All purpose Sales and Sales Rumors and Anecdotes [2016 Edition]

[loekf]

Eh I wouldn't make too many of them.

Work on PSVR2 and PSVR3.

First fix that silly design decision to put HDMI 1.4 transceivers in that PU breakout box. The SoC from Marvell has no problem doing 4K60p.
Strange decision you don't support HDMI 2.0 (HDCP2.2) given that 2 months later the Pro launched.

 

[MrFox]

First fix that silly design decision to put HDMI 1.4 transceivers in that PU breakout box. The SoC from Marvell has no problem doing 4K60p.

Strange decision you don't support HDMI 2.0 (HDCP2.2) given that 2 months later the Pro launched.

That's because it's not a design decision, it's a launch time frame decision. The Marvell isn't the problem, it's the 2x2 matrix chips available that are 300MHz only and none supports HDCP 2.2 either.

http://www.analog.com/en/products/a...rfaces.html#analog-hdmidvi-display-interfaces

So it's not going to happen until there's a low-cost digital front-end chip which supports 2in/2out at the full 2.0a bandwidth, with HDCP 2.2.

Notice how even though XB1S has a 4K bluray player, it's HDMI input doesn't accept 2.0a. Notice how none of the PC headset supports such a pass though either.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

So it's not going to happen until there's a low-cost digital front-end chip which supports 2in/2out at the full 2.0a bandwidth, with HDCP 2.2.

Anybody miss the days when Sony would just have tasked an engineering team to design such a chip?

 

[MrFox]

Anybody miss the days when Sony would just have tasked an engineering team to design such a chip?

For the fun tech, I do!

But on the flip side I don't miss the days of "$599, a year late, at a $200 loss" as if they couldn't just think it through for a second. You know, just take 5 minutes to have a meeting about it with the CEO.

Seriously I'm guess it's not an issue with designing a chip, it's probably because HDCP compliance must be a really long process where only a handful companies are in the loop. If Analog Devices are still not ready there has to be a big road block somewhere.

 

[DieH@rd]

Updated VR forecast via @_SuperData.
(Worldwide, sell-thru units, by device)

Vive 420K
Rift 353K
PSVR 745K
Gear VR 2.3M
Daydream 261K

https://twitter.com/joosterizer/status/803628744057311232

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Any idea how accurate these guys are?

 

[zed]

What happened to those dudes that always came out with their blackfriday USA numbers this year?

 

[Deleted member 7537]

Any idea how accurate these guys are?

https://twitter.com/ZhugeEX/status/803686501439651840

Seems legit.

 

[Rangers]

PS4 won BF in UK easily

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...-and-moon-is-nintendos-biggest-ever-uk-launch

Let's begin with PS4, GfK reveals that PS4 posted its most successful non-launch week in the UK. The machine saw bundles of under £200 fly off shelves, and it had an impact on the software charts, too. Popular bundles including Uncharted 4: A Thief's End saw that game return to No.8, while Driveclub makes a comeback at No.20 and Ratchet & Clank slides in at No.25.

It comes as a boost to Sony's hardware, which has found itself in second space in recent months following the launch of Xbox One S. According to our sources, PS4 shifted 142,578 last week, which was 50,000 above Xbox One.

Not sure what this means Via NPD, probably makes PS4 the favorite. Although we have scattered reports of XBO winning BF USA online, I'm not sure those account for Pro, and one such firm had XBO winning last BF online as well, yet P4 still won NPD.

Also Watch Dogs 2, which based on it's opening UK week was a huge bomb, rose. So maybe there's hope for it and other triple A franchises that saw a steep decline this year, yet

Black Friday discounting also had a major impact on Watch Dogs 2. The game had a disappointing launch last week, but sales actually increased in its second week, boosted by some mild discounting on the title. It's good news for Ubisoft's game, as its install base is now in-line with the performance of recent Assassin's Creed titles.

 

[djskribbles]

According to infoscout, PS4 won in stores, but XBwon online.

http://blog.infoscout.co/playstation-takes-the-shelf-xbox-wins-the-browser/

Adobe's report also says XB1 sold more online during BF, but PS4 sold more between November 1-24.

http://www.i4u.com/2016/11/118139/black-friday-2016-online-spending-pushed-past-5-billion

Last year Adobe also reported that XB1 sold more online, but PS4 ended up winning.

BF sales will probably be fairly close, but I think PS4 will win the month because of the Pro launch.

 

[Rangers]

Those numbers are odd, is Pro really that low? Maybe must have been sold out perhaps?

Seems very likely PS4 will win November NPD then all things considered.

 

[iroboto]

Those numbers are odd, is Pro really that low? Maybe must have been sold out perhaps?

Seems very likely PS4 will win November NPD then all things considered.

Nah, man... we predicted it was gonna get toasted.

 

[djskribbles]

It is low a number, but remember that these numbers are for BF only, where it's all about deals and the cheapest SKU is always the big seller. The Pro wasn't even on sale anywhere. No bundles... nothing.

 

[MrFox]

Pro was also often out of stock regardless (and it still is) so a sale would have been stupid since they didn't have any left to sell.

PSVR supply is another big problem, unobtainium during preorder (like each waves sold out in an hour), out of stock long before BF, and isn't expected to have much stock for the rest of the year. They had enough for launch and now don't have any stock for the xmas shopping season. They said the increased production capacity would come into effect at the end of the year "through 2017". They better solve this before Gran Turismo.

 

[Rangers]

Hmm checking nowinstock right this second Pro is in stock online at a few big .com's-Best Buy and Gamestop for two. That doesn't suggest extremely pinched availability unless it's an aberration. Who can say about brick and mortar availability.

I have to say early results are Pro seems to possibly be taking much less share than I thought. I would have predicted 80% of PS4 share. It doesn't seem close to that.

PSVR is out everywhere online on nowinstock if that matters.

If you wanted to dig deeper on these you could delve into brickseeker...

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Also Watch Dogs 2, which based on it's opening UK week was a huge bomb, rose. So maybe there's hope for it and other triple A franchises that saw a steep decline this year, yet

Watch Dogs 2 was massively discounted on its second week of sales thanks to BF. People in two minds, like myself, would have been more inclined to buy at the lower price.

 

[iroboto]

Hmm checking nowinstock right this second Pro is in stock online at a few big .com's-Best Buy and Gamestop for two. That doesn't suggest extremely pinched availability unless it's an aberration. Who can say about brick and mortar availability.

I have to say early results are Pro seems to possibly be taking much less share than I thought. I would have predicted 80% of PS4 share. It doesn't seem close to that.

PSVR is out everywhere online on nowinstock if that matters.

If you wanted to dig deeper on these you could delve into brickseeker...

From what we can read, it's hard to get major penetration into this market when the main benefit goes to owning a 4K TV.
Honestly, it's not so bad. It's certainly not a failure.

You actually need to look at these mid-generation refreshes as indicators for when your next generation system should arrive. It would be a mistake to base PS5 and XB2 games around 1080p. You use these mid generation refreshes as idea of your new customer base. When you've hit critical mass and the market has transitioned to 4K (in say 3-5 years), it's the right time to release a console with high fidelity graphics in 4K.

So looking at it that way, perhaps PS4Pro sales is not indicative of a lack of a demand on the console, but a lack of transition on the market. There's honestly no reason to get ahead of yourself with 4Pro, or Scorpio. Why pay the premiums today for the console only to buy a 4K TV 3-5 years from now. When 3-5 years from now there could be an entirely new generation of console. Buyers are just being smart with their money and as you can see power isn't everything. I think the enthusiast market will try to convince everyone that it is, but if people can't see the difference between the two with 1080p screen, they're not going to be willing to shell out for a new console when a perfectly cheaper one is around.

We'll keep monitoring it post November, but I don't suspect 4Pro will ever surpass 4 in sales until much later in the life cycle (as long as things stay the way they are). Unlike PCs where 60fps some people consider the minimal, and 100+ fps is where some of us really like to operate (myself), what else will developers do with the additional power? Now if those Flops get used for truly upgrading visuals but not resolution... well that's something else. And that would still take a while, honestly. 30fps game full pushing a 4Pro at 1080p would probably take some heavy engine/asset changes. But we will probably see this happen as we approach next gen and developers can begin transitioning their engines.

 

[wco81]

The Pro was $150 more plus taxes on that amount during BF?

So why would people buy that over a $250 package with a couple of games?

 

[Deleted member 11852]

The Pro was $150 more plus taxes on that amount during BF? So why would people buy that over a $250 package with a couple of games?

Judging from Ranger's past posts, he subscribes to the belief that performance is a significant factor in determining product choice, despite the fact that sales across a multitude of generations does not support this. Once Scorpio launches in a year's time, it should put debate to rest because you'll be able to compare sales within the PlayStation and Xbox ecosystems, without brand loyalties muddying the water.

All things being equal (like no software divide) I don't see the more expensive consoles outselling the cheaper console, there is literally no product market on the planet where this is the case and I don't see why consoles should be any different.

 

[wco81]

Enthusiasts may go for the Pro. They likely have a PS4 already.

But the parents shopping for their kids, $250 is a generous enough gift for their kids. And it comes with games so no additional expenditures necessary for several months at least.