PS3 sales

[dobwal]

That's not very indicative of PSP selling "badly". It's a matter od DS selling really f**king well, and PSP selling "less well". They're both doing very well, only DS is just selling like hotcakes.

I find it hard to believe that the PSP is selling well, only for the fact that Sony estimates negative growth for the PSP in 2007 (3rd year on the market) and has been doing so for awhile.

That fact alone is not enough to convince me the PSP is selling badly either especially when using comparsion to the DSL, when the price difference is so large.

Sony's lack of aggression on price dropping of the PSP has to reflect on sales. But it makes me believe that Sony sees the PSP as more than just a competitor to the DSL. I think in Sony's eye the PSP also competes in the MP3/portable video player world and that demand will eventually will grow for a product such as the psp in $299 range.

 

[Sankari]

Wow, X360 continues it's strong(er) sales for the month of Nov. And yeesh, the PS3 numbers are low, that's only around 120k/month...

Indeed they are low, they could be selling in hundreds of thousands most likely if it wasn't for those cursed shortages. Atleast its not as bad as I thought it would be. 50k a month.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Indeed they are low, they could be selling in hundreds of thousands most likely if it wasn't for those cursed shortages. Atleast its not as bad as I thought it would be. 50k a month.

You thought they'd have 50k/month during their launch month??

 

[Mintmaster]

Do we have any hard numbers for US sales? I keep hearing about hand-waving "expectations" and analyst predictions, and a couple reports of store allocations cut. I'd prefer to see something based on data.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Do we have any hard numbers for US sales? I keep hearing about hand-waving "expectations" and analyst predictions, and a couple reports of store allocations cut. I'd prefer to see something based on data.

Well according to EA:

"Probst said demand for Sony's much-anticipated PlayStation 3 (PS3), which made its U.S. debut on November 17 for the critical holiday season, was strong but a shortage of supply meant that only about 200,000 units of the game console were sold at retail outlets."

 

[Mintmaster]

Well to me that's one of those handwaving guesstimates (and I did read the thread ). Its one of those statements EA has to make to cover their ass just in case so that the SEC won't come down on them for withholding information.

I was wondering if there's anything more concrete. Hopefully in a few days we can get week 1 and week 2 sales to get an idea of initial shipments and production ability.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Well to me that's one of those handwaving guesstimates (and I did read the thread ). Its one of those statements EA has to make to cover their ass just in case so that the SEC won't come down on them for withholding information.

I was wondering if there's anything more concrete. Hopefully in a few days we can get week 1 and week 2 sales to get an idea of initial shipments and production ability.

Well, I don't really know how these thigns work, but since EA is the world's biggest 3rd party publisher, wouldn't Sony be keeping them up to date on the install base? For their own benefit?

 

[Slay]

I was wondering if there's anything more concrete. Hopefully in a few days we can get week 1 and week 2 sales to get an idea of initial shipments and production ability.

NPD will release their november numbers around December 10, then we will all know the US hardware sales.

 

[Sankari]

You thought they'd have 50k/month during their launch month??

Yup, I thought the production issue was THAT BAD. I don't know how many they ship to USA per month though, so its not all that bad. I just wish they get production fixed by years end and get good 1-2 million consoles to EU launch. (highly unlikely).

 

[Rangers]

NPD will release their november numbers around December 10, then we will all know the US hardware sales.

I think it's "second thursday after the reporting period ends" (NPD reporting period typically=2-3 days either side of calender month end).

So basically expect it either the 7th or 14. I dont know when the reporting period ends so I cant say between those two. Hopefully the former.

I'll be really interested, particularly in 360 sales, as we already have some idea of Wii (~600k) and PS3 (~200k) sales, the wild card here is demand for 360.

A guy on Gaf said his Best Buy received 500 360's, and that if microsoft could sell them they'd have a great holiday. I started thinking, Best Buy got about 30 PS3's on a 200k launch. So 500 translates to almost 2 million nationwide. Sounds like microsoft stocked up big time, now to see if they sell (Gears should help that).
________
RECALL ZOLOFT

 

[pipo]

Sounds like microsoft stocked up big time, now to see if they sell (Gears should help that).

My mate (Europe) just got a 360 from a store which gets new ones on a weekly basis. I've checked the manufacturing date: March 15th.

So I'd say you're right.

 

[AntShaw]

On 2 side notes...

Check you local Best Buy...New shipments of PS3's in. Picked mine up about 2 hours ago. Don't forget to ask!

2nd, I randomly polled some unsuspecting employees about the lack of PS3's available, and what kind of impact that it has been having on consumers (mostly parents) and found that many of them once finding out the PS3/Wii is unavailable, have been purchasing 360 + games or a DS + games.

Take that for what its worth, but it's a FACT Best Buy got some PS3's last night/today!

Enjoy!

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

That's not very indicative of PSP selling "badly". It's a matter od DS selling really f**king well, and PSP selling "less well". They're both doing very well, only DS is just selling like hotcakes.

I know. PSP sells well compared to the other competitors Nintendo had on the handheld market. But it doesnt sell as well as sony had hoped and software sales arnt that good either. PSP is basically dead in Japan (even x360 is getting closer to psp sales each week) and it seems that it mainly sells in EU/USA due to the media options and not really because of the games. So in a sense it failed because youre not buying psp if you want to play a load of new cool games but sony probably does make a nice profit of it.

 

[Sis]

Check you local Best Buy...New shipments of PS3's in. Picked mine up about 2 hours ago. Don't forget to ask!

One indicator of sales number in NA would be the lack of Talledega Nights disc. Basically, once we see PS3's without the disc, we know they hit 500,000 shipped (and thus sold, at this point).

I'm presuming yours included it, since I don't think anyone expects them to be at 500k just yet. But I thought I'd put the feelers out there...

 

[Shifty Geezer]

But it doesnt sell as well as sony had hoped

You'd need to have target figures to back that statement up. AFAIK, expectations for the platform have never been announced. It could be 20 million in 2 years, or whatever it is, is what Sony were expecting.

It seems that it mainly sells in EU/USA due to the media options and not really because of the games. So in a sense it failed because youre not buying psp if you want to play a load of new cool games but sony probably does make a nice profit of it.

The failure of the device to provide games is different to the failure of the device in sales. Maybe it doesn't live up to gamers' expectations, but in sales it's still a healthy platform, even if people are buying it just for the media functions (which are part of PSP's offering, it was designed for that, and valid reasons to get one). I can't see any way to count PSP as a failure - it's just not as big a success as DS.

 

[Sis]

I can't see any way to count PSP as a failure - it's just not as big a success as DS.

In terms of driving revenue to Sony via game sales certainly.

If Sony is indeed losing money on the PSP using the traditional hardware at a loss model, then I think it's quite easy to see the PSP as a failure. As an owner of one, I loved it at first but now really regret buying it. So from a personal standpoint I also consider it a failure.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

In terms of driving revenue to Sony via game sales certainly.

As this thread is about sales numbers though, and not revenues...

If Sony is indeed losing money on the PSP using the traditional hardware at a loss model.

Two years on, they shouldn't be.

 

[London Geezer]

In terms of driving revenue to Sony via game sales certainly.

If Sony is indeed losing money on the PSP using the traditional hardware at a loss model, then I think it's quite easy to see the PSP as a failure. As an owner of one, I loved it at first but now really regret buying it. So from a personal standpoint I also consider it a failure.

Sony hasn't lost money on PSP for ever. Were they ever making a loss on it anyway? Genuine question.

 

[Sis]

As this thread is about sales numbers though, and not revenues...

Very true. But sometimes high sales of something you lose money on isn't necessarily a success, it just means high sales. But now I'm just being argumentative.

Two years on, they shouldn't be.

Also true, but given that then their business model changes to something similar to the iPod model where money is made on the device. Now they must make up lost revenue on the profit of new hardware sales. And given that they don't push through game sales, retailers--I'd imagine--would not be willing to sell at cost, as they do with consoles. So subtract roughly 30% markup for retailer profit...

Anyway, I don't want to derail this further. In terms of sales numbers alone, I agree with you that there is no way to consider the PSP a failure.

Sony hasn't lost money on PSP for ever. Were they ever making a loss on it anyway? Genuine question.

Given the quality of the device when I bought it, I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't know for sure. I thought a recent financials report from Sony blamed the PSP for some of their poor numbers.

 

[dobwal]

Very true. But sometimes high sales of something you lose money on isn't necessarily a success, it just means high sales. But now I'm just being argumentative.
Also true, but given that then their business model changes to something similar to the iPod model where money is made on the device. Now they must make up lost revenue on the profit of new hardware sales. And given that they don't push through game sales, retailers--I'd imagine--would not be willing to sell at cost, as they do with consoles. So subtract roughly 30% markup for retailer profit...

Anyway, I don't want to derail this further. In terms of sales numbers alone, I agree with you that there is no way to consider the PSP a failure.
Given the quality of the device when I bought it, I wouldn't be surprised, but I don't know for sure. I thought a recent financials report from Sony blamed the PSP for some of their poor numbers.

I don't know if you would consider the PSP a failure but Sony's PSP strategy seem unconventional in the least. Sony projected 12 million PSP shipped in FY2006 as late as July down from 14.06 million during FY2005. Now Sony has reprojected just 9 million for FY2006. However, there seem to be no hurry to rectify the trend and reignite interest in the PSP. Either, Sony is distracted by the PS3 launch, sees no fruitful returns in a price drop and/or some marketing at this time or is bucking the traditional strategy for selling game hardware.