Sony hardware sales on the decline

By Ellie Gibson Published 29 January, 2009

PS3 games on the up, though.

Sony's third quarter financial report has revealed hardware sales for all its consoles were down compared to the previous year.

For the three months ending 31st December 2008, the games division recorded sales and operating revenue of JPY 393.8 billion (USD 4328 million). That figure is down 32.2 per cent year-on-year.

PS3 sales fell by 44,000 units to reach 4.46 million. Game sales were up by 14.8 million units, reaching 40.8 million in total.

The PSP also proved a little less popular, with sales falling by 68,000 units to hit 5.08 million. Sales of games for the handheld fell by 2.8 million to 15.5 million.

Old faithful the PS2 also saw a decline, with hardware sales dropping from 2.88 million to 2.52 million. Game sales were down by a whopping 31.2 million, amounting to a still rather respectable 29.7 million.

Sony also saw a 97 per cent decrease in operating income to JPY 0.4 billion (USD 4 million). The company blamed the appreciation of the yen against the euro, along with the decline in hardware and software sales.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (129) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bivith #1 3 years ago

    lol

  • Katsumoto #2 3 years ago

    I recommend c.100 comments about how Sony are shit etc?

  • zedzee #3 3 years ago

    At last, the beginning of the end for PS3.

  • symmetry #4 3 years ago

    Oh man, all the next gen consoles are going to be cheap, cheerful & crap - just like the Wii :(

  • Borealis_UK #5 3 years ago

    Isn't a thousand million a billion?

  • miiiguel #6 3 years ago

    Bilion is an american word. Well..., at least in Portugal "bilion" does not exist.

    "Oh man, all the next gen consoles are going to be cheap, cheerful & crap - just like the Wii :( "
    I don't know about that, but I think someone is going to think twice before saying stuff like "You'll have to have two jobs to get a PS3"; "Yes, it's expensive, you'll have to earn it..." and shit like that.

  • b00n #7 3 years ago

    Let's wait and compare with the other 2. But this at least isn't good news for Sony.

  • mingster #8 3 years ago

    an american billion is a 1000 million... english billion is a million, million
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 12:28

  • snafu65 #9 3 years ago

    It's not looking good for Sony and it's shiny, black monolith, the PS3 desperately needs a price cut but Sony aren't really in the position where they can afford it. After a decade could Sony's domination of the console market be at an and?.

  • Vistrix #10 3 years ago

    Sony. Dead. Sony is finished etc etc.

    Even though their gaming division just posted a major profit, I dont think this kind of attitude will stop.

  • j1m.ch053n #11 3 years ago

    I'm not so sure. those sales figures are actually only down marginally and we are in the middle of a credit crunch/recession. I dont think there too bad actually

  • Vanmunt #12 3 years ago

    Its a good job MS have very deep pockets as they are determined to break into (or break!) the console market.. I can see the PS3 selling well this year, but at what cost.. losing even more money per unit sold and not breaking even!, will this be the last Sony console?

    Gaming would be a very sad place with only MS to fleece everybody at every angle to recoup all the RROD loses on the 360, and even worse more shit shovel ware from Nintendo.

  • SeesThroughAll #13 3 years ago

    Billion does exist... It's the definition of 1000 million that is American.

  • Xerx3s #14 3 years ago

    "Bilion is an american word."

    No it isn't. It's an internationally accepted number notation and has a notation in all the relevant dictionaries (such as the oed).

    link.

  • Scimarad #15 3 years ago

    "Sony's third quarter financial report has revealed hardware sales for all its consoles were down compared to the previous year."

    Hmm, I wonder why that could possibly be...possibly because nobody has any bloody money to spend?
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 09:40

  • miiiguel #16 3 years ago

    Arrrgh... Article... about ... Sony.... not... bad, bad MS.... or kiddy...kiddy Nintendo.

    Anger. Management. Faults. Are. Sony. Not. MS & Ninty...


    edit: yes, and european billion does seem to exist, it happen it was eclipsed by the american one. You were right, I was wrong. Learnt something new real early today.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 09:42

  • mcmonkeyplc #17 3 years ago

    Major profit eh? Did that come from the magical tree of profit?

  • Jimbob89 #18 3 years ago

    This past week i've actually been REALLY tempted to buy a ps3, even though i have an xbox 360 with at least 35games on it. I'm just trying to think whether spending £300 is worth the couple of games i'd like, eg:Killzone 2, LBP, Resistance etc as i'd still buy all multiplatform games on the xbox due to LIVE and all my friends having it.
    Though you know, after my exams i might just think fuck it and treat myself lol

  • Xerx3s #19 3 years ago

    Vanmunt: Oh fuck off with that please. A) MS was in the gaming market before the ps1 and even before the nes. B) Sony bullied their way into market in exactly the same way that ms did with the same unreliable hardware. People like you seem to have a very short and selective memory.

  • stepneg #20 3 years ago

    I am the same Jimbob89, I have been thinking about getting one for months, it's still a lot of money for one or two exclusives, it would probably be more of a BR player for me. I was hoping for a £199 price this year but doesn't look like it's going to happen.

  • Vanmunt #21 3 years ago

    Vanmunt: Oh fuck off with that please. A) MS was in the gaming market before the ps1 and even before the nes. B) Sony bullied their way into market in exactly the same way that ms did with the same unreliable hardware. People like you seem to have a very short and selective memory.

    WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ON ABOUT.... I cannot remember a xbox console before the xbox, ps have been in the console market since the early 90's... none of the PS's have had reliabilty problems.


    Twat
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 09:47

  • Xerx3s #22 3 years ago

    JB: I'm in the same spot. KZ2 looks like a brilliant game and I could easily afford it....but, I also have a megaton of games that I still have to work through, haven't finished FO3 and haven't even started on some of the DLC. Besides, RE5 and HW are up for release in the next months so I really don't see where I can manage the extra time. :(

    Maybe after this summer.

  • Katsumoto #23 3 years ago

    "I cannot remember a xbox console before the xbox" - he said gaming market, not console market

  • Xerx3s #24 3 years ago

    "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ON ABOUT.... I cannot remember a xbox console before the xbox, ps have been in the console market since the early 90's."

    That's because you're a rabid little fanboy who has no clue what he's on about. More proof that you should really know what you are talking about before opening your mouth.

    "Twat"

    I know what you are but what am I?

  • kangarootoo #25 3 years ago

    @miiiguel

    And I learned that the names we use for types of number are classed as "cardinal numbers" (same wiki page)

    Learning rocks! \o/ :)

  • Beano #26 3 years ago

    "ps have been in the console market since the early 90's."

    Since 94/95 to be exact.

    Maybe he is talking about PC gaming market reg. MS ?

  • Xerx3s #27 3 years ago

    ""I cannot remember a xbox console before the xbox" - he said gaming market, not console market "

    Well, ms helped build/made consoles before the xbox. The DC i.e. was powered by windows.

  • Xerx3s #28 3 years ago

    "Maybe he is talking about PC gaming market reg. MS ? "

    Obviously. There is a market outside the little console sphere. ;)

  • miiiguel #29 3 years ago

    "Obviously. There is a market outside the little console sphere. ;)"

    Nah... everything started with ps1. And ended with ps3. There will be no more video-games.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 09:52

  • des #30 3 years ago

    PS2 is going down and there is nothing that could compensate that loss,simple as that.

  • Xerx3s #31 3 years ago

    "PS2 is going down and there is nothing that could compensate that loss,simple as that. "

    Errr...wasn't the ps2 still selling very well? Wasn't that part of the problem for the ps3; that people didn't switch over?

  • mcmonkeyplc #32 3 years ago

    Vanmount: He said gaming, not console gaming. Seeing as you said gaming in general would be terrible as a result it's a valid point.

    Monopoly's are hardly ever good, we are far from that situation though.

    What we have here is Sony failing to take on competition, it's fair competition too for a change from MS. Nintendo are a much smaller company and are beating both of them senseless so dont use company size as an excuse. Competition breeds innovation (see Wii/ Xbox live) Sony have given us nothing for too long. Blu ray is far from the great innovation Sony thought it would be for gaming.

  • miiiguel #33 3 years ago

    @ kangarootoo: ahah! gotcha! Wiki is great for this sort of stuff.

  • Vanmunt #34 3 years ago

    oh dear... Xbots bit edgy about killzone @ 5.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #35 3 years ago

    @farticusmaximus
    'The PS2 was absolutely plagued with CD problems but you are probably too young to remember that.'

    I keep hearing this again and again but I have yet to, in my experience, confirm it.
    My original launch PS2 phat is still working and gets a outing once in a while for import game playing.
    My brothers chipped PS2 phat, that I did myself, is also working without problems even after being dropped twice in house moves.
    And my launch slim PS2 with swap disc attachments is being used daily by the family without problem.

    But I am willnig to accept that some people have had worse luck than myself when buying PS2s.

  • Rash' #36 3 years ago

    Xerx3s, so what? It's not like the timescale of the involvement notes their achievement and investment in the market. Sony too had a passing interest in games before they financially backed it with the PS brand. That's the comparison, when did they believe in the market to take it seriously? Sorry, but that sanctimonious attitude towards MS means shit.
    Edited by 4 at 29/01/09 @ 10:15

  • Vistrix #37 3 years ago

    @JohnnyWashnGo

    The European PS2s were 99% solid. The DVD drive problems only occured in the U.S because of the different manufacturers.

    Us Europeans keep hearing about the PS2 problems, but none of us have actually had any problems lol

  • DrDamn #38 3 years ago

    @Vanmunt
    Both PS1 and PS2 had plenty of hardware issues. I used to have to play the PS1 upside down to get it to work. Those issues were the likely cause of PS3 being both a lot more reliable and too expensive.

  • mcmonkeyplc #39 3 years ago

    I think people are talking more about the PS1 (original) not the PS2. Even though the PS2 had it's fair share of problems.

  • LowEnergyCycle #40 3 years ago

    @Vanmunt
    "oh dear... Xbots bit edgy about killzone @ 5."

    Er... No. I think it's that you may have said the dumbest thing ever recorded. MS were around in the gaming market LONG before the PS1 was even an idea. Also, the PS2 was notoriously broken in the early days.

    It's hard to tollerate such stupidity.

  • michaelius #41 3 years ago

    "I am the same Jimbob89, I have been thinking about getting one for months, it's still a lot of money for one or two exclusives, it would probably be more of a BR player for me. I was hoping for a £199 price this year but doesn't look like it's going to happen."

    I've heard that Zavvi is selling theirs at 250 pounds if it helps :)

  • chessboxer #42 3 years ago

    Some of the early PS2's did suffer from DRE (as did the early PS1's) and Sony did get arsey about repairing consoles but they fixed the problem in all later PS1's and PS2's. The failure rate was no where near as bad as the 360's and neither suffered as many problems as the 360.

    The only reason why MS have a 3 year warranty for RROD was to avoid a class action law suit. They are not doing this to benefit the customer. If there wasn't a threat of a class action law suit, you can bet any money that the 1 year warranty is all that would be offered and they would still be arsey about fixing consoles.

  • LowEnergyCycle #43 3 years ago

    @Vistrix
    "Us Europeans keep hearing about the PS2 problems, but none of us have actually had any problems lol"

    Out of the 4 European PS2s I've owned, 1 never played DVDs, and 1 had serious problems playing most of my games. Another one simply ceased to work, probably due to a power fault. The last one was stolen. That one - at least - was not Sony's fault.

  • Waffleaber #44 3 years ago

    Wow, a thousand million is a milliard, never knew that. Every day's a schoolday.

  • Widge #45 3 years ago

    My PS2 went DRE for about a year... but mysteriously fixed itself.
    Anyone who says there weren't ANY issues on the PS2 is mad.

  • The-Bodybuilder #46 3 years ago

    Leave Vanmunt alone.
    Isn't it obvious that he's probably no more than 14? poor little tike. He's mind goes no further than the ps1.

  • Widge #47 3 years ago

    RE: £250 PS3's, I think argos is doing the 40GB for that price too.

  • Les #48 3 years ago

    Sony are in trouble, like most companies are currently. But having invested billions in a product that can do more than people require and hence costs more to produce than they're willing to pay, makes things a bit worse for them. Same goes for MS though they still have their rip-off monopolies to subsidise the gaming division. But even they are feeling the pressure from investors, as the recent job cut announcement shows.

  • des #49 3 years ago

    "Errr...wasn't the ps2 still selling very well? Wasn't that part of the problem for the ps3; that people didn't switch over?"

    That depends how do you define "very well",but PS2 hardware and software is going down,check NPD,Media-Create and EU software charts,latest UK chart had only one PS2 game in top 40.

    PS2 lives because it has huge backlog of old games,but that also means that people can find lots of cheap used games and Sony is not getting anything from that.And piracy is also a factor...

    As for switching over,that is just sdf delusion.Mass market just wants something that is cheap,affordable and fun,it doesn't care about brand loyalty,pixels,textures,flops...

  • malexous #50 3 years ago

    Good! I'm still pissed with Sony for not fixing the DRE in the original PS2. Like another person said mine has mysteriously fixed itself but it meant there was a year or two where I couldn't play my PS2 and one Christmas my brother was going to buy me Guitar Hero but my mum had to tell him are PS2 wasn't working.

    Edit: I have to use a "trick" to get it to read discs.
    Edited by 1 at 28/11/09 @ 18:02

  • penhalion #51 3 years ago

    Swings and round abouts. The only thing that could bring Sony down would be the banks pulling in loans early or some such nonsense.

    I do think that they will definitely not be as arrogant in the next generation though. Making their console hard to program or expecting people to pay through the nose for it. These strategies have nearly brought the company to it's knees. It would take a huge fool to do that again. Instead I think we will see a lot of parity between Microsofts (obviously working) strategy and Sony's next time around i.e. A powerful, easy to program, online centic console with storage as standard (Microsoft will have learned that storage one from Sony this time around).

  • miiiguel #52 3 years ago

    @penhalion: Well I think no one in his right mind would think Sony would close or something, a joke is a joke (is a joke).
    Sony is, I think, the 2nd biggest Japanese company, its government would never let it happen.

    Now they did lots of mistakes, and went too cocky like the name Playstation was enough. Nintendo gave us the motion stuff, MS Live and the integrated stuff. Sony is chasing both - sixaxis; trophies. They had Home that wowed a lot of ppl back in 2000...

  • Doctor_What #53 3 years ago

    It might not help that lots of people are waiting for an expected price cut in the next few months...

  • Mr-Bozzey #54 3 years ago

    lmao EG posting anti sony stuff again what a suprise ... NAWT !!!!

    roll on the kz2 reveiw oh yes there will be blood the fanboy war climax the greatest battle in history is yet to be fought !!!

  • ps3owner #55 3 years ago

    2009 is of to a good start then, PS3 bashing deluxe :)

    5 pm will be the end of the world I reckon

  • UncleLou #56 3 years ago

    Facts are "anti Sony" now?

    Good God, the desparation.

  • M4RKYB #57 3 years ago

    Just adding my 2 cents about reliability to the mad fool saying that PS's have never gone wrong. The PS1 (I mean the big original) had major disc read errors and most of my mates had to have theirs upside down just to read the discs. To be fair though those shiny black discs scratched up real bad and I'm sure that was a contributing factor. The early PS2's had load of disc read issues too, I had to replace 2 launch models, and when my 3rd one stopped reading discs I never bothered replacing it. I was working in retail selling the things at the time and we had tons of PS2 returns. I'm sure it got the same Watchdog treatment that the 360 had.
    To be honest though, I miss the days of cheap plasticky cartridge systems that you can kick about your room, or throw in a bag and bike down to your mate's house without ever having to worry out it breaking. Disc based systems will always be unreliable because of the precision required to operate the laser.

  • StooMonster #58 3 years ago

    Evidently Sony's own financial reports are "anti Sony fanboi nonsense" now.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #59 3 years ago

    God I fucking hate Sony brand loyalists. ;)

    A couple of points....

    The PS3 may do quite well this year as I've heard a number of 360 friends echo the same thing a few of you have said. That they are tempted to buy it as a second console. The reason for this? As has been said many times before, irrespective of how many times some of you twats call everybody xbots the fact remains that most 360 owners are 'hardcore'* gamers with no loyalty other than to the current machine that offers them good value gaming. Do you really think that all 360 owners owned all 24mil xboxs the first time around?? I didn't. I had a fucking PS2 and a GC. Conversely ALL the brand fans I know that own PS3's simply refuse to even contemplate buying a 360 because PLAYSTATION is the only way to go and has been for them for 3 generations.

    As for the monopoly thing against MS. This just makes me laugh. 1) Nintendo are selling far more than MS and 2) The PS2 had far more of a monopoly last gen and used very bullish tactics against the DC. I don't recall many people moaning about that.... as an aside to that, it didn't seem to damage the quality of output even with Sony holding a controlling position of 2 gens.

    Finally. Sony did do exactly the same thing as MS to get into the market so stop bloody crying about it. Both the PS1 and PS2 and had well know issues that Sony refused to acknowledge in both cases.

    I quite like Sony as a brand until the fans came along. :(

    * I'm not going to get into a debate about the term 'true gamer'. If you don't know what I meant by that in this context, tough.
    EDIT: I've since changed it to the term Hardcore to keep Rash' happy.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 13:30

  • metalnut #60 3 years ago

    It's a timeless story.

    1. Company breaks into market (PS1)
    2. Company succeeds by shaking things up, consolidates (PS2)
    3. Company gets arrogant, becomes the same as the players they originally entered the market to shake up
    4. Company gets humiliated by new or reinvigorated players

    It happens in every single market on the planet. Companies that become big get arrogant and forget the fundamentals, thinking they're 'above it' because they're so damn awesome. Making a big, expensive machine that includes things that not everyone wants was dumb. No matter how great a device the PS3 is, it's too damn expensive, both retail and to make. That's entirely Sony's fault for wanting (again) to own a new media format and thinking they could get away with prioritising that over making an affordable, great game console for their core audience, because their user base and brand loyalty was unassailable. Like every other company that made this mistake, they got a bucket of cold water over their heads. The thinking for PS4 will be considerably more sensible I think.

  • metalnut #61 3 years ago

    And, I also agree the PS3 will probably do better this year. But it won't come close to PS2's dominance, I think the best they can hope for now is parity with 360 and perhaps a modest gain over it in 2-3 years time. To go from world domination with PS2 to fighting for second place, after such a huge R&D spend, is a lesson in itself.

    I agree with SpaceMidget, the problem is fanboys who had a particular brand as their first console and have a stick up their arse about buying any other brand. It's just dumb. I've owned every brand out there by now, including many that don't exist anymore, and only silly children utter the words 'I would never buy *insert brand* because they suck'. Complete tripe. You can pretty much peg the ages of most people that say this kind of thing, but I guess they have the excuse that they're not old enough to know any better.
    Edited by 2 at 29/01/09 @ 12:02

  • PlugMonkey #62 3 years ago

    Leave Vanmunt alone.
    Isn't it obvious that he's probably no more than 14? poor little tike. He's mind goes no further than the ps1.

    Indeed. In the early days of PS3, a huge number of fanboys told me that PS3 would succeed purely on the strength of brand loyalty and the fact that Sony were #1, always had been, and that could never change.

    It was like these people had never even HEARD of Sega. It's all just a little bit of history repeating.

    lmao EG posting anti sony stuff again what a suprise ... NAWT !!!!

    roll on the kz2 reveiw oh yes there will be blood the fanboy war climax the greatest battle in history is yet to be fought !!!

    Oh, grow up. You're talking about a fucking electrical appliance. Ha ha! Take that Hoover fanbois! My Dyson roxxorz!! etc etc..
    Edited by 2 at 29/01/09 @ 12:07

  • Rash' #63 3 years ago

    metalnut and Spacemidget, you have some valid points, but your sweeping generalisations aren't always true. I had all three consoles last gen, and because I considered myself a hardcore I thought Xbox was the best for my tastes. What's true of your experience isn't generally true of all.

    Additionally, you can be a gamer and still have a budget for yor pastime. That true gamer rubbish you posted is elitist bull I have no time for, which ironically is probably why I can't stand Xbox loyalists. Just let people be the gamers they want to be. And on that note; more power to the Wii!!!
    Edited by 4 at 29/01/09 @ 12:36

  • dryden555 #64 3 years ago

    loved the PS2 -- shame about the PS3. The PSP was a bit of a disaster for SONY too unfortunately.

  • DrDamn #65 3 years ago

    @Farticus
    MS have the same goal - they are just a step behind in that they wanted to use this gen to gain more market share of games market before really pushing it. Sony had this with PS2 so thought the time was right with PS3 - evidently not.

    There are plenty of elements of the 360 feature set which hint at this change, and you will see more in the next XBox. The bigger difference is that MS focused on the games and have pushed other aspects in afterwards once they had a good base. Sony assumed they had games down pat and went for the entertainment centre as a focus and it's bitten them.

  • SteveB #66 3 years ago

    Better than Argos.

    Zavi are doing the the 80gb for £250 or Amazon are doing the 80gb with 1 free game from LBP, Resistance 2 or Mororstorm 2 + an hdmi lead for £270.

  • Les #67 3 years ago

    "Instead I think we will see a lot of parity between Microsofts (obviously working) strategy and Sony's next time around"

    If Sony is stupid (and that's quite likely) we will... But a hardcore centric strategy is the most crazy thing to do if the new console actually has to make money. MS's strategy has succeeded insofar that they've taken the core gamers from Sony. But from a business perspective it's less successful. And the core gamer demographic is quickly getting less and less relevant with the rise of Wii. Wii is eroding the core gamer demographic while at the same time expanding towards non-gamers.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #68 3 years ago

    Hi Rash,

    metalnut and Spacemidget, you have some valid points, but your sweeping generalisations aren't always true.

    I'm not going prefix every post I make with something covering the generalisations. "generalisations aren't always true". You're quite right which is why it's 'in general' rather than EVERYONE. It should also be obvious that I'm talking about my experiences as someone in a demographic that is commonplace in gaming, with lots of friends that both fit and don't fit that demographic. I stand by my 'sweeping generalisations' with what I see in my own life.

    I had all three consoles last gen, and because I considered myself a hardcore I thought Xbox was the best for my tastes. What's true of your experience isn't generally true of all.

    I'm not sure what this has to do with what I said? The point is you bought what you thought was best as a gamer, not the brand. Aren't you agreeing with me? In your case it was an Xbox. ...Although you also state you had all 3, again matching my initial point that some 'true gamers' will eventually buy a PS3 because they like games


    Additional, you can be a gamer and still have a budget for yor pastime. That true gamer rubbish you posted is elitist bull I have no time for, which ironically is probably why can't stand Xbox loyalists. Just let people be the gamers they want to be. And on that note; more power to the Wii!!!

    Why mention budget? Didn't I say 'good value' gaming, with regards to gamers being on a budget?
    Also, please refer to my asterisk. ;) Like I said, I used the term 'true gamer' in this context for someone who has spent all there fucking life playing games... for lots of hours. I needed some way of simply tagging that. I used 'true gamer', you, in your own post used the term hardcore for yourself!

    EDIT: Refactoring
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 12:41

  • Rash' #69 3 years ago

    DrDamn, I'm not convinced anythings bitten them yet. If PS2 sold 120 million to a combination of hardcore and dedicated gamers while pulling in a few million casual at the death, the Wii's 40 million sales to predominantly the casual demonstrates that there's still a large market out that's yet to invest in the current gen. I don't know why people post like the sales standings are fully defined and final. there's still a long way to go and a whole number of things can sway the sales figures.

  • IneptPercy #70 3 years ago

    As some have mentioned some us none PS3 owning gamers have no loyality to anybody, all we did is buy to our budgets and taste, as it is in many cases that has lead a 360. I personally would buy a PS3 with a massive price reduction, until that time my budget just doesn't allow it, mainly when I happy with what i have already. Last generation I owned all 4 consoles for several reasons, I got them in this order.

    PS2 - Huge amount of games, plays ps1 games
    Gamecube - was cheap and orange (import)
    Dreamcast - Game selling them for £100 with 4 games
    Xbox - £100 for the console, many games I wanted now £10-£15

    The generation.

    360 - First, nice graphics, instant purchase.
    Wii - Fell for gimmick but didn't cost too much.
    PC - Finally decided to just do it and build a decent PC, mainly for other uses but may aswell spend bit more and play games.
    PS3 - waiting for a reason, be it price or amazing games (or a bit of both)

    Like a say loyality has to do with it, i just buy what ever gives me good games at a good price.

  • Rash' #71 3 years ago

    Spacemidget, "hardcore" and "true" are very different. hardcore, implies extreme dedication where as true implies the one and only truth.

    i mentioned budget because it can influence the type of gamer a person chooses to be. if that means they may only ever be a PS3 gamer then that shouldn't invalidate their worth, which your rant about 360 owners being "true gamers" implied.

    finally who i was as gamer last gen contradicts your generalisations. does your experience online account for nothing?
    Edited by 4 at 29/01/09 @ 13:04

  • BillyBrush #72 3 years ago

    Well had all 3 last time out...i think the fact they have all in their own way got a bit better does allow you to miss out on the other consoles until the price is right, and it's not exactly that painful to wait

    Rash - gaming on a budget would be a good argument if you didn't buy a £425 playstation3, value for money arguments aside you did go for the big brand at the big price...it's not as if on launch day it represented more value and more games did it....it's more the promise you went with...which i'm sure you're quite happy with...in order to cut into this hardcore market MS have had to come up with the value and the reality, that's how it works...if they get too big they'll probably get away with selling on a promise too someday, and it'll probably pinch them a bit just like it has Sony this time around..the cycle will repeat..and yes your right it's not all over as of today..but these years may be just as, or more significant as the next 3, and i'm not sure that's something you'll appreciate come 'PS has sold more than XB day'

  • lambtron #73 3 years ago

    There are some gems in here.

    I particularly like the one about how Sony consoles have never had any reliability problems whatsoever (say hello to my upside down PS1 and my PS2 that no longer read discs). In fact prior to the Xbox360 the various Sony machines were the only consoles I've ever owned with hardware problems.

    What was the other one - oh yes, the idea that this article is somehow anti-Sony.

    Where to even begin?

  • TopKatt #74 3 years ago

    I think the problem with stories like this is that they always seem incomplete to me. Okay, so this is obviously bad news for Sony, although in the current financial climate it's not unexpected. The missing bit for me is just how bad is it? I want to know whether Sony are still making a healthy profit although not as healthy as last year or whether they're on the verge of going bankrupt!

    Of course the truth probably lies somewhere in between these two points but I'd like to know!

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #75 3 years ago

    Spacemidget, "hardcore" and "true" are very different. hardcore, implies extreme dedication where as true implies the one and only truth.

    Well I'll change it to hardcore then because I meant the same thing as you! Well done causing a argument over a fucking word. It seems clear to most of the other people here what I meant, but if you want to play semantics, fine.

    i mentioned budget because it can influence the type of gamer a person chooses to be. if that means they may only ever be a PS3 gamer then that shouldn't invalidate their worth, which your rant about 360 owners being "true gamers" implied.

    No, sorry, I've read that over 6 times now, and still don't know what the hell that has to do with what I was saying. If you're implying that some people could only afford the more expensive console and can't afford the cheaper one (!?), doesn't that work both ways? Ultimately you might want to buy both if you're a hardcore gamer. 360 + PS3 = PS3 + 360!!

    finally who i was as gamer last gen contradicts your generalisations. does your experience online account for nothing?

    I missed the part where it contradicts what I said. Could you draw me a diagram?

    To summerise:

    A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF 360 OWNERS SEEM TO BE WILLING TO BUY A PS3 AT SOME POINT THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
    I PUT THIS DOWN TO A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF 360 OWNERS SEEM TO BE HARDCORE GAMERS (not true gamers; that's wrong) WITH NO BRAND LOYALTY.

  • Sunyavadin #76 3 years ago

    @metalnut

    Thought I'd expand on that baby for ya:

    It's a timeless story.

    1. Company breaks into market PS1, NES, MS, XBOX
    2. Company succeeds by shaking things up, consolidates PS2, SNES, MD, 360
    3. Company gets arrogant, becomes the same as the players they originally entered the market to shake up PS3, N64, SAT, ???
    4. Company gets humiliated by new or reinvigorated players
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 13:35

  • Rash' #77 3 years ago

    Billybrush, an argument starts from an issue, not from the person's background... why don't address the issue rather than pick holes in my argument from the subjective point of budget and value. Can you even tell me what the issue is or is it still a case of petty feud with you.

  • BillyBrush #78 3 years ago

    Sunyavadin, i beleive you may have hit the nail on the head there...it's just a cycle, i imagine in 2065 you'll be able to replace the brand names with Ultron, Zaibatsu, and Gigacorp (or something more normal and less like names from Robocop) and the same thing will happen....bit like the economic crashes as per that BBC2 show last night with evan davis

  • b00n #79 3 years ago

    Shouldn't PS3 unit sales have fallen with 440,000 units instead of the reported 44,000 in your article (4.90 mio to 4.46 mio)? It's a 9% decrease, so something's wrong.

    And the same acutally goes for the PSP hardware. Should be -680,000 units instead of 68,000 (-12%).
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 13:58

  • BillyBrush #80 3 years ago

    @Rash

    the issue is why are Sony's sales figures down....and we're expanding it from this quarter to this gen.

    Re answering your issue...i do do this regularly but you do regularly present views i completely disagree with, usually in review threads for Xbox games too...so it's become a bit of a habit, read down the views, skim a few, stop at the one Rash has written because it's 98% likely to be something which is contradictive/wrong...in this case contradictive, budget? having laid out £425...to my untrained economic eye i'd challenge pretty strongly that budget is very much not behind your buying patterns

  • Rash' #81 3 years ago

    Spacemidget, me, Billybrush

    Rock, me, Hardplace

    Somtimes you have to put your hands up and say there's no getting through, no compromise, no agreement.

    Lifes to short to try and figure out the better of three egos.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #82 3 years ago

    Agreed.

  • nickfernando #83 3 years ago

    I think there are some good points in this discussion (apart from the clearly childish ones). I do think that Ellie's headline is subjective but only to the extent that our emotions let it be. 44,000 console shortfall for the 3 quarters isn't a really bad number (not console killing anyway). The PlayStation division kind of have been their own worst enemies with the PS3 but a lot of the dodgey stuff that they've said and done (BC removal aside) hasn't really been picked up on by the mass market.

    I remember the faulty PS2 incident as back in the beginning of 2001 which was just a few months after launch, the cargo warehouse where I worked during my student years was packed full of broken PS2 consoles. I don't remember if they had been routed from the US to repair centres in Europe or if they were European in origin but I do remember that we had what was possibly a couple of thousand consoles. The way that all the units had been brought into our warehouse from the aircraft throughout the day probably didn't help (it was raining and they were bringing them in on open trailers). I also remember a number of my less reputable colleagues nicking some of them too sadly. Then again it was the same place where several hundred thousand quids worth of computer bits got nicked by a few blokes posing as UPS couriers!

    I can associate the whole pricing/needs issue that many people have and the money concerns. One of my friends bought her partner an xbox 360 arcade as she said she couldn't afford the pro as she wanted to buy him splinter cell: DA as well. That was her most expensive christmas present. Speaking to the people at my local Gamestation and Game stores (I buy a LOT of games) they told me that a lot of people were buying x360 arcade and pro and very few Elites or PS3. As I was speaking to one employee (while buying GHWT, Lips, Scene It, FIFA 09 and...well they were chrimbo pressies I swear), a lady was asking the other cashier if the PS3 could play her sons PS2 games. He said not the recent versions and so she bought, surprise surprise, a Wii as she said her son would like that too.

    It's kind of weird how the media and psychology aswell, make us think that the PS3 is way overpriced. I could swear that I bought my SEGA Saturn and PS1 for £300 a pop back in the day. Sadly I fell into the same psychology as having never owned a PS2 (first console I never got at launch - I was so upset that Sony were butchering the Dreamcast with hype alone) I thought I would buy a PS3. £425 on launch day. I couldn't get myself to do it. £299 for 40Gb was about to until I found they took out the BC (WHY?). Second handers with BC are over £350 in CEX!!!!

    At the end of the day. I think the PS3 may well bounce back and do as well, if not better than the 360 in later years. It's just a compound of errors (and a seriously bad economic situation globally) that's kept Sony from dominating. Perhaps it's good if they don't do well this time around. They can learn from it and make sure it doesn't happen in the future.

  • BillyBrush #84 3 years ago

    Agreed.



    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 14:12

  • Xerx3s #85 3 years ago

    "Xerx3s, so what? It's not like the timescale of the involvement notes their achievement and investment in the market. Sony too had a passing interest in games before they financially backed it with the PS brand."

    I never said that it was relevant, it was meant to show that ms have been involved into gaming for decades and the gaming industry is still here healthy as ever. The MS = Doom for everybody attitude is bs, especially since sony used EXACTLY the same (and then some) methods. I cannot believe how some people praise sony for it and at the same time condemn ms for it. It's just a rubbish attitude.

    " That's the comparison, when did they believe in the market to take it seriously? Sorry, but that sanctimonious attitude towards MS means shit."

    MGS, like sony, has released & backed AAA games for decades, it's most likely me but I don't quite follow what point you are trying to make. Maybe it's the same one as "ms is far more arrogant than sony" eh? ;)

  • Xerx3s #86 3 years ago

    "oh dear... Xbots bit edgy about killzone @ 5. "

    So you just attempt to hide your own stupidity and shortcomings by calling names at the people calling you out on it? What are you? A mentally handicapped?

  • Xerx3s #87 3 years ago

    "The European PS2s were 99% solid. The DVD drive problems only occured in the U.S because of the different manufacturers. "

    Rubbish.

  • Xerx3s #88 3 years ago

    "lmao EG posting anti sony stuff again what a suprise ... NAWT !!!! "

    FFS, is there a production line somewhere where they roll off?

  • Mr-Bozzey #89 3 years ago

    watched a program on MS couple night back turns out all the major people in the industry think couple years time ms will be in the shit due to not catching up the trends and the let down deal with yahoo was a big hit to them aswell.

    so while all you xbots are here slating us sony loyalists your boat has holes to just remember that next time. nice to see aswell sony never got a lawsuit slapped on them by there own goverment !!! how does that knife in the back feel these days gets a bit deeper doesnt it ???

    the company style and approch obviously passes onto its buyers childish abuse and muscle like tactics with no consideration for others.

  • Xerx3s #90 3 years ago

    Right, that's it. I'm going to actively hand out darwin awards.

  • Rash' #91 3 years ago

    Billybrush, you do make me laugh. we haven't exchanged posts in sometime and yet you continue as if i am the same guy i was a year ago. hell i'm not even the same guy i was yesterday! so far what's consistent about you is the animosity you direct towards me. it's fine i can deal with it but please don't assume i share your ill feelings.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 14:37

  • Xerx3s #92 3 years ago

    "hell i'm not even the same guy i was yesterday"

    That's true, iirc, every cell in your body gets replaced every 36 hours or something (except for a couple of cell types).

    *cough* offtopicderailmentattempt *cough*

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #93 3 years ago

    Mr-Bozzey

    You really are a fucking idiot. You do know that don't you?

  • Rash' #94 3 years ago

    Xerx3s, lol! I'm sure that was more about MS being more vocal than arrogant, but i'm sure you know better as you took issue with it to hold on to it.

    ;)

    With regards to how long MS "have been going", I agree MS = doom is bs. i misunderstood the context of the post.
    Edited by 2 at 29/01/09 @ 14:34

  • Vanmunt #95 3 years ago

    Leave Vanmunt alone.
    Isn't it obvious that he's probably no more than 14? poor little tike. He's mind goes no further than the ps1.

    ha ha, didn't see this as I have all you xbot assholes on ignore..... its spot on true though. Oh and you mother says hi, and can you tell your dad to pick up the giro.







  • Goodfella #96 3 years ago

    @Vanmunt

    "oh dear... Xbots bit edgy about killzone @ 5."

    We don't give a shit about KZ2 as we have plenty of high quality shooters already.

    What we hate is you, because you are an ignorant, unpleasant little shit.

    @ Farty, irony overload #145. Priceless. (Pity I'm on his ignore list).

  • electrolite #97 3 years ago

    @Mr-Bozzey re. 'sony loyalist'

    You need help. It's a company that doesn't give a fuck about you.

  • BillyBrush #98 3 years ago

    Rash i'm guessing you probably do actually

    I always have a look at what the usual suspects are saying on a given day...i'm sure you do too, and yes i do reply to your views more often than others because i find i disagree with them more strongly than others, i wouldn't term it animosity personally, but when i do post here it is more often than not a disagreement with yourself, because more often than not you're in that thread putting your views across....fairly normal for a blog with repeat visitors which discusses something like consoles..

  • Vanmunt #99 3 years ago

    @Vanmunt

    "oh dear... Xbots bit edgy about killzone @ 5."

    We don't give a shit about KZ2 as we have plenty of high quality shooters already.

    What we hate is you, because you are an ignorant, unpleasant little shit.

    @ Farty, irony overload #145. Priceless. (Pity I'm on his ignore list).

    Thanks for posting that, I would of missed that absolute gem from by far the biggest most useless cunt god has chucked two legs under. @Farty, any time you wanna discuss this let me know, I will bring my 6ft kung fu staff and ram it right up your asshole, If I can get there before your boyfriend.

  • ronuds #100 3 years ago

    "A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF 360 OWNERS SEEM TO BE WILLING TO BUY A PS3 AT SOME POINT THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND. I PUT THIS DOWN TO A LARGER PERCENTAGE OF 360 OWNERS SEEM TO BE HARDCORE GAMERS (not true gamers; that's wrong) WITH NO BRAND LOYALTY."

    I'd attribute it to there being more 360 owners in general, no?

  • ronuds #101 3 years ago

    "oh dear... Xbots bit edgy about killzone @ 5"

    I have to agree about not giving a shit. If it was somehow pushing the envelope of what makes an FPS today - then maybe. But it's a game in development for the last 4 years and yet it does nothing different or better than any FPS already in circulation.

    OMG, I NEED KZ2 BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ALREADY 50 SHOOTERS LIKE IT!!! LOL!

  • Goodfella #102 3 years ago

    lol @ Vanmunt.

  • rprince #103 3 years ago

    Is this SCEI, SCEE or SCEA? Or do you mean the whole of SCE?

  • BillyBrush #104 3 years ago

    @Ronuds

    probably is part of it...i would imagine there's something in it tbh, but also there's the £129 price tag on the one machine which you would think would/possibly should tempt ps owners to get an xb too, don't think you can really tell if that statement is on the money until ps comes down in price and how many xb owners then decide to get it.

    However, such gallant discussion i think is moot at this point, we're into shoving kung fu sticks up people's bottoms territory (original at least), and accusations of animosity (the shoe half fits, i have to be honest), which is well beyond reasoned debate

  • Fixxxer #105 3 years ago

    Am I dreaming or did I actually witness somebody on the internet threaten somebody with his kung-fu skills? I genuinely never thought I'd see the day.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #106 3 years ago

    @Ronuds

    I weighted the percentages in my mind. ;)

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #107 3 years ago

    @MattDamon,

    You Sir, are a true gamer. As I would consider myself. (Sorry Rash, I used it again!)

    However, I am witness to an awful lot of PS3 owners who aren't like that. It was that comment that got me into this darn mess. :)

  • zedzee #108 3 years ago

    How does all this fair against Sony's own predicted numbers then?

    What was all that 3M units (?) sold before March promise about? What year was that again?

    It's all ending in tears for Sony, all because of their "lack of vision", as The Emperor from Star Wars would say.
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 15:51

  • Les #109 3 years ago

    "The people who are buying Wii's wont upgrade to a new console, so no point in going after that market, its peaked."

    Don't think Wii has peaked yet, far from it TBH. Sony either needs to get into the Wii segment (huge market, high margin (PS3/360 segment is small market, low margin not the place you want to be) or do what Nintendo did and create a market of its own, with limited competition. Of course that's way more difficult than it sounds... ;)

    But as this gen showed with Wii, when money starts to become a problem, imagination can take over. After uninspiring efforts with the N64 and Cube, Nintendo was able to bounce back with a limited investment but reaping huge returns. If MS's gaming division commits economical suicide by releasing a cutting edge loss leading 720 within the next year or two, a Sony inability to respond with a high tech competitor might prove to be a blessing in disguise...

  • Les #110 3 years ago

    "My point is, you can harp on about your brand loyalty, your prices of consoles, repair rates all you guys like. I think to the vast majority of people it just boils down to what games they like. That's what sells."

    True to a certain extent. But being tied to a certain brand isn't necessarily caused by brand loyalty or similar feelings. Things like BC, achievements, friends lists, online IDs, etc. are there first and foremost to create a hurdle for people considering jumping platforms.

    But all people get the machine that appeals to them the most for whatever reason. No choice is wrong, every choice is right. It's the fact that the reasons aren't transferable from one person to the next that makes the right/wrong discusions so pointless.

  • Spekingur #111 3 years ago

    Seriously, quoting a Wiki does not mean that the information in there is reliable. That link on the first comment page is also linking to wiktionary.org but not wikipedia.org - where better explaination of the word billion is provided.

    I also see that people are blaiming credit crunch on low sales for PS3 and are predicting that the PS3 sales will take off this year. I doubt it. The recession is still on. We will probably see the number of sales for all consoles drop this year.

  • AllenSpawn #112 3 years ago

    @ mattdamon
    + frickin 1
    i have all systems, because i love games( except that jrpg shite), and will happily play the phone book if it had shoulder buttons and some flashing lights......

    @farty
    " this has to be the single most pathetic comment i've read on this site in the last year"
    irony overload#146....you actually said " what we hate is you" ,like a playground bully looking for back up...cant believe you wrote that

    actually, yes i can.........c*nt

  • metalnut #113 3 years ago

    @Sunyavadin "Thought I'd expand on that baby for ya:

    It's a timeless story.

    1. Company breaks into market PS1, NES, MS, XBOX
    2. Company succeeds by shaking things up, consolidates PS2, SNES, MD, 360
    3. Company gets arrogant, becomes the same as the players they originally entered the market to shake up PS3, N64, SAT, ???
    4. Company gets humiliated by new or reinvigorated players "

    Hit the nail on the head. Happens everywhere too - it's funny though just how true it's held so far in just the console industry - 2 console generations is all you get before you lose the plot :)

  • stephen #114 3 years ago

    Dearest fanboys, on both sides: Please SHUT THE FUCK UP.

  • Calgon #115 3 years ago

    *ahem* MSX :/

    "All of you are just Xbots for not being loyal to Sony... waaaaah ;_;" Get a grip losers! you know who you are, what happened to the normal PS3 owners on EG? Ive not seen any in a while... they've been bitten/infected by the Sonybot Zombie virus?
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 16:43

  • LowEnergyCycle #116 3 years ago

    I guess the kids are home from school now.

  • Burkey123 #117 3 years ago

    I dont think there is anything wrong with the ps3 itself, i just think its games arent up to scratch this time, especially exclusive wise.

  • tomnol #118 3 years ago

    Man, this thread is a disgrace. And in four minutes from now it'll be even worse

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #119 3 years ago

    Les,

    I can absolutely guarantee you that the next Wii will not be anywhere near the success of this gen.

    Almost everyone I know now owns a Wii! I'm talking brothers, sisters,my 60 year old in-laws, my 55 year old boss, not to mention almost every single one of my friends and all of my wives friends. Most of these hardly ever, or never played games before.

    These people haven't bought hardly anything more than the games they got in the bundle and they hardly ever play the things now.

    Note: These people do not visit EG (or any gaming site). They aren't you.

    If you think these people will by the next Wii because it either...

    a) is more powerful
    b) has a better wiimote
    c) has new versions of wiifit or wiisports

    ... you are sorely sorely mistaken.

    They played it at a party, loved it, bought it, hardly play it. They won't do it again.

  • metalnut #120 3 years ago

    "I dont think there is anything wrong with the ps3 itself, i just think its games arent up to scratch this time, especially exclusive wise."

    I actually think it's got some very good ones, it's caught up a lot in the last 12 months. But it has no more than the competition, and was late to the party in supporting features (online functionality, trophies), and is more expensive. That's the root of the problem - if you pay more money, you expect more, not the same. And yes, you can talk about Blu-Ray players and wireless and HDD swapping etc - it's all valid, but few on the high-street care about that. And that's what Sony failed to realise - classic customer disconnect caused by complacency.

  • Burkey123 #121 3 years ago

    @ metalnut

    Dont get me wrong, its got some good games but its lost some valuabe ones that the ps2 had like GTA and FF for example. But after seeing that Killzone review, it might just have found the gem it needs.

  • Ryze #122 3 years ago

    @Les

    '...Wii is eroding the core gamer demographic...'

    BOLLOCKS. Again. It's increasing the number of gamers, and it's shrinking the proportion of total gamers who can be considered 'hardcore', but really - many of the kids who get a Wii due to its family friendly image will be wanting to play other consoles before long due to the games on offer, unless N get their act together.

    Casuals are here to stay - and this audience will hopefully grow, but this will lead to more 'hardcore' gamers too - as plenty of the 'casuals' end up being drawn in. I've seen it happen with people who would have never considered playing games, then a year later they're caning me at FIFA / Pro Evo / Burnout / GT... and asking what the latest decent games are.

    At the moment MS aren't doing anything wrong, apart from their marketing. It's far from poor, but it's not at the level of Wii / Apple branding.

    Miles ahead of the nothingness coming from Sony, however. Sony seem fucked while their console is so expensive with the mandatory HDD, BD-ROM drive, Cell processor and that ridiculous expensive (unnecessary) RAM they use.

    The games that have been long in development KZ2 etc should help them this year, though - as long as they make it to retail sometime soon.

  • bonker #123 3 years ago

    "Sony also saw a 97 per cent decrease in operating income ".

    Fuck me, that'll kill most companies stone-dead, regardless of their size. That's a *SERIOUS* kick in the capital ...

    Seriously, if you're working for Sony then you really need to be looking around for another job, they're gonna have to cost-cut like you wouldn't believe this year ...

    I can't believe the shareholders won't be out for blood with those numbers and you can't blame the world economy either, that shit's only been seeping through in the last few months ...

    Heads will roll ...
    Edited by 1 at 29/01/09 @ 21:36

  • electrolite #124 3 years ago

    @ SpaceMidget75

    Thanks for sorting all that out for us then. Your personal experience is the most important thing in advising us what the next Nintendo console will be like and indeed, whether it will sell. To people you know. It's all about the anecdotal evidence and personal opinion. Totally different to my personal experience, but hey, you speak with such authority.

    If you keep saying it enough it might come true

    (then again it might not. Sorry)

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #125 3 years ago

    You're welcome.

    "Totally different to my personal experience"

    You know what? I don't believe you - plain and simple. Not that I'm fussed.

  • Rodney #126 3 years ago

    Mr-Bozzey,

    you realise Sony got its wrist slapped over the whole root kit thing?

    grow up

  • Clam #127 3 years ago

    All you had to do with the Disc Error for PS1 or 2, assuming it didn't completely break. Is open it up get rid of the dust everywhere inside the system, the problem might be because the dust is getting in the way of the lazer scanning the disc.

    When i was getting the Disc Error thats all i did and worked brand spanking new, even had a significant boost in speed and booting up games.

  • Les #128 3 years ago

    “Note: These people do not visit EG (or any gaming site). They aren't you.

    If you think these people will by the next Wii because it either...

    a) is more powerful
    b) has a better wiimote
    c) has new versions of wiifit or wiisports”

    I’m fully aware they aren’t mii… ;)

    But that doesn’t mean they might not get the next Wii. They will not get it for the reasons you list, the standard reasons core gamers buy every new piece of hardware, I agree. But while you’re thinking inside the box, I think outside of it. Nintendo has shown to be capable of breaking away from industry conventions and while difficult, I can imagine that they’ll be able to come up with something else to keep the hardware hot. The Wii is a success because it tapped into a latent demand. There’s still a huge market of non-gamers out there and the company that figures out how to best tap that market can reap incredible benefits.

    “Can see your point, because I'm buying more multi-platform 360 for the online and the achievement benefits. But that doesn't tie me to the machine.”

    It does in the sense that creates a hurdle to jump platforms in the next cycle. E.g. If you have to choose a single console and you can choose between a 720 and a PS4 that are exactly alike in all regards, you’re very likely to choose the 720 because of its online and achievements that you’ve come to appreciate. If Sony wanted you to buy a PS4, creating something that’s just as good isn’t good enough, they have to be better.

  • SpaceMidget75 Verified Senior Software Developer, Minerva Computer Services #129 3 years ago

    I just think its far more simple than that. It's just gaming. They thought they'd try it - the novelty wore off.

    My in-laws will not be buying another console even if it has mind control, vr or a Power Glove tm. ;)