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[Acquiescence]

Xbone sales have (probably) ground to a halt because of the Xbox One X being on the horizon and all the marketing weight that Microsoft has thrown behind it. They're obviously taking their new hardware very seriously, but that's at the expense of the system they currently have out. It also doesn't help that Microsoft has had a miserable year in terms of exclusive content and differentiating their product from the competition. Things will pick up this fall when the new system is out, but how much it closes the gap remains to be seen.

And all these people saying the UK is a weak market for Nintendo - the DS and Wii were huge here at one point. If the Switch isn't taking off in the same way then it's probably due to the expensive costs that involve owning a Switch. The hardware itself is fine, but the peripherals and software are no joke, and we've become a more price-conscious nation over time.

 

[kpaadet]

Switch won't be a replacement for PS4 in anyone's mind as long as the third party offerings are not available on it. Only once that starts to happen can we start to think about the Switch impacting PS4 sales imo.

You think Switch would be a "threat" to the PS4 if it also got games like Cod or BF? Come on now.

 

[Daffy Duck]

I'd be very surprised if anyone is buying an Xbox One at the moment following on from the announcements of the One X. Not surprising the Xbox One sales are falling.

 

[AnthonypUK]

Microsoft will be hoping for Xbox One X sales. I'm sure Xbox will see a boost once the new hardware iteration comes out.

Sure it will, but then demand will die, its happened for the OG Xbox One, its happened for the S this year and it will happen for the X. tT sells well initially(Still below PS4) and then eventually flat lines.

 

[Shiggy]

XB1 sold between 119k and 128k in the US this July

these are the US sales for H1 2017
Ps4: 1997k
SW: 1794k
Xb1: 999 - 1008k

These are the US sales for the first half of 2017, not the ones you posted:
Xbox One: 988,946
PS4: 1,780,423
Switch: 1,572,062

 

[NintendosBooger]

Won't make a difference. PS brand is stronger than Nintendo on the console front and always have been (Wii is the exception. Only nintendo console to cross 100 million).

Third parties make an absolute difference. They're the lifeblood of the PS brand.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

If anything this says more about the XB1 then if UK sales for Switch in UK are comparatively lower

 

[BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie]

Won't make a difference. PS brand is stronger than Nintendo on the console front and always have been (Wii is the exception. Only nintendo console to cross 100 million).

But this isn't a console. It's a hybrid with portability being its main USP, and it's already confirmed to be getting a Pokémon game which is the one thing from Nintendo that has always done extremely well in the UK.

It'd be quite remarkable indeed if it caught up to the PS4, but that isn't necessary for it to be a success.

 

[Bazry]

It's on the shelves at most stores I have visited. It's even in stock at Amazon and has been for some months now. They even had a price slash on it recently, hardly an indicator of bumper sales.

Both Amazon and GAME have a deal on TODAY because its 'video games day' today in the UK, where its £20 off. Saying its had a price slash here recently just isn't at all true

Stock has been much better here post Splatoon 2, which was about time as places were out of stock for up to a month

 

[OrbitalBeard]

You think Switch would be a "threat" to the PS4 if it also got games like Cod or BF? Come on now.

It'd need more than that, but if Switch hypothetically started receiving a decent number of AAA multiplats and they were actually selling well, SIE themselves would take that seriously, no doubt.

 

[Guymelef]

Xbone sales have (probably) ground to a halt because of the Xbox One X being on the horizon and all the marketing weight that Microsoft has thrown behind it.

We have low numbers for the entire year in US, months before XBX full reveal and marketing start...

 

[Lonely1]

I'd be very surprised if anyone is buying an Xbox One at the moment following on from the announcements of the One X. Not surprising the Xbox One sales are falling.

The PS4 is still the best selling SKU and the X is $500.

 

[Scrawnton]

It'd need more than that, but if Switch hypothetically started receiving a decent number of AAA multiplats and they were actually selling well, SIE themselves would take that seriously, no doubt.

Depending on the validity of that MonHun rumor, Sony already does see it as a threat.

 

[oti]

You were implying that because DS and Wii were a global success, that success in the UK was guaranteed. This isn't true at all - Nintendo invested much more heavily in Europe that generation. There are interviews with bosses of NoE, back in 2005, which indicated that Nintendo would finally take Europe seriously. They also invested heavily on UK-centric marketing that generation for games like Mario Kart Wii, 42 All Time Classics, Hotel Dusk, Dragon Quest IX and so on.

I'm sure you quoted the wrong person here.

 

[Toadthemushroom]

It's still the second strongest market this gen. I don't think that's ever been true for Nintendo.

The N64 did significantly better than the Saturn, for what it's worth. While the PS1 obviously trounced it for sales, brick-and-mortar retailers dedicated a lot of shelf space for N64 and its software throughout its lifetime.

It was with GameCube where they really started to struggle, and it would too compete with the GBA for shelf space.

 

[ArtHands]

Perhaps Nintendo will sell more than PS4 if they didn't create artificial scarcity with the Nintendo Switch there.

 

[LordBaztion]

That happens when you don't have to sell your system. Hopefully sales will be better in the holidays with all the bundles and high profile games coming. The 1X won't move numbers, marketing deals and PUBG will.

 

[Spinluck]

Pokemon is gonna skyrocket this thing assuming Game Freak and TPC don't find a way to fuck it up.

Nintendo has to get that supply caught up.

 

[kpaadet]

It'd need more than that, but if Switch hypothetically started receiving a decent number of AAA multiplats and they were actually selling well, SIE themselves would take that seriously, no doubt.

Lol of course but who is to say they would? It's like saying if Ouya sold well publishers would take notice.

 

[BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie]

Yeah I don't necessarily see the low Xbox figures as anything positive at all, like a huge amount of people are waiting for the X or something. Isn't the X £500 at launch? I don't see it doing well for long at all at that price, and with the lineup it has (No big new system seller at launch). I mean we just got news that Destiny 2 sold around 100-110k at launch on Xbox, that really surprised me.

The more Xbox sales figures I read the more concerned I get...

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Guys, XB1 sales are not declining cos of people waiting for a £450 4K console that plays the same games. Come on.

MS just don't "get it". Or they don't care and are sacrificing Xbox for Windows. Almost every decision was made with the mindset of "how can this benefit Windows 8, then 10.

The average consumer doesn't know or give a damn about this, only enthusiasts on places like gaf do (and erroneously imo)

MS need worthwhile exclusives and a healthy variety of games, that's their problem, not Forza being on W10

 

[OrbitalBeard]

Lol of course but who is to say they would? It's like saying if Ouya sold well publishers would take notice.

I don't think anyone is declaring that this is going to happen, but you were acting as if it wouldn't be a threat to PS even if it did.

 

[Bitch Pudding]

I wasn't even aware that XBox is "way below" PS4 this year in the UK, given how strong they were there (and still are at least the last time I checked).

 

[Bazry]

Its not like Microsoft hasn't been trying in the UK either, last week you could pick up a Xbox One S with Destiny 2, Forza Horizon 3, Doom and Fallout 4 for £200

 

[N21]

Sure it will, but then demand will die, its happened for the OG Xbox One, its happened for the S this year and it will happen for the X. tT sells well initially(Still below PS4) and then eventually flat lines.

If demand can last till the new IPs (If they are good and popular sale-wise), I think MS won't mind. At the moment, you would have to be a fool to say things aren't dire for MS in the UK right now.

 

[ianpm31]

Third parties make an absolute difference. They're the lifeblood of the PS brand.

Yeah that's the ONLY reason. Hate to break it to you but Sony is on its way to having 3 out of 4 consoles crossing the 100 million mark. We have over 20 years of sales/history and it won't change now because of Nintendo.

 

[13ruce]

If Switch keeps up it might outsell Xbox One lifetime wise.

 

[clevbrowns94]

That's literally just one gen. Even back in the snes days Nintendo wasn't that hot

Wii and DS both did wonderfully ABSOLUETELY EVERYWHERE.

Besides, what is your point anyway? It's the year 2017, not 2007.

He quite literally said Nintendo has "never" been big in the UK, a factually wrong statement. Now you are changing it to, "Well, that was only one generation." Even so, it's doesn't make the statement any less false.

 

[Zedark]

And why would the Switch has the edge over the PS4?

Won't make a difference. PS brand is stronger than Nintendo on the console front and always have been (Wii is the exception. Only nintendo console to cross 100 million).

You think Switch would be a "threat" to the PS4 if it also got games like Cod or BF? Come on now.

Just so we're clear: I do not think Switch will ever outsell the PS4 in the UK at any point in time. My statement was that currently the PS4 audience that is there chose the PS4 for either the third party games or the exclusives (or both). If Switch gets the third party games, then part of the potential audience, that doesn't own a system yet and is mostly interested in third party games, might decide to go for the Switch over the PS4. It is in that sense that I meant my comment: only once Switch gets third parties fully on board can it take away a small portion of potential PS4 sales imo. Again, Switch is not going to outsell PS4 at any point in time; the most it can do is take a small portion of those PS4 sales for itself.

 

[El-Suave]

I don't see the X being to blame for slow S sales, people in the market for an Xbox right now are pretty price sensitive, so I doubt they'd wait for a premium console. The only crowd that would make sense for is PS4 owners also looking to get an Xbox. Then you might wait if the X brings something dramatically new.

 

[Principate]

It'd need more than that, but if Switch hypothetically started receiving a decent number of AAA multiplats and they were actually selling well, SIE themselves would take that seriously, no doubt.

I don't think Sony are naive enough not to take Nintendo seriously especially now

They've had 6 major pieces of hardware that competed with with Nintendo. 3 major wins and 3 major losses. They're both Japanese companies. You'd have to actually ignore what's going on to think they wouldn't take the challenge seriously.

 

[Seganomics]

Nintendo has never been big in the U.K.

Try getting a NES or SNES mini over here. Good luck.

 

[JonnyDBrit]

Erm no....even portable market wise that market is smaller in relative numbers compared to Nintendos other strong markets like US;JPN, France and Germany.

That's different from us being the 'consistently weakest', and is dependent on various metrics. As Toadthemushroom posted, the Nintendo DS had sold over 10 million units in the UK by the end of 2009. Meanwhile in 2015, it had sold 10.5 million in France. So unless Nintendo failed to sell an additional 500k units of the thing in the six years between those statements, or the latter is straight up factually wrong - in which case, I apologise for relying on faulty info - then by hardware sales, that's pretty close.

So perhaps my statement should be amended to: We were a sucker for the Nintendo DS.

 

[KORNdoggy]

its been pretty readily available to buy locally for a while now. so at least here it seems to have passed the point of demand outweighing supply. as i've said since the beginning i just don't see the switches current relative success as some indication it's going to sell gangbusters. but it'll do better than the wii-u...not a hard task to accomplish.

 

[kpaadet]

I don't think anyone is declaring that this is going to happen, but you were acting as if it wouldn't be a threat to PS even if it did.

You crated a hypothetically situation where the Switch had 3rd party support and they all sold well, my point was they wouldn't. I guess we'll see how Fifa on the Switch does.

 

[redcrayon]

I think it's time for Nintendo to try to cater British gamers. The mainstream British gamers are into serious and mature games, colorful and cheerful nature of Nintendo games are not exactly their thing. Maybe Nintendo should create their own sports line? They have the support of a very talented sports game dev, Next Level Games, and a great racing game dev, Monster. They should make use of their talents but they need to do that without being a direct competitor of EA. People would ignore a third yearly soccer game and a NFS wannabe. Their offerings must be different but yet attractive to English fans.

If I were them, I'd make a licensed Fifa Soccer style extreme soccer game and a licensed Burnout/Flatout style racing game. Realistic games but still have a touch of Nintendo magic.

Why would they specifically target UK customers as opposed to the European markets they are stronger in? The UK 'mainstream' market is relatively small in terms of funding an AAA game specifically to target it rather compared to the opportunity cost of funding something with global appeal instead.

 

[N21]

Yeah I don't necessarily see the low Xbox figures as anything positive at all, like a huge amount of people are waiting for the X or something. Isn't the X £500 at launch? I don't see it doing well for long at all at that price, and with the lineup it has (No big new system seller at launch). I mean we just got news that Destiny 2 sold around 100-110k at launch on Xbox, that really surprised me.

The more Xbox sales figures I read the more concerned I get...

I mean, the Xbox version of D2 is the incomplete version and probably has a low play count, I wouldn't be surprised at the numbers.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I don't think Sony are naive enough not to take Nintendo seriously especially now

They''ve had 6 major pieces of hardware that competed with with Nintendo. 3 major wins and 3 major losses. They're both Japanese companies. You'd have to achy ignore what's going on to think they wouldn't take the challenge seriously.

Yep.

You crated a hypothetically situation where the Switch had 3rd party support and they all sold well, my point was they wouldn't. I guess we'll see how Fifa on the Switch does.

By "selling well", my point is that the ports would need to be of decent quality and not actively bomb. They wouldn't have to be huge hits or outsell PS versions.

 

[Skittzo0413]

If Switch keeps up it might outsell Xbox One lifetime wise.

That's basically guaranteed at this rate. Maybe in 2-3 years. (Worldwide anyway, not sure about UK numbers).

 

[BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie]

Its not like Microsoft hasn't been trying in the UK either, last week you could pick up a Xbox One S with Destiny 2, Forza Horizon 3, Doom and Fallout 4 for £200

That is kinda amazing, I just bought a Switch for £50 more than that without any games on a 1 day sale.

If Microsoft aren't pushing past the Switch with deals like that and the lineup of games it has then I really don't think the X will change a thing.

 

[Seganomics]

Yeah that's the ONLY reason. Hate to break it to you but Sony is on its way to having 3 out of 4 consoles crossing the 100 million mark. We have over 20 years of sales/history and it won't change now because of Nintendo.

We?

 

[gtj1092]

Hard to believe switch is ahead launched aligned unless xone sales completely cratered January '14. Didn't xone have the second biggest launch ever in the UK. If switch is really ahead launched aligned the UK is getting more shipments than anticipated. Unless he means switch sold more in it's 6th month than X1 did in it's 6th month.


Also does he say how far X1 is from Switch or just that switch was ahead. Seems alot are jumping to conclusions that switch is on the verge of dethroning PS4.

 

[NintendosBooger]

Yeah that's the ONLY reason. Hate to break it to you but Sony is on its way to having 3 out of 4 consoles crossing the 100 million mark. We have over 20 years of sales/history and it won't change now because of Nintendo.

Pretty much the only reason, otherwise we'd see more Vitas from them.

 

[DriftingSpirit]

I don't think anyone is declaring that this is going to happen, but you were acting as if it wouldn't be a threat to PS even if it did.

You still have to take into consideration the difference in their overall markets. Sony consoles sell in the 100M+ range. Major third party software would probably do a lot for Nintendo consoles but I don't think they would threaten Sony.

Nintendo can have a major boost and Sony can still maintain their position.

If Switch keeps up it might outsell Xbox One lifetime wise.

I think that is highly likely.

 

[Wiped89]

Ten years ago, and two years after DS's launch:

DS smashes UK hardware record



The crazy thing about that generation is DS and Wii hardware sales continued to grow year-on-year:

DS breaks UK games console sales record



I can't see Switch hardware sales growing to that sort of success. Would love to be proven wrong, of course.

The two are very different. We all must remember that the DS Lite was £99. £99!! That's impulse buy territory. Even with inflation that's not even £140 now.

The Switch is more comparable to Wii (£179), 3DS (£230 lol) and Wii U (£280-300) in terms of where it's priced and the sales we can expect accordingly. And it's still £100 above the Wii.

 

[Beegeous]

I'd be intrigued to see how the sales comp would look had the stock situation not been shite.

 

[CrimsonEclipse]

Xbox is doomed, dooooomed! /s

I'm getting an One X but whew, I hope Xbox has a better 2018. Good for Nintendo, good to see em making a bounce back, now give me that Odyssey and Fire Emblem.

 

[ReitStuff]

Read the thread. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong.

I've heard anecdotally that the British largely have zero nostalgia for anything Nintendo. Ok fine I'm sure the DS and Wii were big in the U.K. but I suspect the sentiment surrounding anything Wii has soured, not sure about DS.

 

[Ricerocket]

X1S not selling well anywhere with exclusive features like cheapest 4k Bluray player and gaming console is pretty bad and I don't see how a $500 X1 console will change things up. Switch is looking to outsell X1S easily and it's more expensive.

 

[OrbitalBeard]

You still have to take into consideration the difference in their overall markets. Sony consoles sell in the 100M+ range. Major third party software would probably do a lot for Nintendo consoles but I don't think they would threaten Sony.

Nintendo can have a major boost and Sony can still maintain their position.

The point is that it's naive to believe a healthy Nintendo isn't taken seriously by Sony. Heck, I'd wager Sony takes Nintendo seriously 100% of the time.