PlayStation 3, the Software Selling Machine? [Archive]

Siraris

10-27-2008, 04:11 PM

http://gamer.blorge.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/playstation-3-game-console.jpg

I have been pretty down on the PlayStation 3 as of late, and the biggest reason for this is because of the lack of compelling software for the console, as well as quality of the titles compared to the Xbox 360. It seems I am in the minority, seeing as how (http://gamer.blorge.com/2008/10/26/analysis-ps3-selling-more-games-than-xbox-360-with-smaller-install-base/) the PlayStation 3 is accounting for much larger software sales for big publishers, compared to the Xbox 360. Check out the breakdown:

According to EA’s previous financial statement, the PS3 accounted for about 17% of total revenue in comparison to the Xbox 360’s 10%. That is quite significant when considering that EA is the largest third party video game publisher in the world.

Namco Bandi is the largest third party publisher in Japan. According to the publisher’s recent financial statement, the PS3 currently moved approximately 57% more software than it’s direct competitor, the Xbox 360. Namco Bandi is sort of the EA of Japan, considering the amount of revenue it generates from software.

Konami is one of the top three publishers in Japan in terms of revenue. With the recent release of Metal Gear Solid 4, it is not all that surprising that the PS3 would have a larger piece of the pie. However, according to Konami’s recent financial statements, the PS3 accounted for a whopping 57.3% of the sales this past quarter, while the Xbox 360 accounted for only 2.6%. This changed from last year, when the Xbox 360 brought in more sales compared to the PS3.

UbiSoft is considered to be one of the top three publishers in all of Europe. According to UbiSoft’s half year financial report (6 months 2008/09), the PS3 accounted for about 20% of the software sales compared to the Xbox 360’s 14%. Considering UbiSoft’s presence in Europe, this is quite a significant turn of event.

I used to say that Sony has fantastic brand loyalty, but with the dearth of sales recently, I assumed this had worn off this generation. These numbers show a very different scenario than the hardware numbers reflect, and make me wonder about a few things. First of all, are people buying the games and not caring about the issues with the PS3 versions? Second of all, are developers going to start catering more to the PlayStation 3 crowd if that's where their sales are? Lastly, what is driving people with 360's from buying software? It will be interesting to see what comes from this.

Dukefrukem

10-27-2008, 04:14 PM

and the biggest reason for this is because of the lack of compelling software for the console, as well as quality of the titles compared to the Xbox 360.

Are we still in 2006? I'd say this isn't anywhere near true anymore.

Johan

10-27-2008, 04:17 PM

Numbers can be spun any way one sees fit. If overall sales of software are slow or low, one can point to "percentage of overall sales for individual companies" to skew things toward the positive. Also, it would be hard for a title not released on other platforms to do well in sales on those other platforms (a la MGS4). In other words, "lies, damned lies, and statistics." Statistics can be used to say virtually anything you'd like them to be able to say.

The PS3 has lost Japan and NA. It's putting up a fight in Europe, but Sony went from a 70% market share to half (less than that), which is will provide plenty of material for B-schools to study for the next decade or so. The one notable fact from the article, in my estimation, is that EA is doing well on the PS3. That seems the most significant of all.

RandoM51

10-27-2008, 04:21 PM

What lack of compelling software?

Thing is, the PS3 has plenty of compelling software, you just have to be somebody who didn't enjoy most of that software on the 360/PC already. While most of us probably do not fit in that boat, these sales figures lead me to believe that plenty of other people do.

Johan, what reason on earth do all of these publishers have for spinning their software sales to make the PS3 sales larger than the 360 sales? The tinfoil hat goes on your head, not your elbow.

Schnoogs

10-27-2008, 04:29 PM

Other than LBP what is there?

Every other title is multiplatform and I always opt for the 360 version

pomeroy

10-27-2008, 04:30 PM

Are we still in 2006? I'd say this isn't anywhere near true anymore.

It's his opinion, though.

I'd have to say that for the most part I agree with him. The multiplatform releases already come to the 360 I own. So it comes down to the exclusives that Sony has. Up til now, those exclusives have not been enough for me to think the PS3 is worth the price of entry (even though I want to try some of them). LittleBigPlanet is the first game on the system that makes me really wish I had a PS3.

I would also still recommend a new buyer purchase a 360. The library is simply better (more games, more titles available at a cheaper price). But it's definitely not the runaway recommendation that it used to be.

Variable Gear

10-27-2008, 04:30 PM

What lack of compelling software?

Thing is, the PS3 has plenty of compelling software, you just have to be somebody who didn't enjoy most of that software on the 360/PC already. While most of us probably do not fit in that boat, these sales figures lead me to believe that plenty of other people do.
Don't forget PSN either. There's a lot to like on there.

violent

10-27-2008, 04:31 PM

Let's not forget Yurop.

Johan

10-27-2008, 04:31 PM

The tinfoil hat goes on your head, not your elbow.

You're not a terribly discerning consumer of "news."

the PS3 accounted for about 17% of total revenue in comparison to the Xbox 360’s 10%.

I already said this is compelling, since EA's titles are on every platform under the sun. THAT is a key piece of information; equivalent release of titles across platforms.

according to Konami’s recent financial statements, the PS3 accounted for a whopping 57.3% of the sales this past quarter, while the Xbox 360 accounted for only 2.6%.

This is laughable spin, since MGS4 isn't on any other platform. It's terrific they had good sales, but to provide percentages as a means of denigrating sales on other platforms, when your main title ISN'T ON THEM, is ridiculous spin. I'm sure my first book will mostly sell at Wal-Mart, if I only offer it there. :rolleyes:

According to UbiSoft’s half year financial report (6 months 2008/09), the PS3 accounted for about 20% of the software sales compared to the Xbox 360’s 14%.

Which titles? How many titles on each platform? Late ports on the PS3? Were there double the number of Ubisoft titles available on the PS3 as compared to the 360 because of late ports? How many of each title sold for each platform?

Without those answers, it's spin from people looking at percentages and making assumptions based on very little concrete information. If I offer twenty titles on one platform, and only five on another...and the platform with four times as many titles has double the sales...

yeah. More information needed.

Namco Bandi is the largest third party publisher in Japan.

Third-party Japanese publisher. Same questions as for Ubi, except in this case, were there exclusives available there (and/or on the PS3) and not on the 360?

You obviously don't care to actually "think" through the numbers. That's okay. Most people don't.

Siraris

10-27-2008, 04:32 PM

Are we still in 2006? I'd say this isn't anywhere near true anymore.

I think we are still in 2006. There is still a terrible dearth of online features, there is virtually no trophy support (Fallout 3, one of the biggest titles of the year has no trophies), and titles are still sub-par compared to the 360 (Far Cry 2, Fallout 3). The funniest part of that is that Far Cry 2 was shown as a title in Sony's E3 montage for how much they are getting out of the PS3, and yet, it still falls short.

violent

10-27-2008, 04:33 PM

I think we are still in 2006. There is still a terrible dearth of online features, there is virtually no trophy support (Fallout 3, one of the biggest titles of the year has no trophies), and titles are still sub-par compared to the 360 (Far Cry 2, Fallout 3). The funniest part of that is that Far Cry 2 was shown as a title in Sony's E3 montage for how much they are getting out of the PS3, and yet, it still falls short.

The PS3 seems shitty if all you do is compare it to the 360.

Food Nipple

10-27-2008, 04:36 PM

Siraris

10-27-2008, 04:37 PM

The PS3 seems shitty if all you do is compare it to the 360.

Should I start comparing it to the DS?

Schnoogs

10-27-2008, 04:37 PM

The PS3 seems shitty if all you do is compare it to the 360.

I'll compare it to the 3D0 from now on!

violent

10-27-2008, 04:39 PM

Should I start comparing it to the DS?

Look at it for what it is, not what it's not is my point.

violent

10-27-2008, 04:40 PM

I'll compare it to the 3D0 from now on!

I could easily say that the PS3 is better because the hardware isn't shit but that's not exactly fair is it? It would be completely neglecting the things the 360 does right.

EDIT: the 3DO was hot. Shut up.

Johan

10-27-2008, 04:40 PM

I'm surprised by these figures. In the US, it seems like every title in the top ten is doing double the PS3's sales on the 360. Are library sales much higher on the PS3? Is the PS3 so dominant in Europe that it's effectively reversing the sales we see in the US?

Are companies release double, triple, or quadruple the number of titles on the PS3 from titles being ported over that were on the 360 previously?

i could easily say that the PS3 is better because the hardware isn't shit but that's not exactly fair is it?

Fair or not, it would be true as the hardware goes.

Siraris

10-27-2008, 04:41 PM

Look at it for what it is, not what it's not is my point.

What is the rationale behind that, other than avoiding an appreciation of the PS3's faults? If I was to buy a new console, should I not compare what is available? If I own the Ps3 and 360 (which I do) should I not compare the two consoles for which to buy software on, in particular based on the quality of the software and the features offered?

I dunno, sounds like an argument for someone who doesn't want to face the facts.

violent

10-27-2008, 04:42 PM

Fair or not, it would be true.

Yeah it's true but it would be opinionated drivel being pushed as fact. Call me crazy but trying to prove that I'm right on the internet is a fools errand.

violent

10-27-2008, 04:44 PM

What is the rationale behind that, other than avoiding an appreciation of the PS3's faults? If I was to buy a new console, should I not compare what is available? If I own the Ps3 and 360 (which I do) should I not compare the two consoles for which to buy software on, in particular based on the quality of the software and the features offered?

I dunno, sounds like an argument for someone who doesn't want to face the facts.

It's funny how you made the connection between the 360 and the PS3 but happened to leave the Wii out of the equation. Just to keep you up to date, I own all three systems and I'm quite aware of the faults of all three. My point is that when you choose the factors that you want to work with, your result is going to be inaccurate. Either look at a console for what it's worth or simply compare it to everything on the table.

EDIT: Also, we aren't talking about purchasing a new console here are we? I assumed we're discussing what's on the table as people informed of what's going on.

Unless you simply want to share some personal attachment to a particular platform.

Variable Gear

10-27-2008, 04:46 PM

I love the Wii, because it's the best of the three. Go Nintendo!

Johan

10-27-2008, 04:47 PM

My point is that when you choose the factors that you want to work with, your result is going to be inaccurate.

That's been my point as regards the data. It's cherry-picking, or outright deceptive depending on the context.

I'd love to see lists of titles and release dates from these companies, their respective platforms, and sales on those platforms. THAT would be interesting information, and would put it in perspective.

Iron Past

10-27-2008, 04:47 PM

I'm surprised by these figures. In the US, it seems like every title in the top ten is doing double the PS3's sales on the 360. Are library sales much higher on the PS3? Is the PS3 so dominant in Europe that it's effectively reversing the sales we see in the US?

That's what I was wondering. Software charts fairly often have multiplatform games selling two or even three to one on X360 compaired to PS3. Am I missing something?

Wraith

10-27-2008, 04:48 PM

violent

10-27-2008, 04:49 PM

That's been my point as regards the data. It's cherry-picking, or outright deceptive depending on the context.

I'd love to see lists of titles and release dates from these companies, their respective platforms, and sales on those platforms. THAT would be interesting information, and would put it in perspective.

Precisely.

Widgetcraft

10-27-2008, 04:51 PM

Are we still in 2006? I'd say this isn't anywhere near true anymore.

I don't know about that... I wouldn't want to compare the PS3's library to the 360's. It's got it's own set of good exclusives, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is overshadowed by the 360's. Still, as I was saying about Nintendo earlier this year before they decided to sit out the holiday season, there are enough exclusives there to satisfy even most hardcore appetites, so the size difference between it and the 360's is negligible.

Schnoogs

10-27-2008, 04:52 PM

but it's impressive that it's doing as well as it is, despite the late start, high initial price, losing some fairly big exclusives, killing off back compat, some poor 360-to-PS3 ports, and Sony PR snafus.

The PS1 sold 102 million units...PS2 sold 140 million units. Let's not act like it's the Rocky story of this generation managing to do well despite the odds.

It was their generation to win or lose...the only thing keeping them afloat is brand loyalty and name recognition.

I'm not gonna give them a cookie for coming in 3rd place when they should have been kicking ass in first place.

Restlessavenger

10-27-2008, 04:54 PM

The funniest part of that is that Far Cry 2 was shown as a title in Sony's E3 montage for how much they are getting out of the PS3, and yet, it still falls short.

What are the issues on the PS3 side? I have been playing it without a hiccup and according to Metacritic it even has a one point lead versus the 360 version?

Are there faults I'm not noticing?

Schnoogs

10-27-2008, 04:56 PM

What are the issues on the PS3 side? I have been playing it without a hiccup and according to Metacritic it even has a one point lead versus the 360 version?

Are there faults I'm not noticing?

The metacritic thing is meaningless since different critics review the different version of the game...apples and oranges.

Psykoboy2

10-27-2008, 04:56 PM

I'm playing FarCry 2 on the PS3 as well. Can't compare it to the 360 version, but I don't really see any problems with it as far as tech goes.

menage

10-27-2008, 05:08 PM

The EA PS3 connection was already quite well known. And Seeing Ubi there doesn't surprise me one bit, seeing as they are the same sort of publisher. Both produce well known franchises carries over from PS2 days. So people who buy a PS3 will get that easier. They are not so hardcore most of the time. It's more a brand loyalty thing.

That Bandai Namco is selling so well on 360 is more of a feat than on PS3 I imagine. And Konami hasn't released a decent game on 360 at all, apart from some Live titles and PES, which is more popular in Europe.

I wanna see Capcom, 2K, Activision, etc to get a clearer picture. Since that's more of a hardcore crowd. And MS vs Sony first party, how are those games selling?

Not that this is a bad thing, but they seem to be mkostly focused on Studios which had a bigger userbase on PS2 already. Maybe the 360 crowd is just different from that.

Restlessavenger

10-27-2008, 05:17 PM

The metacritic thing is meaningless since different critics review the different version of the game...apples and oranges.

You can usually use it to tell major issues (i.e. Orange Box 360's 95 metacritic score vs PS3's 89.
Of course the different reviewers can make a difference, but problems do have a way of sticking out.

OldJadedGamer

10-27-2008, 05:23 PM

The PS3 seems shitty if all you do is compare it to the 360.

You need to compare it to it's closest competitor, no matter who it is. The Ferrari is a great affordable car with really good gas millage... if you don't compare it to anything else.

And although I do game more on my 360, one aspect where my PS3 kicks my 360's dick in the dirt?? Divx. OMFG, the PS3 has hands down the best divx player I've ever used. I just found out the other night if you hit the square button while a divx file is playing, it will show a time line and little windows with the divx file playing in the background!!! It's so easy to find your place in there.

Screw Blu-ray, the PS3 is a divx machine!!!

Food Nipple

10-27-2008, 05:25 PM

violent

10-27-2008, 05:31 PM

You need to compare it to it's closest competitor, no matter who it is. The Ferrari is a great affordable car with really good gas millage... if you don't compare it to anything else.

And although I do game more on my 360, one aspect where my PS3 kicks my 360's dick in the dirt?? Divx. OMFG, the PS3 has hands down the best divx player I've ever used. I just found out the other night if you hit the square button while a divx file is playing, it will show a time line and little windows with the divx file playing in the background!!! It's so easy to find your place in there.

Screw Blu-ray, the PS3 is a divx machine!!!

I pretty much already explained what I meant by my previous statement. It's a matter of accurate judgment (i.e. lack of personal opinion).

Deadend

10-27-2008, 05:41 PM

I still don't get how the PS3 versions get 17% of the sales when the 360 versions are always higher on the NPD charts.

violent

10-27-2008, 05:41 PM

I still don't get how the PS3 versions get 17% of the sales when the 360 versions are always higher on the NPD charts.

NPD is just US.

Rune_74

10-27-2008, 05:51 PM

So um....these numbers have no evidence to back them up at all?

bean

10-27-2008, 05:55 PM

1. Have you really ever been anything other than a proponent for the PS3 Siraris? (Edit: While I've always seen Siraris actively advocating for the PS3 in the past, he has made several posts in this thread that are criticisms. That's how I am about the Xbox 360 and I think it's a healthy way to be. You can have a favorite console, but you shouldn't be blind to it's faults).

2. How did you find Gamer.Blorge? Who are they? Their link to the EA financial report their story is based upon is dead and their Namco Bandai link is in Japanese (but the numbers aren't, I couldn't find the 57% number they reported anywhere).

3. Why aren't you qualifying your statements appropriately? When you track back to the source articles, it is plain that Konami saw 57% PS3 sales because of the release of MGS 4. Yes, Konami is selling more PS3 games in the month that they released the biggest PS3 exclusive on the system. If you want to be a reporter, then it is important to be impartial and not use one quarter of single publisher's earnings to make false statements, which I'll prove to you.

4. Why didn't you account for the fact that the Xbox 360 and PS3 sales being even for Ubisoft is due to the fact that Ubisoft does a large chunk of European publishing of games that are published by different companies in the U.S. and Japan. For example, Bethesda Softworks is the publisher of Fallout 3 in the U.S. but they are farming out "publishing" in Europe to Ubisoft?

This is terrible sourcing, no digging, and broad generalizations made on limited data. I guess you could blame your source, but when you are dealing with a BLOG, don't you think you should have done even a little research?

Here is a NON-CHERRY PICKED listing of the top 10 games released this year with worldwide sales numbers from vgchartz on both the PS3 (http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?name=&console=PS3&region=All&developer=&publisher=&genre=&keyword=&boxart=Both&results=50&order=Hits) and Xbox 360 (http://vgchartz.com/games/index.php?&results=50&name=&console=X360&keyword=&publisher=&genre=&order=Sales&boxart=Both&showdeleted=&region=All&alphasort=).

PS3
Grand Theft Auto 4 - 4.59 million
Metal Gear Solid 4 - 3.32 million
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue -2.08 million
Devil May Cry 4 - 1.59 million
Madden NFL '09 - 0.8 million
Soul Calibur 4 - 0.78 million
Army of Two - 0.77 million
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 - 0.73 million
Dynasty Warriors 6 - 0.60 million
Singstar - 0.58 million

Xbox 360
Grand Theft Auto 4 - 6.05 million
Army of Two - 1.37 million
Madden '09 - 1.25 million
Devil May Cry 4 - 1.14 million
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 - 1.11 million
Star Wars: The Force Unleased - 1.1 million
Battlefield: Bad Company - 0.93 million
Soul Calibur 4 - 0.89 million
Ninja Gaiden 2 - 0.74 million
Bully: Scholarship Edition - 0.58 million

If I extend this out to show Mercanaries 2, Condemned 2, etc. you'll also see a slightly higher amount of sales on the Xbox 360 versions, but that is shown by the last bits as well. Everyone already knows that the Xbox 360 sales 20-40% more copies of a multiplatform game worldwide that what is sold on the PS3 (with a few exceptions like Devil May Cry 4 and some games released as timed exclusives on the 360 that often sell twice or three times as many copies), so let's focus on what this shows.

First, there is the fact that the PS3 has had it's biggest exclusive release in the console's history. While it did not sell as many copies as Gears of War or Halo 3, and only beat Mass Effect by one million, it is still the biggest exclusive on the PS3 and thus a huge system seller. Plus, GT5 Prologue was as big a system seller as Mass Effect with 2 million sells, making it the second biggest exclusive on the PS3. Isn't it a bit silly to say that the PS3 is selling more games than the Xbox 360 based on the quarters in which they released their two biggest exclusives ever? Especially when even combined they don't match the sales of the multi-platform GTA IV sales on the Xbox 360?

This whole story is so ridiculous that I can't understand how any of you could read it without immediately resenting the poor journalism and heavy bias. The site this is linked to could have been a satire post on www.sonydefenseforce.com.

If this is all a joke and you were purposefully submitting a terrible story just to troll the CoG community, then consider me a hooked fish because I obviously took the bait. That would be far preferable to me than the alternative (that this site's professionalism is so lacking that it cannot be trusted. . . not that one poorly researched and highly slanted story ruins a website; it would take more than just this one terrible post for me to lose the faith).

Orca

10-27-2008, 05:57 PM

The Newsweek explanation doesn't make sense, as it's been previously explained that EA defers sales figures from the PS3 - not the 360 - due to the vague nature of their DLC sales reporting. 360 sales are reported month-by-month because EA considers their sales reporting accurate enough, while the PS3 numbers are lumped in once verified - and for some strange reason they're often 'verified' in months where EA benefits from the boost offsetting a loss in another area.

People are really surprised that Konami made more on the PS3? Really? That seemed to fall in the realm of WFD (or 'Well Fucking Duh') personally.

bean pointed out a likely cause of the disparity for Ubisoft, though games releasing late on the PS3 (and pushed out of the same quarter it released on the 360) could also be a factor there.

bean

10-27-2008, 06:10 PM

The Newsweek explanation doesn't make sense, as it's been previously explained that EA defers sales figures from the PS3 - not the 360 - due to the vague nature of their DLC sales reporting. 360 sales are reported month-by-month because EA considers their sales reporting accurate enough, while the PS3 numbers are lumped in once verified - and for some strange reason they're often 'verified' in months where EA benefits from the boost offsetting a loss in another area.

If you defer the sales on the PS3 from the heavy holiday months of October, November, and December for six months then they show up in the Q1 and Q2 reports of the following year. So what EA's reports show are the holiday sales on the PS3. At least that's how I read the Newsweek article.

Orca

10-27-2008, 06:16 PM

If you defer the sales on the PS3 from the heavy holiday months of October, November, and December for six months then they show up in the Q1 and Q2 reports of the following year. So what EA's reports show are the holiday sales on the PS3. At least that's how I read the Newsweek article.

Well that's 'just' the DLC sales through Marketplace/PSN though. Nobody holds retail software sales numbers up for six months, because there's very little gray area to those numbers.

bean

10-27-2008, 06:22 PM

Well that's 'just' the DLC sales through Marketplace/PSN though. Nobody holds retail software sales numbers up for six months, because there's very little gray area to those numbers.

The Newsweek article says that EA does. I'm not sure why they do it either.

Orca

10-27-2008, 06:35 PM

The Newsweek article says that EA does. I'm not sure why they do it either.

If I wasn't lazy, I'd check if they reported sales of games like Tiger Woods or NHL 09 sales in the release quarter or not.

Dukefrukem

10-27-2008, 06:47 PM

I think we are still in 2006. There is still a terrible dearth of online features, there is virtually no trophy support (Fallout 3, one of the biggest titles of the year has no trophies), and titles are still sub-par compared to the 360 (Far Cry 2, Fallout 3). The funniest part of that is that Far Cry 2 was shown as a title in Sony's E3 montage for how much they are getting out of the PS3, and yet, it still falls short.

What by your definition is terrible dearth of online features? No trophies is all you mentioned.

VALIS

10-27-2008, 06:48 PM

Dukefrukem

10-27-2008, 06:51 PM

I like the PS3. I think Sony got the console off to a bad start by launching at $500-$600, a premium seemingly to push the Blu-ray format, and a year later than the 360. They've seen a number of titles move from Playstation exclusives to PS3/360 multiplatform status, at least in part because of a smaller install base. I don't like how they stripped out PS2 backwards compatibility entirely from current models.

But I grabbed a used 60GB for the back-compat for a decent price. I got GTAIV, Soul Calibur IV, and Disgaea 3. I'm getting Valkyria Chronicles and LittleBigPlanet. There are certainly a few other titles I'm interested in. I like that it's quieter than my 360, and it has an easier-to-use menu system, and is a little more configurable.

I don't think anyone's surprised that the PS3's beating the 360 in Japan, but it's impressive that it's doing as well as it is, despite the late start, high initial price, losing some fairly big exclusives, killing off back compat, some poor 360-to-PS3 ports, and Sony PR snafus. And a number of Playstation-exclusive IPs that still haven't seen releases on the PS3 (team Ico, Gran Turismo - the full package, Final Fantasy, God of war).

I do agree the launch made them slip at the starting point, however you need to factor in two things.

1. Blu-ray was a huge win for Sony, considering all their failed new media over the years. Putting it in the PS3 almost guaranteed a victory.

2. Don't forget that Microsoft didn't "beat" them out of the gate first. They rushed their hardware, didn't account for certain online situations and as a result, some 360s have hard drives some don't and most fail. They however were able to retain most of their online community from the original xbox, which I suppose was more important to them.

I know I'm in the minority in America, but for *anything* other than a 'console shooter' (Gears, Halo) many of which I am uninterested in, I would rather have the PS3 version due to the controller. The only other draw was achievements. All things being equal, I'd rather play the PS3 version.

welcome to the forums.

Dukefrukem

10-27-2008, 06:53 PM

I don't know about that... I wouldn't want to compare the PS3's library to the 360's. It's got it's own set of good exclusives, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is overshadowed by the 360's. Still, as I was saying about Nintendo earlier this year before they decided to sit out the holiday season, there are enough exclusives there to satisfy even most hardcore appetites, so the size difference between it and the 360's is negligible.

I guess there isn't really a way to compare exclusives to either console, but I prefer the exclusives on the PS3 much more than the ones on the 360. I'm talking about CONSOLE exclusives. Not PC/Console Exclusives that I can get on my PC.

Siraris

10-27-2008, 07:03 PM

What by your definition is terrible dearth of online features? No trophies is all you mentioned.

Lack of game invites, lack of people with mics, frustrating implementations, crap shoot on what games support what features. All sorts of problems, check out this experience (http://www.vgwire.com/2008/10/socom-confrontation-lame/) with SOCOM. I had a terrible time with LBP beta, trying to play with people online as well.

violent

10-27-2008, 07:09 PM

Lack of game invites, lack of people with mics, frustrating implementations, crap shoot on what games support what features. All sorts of problems, check out this experience (http://www.vgwire.com/2008/10/socom-confrontation-lame/) with SOCOM. I had a terrible time with LBP beta, trying to play with people online as well.

I have to admit, these things have not been near as much of an issue as they apparently have for you. While cross-game invites aren't implemented as well as the 360, all the necessary tools to join a friends game are there. People with mics? Let's be honest, that one could go either way. LBP beta? I played nightly with people on my list and while I did have issues every now and again, I accepted them seeing as I signed up for a beta.

What I'm trying to say is that while what you say is true about the feature sets being a roll of the dice, it in no way signifies a sub-par gaming experience. At least for me it doesn't. I have as much fun playing games online on my PS3 as I do on my 360.

Not as much as my PC though. ;)

Siraris

10-27-2008, 07:18 PM

bean

Wow, that's a lot to digest in one post. I apologize if i didn't go into as detailed of an analysis as you did, I was just posting a link to an article on a slow news day. I don't know what sweeping, broad generalizations I made, other than linking to the article, and saying that it looks like the PS3 is selling more software worldwide than the 360 for some publishers. Did I go into deep analysis? No, that wasn't the point of the post, it was a news story on the site.

As for the EA link, you can read the story here (http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS238451+29-Jul-2008+BW20080729") if you'd like to look at the breakdowns.

I'm sorry this news post offended you so much, it wasn't my intention to do so. This obviously strikes very close to home to you, but I'd like to point out, this is was a news post, not an in-depth analysis of console software sales. Had it been that, I clearly would have done a lot more work than linking to a blog with some data on it. I appreciate the time you put into your post, but I think you're over reacting to a pretty benign post from a slow news day

OldJadedGamer

10-27-2008, 07:20 PM

Lack of game invites, lack of people with mics, frustrating implementations, crap shoot on what games support what features. All sorts of problems, check out this experience (http://www.vgwire.com/2008/10/socom-confrontation-lame/) with SOCOM. I had a terrible time with LBP beta, trying to play with people online as well.

The lack of friends only chat is really killing me. What my friends and I do when we play Wipeout HD is get a Halo3 lobby going, we all join in and make it private so no one else can join then we start playing Wipeout so we can all hear each other and can speak freely.

Oh, and that Socom shit is straight garbage especially for a first party online game only that had a beta before hand. I really feel bad for people who bought Socom as a download and can't return it.

Siraris

10-27-2008, 07:23 PM

I have to admit, these things have not been near as much of an issue as they apparently have for you. While cross-game invites aren't implemented as well as the 360, all the necessary tools to join a friends game are there. People with mics? Let's be honest, that one could go either way. LBP beta? I played nightly with people on my list and while I did have issues every now and again, I accepted them seeing as I signed up for a beta.

What I'm trying to say is that while what you say is true about the feature sets being a roll of the dice, it in no way signifies a sub-par gaming experience. At least for me it doesn't. I have as much fun playing games online on my PS3 as I do on my 360.

Not as much as my PC though. ;)

That's great if you enjoy your experience on the PS3, I have not, and so it comes down to my opinion vs yours. I bought a PS3 at launch, I bought into the Kool-Aid, and it's worn off. I have no urge whatsoever to buy cross-platform games on the PS3, when I can get them on the 360 and know what features I will have available to me. For an exclusive title, obviously I cannot complain, but even then, I cannot help but compare the titles to what I play on my 360. It's like if I owned an Aston Martin, and I went and rented a Ford Focus. I am going to compare the driving experience of the two vehicles, even if in this example, they are in totally different classes.

jeffbax

10-27-2008, 07:23 PM

I've had my PS3 for about a month or two now and I can say overall I'm happy with some complaints. First, the machine build quality makes the 360 look like a joke and this is by far one of the biggest appeals of the system. Its silent, and won't self destruct.

The interface is for the most part good, it has some problems with messaging users and Sony seriously seriously has to work on game invite standards. This is far and away the biggest problem with the system.

Online gaming itself usually works just fine, but invites should not be as helter skelter as they are.

Game wise? PS3 has plenty of great games to play. It doesn't make sense to say there's no compelling reason to buy one. There are plenty, just because you may have a 360 already which shares 99% of the same library doesn't mean that people can't be just as excited to buy said games on a PS3 which won't die on them or comes with blu-ray.

Really, this is the one thing that just doesn't fly anymore. PS3 game releases are fine, and a lot of times the porting issues are far overblown. BioShock looks as good on PS3 as it did on Xbox minus one texture that was developer laziness and blatant Q/A fuck up. Most games play the same on both. There are even times where the PS3 gets the better version (Burnout, for one). IMO its a lot of fanboy nitpicking with little to no impact on the games I see running on the machine.

Similarly, anyone expecting PS3 sales to beat the 360 sales in terms of software is not right in the head, the 360 has a huge lead in the US and it only makes sense to sell more copies on it. I didn't have a PS3 at launch for obvious reasons - I had a 360 and never had a Playstation before, so I can't compare to back then, but the system in front of me now is delivering the goods and plenty of great games - including exclusives.

violent

10-27-2008, 07:31 PM

That's great if you enjoy your experience on the PS3, I have not, and so it comes down to my opinion vs yours. I bought a PS3 at launch, I bought into the Kool-Aid, and it's worn off. I have no urge whatsoever to buy cross-platform games on the PS3, when I can get them on the 360 and know what features I will have available to me. For an exclusive title, obviously I cannot complain, but even then, I cannot help but compare the titles to what I play on my 360. It's like if I owned an Aston Martin, and I went and rented a Ford Focus. I am going to compare the driving experience of the two vehicles, even if in this example, they are in totally different classes.

Funny thing is that I do the same. Just seems like reliability is of higher priority to me than it is to you. But as you said, nothing but opinions here.

Spigot

10-27-2008, 08:20 PM

I've had my PS3 for about a month or two now and I can say overall I'm happy with some complaints. First, the machine build quality makes the 360 look like a joke and this is by far one of the biggest appeals of the system. Its silent, and won't self destruct.This, this, a thousand times this.

It makes me wonder what kind of machine the 360 might have been if it had that extra year in development to iron out all of the bugs.

As for the topic at hand, I find myself much choosier with my PS3 library but that the titles I DO buy for it tend to be of very high quality compared to the breadth of the 360's library.

Something like LittleBigPlanet should make the system fly off the shelves... if it wasn't priced so bloody high. I had friends over on the weekend and they were smitten with the game but can't justify the price to get the unit. Same with the contractors who were over working on my basement. Both guys saw me playing the game and stopped to watch me and asked questions about it... That's the kind of response games need to have outside of the core gamer market in order to move systems but I highly doubt any of the people who were interested in LBP at my house were in any rush to drop the $400+ that the system costs.

It's a shame, as the PSN is packed with some high quality titles and the fact that they're not locked into the XBLA point scheme is a bonus as they can sell full retail games like Siren or Wipeout HD for download prices.

Do I expect the PS3 to somehow overcome the juggernaut that the 360 has become? Not really. And I still love my 360 and its achievements and red rings of death. I just wish that Sony would lower the cost of entry on the PS3 and let more people see that it is a good machine with some quality games...

KingGorilla

10-27-2008, 08:29 PM

I have seen the LBP bundle for Japan, with a sexy white box no less, but where is it for the states or Europe? And motherfuck why is it not bundled with the eye, some eyetoy games, and margetted as a high end family machine? Or maybe advertise Buzz on PS3?

My only answer is that Blu-Ray was so essential to Sony's overall business model, not just the Playstation Brand, that its still-born nature has them in a tailspin. And given what they have tried with their online store, you really have to wonder what it could have been with a tighter online focus.

Quantum

10-27-2008, 08:36 PM

I know for me at least the RROD has killed the 360 in my eyes. I refuse to buy multiplatform games for my 360 only because I'm afraid its going to break for a third time.

BlackPete

10-27-2008, 08:56 PM

That's great if you enjoy your experience on the PS3, I have not, and so it comes down to my opinion vs yours. I bought a PS3 at launch, I bought into the Kool-Aid, and it's worn off.

Ah man, and I was so looking forward to the inevitable flamewars we'd have when the PS4 ships. Think of the good times man! Drink up the kool aid! ;)

But yeah... the PS3 is kind of an odd duck in my place. It's mainly my movie player these days (well, year really), but I barely play on it at all. I've owned it for.. uh... over a year now? And I've still only bought 2 games for it, and never really felt the desire to buy another. I don't regret the purchase because it IS a solid machine while I fear for my 360's life every time I turn it on, plus the PS2 backward compatibility is nice (especially with upscaled graphics).

The machine itself isn't that bad, it's just Sony's PR and politics that I hate. Well, hated in the past as they seem to be improving these days. Let's hope that trend continues.

Johan

10-27-2008, 09:33 PM

Here's Newsweek's response:

Two things are at work. First, the way deferred revenue works: EA recognizes revenue on Xbox 360 over six months following the sale, but does NOT do so for PS3. So sales of Xbox 360 games during the last two quarters (Battlefield: Bad Company and Army of Two) are rolling through till December, while sales of PS3 games are booked when sold. Second, some of EA's sales are skewed in Europe, where UEFA Euro 2008 and Battlefield probably sold a little better on PS3, and with Rock Band launching in Europe this year (also skewed PS3). Ubisoft was because of Haze, which was a PS3 exclusive.

I don't think a single quarter represents a trend. EA won't be that way when Madden shows up and when the deferral starts to lap itself.

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2008/08/04/pachter-on-apparent-ps3-dominance-among-third-parties.aspx

Paging RandoM...paging RandoM. Might want to stop munching on the tinfoil, RandoM!

This is exactly what I was curious about...data that was missing from this silly set of percentages that, absent context, are truly meaningless.

This is terrible sourcing, no digging, and broad generalizations made on limited data. I guess you could blame your source, but when you are dealing with a BLOG, don't you think you should have done even a little research?

Ah, but you must be wearing tinfoil to question the absence of data! ;)

Nice post, btw. Actual data! :)

This whole story is so ridiculous that I can't understand how any of you could read it without immediately resenting the poor journalism and heavy bias. The site this is linked to could have been a satire post on www.sonydefenseforce.com.

PRECISELY! Someone actually read the information, saw through it like the swiss cheese it is, and gets it! :)

bean

10-27-2008, 10:09 PM

I know I'm in the minority in America, but for *anything* other than a 'console shooter' (Gears, Halo) many of which I am uninterested in, I would rather have the PS3 version due to the controller. The only other draw was achievements. All things being equal, I'd rather play the PS3 version.

I love RPGs most of all (Mass Effect, Fable 2, Tales of Vesparia, Lost Odyssey) and others that are less good (Enchanted Arms, Infinite Undiscovery, Blue Dragon). These are games you can't get on the PS3.

But really that's just a small part of it. Last generation, I had a Gamecube for a handful of exclusives on it that I enjoyed and an Xbox with more than a handful, but still less than half as many games as I enjoyed on the PS2. I'd have the PS3 for a handful of games I'd like to play now and in the future (Disgaea 3, Valkyria Chronicles mostly. . . others I'd rent like Resistance (but don't get your pannies in a bunch, I also rent Xbox 360 shooters and only buy them if they have very good online like Halo 3, Gears, and CoD 4). The problem is that $400 is too much of a price to pay for a handful of games.

If the PS3 had the games pouring in like they did on the PS2, it would be worth it, but as it stands, you can get an Xbox 360 to play twice as many exclusive games and three times as many exclusives that have a metacritic rating of 8 or above.

As a huge fan of my PS2, I can understand the brand loyalty. But as a gamer who is chiefly interested in getting to play great games, I simply can't afford it.

Rune_74

10-27-2008, 10:19 PM

bean

10-27-2008, 10:23 PM

I'm sorry this news post offended you so much, it wasn't my intention to do so. This obviously strikes very close to home to you, but I'd like to point out, this is was a news post, not an in-depth analysis of console software sales. Had it been that, I clearly would have done a lot more work than linking to a blog with some data on it. I appreciate the time you put into your post, but I think you're over reacting to a pretty benign post from a slow news day

This is one of the problems with the internet. You think that my response was highly emotional when it was intended to simply be scathing. :)

I want this site to succeed, and though I am unwilling to do any of the work myself, that doesn't mean that I don't think that the people who have chosen to take on the burden (for not even a shilling), should post anything that reflects poorly on the sites professionalism or integrity.

Maybe I could have said it that way and not come off to you as if I'm deeply offended, but then you would have not been burned in the hot fire of my displeasure (as I intended and obviously failed judging by your measured, calm response).

Still, if we are going to be polite and reasonable, is it asking too much that when linking to a questionable source that you check their sources? Plus, this was analysis by a questionable source. . . if an industry professional or even a reputable gaming newsman wrote something so editorialized the introduction to their analysis would have been skeptical. Reread your original post, you take many of the assumptions made by this inept blogger as fact.

One story won't do it, but if CoG gets a reputation for linking to disreputable sources and a lack of journalistic skepticism, then it will get shit-canned like all the other gaming websites that no one reads or links to because they're not respected (you know the ones I'm talking about).

bean

10-27-2008, 10:34 PM

I've had my PS3 for about a month or two now and I can say overall I'm happy with some complaints. First, the machine build quality makes the 360 look like a joke and this is by far one of the biggest appeals of the system. Its silent, and won't self destruct.

I have to agree with you and Spigot that this is a feature I really like about the PS3. . . but it's all about the games for me. Sure, if you aren't an RPG gamer or an online FPS gamer (or do it mostly on PC), you can get the multi-platform library and only miss out on over a hundred Xbox 360 exclusives, but if you get an Xbox 360 you only miss out on half as many exclusives and far fewer of them that get as high metacritic scores (though personal taste is more important and I totally agree that if you are a huge fan of MGS 4 or some other killer-app solely on the PS3, while not being excited by the Xbox 360 killer-apps then you should go with what you like).

Blu-Ray is also appealing. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I want a PS3. Right now it's all about cost vs. games though. I've had access to a PS3 at a friend's house and thus I've beaten MGS 4 as well as the short PS3 exclusives (Heavenly Sword, Uncharted), so the only games compelling me right now are Disgaea 3 and Valkyria Chronicles.

The cost will go down eventually and there will be more meaty games I want, so I expect I'll purchase one someday.

But I know your reply was to Siraris who is talking about how the online features don't compare to the Xbox 360's, and I get your point. Even though the online features of the PS3 are inferior to those on the 360, there are things to like about the PS3 and if people have the money for both or they are more interested in the exclusives on the PS3 than on the Xbox 360, more power to them.

Dukefrukem

10-27-2008, 10:46 PM

muddi900

10-27-2008, 11:51 PM

So now to go along with this "news" there is other news of self destructing xbox's everywhere? That noone is playing them and they will all fail and die?

Misinformation for the win, and further proof the PS3 fanbase is in denial.

Actually they've moved onto depression! :rolleyes:

It's just video games people, chill the fuck out!

AliasRomanian

10-28-2008, 12:22 AM

I think I'm one of the few gamers here who has has a PS3 and not a 360. The arguments that many people are making about not needing the PS3 because they have the a 360 I'm making for not getting a 360 because i have a PS3.

It all comes down to what you need in a system:
-Trophies or Bluray player
-Great online service (360) or subpar online service (PS3)
-Onboard wireless (PS3) or dropping $100 for wifi dongle (360)
-First party games Halo, Fable, Gears of War for 360 or LBP, Resistance, God of War (future release), Uncharted for PS3. I know there are more but i'm too tired to list them all.

Right now my friend would only get a ps3 for LBP and I'd only get a 360 for Fable. Each system has it merits and drawbacks.

bean

10-28-2008, 01:08 AM

-First party games Halo, Fable, Gears of War for 360 or LBP, Resistance, God of War (future release), Uncharted for PS3. I know there are more but i'm too tired to list them all.

Nice comparison for the most part except for this (Oh, and there are wireless solutions on the Xbox that cost $20-40, but my point is that these features are kind of meaningless to me, so I hesitate to point that error out.)

There are a LOT more exclusives than you listed on both systems but many more system-sellers on the 360 (Mass Effect, the great RPGs I listed that bring RPG fans like myself, Ace Combat 6 (though I don't see the appeal, there are diehard fans of the series that bought the 360 for this game)). Plus, there are about twice as many exclusives and three times as many that have high metacritic scores.

They don't have comparable game libraries, and all that other stuff is nice, but it isn't why I buy a console. For me, and obviously for many consumers, the decision is about price and game selection.

Maybe you really love certain games on the PS3 and that makes it worthwhile to you to only own it even though you are missing out on twice as many games as you would be if you owned the 360 or both systems, and that's cool by me. Or maybe you love your Blu-Ray player and use it so much that it was worth the extra money and the game you miss out on.

There are obvious reasons to choose between either system (or get both), and I want to own both now (just need to get out of school and get a better job and/or have the PS3's high price drop to something affordable). But if I had to choose between the two in some dessert island situation, I'd take the one with more high-rating games. I'm not saying that as a dig on the PS3 as it does have a handful of games I want to play (now and upcoming); I'm saying that the game library is the determining factor with me.

RandoM51

10-28-2008, 01:56 AM

People looking at top 10 sales figures and wondering how on earth publishers are putting out these numbers when the 360 versions of the top 10 usually do better than the PS3 version have no idea how broad the catalogs of these publishers are.

For every top 10 title you see they've probably got 20 middle of the road/bottom feeders that never crack the top 10. They don't sell as many copies as the top 10 games, but then again they don't need a metal gear solid 4/GTA 4 sized budget to be produced either. They do higher margins on lower volume.

DangerousDaze

10-28-2008, 04:51 AM

I see the console war is still raging. Sad.

boratika

10-28-2008, 05:19 AM

I think this is even more appropriate for this thread, than the other one:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/theflyingorc/Frog.jpg

Those financial reports are freely available if anyone wants to read them in full.

Rock Bandit

10-28-2008, 06:08 AM

So I guess the concensus is if we could somehow get a 360-strong library and LIVE functionality onto PS3 quality hardware we'd all be all be happy.

Ah, who am I kidding. We're gamers on the internet. We're never happy.

I will say though, sale numbers don't affect me. Not being able to play my games because my system is off at a repair shop in Texas does. Seriously MS, sort your fucking hardware out. I would of dumped your ass for Sony after my second red ring if the majority of games I want to play weren't exclusive to your system. And if I didn't have ~150 Rock Band DLC tracks on my hard drive. I feel like such a battered spouse sometimes.

Yeti2005

10-28-2008, 06:21 AM

I barely see more than one or two PS3 games on the NPDs top 10 software list and the rest is split between the 360 and Wii. I guess since that's just the US so it doesn't give the global picture but this "news" surprised me.

Gorvi

10-28-2008, 06:30 AM

Wow. Some people care far too much about console sales.

JayVe

10-28-2008, 06:46 AM

The PS3 seems shitty if all you do is compare it to the 360.

This post wins the Internet.

J3DI

10-28-2008, 08:16 AM

I figured it out... These numbers do not represent the amount of sales. It is impossible for the Ps3 to outsell the 360 - unless it has a game that the 360 doesn't i.e. Haze, MGS4, Resistance, or in the case of DMC4. These numbers are compared with the amount of sales from the previous quarter or year. So if the 360 sells 1M games and the Ps3 only sells 500k, but then the next quarter 360 sells 1.3M and Ps3 sells 1.1M, the 360 still sells more, but the Ps3 had more growth. Hence the higher % for Ps3. So good job Sony for growing up!

If this isn't true, then everything is just fanboy spin.

Norse

10-28-2008, 01:02 PM

From Gamasutra: (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20713)

http://www.gamasutra.com/images/081022_software_rates_period.gif
http://www.gamasutra.com/images/081022_ltd_software.gif
http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/feature/3820/tie_ratios_medium.png

The X360 seems to be doing alright

TheFlyingOrc

10-28-2008, 01:06 PM

http://www.gamasutra.com/images/081022_ltd_software.gif

The Wii has sold more software in 2008 than the PS3 has so far.

violent

10-28-2008, 01:10 PM

The Wii has sold more software in 2008 than the PS3 has so far.

Your chart reading skills amaze me.

Telefrog

10-28-2008, 01:42 PM

The X360 seems to be doing alright

Yup. They're all doing good. Is the PS3 kicking as much software off the shelves as the Wii? No, but it's not a failure like some people are trying to say.

TheFlyingOrc

10-28-2008, 01:43 PM

Yup. They're all doing good. Is the PS3 kicking as much software off the shelves as the Wii? No, but it's not a failure like some people are trying to say.

It's not a failing console, but it's sales are indicative of failure on Sony's part. I think that's fair.

Rogue_hunter

10-28-2008, 02:02 PM

I'm the same as AliasRomanian. For me personally, there is only one game that I could possibly want a 360 for, and that game is ... Crackdown. Any 360 "exclusive" I can get on my PC, either at the same time it's released on the console, or a year later in a better form.

And we're not exactly indicative of the overall populace. Who are we, the hardcore, to decide if someone is "right" or "wrong" based on their console purchase? That sounds a little pretentious.

All I'm seeing in all these arguments is that there are a ton of good games out, and everyone has opinions. The 360 has the hardcore all but locked up, the Wii is selling like gangbusters, and the PS3 is chugging along just fine. Just go play the games you like on the console that provides them.

National Kato

10-28-2008, 02:13 PM

I'd love to buy more games for my PS3. Quieter, faster (in some cases, e.g. pre-installs), and I can use it as much as I want without fear of it dying for no good goddamned reason.

But if the game has multiplayer, my 360 friend's list is much longer. Honestly, more games than not include MP now. So I end up buying for that platform.

Dukefrukem

10-28-2008, 05:48 PM

KingGorilla

10-28-2008, 07:21 PM

Orca

10-28-2008, 08:59 PM

I have to wonder if this also includes sales of games from the online store. Of all the consoles Sony may have the best one of the lot. It will be interresting what bones EA throws their way if Burnout is a success. It would also be interresting if Sony Online moved more expansion content for the likes of Rock Band, or Guitar Hero. These are the sorts of things that would not show up on the third party charts, but that EA would be familiar with.

As I said before - that money does show up on their financial charts, it's just delayed for PS3 purchases due to what EA considers poor accounting. I think the EA financial that's been linked to twice (though both have been dead links) was the one that took all DLC from Rock Band in one lump sum.

Direct sales through Marketplace/PSN are in the financial reports - the only difference seems to be the 'when' of their reporting.

OldJadedGamer

10-28-2008, 09:13 PM

Lack of game invites, lack of people with mics, frustrating implementations, crap shoot on what games support what features. All sorts of problems, check out this experience (http://www.vgwire.com/2008/10/socom-confrontation-lame/) with SOCOM. I had a terrible time with LBP beta, trying to play with people online as well.

Now you can add the clusterfuck that is the online portion of Little Big Planet as well. The online is so bad that it's stopping you from playing offline!!! The work around is to sign off of PSN in order to play offline!!

To add insult to injury, LBP and Socom are two first party titles that had beta's for God's sake!! When people make negative comments about PSN, this is a prime example of what they are referring to. Dedicated servers FTL.

Johan

10-29-2008, 07:03 AM

Next generation, Sony should do the hardware and MS the OS/online. Let Nintendo do whatever the heck it wants on its own. Let's unify this party! :)

MalReynolds

10-29-2008, 07:10 AM

That would be nice but its NOT gonna happen

DangerousDaze

10-29-2008, 07:15 AM

It's not a failing console, but it's sales are indicative of failure on Sony's part. I think that's fair.

Just to add some more spin to a thread that's already in danger of tearing itself apart through centripetal force, apparently the PS3 outsold the 360 globally in Q2 so the PS3 is shifting a considerable number of units these days. *rrrrriiiiiipppppppp*

TheFlyingOrc

10-29-2008, 08:20 AM

Just to add some more spin to a thread that's already in danger of tearing itself apart through centripetal force, apparently the PS3 outsold the 360 globally in Q2 so the PS3 is shifting a considerable number of units these days. *rrrrriiiiiipppppppp*

In the quarter where MGS4 came out? I'm hardly surprised. I expect the 360 to outsell the PS3 in Q4 by far more than the PS3 outsold it in Q2.

DangerousDaze

10-29-2008, 09:57 AM

In the quarter where MGS4 came out? I'm hardly surprised. I expect the 360 to outsell the PS3 in Q4 by far more than the PS3 outsold it in Q2.

But I thought MGS4 ended up in bargain bins in record time? It can't both have been a disappointment and a system seller. :confused:

Johan

10-29-2008, 10:01 AM

But I thought MGS4 ended up in bargain bins in record time? It can't both have been a disappointment and a system seller. :confused:

If it arrives on the 360, we'll call its sales a disappointment. If not, then the sales were sufficiently of or above expectations! How's that?

Also, I know this has come up elsewhere, but yikes. (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081029/as_japan_earns_sony.html) When things aren't selling, their profits are down. Now, when they ARE selling, their profits are...down. Bad times on the exchange!

TheFlyingOrc

10-29-2008, 10:10 AM

But I thought MGS4 ended up in bargain bins in record time? It can't both have been a disappointment and a system seller. :confused:
I've never made that claim. Sales of MGS4 were solid and moved consoles, but probably not as many as the fact that all other BluRay players are worthless has.

edit: MGS4 looks to have sold about 3.3 mil, according to ol' VGChartz. It's lifetime should be better than Snake Eater, worse than Sons of Liberty.

JayVe

10-29-2008, 01:02 PM

DangerousDaze

10-29-2008, 01:10 PM

Was it really a 'considerable number of units'?

I considered it to be a number of units. Seriously, what's your motive in even asking? Are you going to argue that your definition of considerable is superior to mine? I thought we already agreed that this thread was spin-city.

JayVe

10-29-2008, 03:14 PM

Orca

10-29-2008, 04:03 PM

I considered it to be a number of units. Seriously, what's your motive in even asking? Are you going to argue that your definition of considerable is superior to mine? I thought we already agreed that this thread was spin-city.

What was your motive in posting that without even bothering to mention a source, much less provide a link?

I heard that apparently the Atari 2600 had a surprise comeback and outsold the Wii. It's not charted on NPD because the console is so old, but it's true.

DangerousDaze

10-29-2008, 04:10 PM

What was your motive in posting that without even bothering to mention a source, much less provide a link?

What would be the point? I already told you it was spin - a source wouldn't make it any less so. If you're genuinely interested it came from here. (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=272074)

Variable Gear

10-31-2008, 09:26 PM

edit: MGS4 looks to have sold about 3.3 mil, according to ol' VGChartz. It's lifetime should be better than Snake Eater, worse than Sons of Liberty.
Basically, what you're saying is that Konami is SOL unless they port MGS4 over to the 360.

I like what I'm hearing...

jeffbax

11-01-2008, 07:19 AM

I imagine MGS4 will be one of the games that keeps on selling throughout the consoles life. PS3 has many more machines to sell and with it many more likely MGS4 buyers.

Disgustipated

11-01-2008, 02:28 PM

I imagine MGS4 will be one of the games that keeps on selling throughout the consoles life. PS3 has many more machines to sell and with it many more likely MGS4 buyers.

I agree with jeffbax.

Ugh. ;)

bean

11-01-2008, 09:18 PM

But I thought MGS4 ended up in bargain bins in record time? It can't both have been a disappointment and a system seller. :confused:

Who said it was a disappointment? I don't think I've read anyone say that. Even crazies.

Are you just trying to demonstrate that looking at a single quarter instead of a year or even a system's full lifespan (since all of these numbers are available weekly or monthly) is stupid? I think people have already pointed out how stupid that is so providing an example for emphasis on how utterly retarded it is to do this. . . well, it's probably overkill.

The Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 in Japan when Tales of Vesparia & Infinite Undiscovery came out, but that was just a spike from this game's release. It might continue a little due to The Last Remnant and Star Ocean 4 coming out soon, but I expect the PS3 will start winning in Japan again outside of these JRPG spikes.

Maybe you were talking about MGS 4 "legacy sales". . . people who couldn't afford the system, but who are buying it later with MGS 4 in mind. I think that will definitely happen, and I think we'll see some of that in Japan for the Xbox 360 too. . . mostly since it sold out. Still, a big part of legacy sales is the system coming down in price so that people who can't afford a system when a killer-app comes out can finally get it and the Xbox 360 getting down to $200 is going to be huge.