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Xbox One is selling exceptionally well, but...
- Thread starter jayu26
- Start date
CassidyIzABeast
Member
All things considered they're doing pretty good. 360 was sitting at 3.2 million shipped at the end of April 2006. Xbox One is closing in on 4 million sold to consumers.
I read that but was under the impression he was referring to the 1 billion number as combined while the 400 million was in reference to expected Xbox One sales.
400 million is over twice the highest selling home console ever. These numbers are ridiculously massive and are much more representative of somebody barely grasping at reality.
Sakura
Member
I said the last two months. How much of that 4 million came from November and December? Sure, it sold great at launch. But it's not launch any more. At some point, 4 million in 4 months is going to turn into 5 million in 6 months. And then 6 million in 10 months. I'm disagreeing with the notion that right now it is selling exceptionally, not that it didn't sell well when it first came out.
When mind share and market share are still skewed heavily to Sony's side even after launching Titanfall, then I would say Microsoft isn't content with its current sales.
Mr. Waffle
Member
lol I thought the same thing... but didn't feel like saying anything.
I think it's somewhere in the middle, they are tracking better than the 360 at the same time frame, you know, the year before the Playstation brand imploded. I do believe they thought the general public was going to go ape shit for this thing despite the price point and not having any games showcasing the kinetic.
See, I did not think of that before the start of the generation. Judging from the number of consoles being manufactured, both Sony and MS seem to have thought of that.
It would be unsurprising if the XB1 already lost both the worldwide sales war and the online war, and failed to meet internal projections. To a lot of vocal people they have reached Electronic Arts "worst company in the USA" kind of reputation and you can see that in say user "reviews" of Titanfall.
However the XB1 software attachment rate probably meets or exceed their projections, and IIRC is even higher than the PS4. But another big number to look at would be Xbox live subscriptions but I don't know where can you pry that data from. It's why Sony now forces multiplayer paywalls: subs are lucrative moneymakers for consoles.
I don't think XB1 will have problem getting exclusives considering how many studios could use a helping hand, but Titanfall 2 will undoubtedly be more expensive. They might have to do what Sony did with Destiny instead.
And who knows if Microsoft plans to sell a XB1 that will rival cable boxes or the new Android consoles from Amazon and Google. Kind of like a Vita TV.
The Titanfall exclusiveness was a great move for them.
However the XB1 software attachment rate probably meets or exceed their projections, and IIRC is even higher than the PS4. But another big number to look at would be Xbox live subscriptions but I don't know where can you pry that data from. It's why Sony now forces multiplayer paywalls: subs are lucrative moneymakers for consoles.
I don't think XB1 will have problem getting exclusives considering how many studios could use a helping hand, but Titanfall 2 will undoubtedly be more expensive. They might have to do what Sony did with Destiny instead.
And who knows if Microsoft plans to sell a XB1 that will rival cable boxes or the new Android consoles from Amazon and Google. Kind of like a Vita TV.
The Titanfall exclusiveness was a great move for them.
Freeman
Banned
It is selling much more than it should after everything they tried to do and for how much value it provides. Gamers once again proving they have a very short memory and don't mind being abused (as if Live Gold wasn't proof enough of this).
It is hard to picture MS strategy working if they have the smaller base, they just don't have the same internal studios as Sony or Nintendo to fight an uphill battle. So unless they are really committed and willing to lose a lot of money for the next couple of years Xbox One won't be able to do as well as the PS4. MS will also have to make their stance on PCs, with Valve ever growing dominance and push towards Steam Machines/Steam OS/Linux/Opengl.
It is hard to picture MS strategy working if they have the smaller base, they just don't have the same internal studios as Sony or Nintendo to fight an uphill battle. So unless they are really committed and willing to lose a lot of money for the next couple of years Xbox One won't be able to do as well as the PS4. MS will also have to make their stance on PCs, with Valve ever growing dominance and push towards Steam Machines/Steam OS/Linux/Opengl.
TropicanaTwista
Member
Well I think it's pretty clear it's not doing as good as Microsoft wanted it to. The fact that they ran $50 gift card promotion at stores, and bundled their 2 biggest games, for free, this fast I think is a telling sign. By no means do I think it's doomed, but defiantly not where they want it.
Ah! I see. Good point.
Mass Effect
Member
Yeah I don't think so. I won't be (and I didn't hate Halo 4), and none of my friends are either, and some of them were hardcore Halo fans (legendary editions, books, comics, all of it).
Of course it's nothing but anecdotal, but given your extremely hyperbolic statement it's not like we're having a discussion based on hard facts here.
Well I think the clarification was pretty clear so I'm not sure why you'd think that. Anyway, it's not important.
Agreed. Microsoft wouldn't even have to do that if Xbox One sales were truly great.
vxXJordanXxv
Banned
You underestimate the power of how bad the console is and how bad Halo 4 was.
I think what's holding the XB1 back atm is the price. I don't think people want to throw $500 for a new console, especially when their competitor has a console that's $100 cheaper and can support superior graphics (albeit probably not a big enough gap for the casual consumer to care). If it was at $399 (and didn't have all the PR debacles this past summer) it probably would be performing better
The total numbers seem healthy, but as far as we know the demand fell of a cliff the last months, and they haven't even announced 4 million, hence the bundles and pricecuts.
It only takes common sense to tell they invested a crazy amount of money with the APU, kinect and gamepad research, the NFL deal, Titanfall moneyhat, marketing, 1B in software, fifa and titanfall bundles, pricecuts, and that they certainly expected to make it back with their old policies and subscriptions.
Right now they're losing in every market, who knows what their projections were but my guess is they have not met them.
It only takes common sense to tell they invested a crazy amount of money with the APU, kinect and gamepad research, the NFL deal, Titanfall moneyhat, marketing, 1B in software, fifa and titanfall bundles, pricecuts, and that they certainly expected to make it back with their old policies and subscriptions.
Right now they're losing in every market, who knows what their projections were but my guess is they have not met them.
ArchedThunder
Banned
I will only by an Xbone for Halo 5 if it is the most godly Halo game ever.
It won't be.
Nydius
Member
Nice generalization, but untrue. Halo 4 was an utter travesty that almost (almost) destroyed the entire series for me, and I was one of those nutso fanboys who had every game, both PC ports, toys, comics, books, megablocks, et cetera.
Under the stewardship of 343 Industries, Halo is a trainwreck. I should have seen the writing on the wall when Halo Anniversary came with "remastered" music, destroying much of the hard work that had been put into crafting music to fit the game. Halo 4's story was ridiculously convoluted and the multiplayer some of the worst in the franchise. Then they released Spartan Assault...
Gears is now in a very similar boat. Gears: Judgement was poorly received, especially by the core Gears fans, and now the original developer is completely removed from the equation. Like 343i and Halo, Black Tusk has a handful of the old people from Epic (343 had Frank O'Connor, Black Tusk has Rod Fergusson), but the studio is largely untested when it comes to AAA titles.
Halo and Gears are series which have passed their primes. I don't think they're going to command nearly as much power this generation as they did in the last.
I think it's worth noting that manufacturing has changed significantly since the PS3 and Xbox 360 were launched. These launch number probably were just not possible.
Are you talking about people that hate just Halo 4, or Halo haters in general?
OT: It's doing good, but it's not doing PS4 good, and that's the problem. Their problem is that the PS4 is just being seen as the better value right now. Casuals may not understand concrete numbers like 1080p or "8 GB GDDR5 ZOMG" (remember that thread?) But they will hear that one console is more powerful or is cheaper than another and that will factor into their decision. Not to mention all the mistrust Microsoft has after the botched E3 reveal.
I can't help but feel like a lot of casuals that own XBOs now buy them for a mixture of brand loyalty (Xbox ecosystem), certain exclusive(s) (Halo/CoD/TitanFall), and because their friends are getting it, and they don't want to get left out.
I'd like to hear some opinions, GAF. Are my feelings misplaced?
VanCityGamer
Member
I definitely do not think it's selling exceptionally well. Not by their standards, and not by mine. When you're going head to head against a competitor in a global market with a relatively fixed market size, it's all about projecting your sales against theirs. I don't think anyone expects the gaming market to grow this cycle, so let's say there's 150 million customers up for grabs between Sony and Microsoft. How is it impressive for Microsoft that Sony is outselling them 3:2 worldwide? Assuming the market is not going to grow, it doesn't matter if these console are selling more quickly early on than past consoles. What matters is the current ratio, and whether or not it seems likely to change.
I personally think the worldwide gap will shrink by the end of the generation, but that Sony will sell more than Microsoft. But each company will sell slightly fewer units than last generation in my opinion. I'm glad Microsoft's sales improved in February in the U.S. and hope the trend continues so that both consoles succeed.
I personally think the worldwide gap will shrink by the end of the generation, but that Sony will sell more than Microsoft. But each company will sell slightly fewer units than last generation in my opinion. I'm glad Microsoft's sales improved in February in the U.S. and hope the trend continues so that both consoles succeed.
CambriaRising
Member
The problem is that this is not only a short term game for selling a lot of consoles but a long term one for mindshare. Even if the they sell more than with the 360, it doesn't mean as much long term if Ps4 keeps beating them by large margins. Eventually it will become the Xbox live argument that "this is where my friends are" for the ps4.
Neff
Member
This thing never had a chance, honestly.
They revealed it by showcasing TV and sports, outlining Draconian DRM practices, and packaged it with an arm-waving peripheral nobody wants, at a higher cost than a more powerful rival console which is focused purely and simply on hosting games (despite the irony of it not doing a terribly good job of that yet, while Xbone does actually have a couple of decent exclusives, but hey).
Both companies are effectively pitching towards the same customer, and gaining the first significant foothold is crucial. 360 only blew its amazing headstart by doggedly sticking to a flawed hardware SKU, allowing Sony to swoop in and popularise a more robust and feature-rich competitor at MS' expense. MS needed Xbone to take the US at least, but unless Sony really screws up, MS can't catch them now. They simply don't have a better hand to play.
They revealed it by showcasing TV and sports, outlining Draconian DRM practices, and packaged it with an arm-waving peripheral nobody wants, at a higher cost than a more powerful rival console which is focused purely and simply on hosting games (despite the irony of it not doing a terribly good job of that yet, while Xbone does actually have a couple of decent exclusives, but hey).
Both companies are effectively pitching towards the same customer, and gaining the first significant foothold is crucial. 360 only blew its amazing headstart by doggedly sticking to a flawed hardware SKU, allowing Sony to swoop in and popularise a more robust and feature-rich competitor at MS' expense. MS needed Xbone to take the US at least, but unless Sony really screws up, MS can't catch them now. They simply don't have a better hand to play.
vxXJordanXxv
Banned
I believe you are correct all my casual friends went the Xbox One. My hardcore friends all went with PS4 and I will be joining them whenever I can get my hands on one.
Mr. Waffle
Member
Famous words of a loser.
Yes, as I noted that earlier, I did not think of this...
No, I don't think so. What I'm surprised by is how many of those have already bought Xbone.
Sakura
Member
If we compare first January + February combined though, I believe XBO is selling at a slower pace than the 360 was.
Here are the combined numbers of a few consoles first January and February from NPD
411 360
401 XBO
371 PS3
771 Wii
560~ PS4
Now keep in mind, this is Microsoft's strongest market. I'm not saying the sales are awful, just that they definitely aren't exceptional to me, and probably not where Microsoft expected them to be.
Remember, the 3DS was also selling faster than the DS when it first came out, but we know how that turned out.
I think that they wanted 5 million Xbox One's sold by April next month. They haven't even come close to reaching it.
soxinthebox
Member
I think if it was to be priced under the PS4 (while still being able to use discs) it would be a lot more attractive based on the games available for each currently.
flyinpiranha
Member
Eh, I'll pick one up when the price is lowered. Kinect appeals to me because I have a youngin' and the room to use it ... but it's not worth $500 when I have access to all the games I want to play (right now) on the PS4/Vita/3DS. Even the Wii U will have a price point that I will wait for.
I can't "not" play Halo 5.
I REALLY want to see what the next Forza Horizon does.
Same for the Wii U really, I can't "not" play the new Mario titles and such.
But at the price the XB1 is asking, I just can't dive in right now. It will be my secondary much like the PS3 was last generation.
I can't "not" play Halo 5.
I REALLY want to see what the next Forza Horizon does.
Same for the Wii U really, I can't "not" play the new Mario titles and such.
But at the price the XB1 is asking, I just can't dive in right now. It will be my secondary much like the PS3 was last generation.
The gap is not closing EVER, it will get bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger
and BIGGER!
Microsoft was expecting to fucking massacre sony. They thought their bullshit exclusive partnerships like NFL, EA, Doritos and Dew, and MacDonalds were enough to destroy sony. They were expecting to be the iphone of consoles. The farther they fall behind the better for gamers. All their money hatted exclusives will dry up and all gamers across the consoles will enjoy multiplat games.
I enjoy how they spend and spend and spend and still can't match the ps4. Sony is just coasting and barely spending anything and are almost 3 million ahead.
PachinkoChampBruh
Member
xbox one price drop to $99 confirmed.
GoofsterStud
Member
Microsoft's biggest problem is it's biggest asset.
They have played the Xbox One as if it was expendable from day one. They aren't developing in the long term. Beefing up internal studios. They are buying into the short term. This allows them to wash their hands with little losses if things go wrong.
This backfired. They didn't have the early advantage. They didn't have the US/UK by default. The prices are getting outrages for this method. The fact that the PS4 is doing better than the Xbox One means that Microsoft will have to spend more money, just to maintain course.
The question is will they invest in the Xbox future or not? Sony invested into Playstations future. Sony beefed up internal studios to compensate.
They have played the Xbox One as if it was expendable from day one. They aren't developing in the long term. Beefing up internal studios. They are buying into the short term. This allows them to wash their hands with little losses if things go wrong.
This backfired. They didn't have the early advantage. They didn't have the US/UK by default. The prices are getting outrages for this method. The fact that the PS4 is doing better than the Xbox One means that Microsoft will have to spend more money, just to maintain course.
The question is will they invest in the Xbox future or not? Sony invested into Playstations future. Sony beefed up internal studios to compensate.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
I guess worldwide for now, although naturally things are going to go more lopsided as Sony expands EMEA offerings and particularly if they end up doing well in Japan. I'm also not saying that number matters long-term, but rather as a sort of short-term assessment of how MS can still "be in contention" despite the current price disadvantage.
GoofsterStud
Member
Ecstatic? Retailers are taking an additional price cut on top of the official pricecut, and are offering up to 4 free games.... You think that's something to be ecstatic about? This is happening in the UK, one of their biggest markets.
Is not really comparable because ps3 made up the difference in areas the Xbox will never sell. Xbox has US/UK and that's about it.
I think the number is fine for MS, the context is what hurts them. 3.6 million or so is great in a vacuum, but they aren't in a vacuum.
It's much more than just gaming sites & messageboards; it's also media/news sites & social media, too (mostly about DRM with no used games).
Not to mention that the Playstation brand is still stronger than the Xbox brand is.
It also had a pretty impressive peak sales velocity once.
I was seriously expecting a link to The Onion or something. Mehdi must be insane, even with the PS4 combined!
VanCityGamer
Member
As I explained in my last post, it isn't exceptional (in my opinion). It's all relative to their competitor.