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Microsoft Q4: 1.1M XBO/360 Shipped
- Thread starter 1st Course
- Start date
That's why we can draw the conclusion that first place is lost. With Sony continuing to win month-to-month in the US, there's no other place for Microsoft to recoup that decline. Europe is Sony's, and what little is left of Japan is for mobiles. There's no place. They'd have to hope for some type of insane explosion in China or something, I'm not even sure what their shipment/marketing strategy is for that territory. Might be a variable in the future, who knows. Not sure it will be this gen
Yoda
Member
The media has reported the new SKU as a price drop which it technically isn't (they removed the value ala the kinect). If they dropped the price twice in less than half a year it would cement the impression of an inferior product. A price-drop would also cost them money as they most likely would be subsidizing the console at that point. The money would be better spent securing a massive third-party exclusive(s). The problem is Spencer =/= Mattrick when it comes to leveraging the corporate bank account. The higher-ups (mainly Elop) would have to approve such an aggressive strategy and the chance of that happening are about the same as the Republicans agreeing with Obama on anything (none).
Miles Quaritch
Member
Mario Kart is a sales beast. It's definitely a bigger draw than Smash. That's not to say Smash won't do well, but MK is a different beast entirely.
ethomaz
Banned
Anybody is following the call? http://live.arstechnica.com/microsoft-q4-2014-earnings-call/
I want to know if they will split the shipment.
I want to know if they will split the shipment.
BrokenEchelon
Banned
I feel like China will go from PC to Mobile in a heartbeat. The US seems to be the only major console country where people actually want to spend time at home, in front of their TVs anymore.
Europe too, to some degree obviously.
Yeah, but I knew this would happen.
Sales in the US dropped. And in europe, the Xbone is bomba-meterial.
I agree. I can see MS refocusing its priorities with the new CEO at the helm. they may keep the Xbox brand, but not necessarily as a gaming console.
heck, with all the blunders that MS pulled with the XBO and its launch, sometimes it feels like it was sabotaged on purpose. this tends to make things easier for investors to approve a drastic change when the time comes.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Nah, don't remotely see that happening. They love their moba's, mmo's and browser games too much.
Most people assume they are waiting to hit 10 million before announcing sales again.
I think it's wildly overestimated. Just like your comment on 3rd party.
I'm pretty sure games have a pretty defined potential user base. It doesn't really matter which console it's on. So if Xbox gets canned for instance, CoD wouldn't suddenly sell 5M tops.
To me a console is a bit like a sports team. With the recruit of an MVP player + some good execution, a season can look a lot different than the previous one. I believe Xbox One and Wii U will both get a high profile recruit this holiday, which will change their roster thus their chances. So while I strongly disagree on your approach to predict things, I look forward to seeing how things go for Xbox One in NA and in other regions.Bingo. Wii U has had plenty enough time to make a fairly accurate prediction going forward. It's never going to happen for the system, unfortunately. Distant third, would be remarkable if it matched Gamecube. That's the bar it's aiming for, GCN... and it'll be lucky to hit that. But that's a separate topic
No, not much on that as I can see from the liveblog. But here's their reconfirmation that they have fundamentally shifted their focus to core games for XBO:
.
marc^o^ said:
But it's not. Successful consoles historically have a big start, a great second year, and then over time you start to steadily decrease. Consoles don't historically go from completely dead to suddenly a viable and competitive system. And no, PS3 doesn't even count. It's was never even in the same stratosphere of how bad Wii U is doing right now in terms of units sold (although profit wise, PS3 was worse than Wii U is right now, almost certainly). That doesn't mean it won't have tons of great games, that just means that short of Nintendo figuring out a way to squeeze a profit from the thing - and it's possible, they're so frugal - the thing will always be a market failure.
My approach to predicting things is simple - historical context, mixed with the unique context of the current lineup, and then basic readings of month to month trajectories. There's no mystery in it. So far, Wii U has followed a very predictable - albeit atrocious - trajectory. It hasn't been hard to predict for it, except maybe to predict how precisely bad it will do. Short of June's numbers, which are still dogshit just less dogshit than before, the problem has usually been OVER estimating for Wii U, 'cause the thing was doing so bad that it was like few wanted to think it was going to be THAT bad.
My hypothesis is:
- The market is shrinking very quickly
- What's left of the home console market is consolidating around one console: the "safe" choice
- PS4 did enough right, and early on, to be the obvious choice
UK Sales seem pretty low nowadays. Its almost the same number of titles in the Top 40. Also, more X360 games than PS4. Dont think its much different than the PS3 last generation without new releases.
Even you bought an XB1 over there.
Catching up with this thread
I wouldn't have guessed that the numbers are that low.
I think.....
this!
I wouldn't have guessed that the numbers are that low.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
CoD is already selling less and less each year. I'm not exactly sure why your using that as your argument.
Platinum_D
Member
This is not good for them
Uno Venova
Banned
Microsoft falling so far behind is the best thing that could have happened to fans of the Xbox.
ethomaz
Banned
Yeap... I had the same feeling.
I do too. They made things right on that issue but ultimately still lost a lot of trust. Once you start down a negative narrative, it's hard to get back, especially when you were more expensive than the other console AND weaker. Now it's the same price but without the only real differentiator in the box.
I want MS to do well so they stay in the market. I plan on getting one next year possibly assuming I have the money. I just think they made a lot of wrong moves that is making them pay the price now while Sony basically just had to stay quiet during it all...lol
theprodigy
Member
This is a perfect analogy for your cult-like obsessiveness, that's for sure.
Mario Kart Wii sales: 35 million
Smash Bros Brawl sales: 12 million
The MK series is in another league.
Do you have a crush on me?
to me, a console is like a beer. they smell good, they look good, you'd step over your own mother just to get one! but you can't stop at one. you wanna drink another console!
Principate
Saint Titanfall
TBF that was on the wii and Smash actually outsold it on the Gamecube but yeah MK currently is a much bigger franchise.
Disappointed, they deserve to do much better with the Xbone. I really like all of the moves they've been making and all the earnest hard work going into improving it constantly.
Sony's been leaving the door wide open for them so, so I think MS has a great opportunity to take the lead in the US at least in the near future.
Sony's been leaving the door wide open for them so, so I think MS has a great opportunity to take the lead in the US at least in the near future.
If it does so significantly, it's IP fatigue more than anything. I'm talking about 50% sales gone the day one console is missing. Devs would be just fine with one largely predominant console because that's what people would buy.
Conversely, imagine Apple releases a console tomorrow, CoD isn't gonna magically sell 30% more.
This too, obviously ;-)
The Rain King
Member
Haha.
tee hee
Yep. Mario Kart is the more popular franchise. Makes sense considering the series has been around longer.
While that's a cute analogy, it doesn't really have much application in the real-world.
whyreggielie
Member
I'm curious on how the Wii U is doing WW in comparison, Xbox One and Wii U are probably pretty close this quarter when considering worldwide sales.
Think Wii U is still above Xbox One in worldwide sales by about 1.5 Million or so.
Xbox One should surpass it soon though.
SwiftDeath
Member
michaelius
Banned
Not much
Xbox One is currently in extremely uncomfortable position
On one hand it will be inferior platform for multiplatform games for whole generation on the other hand Microsft first parties are no match for Nintendo so if someone wants second console for exclusives they are more likely to pickup Wii U.
It is nearly a 2-1 install base between PS4 and Xbox One. Funny thing is Xbox One still has yet to pass Wii U worldwide LTD.
whyreggielie
Member
I meant just this quarter. NA sales for this quarter put the Wii U around 440k, while Xbox One is around 700k WW? I would say if we include European and Japanese sales the Wii U might actually be around that number.
In total I know the Wii U is still quite a ways ahead.
Danlord
Member
No way do they deserve success with the Xbox One. From the beginning, Microsoft showed utter contempt for the consumer with the DRM, a lesser-performing console and more expensive with an attachment they never marketed it beyond voice recognition to justify the higher price which, you can do the same stuff more or less with the cheap headset/mic you get free with the PS4.
They have been improving but they do not deserve to be better than where they are currently, they need to earn it; PS4 has done from the beginning.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
But like I said the 160+ million install base plus whatever core was actually on the wii, is what supports these AAA games and as costs of developing them increase (as they always do) the sales must also. If install base actually decrease or what is the best case scenario right now doesn't proportionally grow then the AAA industry will consolidate much further as expected anyway while being weaker and less profitable overall.
I don't see that can be construed as a good thing.
theprodigy
Member
Wii U=250k US, 120k Japan, ??? elsewhere this quarter
Aquamarine
Member
I listened to the call...they said very little about Xbox as per the norm. I wish someone asked about specific Xbox 360 / Xbox One sales in the Q&A session.
Graphics Horse
Member
Hm I'm not sure about 'soon'. Maybe if they have a very good Christmas and Nintendo have a very bad one. I think Wii U will be selling around the same as XBO for the next few months world wide.