise next week (or actually, this week) from the MGS4 announcement...wouldn't they rise when it was actually released? It's not like people didn't know it was coming out this year and were just waiting for the release date announcement to get a PS3 or something...

Some people (myself included) thought announcing the MGS4 bundle for the US 4 months in advance might actually hurt PS3 sales in the short term, in that people might hold off on buying one until the MGS4/DS3 bundle comes out, since it seems to be a superior value to current bundles. Though I can kind of see Sony's logic now - maybe announcing it 4 months in advance gives people time to save up and will make those who are on the fence less likely to jump to another console in the meantime.

That only works when there isn't a much bigger game coming out two months before hand.

 

[Busaiku]

Did Sony announce an MGS bundle for Japan? If not, I'd think they'd try to release some sort of bundle or revision around that time (new color, whatever) to get some combined momentum going, instead of just relying on the game itself to move systems. Though I don't know how big MGS is in Japan generally.

I think it was, but really I just used the US bundle as a basis for assuming.

As for MGS sales, on the PS2, compared to the sequels that the PS3 got (Dynasty Warriors, Everyone's Golf, and Winning Eleven), it's done worse than most of the series games.

MGS2 (highest selling) sold around 833k (using Japan-Gamecharts), it's closest to DW5, which sold around 918k.
Above DW5 are EG3, WE9, DW3, WE10, WE8, EG4, WE7, WE6, and DW4 (which stands at about 1.2 million).
So, MGS isn't traditionally as big a seller as those.

But assuming it does have a bundle, that would probably help hardware sales, but I doubt it'll get as big as when DW6 released.

 

[Tideas]

Wait, why would sales rise next week (or actually, this week) from the MGS4 announcement...wouldn't they rise when it was actually released? It's not like people didn't know it was coming out this year and were just waiting for the release date announcement to get a PS3 or something...

Some people (myself included) thought announcing the MGS4 bundle for the US 4 months in advance might actually hurt PS3 sales in the short term, in that people might hold off on buying one until the MGS4/DS3 bundle comes out, since it seems to be a superior value to current bundles. Though I can kind of see Sony's logic now - maybe announcing it 4 months in advance gives people time to save up and will make those who are on the fence less likely to jump to another console in the meantime.

*shrug* you never know, haha.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

Oh.

So, yeah, desperate forum fanboy prayers.

I was going to say an increase in lunar gravity. How else would the tide start to change?

 

[Odysseus]

I was going to say an increase in lunar gravity. How else would the tide start to change?

misdiagnosis. the tides aren't changing, the seas are simply rising due to global warming. warming caused by ps3 being so irresistibly hot.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Good to see the PSP and DS selling about the same amount this year. It will keep Nintendo on their heels while they develope a succesor for the DS.

 

[ethelred]

Good to see the PSP and DS selling about the same amount this year. It will keep Nintendo on their heels while they develope a succesor for the DS.

Or while they develop, you know, games. Might be fun for a change.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

So, everything was down this week.

Wii, DS, PS3 = all -20% approx.

PSP = -10% approx.


Some questions: Is Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! getting bundled with a satin silver PS3, or was that just a rumor? That may help pick up PS3 for a few weeks, but then what? Could be a big dip before MGS4 hits, unless I'm missing something. After MGS4 though, things should start picking up.

Another question for JP watchers: Is Soul Calibur IV still set for early Summer in JP, or has it gotten delayed?

 

[Bizzyb]

Tide is turning, amirite?

fraid not, and it probably never will. I think the Japanese have spoken. MGS will come and pass and sales will spike and return to normal, Same with FF.

Although I could always be wrong

 

[perfectchaos007]

Or while they develop, you know, games. Might be fun for a change.

Making good games have never been a problem for Nintendo, I'm not worried about that.

 

[PantherLotus]

 

[ZeoVGM]

Ouch.

 

[BrodiemanTTR]

Soma Bringer first-day numbers when?

 

[Lightning]

Well, many said that the PSP would see a sales spike and then fall back to normal when it looked dead in Japan and what we've seen is a very long running spike. So who knows, as long as Sony can maintain the 3rd party support through this they will survive through this Japan rejection until things turn around.

 

[jgwhiteus]

Well, many said that the PSP would see a sales spike and then fall back to normal when it looked dead in Japan and what we've seen is a very long running spike. So who knows, as long as Sony can maintain the 3rd party support through this they will survive through this Japan rejection until things turn around.

I don't think there's any question of them surviving or exiting the games business or anything...it's not like Nintendo or Sega or Atari, etc. - games-only businesses that can die out in a generation or two if they don't have successful systems. Sony's a massive enough company, like Microsoft, that it can afford to wait things out no matter what. Their shareholders might not be happy in the short term, but there's no way Sony is giving up the living room space due to some slow sales (nor will Microsoft, for that matter, though I really don't know what Microsoft would try next for Japan).

 

[d[-_-]b]

Well, many said that the PSP would see a sales spike and then fall back to normal when it looked dead in Japan and what we've seen is a very long running spike. So who knows, as long as Sony can maintain the 3rd party support through this they will survive through this Japan rejection until things turn around.

My theory sounds more reasonable... the PSP ate PS3 sales lawl....

 

[Jiggy]

The fervent prayers of desperate forum fanboys whose lives depend upon Sony's success?

Prayers have been know to work. I saw it in a video game once

This isn't quite comparable to that video game, if we're thinking of the same one; in this situation the prayers continue getting absorbed into the darkness.

Making good games have never been a problem for Nintendo, I'm not worried about that.

I am, considering the news that they were shrinking their DS development teams--truly one of the silliest moves of this gen. :/

 

[vanguardian1]

I am, considering the news that they were shrinking their DS development teams--truly one of the silliest moves of this gen. :/

It makes sense when 3rd parties are actually doing a decent job of putting good games on the DS, and then you look at the Wii, which has pretty much become the 3rd party laughing stock of the generation so far. -_-;;

 

[Jiggy]

It makes sense when 3rd parties are actually doing a decent job of putting good games on the DS, and then you look at the Wii, which has pretty much become the 3rd party laughing stock of the generation so far. -_-;;

I'm aware of their (probable) thought process, but that doesn't really address my point. Regardless of what the philosophies behind the shift were, I think it's reasonable to say that the quality and/or quantity of first-party games on DS is going to suffer because of it--and, consequently (getting back to perfectchaos' post), to worry that Nintendo won't be kept at their fullest competitive level with DS in spite of the increased PSP success.

 

[Innotech]

This isn't quite comparable to that video game, if we're thinking of the same one; in this situation the prayers continue getting absorbed into the darkness.


I am, considering the news that they were shrinking their DS development teams--truly one of the silliest moves of this gen. :/

Jiggy, I think the DS has successfully become a third party supported machine.
the wii is what needs Nintendo to still support it for now. DS is a well oiled machine.

edit: goddamnit Collette is so cute :lol

 

[Man God]

Jiggy loves him some 2D portable games.

In fact, this is what a Jiggy Nightmare consists of.

Nintendo Press Release:We're announcing that we're dedicating all our software teams on high quality DS games.

Jiggy:Hooray!

NPR:All in 3D...

Jiggy:Noooooooooo!

 

[Vinnk]

But it's not 7k every week. That's just an average that ignores the much larger fluctuations between the data points that we both have. The curves look completely different. The PS3 January performance was not "extremely close". January 2008 was much stronger than January 2007 (+40% by my reckoning). The February performance was not "extremely close" either, as Feb 2008 is 11% down from Feb 2007, and the most recent data point is even 27% down from last year. This is all detail information you throw out deliberately so you can hold onto your false "it's extremely close, so it will probably stay extremely close" projection.

The PS3's sales are trending downwards right now, and the correct projection would be an even weaker March performance. Tell me for whom I am spinning right now, if you think my biases cloud my ability to analyse the data.
Wow. Look, I understand you being in discomfort when your bullshit spin gets challenged. The most effective cause of action for you would be to stop posting bullshit spin. Getting angry and flailing your arms around like this doesn't help your argument at all.
Keep doing your graphs. Stuff the shitty analysis and the insults when someone disagrees with you.

You may be right. PS3's failure in Feb 2007 does look a bit different than its failure in Feb 2008. Dosen't change what it is though.

In 2007 it started off low and stayed there. In 2008 it started off good and then dropped like a rock, going even lower than the lowest point of last february. This is indeed a unique variety of failure and PantherLotus was unfair to not make that clear. Shame on him. As you can see from his excellent graphs, the years are even different colors! Red and black are not similiar at all. Stop your spinning PantherLotus. Its not funny anymore.

 

[Araex]

Couldn't PS3's sales be caused by the "Bundle Announcement Effect" with Yakuza 3 bundle coming out next week? The trend will also likely to happen in the U.S. as we get closer to MGS4's release date.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

First the DemDereNads fiasco and now bcn-ron. What's going on today? And will the dog/dolphin/van joke make its way to this thread in the process?

 

[BishopLamont]

I DEBATE THEE WHAT EXTREMELY CLOSE DOTH MEAN

Fatality.

 

[Vinnk]

Couldn't PS3's sales be caused by the "Bundle Announcement Effect" with Yakuza 3 bundle coming out next week? The trend will also likely to happen in the U.S. as we get closer to MGS4's release date.

Possible I suppose. But Sony has had tons of bundles in the past and will continue to.

Let's see.

Gundam Bundle
Minna No Golf Bundle (still available at some stores)
Devil May Cry Bundle

Was there a Dynasty Warriors bundle too? I can't remember.

There might be some waiting for it, but I doubt enough people to cause this drop. I guess we'll see in a few weeks. Does anyone know how many bundles will be in this limited edition?

 

[Phife Dawg]

Well, many said that the PSP would see a sales spike and then fall back to normal when it looked dead in Japan and what we've seen is a very long running spike. So who knows, as long as Sony can maintain the 3rd party support through this they will survive through this Japan rejection until things turn around.

Sony isn't going away just because Japan doesn't like the PS3, likewise all signs point to "no big turn-around" in the forseeable future. The PSP situation surely is no turning point in the battle between DS-PSP anyways since that is already lost.

 

[justchris]

I am, considering the news that they were shrinking their DS development teams--truly one of the silliest moves of this gen. :/

I took that to mean they'd be focusing more on new ideas and new IPs, rather than big budget franchise extensions. New work usually get smaller teams and smaller budgets until they're proven to be big sellers.

Kind of like Soma Bringer.... Can't wait to see first day sales on that.

 

[Chris Michael]

Making good games have never been a problem for Nintendo, I'm not worried about that.

it sure has been for the DS.

 

[PantherLotus]

it sure has been for the DS.

why even bother at this point?

 

[Lightning]

Sony isn't going away just because Japan doesn't like the PS3, likewise all signs point to "no big turn-around" in the forseeable future. The PSP situation surely is no turning point in the battle between DS-PSP anyways since that is already lost.

I stopped comparing the PS3 to the Wii mid last year when the PS3 dropped below 10k and what I mean about the PSP is not that it's going to beat the DS but it will be successful in it's own right. You don't need to be no1 to be a success. I am still hopeful of that little niche section of Japan that Sony can carve out that will buy PS3 games and if Sony can manage that then the PS3 will still be sustainable in Japan.

Software sales have picked up, at least DMC4's was very good. Yakuza 3 is the next test for PS3 software and that's in less than 2 weeks now.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

why even bother at this point?

I'd quote his tag, but that's been done before.

 

[Agent Icebeezy]

I stopped comparing the PS3 to the Wii mid last year when the PS3 dropped below 10k and what I mean about the PSP is not that it's going to beat the DS but it will be successful in it's own right. You don't need to be no1 to be a success. I am still hopeful of that little niche section of Japan that Sony can carve out that will buy PS3 games and if Sony can manage that then the PS3 will still be sustainable in Japan.

Software sales have picked up, at least DMC4's was very good. Yakuza 3 is the next test for PS3 software and that's in less than 2 weeks now.

I would consider the PSP to be considered a success. Relegated to 2nd place sure, but it is a success. From understanding, Japan is big into portable games due to the way their lives are structured. A lot of people take public transit and their phones are much nicer than the rest of the world that is why Square and others put huge franchises on them in Japan. As far as home consoles, the Japanese has historically chosen one and discarded the others. That is largely what is happening. Sure, the PS3 might see ebbs and flows here and there, but I don't see it getting much more than that.

 

[Sage00]

Possible I suppose. But Sony has had tons of bundles in the past and will continue to.

Let's see.

Gundam Bundle
Minna No Golf Bundle (still available at some stores)
Devil May Cry Bundle

Was there a Dynasty Warriors bundle too? I can't remember.

There might be some waiting for it, but I doubt enough people to cause this drop. I guess we'll see in a few weeks. Does anyone know how many bundles will be in this limited edition?

None of those launched with a new color though.

 

[Jiggy]

Jiggy loves him some 2D portable games.

In fact, this is what a Jiggy Nightmare consists of.

Nintendo Press Release:We're announcing that we're dedicating all our software teams on high quality DS games.

Jiggy:Hooray!

NPR:All in 3D...

Jiggy:Noooooooooo!

Well, that wouldn't quite be my nightmare because I'm sure at least a couple of them would have clothing customization (the greatest reason to use 3D character models), and because at least these games would only cost $30-35. My true nightmare would be Nintendo shifting 100% of their resources toward making full-priced fully 3D Wii games, and nothing but those.

...Well, actually that might not be so bad since third-party developer DS support might increase even further with the first-party competition out of the way--they might start seeing DS even more as the closest thing to the "PS2" of this generation. So maybe you're right about the nightmare scenario. Not quite sure.

Kind of like Soma Bringer.... Can't wait to see first day sales on that.

I'm kind of worried for it, actually. Do want to see some success, though.

 

[Lobster]

Possible I suppose. But Sony has had tons of bundles in the past and will continue to.

Let's see.

Gundam Bundle
Minna No Golf Bundle (still available at some stores)
Devil May Cry Bundle

Was there a Dynasty Warriors bundle too? I can't remember.

There might be some waiting for it, but I doubt enough people to cause this drop. I guess we'll see in a few weeks. Does anyone know how many bundles will be in this limited edition?

Nintendo should've been nice to Capcom and had a We Love Golf bundle :\

I'd imagine We Love Golf would be at over a million right now.

 

[Tenbatsu]

Nintendo should've been nice to Capcom and had a We Love Golf bundle :\

I'd imagine We Love Golf would be at over a million right now.

They must do a Monster Hunter 3 bundle, its a must.

 

[vanguardian1]

They must do a Monster Hunter 3 bundle, its a must.

Has Nintendo EVER officially bundled 3rd party games with their hardware? I personally can't recall that, myself.

 

[stilgar]

Has Nintendo EVER officially bundled 3rd party games with their hardware? I personally can't recall that, myself.

Street fighter II - snes among other. Super famicom had TONS of different bundles

 

[Lobster]

They must do a Monster Hunter 3 bundle, its a must.

Also Fatal Frame.

A Fatal Frame and a MH3 bundle would really change a lot of peoples views on Nintendo. Obviously not GAF, but the average consumer.

 

[test_account]

Has Nintendo EVER officially bundled 3rd party games with their hardware? I personally can't recall that, myself.

Besides Street Fighter 2 as stilgar already mentioned, there is also a Fifa SNES bundle (atleast i think its Fifa, it is some soccer game atleast).

 

[vanguardian1]

So Nintendo hasn't bundled a 3rd party game for 2 generations in a row?

Considering their stances on how they deal with 3rd parties (which can be related to a self-serve buffet), I don't see them doing it now either.

 

[Man God]

I'm pretty sure there was a gundam game with the Char's Custom Gamecube, MGS:TTS with the FOXHOUND Gamecube, and an RE4 or REmake Gamecube somewhere down the line.

 

[test_account]

There is a Final Fantasy Gamecube bundle as well, i just remembered. It was sold on Ebay not long about for about $1000.

EDIT: Found the url:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Sell-Game-Cube-...NameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem&PID=2189540

It was $1150. According to the auction only 150 were made so i'm not sure how much you want to count this as a 3rd party bundle. Seems more like a special release bundle, although technically it is a 3rd party bundle

EDIT2: After reading the description of the auction more clearly i understand it like this bundle was never sold in the stores, but given away to developers. If thats the case i guess this bundle wouldnt count as a 3rd party bundle in the same way as other 3rd party bundles that are/were sold in the stores.

 

[Man God]

Also the Char's Custom Gamecube is more like two Wiis taped together, as it is three times faster than a normal Gamecube...

 

[vanguardian1]

Also the Char's Custom Gamecube is more like two Wiis taped together, as it is three times faster than a normal Gamecube...

Boo-hiss.

Spoiler

I wonder how it would react to the Wii Gundam game that came out some time ago. It would probably scream "IT'S A GUNDAM!!!!!!" and essentially self-destruct.

 

[Phife Dawg]

I stopped comparing the PS3 to the Wii mid last year when the PS3 dropped below 10k and what I mean about the PSP is not that it's going to beat the DS but it will be successful in it's own right. You don't need to be no1 to be a success. I am still hopeful of that little niche section of Japan that Sony can carve out that will buy PS3 games and if Sony can manage that then the PS3 will still be sustainable in Japan.

Software sales have picked up, at least DMC4's was very good. Yakuza 3 is the next test for PS3 software and that's in less than 2 weeks now.

Like I said, PS3 will stay - no need to worry. Software will get released as long as there is profit to be made. Maybe it'll be a PSP-situation where you don't see a lot of releases all the time but that's nothing to get worked out over.

About software sales picking up - that's just DMC4. All other franchise releases have been pretty disappointing thus far. I hope RGG3 falls more in line with DMC4 but it's not a given at this point.

None of those launched with a new color though.

Dynasty Warriors ceramic white doesn't count? It even launched with a price-cut/new model and the SA.

Nintendo should've been nice to Capcom and had a We Love Golf bundle :\

I'd imagine We Love Golf would be at over a million right now.

:lol . No.

 

[Lobster]

:lol . No.

Why?

 

[beef3483]

Well, that wouldn't quite be my nightmare because I'm sure at least a couple of them would have clothing customization (the greatest reason to use 3D character models), and because at least these games would only cost $30-35. My true nightmare would be Nintendo shifting 100% of their resources toward making full-priced fully 3D Wii games, and nothing but those.

Your greatest fear is my greatest hope. Portables are damn near irrelevant to me.