MS release a few sales numbers
- Thread starter PARANOiA
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Yes, Goldeneye was just one game, but it was a game that showed that a well implemented FPS could be wildly popular on a console platform with the profit potential that is practically impossible on a PC. Even today, the only FPSes that have equaled Goldeneye in terms of popularity and sales is Halo2 and 3. Goldeneye, Turok and Pefect Dark showed the potential of the genre outside of the PC realm and acted as catalysts for the current enviroment .
Microsoft made it easier for traditional PC FPS dev to move into the console realm, but the success of games like Goldeneye, Turok, Perfect Dark and others showed the FPS genre on console was viable and created the desire for traditional PC FPS to venture into the console realm. There are a healthy amount of FPSes on the PS2 such as Timesplitters, COD, MOH, SOCOM, TC Ghost Recon, Star Wars: Battlefront and others that didn't have the benefit of a friendly enviroment created by MS.
Most current or ex-PC gamers were introduced to gaming through consoles. Plus most current or ex-PC gamers tend to be older and have been around alot longer. The success of console FPSes aren't that big of a surprise given that most PC gamers have been enjoying the genre for a while now. Goldeneye and other successful titles acted as catalyst to start the migration of FPS's popularity onto consoles which was further realized with the introduction of online play into consoles.
Another important event that lead to greater penetration of FPSes onto console was the advent of the dual analog controllers introduced by Sony and became a standard control feature last generation across all consoles.
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Come on people, Halo wasn't the FPS that started the whole console FPS thing, you have to recognise it for what it really did, and that was making online FPS popular on consoles. Sure, it helped make fps on consoles great in general also, but it's biggest success was in the online space, and the Live service along with it (and vice versa). Now sure, Socom also did its part, and had more players at some point, but I'm sure that the existence of Socom online on the PS2 was partly inspired by the success of Halo.
silhouette
Regular
7-8M this year alone is very impressive given that the price is still very close to what it was at the launch (350$ vs. 400$). Once they drive the price down to 200$ levels, that's when you expect larger sales!
yes MS did channel stuff, but they did claim 10.4 until the end of 2006 (or 8.9 for the year) this year they're claiming 7.3. do we let them off the hook for distorting/spinning their figures at the end of 2006? i say not. all 3 companies should be held to the same standard, sony have fudged their figures as well or so i remember
my point is 7.3million is not very impressive/extremely well,
as it seems the ps3 shipped a similar number during the year whilst the wii shipped ~twice as many (which makes that what? super duper amazingly extremely well )
my point is 7.3million is not very impressive/extremely well,
as it seems the ps3 shipped a similar number during the year whilst the wii shipped ~twice as many (which makes that what? super duper amazingly extremely well )
woundingchaney
Regular
8 million in a year is not impressive
In two years time MS is still only sitting on an approx. 18 million install base.
In two years time MS is still only sitting on an approx. 18 million install base.
Agreed.
Also, note that xb360 "core" has only dropped $20 since 2005.
I expect another pricedrop this spring. And I expect to yet again, to be disappointed.
Nice to hear from you Chef. Happy new year!
You also think that a price cut will happens, especialy if we're taking in account recent MS statment about how strategic Europe is.
They're still strong UK not too bad in some others european countries, Sony sales in Japan are still low, si if MS want to gain market shares...
You also think that a price cut will happens, especialy if we're taking in account recent MS statment about how strategic Europe is.
They're still strong UK not too bad in some others european countries, Sony sales in Japan are still low, si if MS want to gain market shares...
People here knew actually what MS did last year when info came about and was eventually confirmed by MS's less than stellar shipment amounts for the first quarter and half of 2007. The MS's spinning at the end of 06 is old news, so why should we revisit that discussion? Plus, it came back to bite them with the underreported numbers of 07.
Remove the spinning during last holiday season and you still get 17.7 million over a 26 month period. MS is not harking on the 7.3 number, they are harking on the 17.7 number. We still have 3 to 4 years to go in this generation with MS within 7 million consoles of what the xbox shipped. Ultimately, the 360 is selling (consumer sales not shipment numbers) better than it did last year despite the availablity of the PS3 and the Wii.
I guess you have to define the context to determine if 17.7 is impressive or not.
If you looking at it from the "race to #1" perspective, 17.7 doesn't mean much in face of the sales rate of the Wii. If you looking at it from the "compared to the xbox" perspective, 17.7 looks very impressive.
Lets see how Sony reports their number since their definition change of the term "shipped" will allow them to include a chunk of the 5-6 million shipped by March 06 as part of the shipment numbers for 07. The Wii on the other hand doesn't have to misreport their numbers as "we can't meet demand" dominates that discussion.
More important than 17.7, is going to be the sales in december. A big number for december, one that defies the historical performance of the original xbox, is critical to truly signal they are on a different trajectory this time around. Im not sure what that # is, but off the top of my head 1.8-2.0 million sounds like a good range.
Out of curiosity, what did the xbox and ps2 sell in their prime holiday seasons?
Also, i think January will be kinder to MS than usual as the chain resupplies with premiums. Of course, this is based purely on the fact that i cant find any.
Out of curiosity, what did the xbox and ps2 sell in their prime holiday seasons?
Also, i think January will be kinder to MS than usual as the chain resupplies with premiums. Of course, this is based purely on the fact that i cant find any.
More important than 17.7, is going to be the sales in december. A big number for december, one that defies the historical performance of the original xbox, is critical to truly signal they are on a different trajectory this time around. Im not sure what that # is, but off the top of my head 1.8-2.0 million sounds like a good range.
Out of curiosity, what did the xbox and ps2 sell in their prime holiday seasons?
Also, i think January will be kinder to MS than usual as the chain resupplies with premiums. Of course, this is based purely on the fact that i cant find any.
Best christmas for the xbox was Nov-Dec 04 (Halo 2) when they moved about 1.75 mil in the US.
Best christmas for the PS2 is around 4 million in the US.
scooby_dooby
Legend
I don't really see how pretending they didn't have a great year is somehow keeping them "On the hook".
The reality is, 7.3 million + whatever they had over stuffed from 2006 is pretty darned good, and significantly above PS3 shipments.
It's not Wii numbers, they truly are great, but at the same time we all know what the realiity is for software publishers on the Wii (dismal), so the Wii is not exactly a huge threat to steal development resources.
I see it more as a two horse race here, the Wii will go on to do whatever it does without greatly affecting the other 2 consoles.
What? That's nonsense. Halo 1 didn't even have online.
It didn't have the same kind of competition the 360 faces now from Wii and DS, and it cost $200. 4 mln is not even remotely possibly for Xmas 2007.
Microsoft's pricing strategy is laughable. By dropping prices so little the first time even their second price drop is going to look measly... Selling fewer hardware units in their second full year than the first is basically inexcusable, especially when you've got the strongest software lineup and the Halo 3 launch to bolster things.
The impressive result is in their domination of software sales and thereby turning a profit.
In the face of the Wii phenomenon and the highly-subsidized PS3, the 360 sold better in 2007 than 2006 (even if shipments weren't aligned that way). Sales even went up in Japan and Europe compared to 2006.
It looks like a successfully executed business plan to me.
In the face of the Wii phenomenon and the highly-subsidized PS3, the 360 sold better in 2007 than 2006 (even if shipments weren't aligned that way). Sales even went up in Japan and Europe compared to 2006.
It looks like a successfully executed business plan to me.
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