I think the difference was the white PS4 and the marketing association with the platform. People really did think PS4 = Destiny for a little while there, and it boosted PS4's sales phenomenally. I think this mitigated any deal Microsoft tried to do, especially since that deal wasn't advertised as widely (like it wasn't in Wal-Mart circulars and shit to my knowledge).
I see what you're saying things are different this month but I still don't see how they're
significantly different. Sure, Destiny is old news now, but Sony still have the marketing for GTA5, which is always news, and FC4, which looks to be turning out okay thus far.
I know the white PS4 was appealing to many, but I have to believe that most people were actually buying for Destiny. On the subject of the bundle though, it's worth noting that the $450 PS4 outsold the entire Bone family in September,
all on its own. Now, MS are dropping their price by $70, and maybe throwing in an extra game, depending on when in September you were looking at them. Meanwhile, Sony are also throwing in an extra game on top of a $50 price drop. So really, the price differential hasn't changed all that much from September. $400 + 2 games vs. $450 + 1 game; $330 + 2 games vs $400 + 2 games. Sony even have a family-friendly choice, while MS don't. Plus, this is the first time you get
anything free with a PlayStation. Has there ever been a time when XBone
wasn't giving away free stuff?
I mean, I see increased appeal for XBone, but even if it doubles, I don't see PS4's appeal remaining static in light of
its offers. If Sony's "Bundles for Everyone!" strategy increases their appeal by even 50%, the Bone's popularity would need to triple to overcome that. Granted, MS says they tripled from the last week of October, but we've also heard from our insiders that they dropped off pretty quickly again. Plus, the vast majority of the shopping this month will be done on or after Black Friday anyway.
I'm not saying PS4 can't still win or something, but the fact that it's sold out on Amazon til the 21st is not good - losing a week of sales right there at a major retailer and the fact that the early part of the month was dominated by the shocking news that XBO would be $349.99 all holiday season. And then we started getting bundle deals that said the Sunset Overdrive bundle and Assassin's Creed Unity bundle was also $349.99 and shit. It was bananas.
Sorry, but isn't being sold out at a major retailer usually indicative of strong sales?
But because of the significance of just how hardcore competitive Microsoft is trying to be here, and the amount of games and type of games associated with MS this month in terms of marketing, if Microsoft doesn't win this month, it's hard to imagine when they will next have a shot in North America. Sony is definitely going to be faster on the ball with game releases next year if the current announced release lineups are any indication, and the only even remotely conceivable game I can see causing any stir is Halo 5. If they don't do it this month, November 2014, I don't see how they'll be able to do it, because PS4's gonna have a price drop next year.
I agree for the most part, but GTA is no slouch, and I do think Sony are wise to make a bundle for the anti-GTA crowd too. Microsoft's bundles are just killing and more killing. Even their angel game is nothing but shooting. Besides, the kid
said he wanted a PS4 and it's only like $50 more. Totally worth $50 to not get the wrong thing.
So I think the ball is in Sony's court here. If they ship enough BF bundles to satisfy demand, I think November is theirs to lose, really. People knew PS4 discounts would come eventually, and now they know what they are. Everyone who wants a PS4 for Christmas will be there on BF, so Sony will sell exactly the number they decide to ship, basically.
Well if we're talking about how wise a business decision it is from a "making money" perspective, that's a different story. But MS has that sort of money to burn if they're so inclined, Sony really doesn't. I don't know how unlimited patience though MS itself is gonna have with a product line that never makes any progress, but as long as they're dedicated to trying they can go on indefinitely.
That's really what I was getting at. They're spending all of this money to maybe eke out a narrow victory in a single market for possibly a month or two. Furious spending to open the door for a tie in the US isn't sustainable because they're getting completely dominated everywhere else. Plus, they don't have squat for the 2015 off season, so Sony just goes right back to extending their lead, even in the US. So Sony gains a million a year in the US, and 10M a year or more outside the US. While MS hemorrhage money every Christmas for bragging rights.
I don't see how management sees that as a sustainable business, and it doesn't seem like "struggling to remain relevant in a single country" would be particularly attractive to developers either, unless they happen to be more interested in money than sales.
