PS3 sales
- Thread starter Laa-Yosh
- Start date
Skyring, I wouldn't expect the price drop.
Anecdote: Yesterday was New Years Eve and some people came over to my apartment before they headed out elsewhere. One of the guys with them commented: "How in the world did you get a PS3?" Now, this guy IMO has a mentality that reflects that of most of mainstream America; they know what they've been told in the news - PS3 is impossible to find, eBAY prices are $5000+, there will be extremely limited shipments, and you'll never find one. Now... life goes on, and for these people there's other things to do besides hunt one down. For the PS3 'hardcore,' yes they'll find one. But for the casuals with the money and desire to pick one up, I just think there's a total disconnect. For now, their interest will die down... and I'm not even saying it shouldn't, but thngs could have gone much differently for Sony if the launch didn't blow up on them.
I really think that the PS3 has suffered the most 'damaged' console launch in history by the way the profiteers so greatly skewed the landscape on launch day. I'll be writing something a little lengthier up on the subject, but for the next couple of months I imagine that PS3 sales will be so-so in their movement. Come March, I expect them to start picking up again as the games and OS begin to flesh out. It's just in my opinion a little tragic, and if I were Sony there are a number of things I would have done differently with the launch pricing/bundling. At the same time however, I guess how could they have expected this level of 'madness' surrounding the launch? Hopefully the European launch won't be marred by the same "95% initial sales to be resold" effect we saw here.
Anecdote: Yesterday was New Years Eve and some people came over to my apartment before they headed out elsewhere. One of the guys with them commented: "How in the world did you get a PS3?" Now, this guy IMO has a mentality that reflects that of most of mainstream America; they know what they've been told in the news - PS3 is impossible to find, eBAY prices are $5000+, there will be extremely limited shipments, and you'll never find one. Now... life goes on, and for these people there's other things to do besides hunt one down. For the PS3 'hardcore,' yes they'll find one. But for the casuals with the money and desire to pick one up, I just think there's a total disconnect. For now, their interest will die down... and I'm not even saying it shouldn't, but thngs could have gone much differently for Sony if the launch didn't blow up on them.
I really think that the PS3 has suffered the most 'damaged' console launch in history by the way the profiteers so greatly skewed the landscape on launch day. I'll be writing something a little lengthier up on the subject, but for the next couple of months I imagine that PS3 sales will be so-so in their movement. Come March, I expect them to start picking up again as the games and OS begin to flesh out. It's just in my opinion a little tragic, and if I were Sony there are a number of things I would have done differently with the launch pricing/bundling. At the same time however, I guess how could they have expected this level of 'madness' surrounding the launch? Hopefully the European launch won't be marred by the same "95% initial sales to be resold" effect we saw here.
I think you answered the question, but not in the way you intended. Right now there's honestly no reason for anybody but Sony fans to own a PS3. I say that without heading into "fan-boy" territory, but I believe that in the general publics mind that there must be at least some foundation to the endless bashing they've heard of the PS3. Alas, there's no games to draw them in and that PS3 simply has a bad aurora around it. However, that does not mean the PS3 has any leeway in that its okay for it not to be selling where it should, because it should be selling better, a lot better in fact but its not. That's the title of this thread points out, that there is a number of PS3s that are simply not being sold, for whatever reasons.
The linked article actually says more than "PS3 not selling out". The title reads "Plenty of PS3s, No Takers". Given the site's long history of Sony bashing, some will conclude that it's yet another anti sony propaganda.
Other anecdoctal articles exist. Again depending on the posters, the tone and interpretations varies. It's best to comment after we have some hard numbers.
No doubt...
Nintendo has prepared well. With a lower price and a larger target audience, they have also successfully communicated its "fun" factor to everyone and supplied sufficient units to establish a good base. The result shows their fruits of labor.
Sony launched PS3 with little or no marketing (compared to Xbox 360). They also failed to deliver sufficient units before Christmas. We will soon see the impact on PS3 due to Sony's own fumble. It would be a good lesson for Sony management whatever their original intentions were. I hope they have woke up
As for Xbox 360 availability issues until early spring, it's also partly due to their inability to supply the quantity as fast as Sony could.
Eventually I expect Walmart to sell fewer PS3 (compared to PS2 and compared to BestBuy). Traditionally, Walmart attracts the bargain buyers. The traditional BestBuy profile should meet early PS3 owners better.
For now, PS3 is selling itself at a high price. Once supply goes up, Sony may consider cross-promoting its services (e.g., apply for Sony credit card and get US$150 credits towards a PS3 purchase): http://www.fatwallet.com/t/52/676257/
thatdude90210
Regular
So what could Sony have done?
This is probably obvious, but Sony could have delayed the launch another few weeks and launched with a greater number. I think most of that profiteering came down to having such a limited number.
But I would go further and suggest that they could have mirrored the 360 core & premium. A 20GB premium version for $499 and a core version without an HD for $399. That way there's only a perceived $100 difference. And they would still get Blu-ray into the living room.
The market for a $599 console can't be that big. And worst, it devalues the 20GB version... making it less desirable. This would leave another market for Sony to sell aftermarket 60GB/100GB replacement HD's.
This is probably obvious, but Sony could have delayed the launch another few weeks and launched with a greater number. I think most of that profiteering came down to having such a limited number.
But I would go further and suggest that they could have mirrored the 360 core & premium. A 20GB premium version for $499 and a core version without an HD for $399. That way there's only a perceived $100 difference. And they would still get Blu-ray into the living room.
The market for a $599 console can't be that big. And worst, it devalues the 20GB version... making it less desirable. This would leave another market for Sony to sell aftermarket 60GB/100GB replacement HD's.
Wii Sports isn't meant to be a deep game; you can't even control your own character's movements in Tennis, or manipulate.. well... anything in Baseball beyond batting and pitching. Most people should pick up on this fairly quickly.
And limited by what, exactly? We're looking at the first wave of games thus far. The Sports do a fairly good job of demonstrating some basic applications, but if you think Wii Sports is the be-all, end-all of Wiimote usage, you're sorely mistaken.
Wii's price isn't the only factor for its runaway success; word of mouth has been nothing but positive, at least in my area, and the more people try it, the more people want it... not the other way around because it's too "shallow" or "limited" but because of its fun and potential.
But I guess you'll be enjoying a PS3, huh? Sony's banking on "more of the same, but better" with effectively stolen ideas, after all. Tried and true, right?
Okay....really dude u used this as your proof?....These links are subjective, anecdotal evidence at best. With statements like...."Sitting there without any sort of rush to get them"-How can this even be verified. And somehow that proves that PS3 is not selling out in the states...oh yeah and your last link was a dude from Canada! This is commom Rhetoric of Anti-PS3 from a site known for it....Really how can u take Kotaku stories seriously?
Give me better proof!
So what happens when this poor 'average guy' is in the most 'mainstream' of America's stores and spots a number of PS3's sitting on the shelf? Does he snap them up with dreams of retirement dancing in his head, operating under the false assumption that they are extremely rare? The truth is that this 'average' guy will most likely encounter one for sale reasonably quickly. After a few encounters, should he think that he was just fortunate or that perhaps the bubble has burst? Will that have negative effect on his perceptions of the PS3?
Where did I even mention the PS3?
The Wii games are only capable of detecting acceleration, not the position of the user's limbs in space, right?
So that means all you have to do is flick your wrists to throw a pitch, swing a tennis racquet or swing a baseball.
There could be baseball games which let you field and throw to bases. But they would still be limited to mostly detecting acceleration of motion?
So you really don't need to swing like a baseball batter? Once the immersion of having to do the actual motion is gone, then you could do any gesture to replace button presses on conventional games.
Now, that's just the way I look at it. For all I know, they'll sell 100 million of these things and most people will play this thing even 5 years from now like you have to mimick the actual motion.
The Wii games are only capable of detecting acceleration, not the position of the user's limbs in space, right?
So that means all you have to do is flick your wrists to throw a pitch, swing a tennis racquet or swing a baseball.
There could be baseball games which let you field and throw to bases. But they would still be limited to mostly detecting acceleration of motion?
So you really don't need to swing like a baseball batter? Once the immersion of having to do the actual motion is gone, then you could do any gesture to replace button presses on conventional games.
Now, that's just the way I look at it. For all I know, they'll sell 100 million of these things and most people will play this thing even 5 years from now like you have to mimick the actual motion.
thatdude90210
Regular
That's exactly what I'm suggesting. Do it just like the 360 for all games, if that's what it took to get $399/$499 SKU's. This was along the line of what they could have done, not what they should do now.
If you can get accurate acceleration information, you can compute the position from a reference point. I don't know how accurate the Analog Device's sensor chip is, though.
Sony's already losing a massive amount of money on the $600, and it's a barebones kit. The differentiation would surely have to go beyond "no hard drive" to get a working $400 price point. As well, if hard drive support was crippled and the WiFi remained the only true breaking feature of the $600 model, people would just flock to aftermarket $100~ wireless gateways with the $400 model. Why bother with the $600?
The linked article actually says more than "PS3 not selling out". The title reads "Plenty of PS3s, No Takers". Given the site's long history of Sony bashing, some will conclude that it's yet another anti sony propaganda.
It goes beyond anectdotal evidence at this point. Some will name call as posters in this thread have done, but the links I posted have a number of reputable people in the community noting availability.
I think it is palpably obvious based on the sheer number of individual sources making the same claims that there is availability, and not just one or two stores. I don't doubt regional differences or the fact that they are still hard to find. But it clearly is not as in such demand as the other consoles were at launch.
Sony launched PS3 with little or no marketing (compared to Xbox 360). They also failed to deliver sufficient units before Christmas. We will soon see the impact on PS3 due to Sony's own fumble. It would be a good lesson for Sony management whatever their original intentions were. I hope they have woke up
People lined up waiting OVER 24 hours for PS3s. The PS3 launch date was well known, before Nintendo released their date. The magazines covered it, it was all over the news--big sites like CNN, MSNBC, etc--and every gaming site was covering this.
The Xbox 360 shipped 1.5M units in CY 2005 and there was a larger demand than supply in 2005 (with demand beginning to stabalize with supply by late winter/early spring). Units were picked up quickly in CY 2005.
Sony is trending toward fewer units in CY 2006 compared to MS in CY 2005. I am not sure where your comment about ability ti supply quanitity comes from, but from every report Sony has FEWER PS3s this year than MS had Xbox 360s last year.
Considering the fact Sony has like 5x as many fans and a strong Japanese support base Sony should have no issue selling more units, quicker, than MS or Nintendo.
The fact is Wiis, with more units, are harder to find and we are starting to see PS3s sitting on shelves. Not many -- but enough to raise eyebrows. And I think the answer is simple.
It isn't because people don't want PS3s--they do.
It isn't because the Wii is viewed as a better product--I don't think gamers think that.
It isn't because people seem them and don't think of picking one up--I think they consider it.
It isn't due to lack of games--the PS brand is a monster.
It isn't because the PS3 is going to fail--not even close.
It isn't because of Ebay--the Xbox 360 got nailed last year too and yet people still picked them up.
It isn't because of perceived value--the PS3 is viewed as faster and with more technology.
I think the primary reason is price.
And the secondary reason is related, and it is competition. The Xbox 360 was the only NG system last year. This year Sony has to compete with the 360 (with comparable games and cheaper) and the "different" Wii which is a lot cheaper.
I agree with XBD -- demand for the PS3 IS there. I don't think these units will sit for a week.
But I also think the mad dash to get them isn't there either. It is for Wiis -- people are eating those alive. When people see a Wii they get it. End of story. When they see a PS3 they look at their wallet... they look at the Xbox 360 kiosk... they look at their wallet... and they decide to wait.
So when 10 people see a Wii, 5 immediately buy one.
When 10 people see a PS3, 1 immediately buys one.
We agree on many point, others we diverge. That is how I see it. I could be wrong, but then again I have watched PS3s sitting on shelves and people look at them and then move on.
Selling out in 5 hours (PS3) or selling out in 10 minutes (Wii) is good either way. And one could argue that the Wii demand is more image driven and is subject to change depending on how future games come along (i.e. this falls demand was largely driven by the hardware and NOT the software) whereas PS3 demand will only continue to grow as software becomes available and supply channels strengthen. Personally I think cost is a huge concern, but I do so strong PS3 demand until at least after the Spring Euro launch.
/end unpopular opinion
Jawed
Legend
Have no fear, the folding@home community is busily buying up all the excess:
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost158569.html#158569
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost159022.html#159022
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost159554.html#159554
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost159555.html#159555
etc.
Jawed
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost158569.html#158569
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost159022.html#159022
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost159554.html#159554
http://forum.folding-community.org/fpost159555.html#159555
etc.
Jawed
Opinion Only...
Until we see January NPD this means nothing other than Sony is supplying units at a good rate. My speculation though is... at $600+tax+accessories and a typical launch lineup to choose from they're quickly running out of willing buyers in NA. Not debating whether it's worth it or not. I'm sure a Hummer is worth every penny too. It's just more than most people are willing/able to spend to play video games. (games being the killer app).
But its a powerful machine, come late 07 or 2008 after a price reduction and several must own games. The ps3 will have no trouble selling/competing but the 360 lead is getting larger. The problem with the current ps3 strategy is its a 'first launch strategy' (too expensive, poor lineup, availability). This console war should be interesting to watch. Also I wonder how the very weak Dollar will play into Microsoft's cost reduction scheme vs. Sony's.
Until we see January NPD this means nothing other than Sony is supplying units at a good rate. My speculation though is... at $600+tax+accessories and a typical launch lineup to choose from they're quickly running out of willing buyers in NA. Not debating whether it's worth it or not. I'm sure a Hummer is worth every penny too. It's just more than most people are willing/able to spend to play video games. (games being the killer app).
But its a powerful machine, come late 07 or 2008 after a price reduction and several must own games. The ps3 will have no trouble selling/competing but the 360 lead is getting larger. The problem with the current ps3 strategy is its a 'first launch strategy' (too expensive, poor lineup, availability). This console war should be interesting to watch. Also I wonder how the very weak Dollar will play into Microsoft's cost reduction scheme vs. Sony's.
Dude... really... stop being so defensive.
And if you didn't notice the reliable, honest, most trustworthy Acert93 (applause) is a witness to such an event. Likewise other respected members of the community here. Heck, Nuc gave the ADDRESS to the store they were available (I wasn't so dumb as I would fully expect someone like Nerve-Damage to start hunting me down to discredit me or flaming my internet activity habits).
I guess multiple posters on B3D are all liars. All I know is that I saw 2 PS3s sitting in their shelf with quite a few people in the electronics area and when I left they were still there. Seeing as there are a number of reports that align with my own experience I tend to believe them.
Of course they could all be lies and my experience the exception... but I highly doubt it.
Tell me where as I've been toying with the thoughts of flying over to NA to just pick up a PS3.
I think an easier way to gauge demand for consoles is simply to check eBay. There are a ton more datapoints and it's somewhat region agnostic since so much of them are shipped rather than cash-n-carried.
That said, PS3 prices on eBay have dropped quite dramatically and no longer go for 1K+.
My 2 cents.
That said, PS3 prices on eBay have dropped quite dramatically and no longer go for 1K+.
My 2 cents.
