Withough a definition of what consitutes an active console, this report becomes even less meaningful. How long between uses counts as active? Does someone sticking a BRD in a PS3 once a month count as an active user when calculating install base?
Seriously, anyone wanting to continue this discussion has to appreciate they'll be arguing with no worthwhile facts whatsoever, so it'll just be a trade of decidedly subjective and mostly unfounded opinions!
I wouldn't rule out there being more "active" PS3s out there, I was just having a "lol analysts" moment.
I would, however, question not only the accuracy but the value of any "active install" base number turned out by analysts.
For example, how does a still working 360 weigh in if it's mostly collecting dust in a spare room or being used a media extender because a new slim is now under the telly? What about an actively used but pirate modded 360? What about a PS3 that's only used for BluRay? What about a Wii that only gets used for Wii Sports at Christmas or Wii Fit after Christmas?
Game sales (+ dlc etc) are the really important thing, along with other money earners like network subscriptions and movie rentals. Hardware sales also generate profit (or loss), and can be used to help predict the shape of things to come, but I'm really not sure about the value of these Strategy Analytics figures.
except that the asp of the 360 is nowhere near 100 anything less than the ps3.
120gb PS3 £250 (or £230 on Amazon) 250gb 360 £150.
Wii: 67.89M
360: 40.54M
PS3: 36.24M
Given we have newish European sales report though, GAF says this for EU+USA+Japan through December 2010 (using that Europe report, NPD, and media create life to date through 2010, of course this wouldn't include everything outside those regions):
Withough a definition of what consitutes an active console, this report becomes even less meaningful. How long between uses counts as active? Does someone sticking a BRD in a PS3 once a month count as an active user when calculating install base?
Seriously, anyone wanting to continue this discussion has to appreciate they'll be arguing with no worthwhile facts whatsoever, so it'll just be a trade of decidedly subjective and mostly unfounded opinions!
The 360 was obviously hit hard by the RROD so there is obviously not as many in circulation as sold but the YLOD also hit fat PS3's pretty good and I don't know what the error rates are to compare. Has there been any mass Wii failures?
They say PS3 has more active units than XB360. Posters here say XB360 has a bigger install base, it can't be true. Without any definition of what they mean by active, it's a completely useless measurement, notably because what they consider active may not be what those posting here would consider active. Like I said, what if people are watching BRDs on PS3 and that counts? That makes no difference to the install base for games. What if the XB360 units see 50% more action? That makes it a more lucrative base even with a few fewer active users.I don't understand why all those facts should be known to us for this info to be somewhat valuable. I'm not going to fork 7000$ to read the full report to know how exactly they have made their estimate, but this is not predicting the future or anything like that. They should have the means to conduct a proper survey and have it be as accurate as any other well made survey, just because we don't know the exact definitions for everything doesn't automatically make the paper any less relevant.
They say PS3 has more active units than XB360. Posters here say XB360 has a bigger install base, it can't be true. Without any definition of what they mean by active, it's a completely useless measurement, notably because what they consider active may not be what those posting here would consider active.
what exactly is done with this information?
Active user base is an important metric, more important than "simple installed base measure"
It's an up to date situation of the healthtiness of an ecosystem.
"Active userbase" could potentially be a more misleading figure to base a business decision on than "simple installed base".