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[redblack85]

Sony pr

“The April NPD report confirmed that PlayStation 4 was the top selling next gen console and remains the cumulative leader. In addition, inFamous: Second Son was the top-selling next-gen software title in April. Since PS4 launched last November, over 7 million consumers have enjoyed rich and immersive gameplay, powerful graphics, and deeply integrated social features that are only available on PlayStation. Demand for PS4 continues to outstrip supply and we are working incredibly hard to provide additional inventory. We’d like to thank the PlayStation Nation for their amazing support and we’re looking forward to sharing exciting news at E3 next month.”

 

[jhmtehgamr20xx]

The amount of people aware of the Kinectless SKU coming in June will actually not that big to be of consideration for Microsoft. Heck despite their back tracking on their original DRM vision, a large percentage of people were not aware of it. And that too with quite a big promotional campaign from Microsoft (DID YA KNOW!)

If they wanted people to know about the DRM reversals so much, why not just put it in bold front right on the front of the box?

 

[Mysterious]

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

 

[Apophis2036]

It was nice knowing you, gaming.
These numbers are bad all around. Geeze.

Dedicated video game consoles...they had a good run...

Am I missing something, isn't PS4 doing great ?.

 

[cuzintheboss]

XBO, May numbers are going to be worse since everyone who is planning to buy one is going to wait till June 9.

 

[Kagari]

So they did intentionally release it early?

Yes and the June 9th timing is a dead giveaway.

 

[The Mad Draklor]

I also think i will track behind but because the 360 had great momentum going into it's first year. I think the sku will help a lot actually since the price matters more than any game. Even though the numbers arent so good now, i think it hangs around ok for a more expensive machine. Lets wait and see how June npds go.

You're right. It might be too soon for me to make such "doom" predictions. If MS manages to have a good E3, then the XBO will have a chance at maintain relevancy.

 

[DidntKnowJack]

Yes. This narrative that Titanfall didn't sell consoles is garbage. I bought my XB1 at launch mostly because I knew I was buying Titanfall day one. I'm sure I wasn't the only one.

April. Just talking about April.

Am I missing something, isn't PS4 doing great ?.

People are extimating anywhere from 200K to 225K for April. Ok numbers, but not great.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

The industry is becoming an ever more dangerous place. As I suggested in my debate thread about the the problematic times ahead for us gamers and the industry, there were many troubling trends even in January.

There've been troubling trends for a lot longer than that, but every time a topic comes up to discuss it, it gets shouted down with cries of "no its just japan is weird" and "no its that nintendo is shit and nobody wants their hardware".
EDIT:
and before that "people are just waiting for next gen" and "because casuals moved on"

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Perhaps Sony will start shipping more PS4's to certain European countries. It's still very hard to pick one up here in Holland as some stores still have outstanding pre-orders for three months.

 

[Syphon Filter]

So how big can the gap be for May? The price cut will no doubt slow X1 sales, and Sony has Watchdogs marketing + MLB (which I wouldn't say is a system seller, but it's something). Could it be 3 to 1?

I can see 3:1 or nearly that. I think xbox one will be under 100k for that month.

 

[Riki]

If I had a nickel...

These numbers were in a month with hardly anything big being released.

Hardware numbers are down drastically, and the hottest new system is selling very weakly in what many consider the strongest territory.
That's not good, no matter how you spin it.
Revenue may be up YoY, but that's only because the new systems cost so much more.
This isn't a good sign and it's clear there needs to be a major change and soon.

 

[Infinite Justice]

So did they really "run out of time" to not include them? Or was it damage control for April NPD? Maybe even both?

More likely the latter given these numbers.


they could put a fucking graphic up for a few seconds to show the price change stuff.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

But why announce it and essentially forfeit a good chunk of sales in May? Why not wait until E3 to announce it? This whole situation has been weird.

So it seem likely poor NPD is because of 2 or so days since the price option was announced. It worked a bit as some suggest that the announcement may have caused the lower number. Next month they get a free pass since everyone expect them to hardly sell anything. Then E3 hype and the price drop shall maybe cause them to sell over PS4 and they can be proud.

 

[RayMaker]

200k for the PS4 doesn't seem all that great either.

Yeah was about to say the same thing to,

last gen wernt good sales for a month 1mill+?

If these type of sales continue I can see the PS4 having a 5 mill lead in a couple of years.

Its not like the X1 is doomed , both are doing well but the PS4 is doing a good bit better

 

[BlackBuzzard]

Since PS4 isn't 2:1 or over, 115k is bad, but its more like $100 dollars more expensive bad rather than nobody wants this shit bad.

We will see in June. No more excuses.

 

[silver.tongue]

I'm having a hard time understanding the Infamous quote.

Does it mean that Infamous was the best seling software when looking just to nextgen plataforms?

 

[TyrantII]

The industry is becoming an ever more dangerous place. As I suggested in my debate thread about the the problematic times ahead for us gamers and the industry, there were many troubling trends even in January. There is a bit of an illusion due to the hasty start of the generation and how it exploded that this meant everything was OK. But the issue was there were unique qualities to the generational transition that created a one-of-a-kind pent up demand. Additionally, vast improvements in console manufacturing and the proliferation of online pre-ordering made access much simpler, and many took advantage of the opportunity to order earlier.

But it may be soon we realize that the most passionate people already brought in, and the middle road for this industry might just be much lower than we all thought. Which means there will have to be some serious re-evaluation of what makes sense as a business model to develop a game.

Maybe. But it can also be argued that last gen was the expensive generation, fraught with early hardware issues and diminishing returns on price reduction.

Both the new consoles are much better positioned to make the sort of price cuts that drove widespread, long term adoption of the PS2 in developing markets and beyond.

Cuts that weren't possible in the PS3, and to a less extent XB360.

And as always software is a big driver. If interesting, compelling experience aren't there, neither will be the customers. The industry very well can kill itself by playing it too safe, and churning out cookie cutter crap.

 

[Mooreberg]

Sony's "mobile strategy" should be to stop leaving money on the tablet and get the Xperia phones onto as many U.S. carriers as possible. 20% of Samsung's quarterly profit would offset all of their company wide losses for the fiscal year. That is how much money there is in the subsidized handset market. All they would have to do is usurp HTC's position and it would go a long way to making up for the bungling in the other non-PlayStation segments of the company.

If they want to keep making "console quality" handheld software, just use PSM to sell the games so they're not stuck competing with freemium and $0.99 games on the Play Store. Vita is a nice product aimed at a market that hasn't really existed since the PSP ran its course.

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

PS4 will outsell PS3 worldwide. It will never touch PS2 though. Japan is twenty million unit sales down the shitter.

 

[Goodacre0081]

Ah thanks, if that's the case, I wonder why they are then waiting til June to bring the new Sku out, unless it has something to do with the current stock that retailers are just swimming in atm...

it could be any number of things

-retailers might not want to take on more stock
-retailers might be sending units back to get repackaged
-repackaging does takes time and the new units might get a FW update
-repackaging might take place in China and not the US, adding shipping times

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Yes and the June 9th timing is a dead giveaway.

Makes sense given the date, as you suggest.

 

[prag16]

I don't know which is worse, the fact that the Xbox One sold absolutely terribly or the fact that the Xbox One sold absolutely terribly and still managed to sell more than the Wii U.

... okay? Something about beating a dead horse comes to mind.

Although, next month Wii U has a puncher's chance to beat xbone. Who would have thought.

 

[zeopower6]

I'm having a hard time understanding the Infamous quote.

Does it mean that Infamous was the best seling software when looking just to nextgen plataforms?

Yes.

 

[BlackBuzzard]

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

Wtf you drunk? PS4 is the fastest selling console of all time.

 

[Opiate]

In short I think you are on to something. Things have changed. There is still a market- PS4 proves that- but IMO it has absolutely shrunk since 2005/2006 and the costs of making games that appeal to the market that still exists are only getting larger.

That is trouble.

This is essentially what I've been forecasting since I joined the board in 2009. I don't make many predictions, but this one was already visible back in the early days of Gen 7. The trends back then are the trends today, just increasingly severe. Audience is either stagnant or mildly contracting; costs continue to go up. That pattern has been visible for nearly a decade and has not abated in any meaningful way.

 

[vinnygambini]

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

I would not be surprised if PS4 sold less than PS3.

Same applies for Nintendo and Microsoft. Time to reevaluate the market.

 

[Sylverstone14]

"Have you seen Titanfall?"

Interesting results thus far.

 

[Tobor]

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

No, we can't say that yet. Wii U, yes. Xbox One should sell better than the original Xbox. PS4 should do better than PS3.

Overall, of course the market will contract. Nintendo imploding guarantees that.

 

[Foshy]

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

Don't know why you would say that about the PS4 just yet (except for that they likely lost Japan), and the XB1 will likely outsell the first Xbox too. Wii U, probably.

EDIT: beaten.

 

[TheSlySoul]

I'm having a hard time understanding the Infamous quote.

Does it mean that Infamous was the best seling software when looking just to nextgen plataforms?

It means out of all Wii U, Xbox 1, and PS4 versions of games .. Infamous sold the most. Titanfall X1 bombed picking up by 360 sales.

 

[yuraya]

lol next gen is off to such a terrible start. PS4 and Xboxone are barely pushing any software. PS360 still king. If MS/Sony were smart they would cut price to $99 and old gen will surely sell very well for a couple more years. Both ps3 and 360 should easily reach over 100million before their deaths. Possibly more if treated right. I see why big publishers say they will continue to develop for old gen.

The top 10 list is awful. Minecraft the only game on this list thats impressive and deserves praise. The rest need mass marketing and/or hollywood hype in order to just barely survive smh.

 

[Gator86]

The XBO can only rely on so many temporary boosters. To be quite honest, I don't think the $399 Kinect-less SKU will do much at all. Titanfall did very little to stop the PS4's momentum and if the XBO keeps lagging like this, then it's going to track behind the 360 by the end of its first year in the market.

All they have for a while are temporary boosters though. You can't just magically produce a blockbuster 1st party studio. Plus the IPs they already own (Gears/Halo) are in decline based on their last entries. They also can't really depend on their preferred strategy, third party exclusives, because no publisher is going to be dumb enough to forsake PS family sales for the sinking Xbone ship. Stuff like Sunset Overdrive is a good start for them but it's more the exception that the rule. They really don't have any magic bullets until 2015 at the earliest probably. It's gonna be a long year for MS.

 

[DidntKnowJack]

I'm having a hard time understanding the Infamous quote.

Does it mean that Infamous was the best seling software when looking just to nextgen plataforms?

Yeah, that's just next gen numbers. Meaning Titanfall sold a lot more on the 360 than XB1 in April.

 

[theprodigy]

Hardware numbers are down drastically, and the hottest new system is selling very weakly in what many consider the strongest territory.
That's not good, no matter how you spin it.
Revenue may be up YoY, but that's only because the new systems cost so much more.
This isn't a good sign and it's clear there needs to be a major change and soon.

what
maybe in raw numbers, but I'm pretty sure the US is widely considered Sony's weakest market relative to the competition

 

[schuelma]

At this point the market has basically evolved into modern Hollywood.

There are astronomically huge hits, but they're only from a few companies and only in a few genres.

Then there's a lot of low budget stuff equivalent to indie and downloadable games.

The middle is gone now that the top is extremely selling extremely high, and there's a lot more at the bottom due to the ease of distribution.

Like Far Cry 3 and Borderlands 2 basically matching the best selling Final Fantasy game ever and not even being near the top of the heap is kind of insane when you think about it, and back in 2007 you could count the total notable indie games across the past ten years on two hands.

The market is so different now, but something had to die for it.

Yup great analogy.

 

[Infinite Justice]

I'm having a hard time understanding the Infamous quote.

Does it mean that Infamous was the best seling software when looking just to nextgen plataforms?

according to IGN, yes.

 

[Visualante2]

The other is from a 2nd-tier franchise...

Would you still consider it a 2nd tier franchise? I'm not sure myself.

 

[antonz]

Console Gaming fatigue seems to be worldwide and not just relegated to Japan.

Sales are generally horrible all around based on what's known. Typical big burst out the gate but worrying decline since.

 

[EL CUCO]

So it seem likely poor NPD is because of 2 or so days since the price option was announced. It worked a bit as some suggest that the announcement may have caused the lower number. Next month they get a free pass since everyone expect them to hardly sell anything. Then E3 hype and the price drop shall maybe cause them to sell over PS4 and they can be proud.

NPD for April tracks up to May 3rd. The price drop announcement had nothing to do with April numbers.

 

[Version 3.0]

I think about 20ish million. It did pick up steam towards the end around 2004 and that was some decent momentum for the 360.

14.5m in the US, the rest of its ~22m total sales were elsewhere. That's a little less than half of what the PS2 did through the Xbox's lifespan (end of 2005). Of course, then the Xbox was unceremoniously killed, while the PS2 continued to sell for years, ending up around 46m in the US.

 

[FDC1]

PS4 sales slowed down significantly as well. In a comparable time frame (April 2007), the previous market leader would have been ~150k more despite supply constraints.

Just to relativize, April 2007 was a 5 week month.

 

[Kysen]

Hah, you're really too jaded, Takao.

He's right though, Sony's management of the Vita is terrible. I doubt you can pin it on one guy but clearly Sony is content with letting it drift now. The BL port is a prime example of a token effort just to move the bare minimum of units. At least with Nintendo they will support their hardware till the end.

 

[damisa]

Considering that since Feb/March every old stock of Vitas was either pulled back or sold, I am not too surprised. Every store I know of stopped stocking the 1000's a long time ago.

They probably won't even bother stocking the new model. Vita will be gone from most stores by the end of this year.

 

[Suzushiiro]

I'm having a hard time understanding the Infamous quote.

Does it mean that Infamous was the best seling software when looking just to nextgen plataforms?

Yes. Infamous sold more than the PS4+XBone versions of any other game. It sold less than the PS4+XBone+PS3+360+WiiU+PC+whateverelse versions of all the games on the chart in the OP (among others, possibly.)

 

[Eusis]

But it may be soon we realize that the most passionate people already brought in, and the middle road for this industry might just be much lower than we all thought. Which means there will have to be some serious re-evaluation of what makes sense as a business model to develop a game.

Yeah, that's definitely a concern. Well, I don't think it'd be a big deal IF we also didn't create a situation where super high budget, highly lucrative games are the ones that are not only most desirable but considered the norm, with other stuff at best having a mild stigma for retail release that publishers may act on (did Ace Attorney 5 REALLY need to be 3DS eShop exclusive!?), at worst outright blocked by Microsoft/Sony/retailers regardless of publisher/developer wishes.

PC's still very accepting of lower level indie stuff, and while often overlooked it seems the niche audiences on handhelds and the like do well enough to keep catering to (fortunately for me) but it seems like the industry is currently set up to expect Hollywood numbers when really it's at best around the same level as during the PS2 days, maybe slightly behind in some ways. Nevermind the fact Hollywood isn't particularly healthy either.

I think that's why they merged them, along with this way showing the biggest sellers as multiplatform became the norm.

Yeah, definitely why I want to see it go to top 20 or 30, we can see which of the smaller games actually did relatively well rather than basically receiving updates that, yes, CoD/Lego/Just Dance/Sports STILL sell very well!

EDIT: Ok maybe NOT Just Dance, but others that are known successes are still taking up those slots like Minecraft and GTA so the point's definitely still there.

 

[marrec]

Sony's "mobile strategy" should be to stop leaving money on the tablet and get the Xperia phones onto as many U.S. carriers as possible. 20% of Samsung's quarterly profit would offset all of their company wide losses for the fiscal year. That is how much money there is in the subsidized handset market. All they would have to do is usurp HTC's position and it would go a long way to making up for the bungling in the other non-PlayStation segments of the company.

If they want to keep making "console quality" handheld software, just use PSM to sell the games so they're not stuck competing with freemium and $0.99 games on the Play Store. Vita is a nice product aimed at a market that hasn't really existed since the PSP ran its course.


PS4 will outsell PS3 worldwide. It will never touch PS2 though. Japan is twenty million unit sales down the shitter.

Sony has said multiple times that the market they're targeting with the Vita is a profitable one. It may not be doing PSP numbers but it's not like they're bleeding money on it.

There is nothing stopping them from having a dedicated gaming handheld and an Android device. He'll, it's not like SCEA has devoted any marketing or development budget on the Vita in a year and a half anyway.

 

[SlipperySlope]

PS4 sales slowed down significantly as well. In a comparable time frame (April 2007), the previous market leader would have been ~150k more despite supply constraints.

April 2007? The craziest number from that month is:
PSP: 183K

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

If the X1 sold only 115k in its strongest market for April, what on earth did it manage in the ROTW?

50K? 60? 70??

It would appear it is essentially dead in other markets at the current price and with the current line-up.

 

[Opiate]

No, we can't say that yet. Wii U, yes. Xbox One should sell better than the original Xbox. PS4 should do better than PS3.

Overall, of course the market will contract. Nintendo imploding guarantees that.

It doesn't guarantee it, but only if someone like Sony or Microsoft could pick up the slack. Fairly clearly neither of them can compete in the casual space (just as Nintendo can't either anymore), barring some very strong move in the next year or so. It's a pretty big problem, because that's where most of the profit and all of the growth is.

 

[ascii42]

So based on these sales and future expectations, can we say that Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be the worst performing Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony video game machines respectively? Market has indeed contracted.

The original Xbox sold 24 million. I think the Xbox One should be able to manage that.