Console Sales

[mark_f1man]

I would be interested to know how the console sales figures for different territories pan out. Here in New Zealand the XBox is giving PS2 a run for its money in terms of current sales, although I think it's still a reasonable way behind on installed user base.

Here is a press release on console sales, admittedly from Microsoft, but I wouldn't be surprised if its true. I'm not really a Microsoft fan but must give them kudos for great marketing and promotion of the XBox over here. I don't know where Gamecube sits but you don't hear much about it. I heard a figure for total sales value six months or so ago which for the Gamecube was in the single digit percent range.

XBOX® ACHIEVES 53% MARKET SHARE

THIS CHRISTMAS, XBOX MARKS THE SPOT

2nd December 2003 - New Zealand is now the most successful Xbox territory in the world!

With 53 per cent market share in console sales, more than 50,000 Xboxes in Kiwi homes and the launch of Xbox Live!, Xbox is certainly looking strong this Christmas. And all of this from a console that was launched only 12 months ago.

“The last three weeks have been amazing,â€￾ says Wilf Robinson, country head, HED division. “Three weeks ago we got 51 per cent, last week we achieved 43 per cent and this week we came in at 53 per cent.

http://www.xbox.com/en-NZ/news/0312/XboxAchieves53MarketShare.htm

 

[V3]

With 53 per cent market share in console sales, more than 50,000 Xboxes in Kiwi homes and the launch of Xbox Live!, Xbox is certainly looking strong this Christmas. And all of this from a console that was launched only 12 months ago.

Xbox sold more than that in Japan. MS Japan should also held conferences when Xbox gets 300% sales increased

Seriously, people don't play videogames in New Zealand ? I heard you can drive a car by 15 in NZ, that's probably why.

 

[jvd]

With 53 per cent market share in console sales, more than 50,000 Xboxes in Kiwi homes and the launch of Xbox Live!, Xbox is certainly looking strong this Christmas. And all of this from a console that was launched only 12 months ago.

Xbox sold more than that in Japan. MS Japan should also held conferences when Xbox gets 300% sales increased

Seriously, people don't play videogames in New Zealand ? I heard you can drive a car by 15 in NZ, that's probably why.

Kinda wierd huh. But the press release is right. If there are only 200,000 systems floating around in that area and xbox has sold over 100,000 then they have over 50% and are the market leaders .

Amazing how press releases can tell the truth and yet its so shady

 

[Teasy]

If this is the best MS has to announce then it really doesn't bode well for XBox so far this Christmas.

 

[V3]

“The last three weeks have been amazing,” says Wilf Robinson, country head, HED division. “Three weeks ago we got 51 per cent, last week we achieved 43 per cent and this week we came in at 53 per cent.

3 weeks ago = 51%
2 weeks ago = 43%
at the end of this week = 53%

That's a very volatile statistic. Its either the market is volatile, or its just a silly thing to use percentage to view your data. In this case the performance is perceptually inflated.

 

[cthellis42]

And just think, the first console to make a sale in a brand new territory will instantly have 100% marketshare!

I really wish companies would stop releasing "PR statistics" so full of words and signifying... nothing. I don't mind if they toss them in the middle of some overall reports (because they're gonna), but they should BE providing the actual overall numbers so their customers and their investors will ACTUALLY know their performance.

 

[Qroach]

If this is the best MS has to announce then it really doesn't bode well for XBox so far this Christmas.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. The same could be said for the many sales reports nintendo released from the UK claiming huge increases from weeks where the xbox was out selling it 8-1. It's just the PR game.

 

[marconelly!]

More sales!

PS2=97,000
XBOX=25,000
GAMECUBE=19,000

15:29 Sony's mind-bogglingly successful PS2 continues to wow the Great British public, with just under a staggering 97,000 units shifted for the week ending December 6 - that's up nearly 25 percent on the previous week.
With the exception of Nokia's N-Gage, which continues to underperform, all of the consoles enjoyed stable or increased sales. Ninty's GBA sold just over 6,500 units, which is pretty much in keeping with last week's figure. The GBA SP reached just over 38,000 units however, an increase of over 20 percent.

GameCube enjoyed a similar rise, selling just short of 19,000 units, while the Xbox climbed 16 percent to shift over 25,000 units. Sadly, the N-Gage struggles on, with ChartTrack's latest figures revealing the phone-console hybrid sold less than 250 units in the 6,000 accredited specialist games retailers, down 4 percent on last week's figures.

But it should be noted that these figures don't cover sales from mobile phone specialists like Carphone Warehouse.


CVG

 

[Teasy]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. The same could be said for the many sales reports nintendo released from teh UK claiming huge increases from weeks where the xbox was out selling it 8-1.

If Nintendo put out a press release hailing increased sales in the U.K while being outsold 8:1 by their closest competitor then I would say that wouldn't have boded well for GC at that particular time. So I stand by what I said.

P.S. when specifically did Nintendo release such a press release?

 

[Qroach]

Teasy, I don't recall if it was 8-1, but whatever it was, it was pretty high before the increase annoucement. btw, I said "from the previous weeks" Then they claimed a 400% increase in sales and quadrupled sales, despite the fact it was only selling 1000 units per month before the price drop.

P.S. when specifically did Nintendo release such a press release?

http://gamesindustry.net/content_page.php?section_name=ret&aid=2390

 

[cthellis42]

PS2=97,000
XBOX=25,000
GAMECUBE=19,000

Jeebus...! Can PS2's be SLI'd or something and I just never heard of it? Why so many still?!

's creepy

 

[marconelly!]

Jeebus...! Can PS2's be SLI'd or something and I just never heard of it?

I think they can, actually, but only GT3 supports that feature You can link three consoles using iLink cables and play the game on three monitors, much like the Ferarri 355 arcade (you put two TVs on both sides and can see roadsides on them)

 

[cthellis42]

Must be a lot of GT3 fans in England with spare TV's, then! Hehe...

 

[Evil_Cloud]

GT3 sold over 15Mil by now?

 

[akira888]

With 53 per cent market share in console sales, more than 50,000 Xboxes in Kiwi homes and the launch of Xbox Live!, Xbox is certainly looking strong this Christmas. And all of this from a console that was launched only 12 months ago.

Xbox sold more than that in Japan. MS Japan should also held conferences when Xbox gets 300% sales increased

Seriously, people don't play videogames in New Zealand ? I heard you can drive a car by 15 in NZ, that's probably why.

Actually, there are less people in NZ than there are in my city. That's why sales seem rather tepid.

 

[cthellis42]

Oh come now, don't be cruel... Houston's population is around 2 million, isn't it? New Zealand's 2003 projection is ~4 million! NYC kicks their ass, though.

 

[Deepak]

There are 15 mil people in New Delhi, I wonder what was the breakup of sales...

 

[mark_f1man]

I'm guessing that the percentages Microsoft are quoting are for sales of the console itself. This is perhaps because they released the XBox **so late** over here. As the press release says - just one year ago. That is not a misprint. For some reason it was released here quite alot later than in Australia.

Certainly based on the following weekly games sales chart for PS2/Xbox/Nintendo/PC the percentages probably don't apply to games sales...

New Zealand Top 10 Charts

Here are the New Zealand Top 10 Sales Charts for the week ending December 7th as compiled by Inform Data. New entries marked bold.

TOP 10 ALL FORMATS


Need For Speed: Underground (PS2) - EA
Medal of Honor: Rising Sun (PS2) - EA
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (PS2) - EA
Ratchet & Clank 2 (PS2) - Sony
Tony Hawk Underground (PS2) - Softprint
Need For Speed: Underground (Xbox) - EA
Jak II: Renegade (PS2) - Sony
Eyetoy: Play (PS2) - Sony
Rugby 2004 (PS2) - EA
Dragonball Z: Budokai 2 (PS2) - Atari

 

[cthellis42]

<laughs> That's petty amusing. New Zealanders been doing a lot of importing from Australia that doesn't show up on official NZ sales, then?

 

[mark_f1man]

Seriously, people don't play videogames in New Zealand ? I heard you can drive a car by 15 in NZ, that's probably why.

I wouldn't know how we compare to the rest of the world. Did find this press release from Sony:

Sony Computer Entertainment NZ has unveiled the "Mountain" television commercial as part of the launch for the new PlayStation 2 brand campaign, 'fun, anyone?'.

The new campaign reflects and supports SCENZ's strategy to diversify their consumer base and the appeal of PlayStation 2 to a wider audience as a social, accessible and fun form of entertainment.

"PlayStation 2 continues to be the preferred choice of kiwi gamers with more than 175,000 PS2's in New Zealand homes - three and a half times that of our nearest competitor. And PlayStation 2 titles totally dominate the NZ game charts - no wonder given PS2's massive worldwide installed base of more than 60 million," said Steve Dykes, Managing Director SCENZ. "The fun factor in gaming is also rapidly evolving as perceptions of console gaming changes from being an individual, intense and planned activity to a social, spontaneous and fun experience. The intention of our campaign 'fun, anyone? is to communicate the social aspects of gaming and the fun behind it".

For a population of 4,000,000:
175,000 PS2's = 1 PS2 / 22.8 people
50,000 Xbox's = 1 Xbox / 80 people
440,000 PS1's = 1 PS1 / 9.1 people

Sony, which shipped 440,000 of its PlayStation One consoles to in New Zealand, equivalent to a console in one in three homes, believes it will sell 300-350,000 PS2 units here over the life of the product.

How does that compare to other countries/regions?