Wii, PS3 Sell Big In First Week 306
Wowzer writes "Nintendo today announced the Wii sold through more than 600,000 units in the Americas in just its first eight days of availability. That's a rate of nearly one per second continuously since the November 19 launch!" From the article: "The company noted that, when taking into account first-party software and accessory sales, Wii sales have thus far amounted to an impressive $190 million. Nintendo also added that sales of the Wii's highly anticipated launch title, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, has already has achieved sales of more than 454,000 units in the Americas, a figure which it notes represents in excess of of 75 percent of all hardware purchasers." I couldn't find any sales figures for the PS3, just word that the company has sold all the units it shipped. Gamasutra is also reporting sales figures via Ebay for the two consoles. 15,000 PS3s were sold, while the Wii cracked 27,000 via the popular online auction site.
Before anyone mentions NexGenWars (Score:5, Interesting)
It's worth noting that 15,000 PS3 units could be as much as 10% [gizmodo.com] of the North American supply. Given that we don't know the actual figures shipped, it's just as possible that 15,000 is 5% of the supply. Either way, it's a significant percentage of the PS3 consoles.
Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars (Score:5, Funny)
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How many were put up on ebay and NOT sold? I'm guessing that there are not many more people willing to pay $1000 extra just to get a unit before the next shipment arrives. Think of all those thousands of poor people, who are now stuck with a $800 doorstop. Remember, they only bought it to resell it, not to use it.
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Until we have a good sales history and ample supply with which to predict the sales of these consoles, it would be best to stick to the official figures released by the respective companies...
...snip...
It's worth noting that 15,000 PS3 units could be as much as 10% of the North American supply. Given that we don't know the actual figures shipped, it's just as possible that 15,000 is 5% of the supply. Either way, it's a significant percentage of the PS3 consoles.
So you say that no one should cite a
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A fair enough point. I guess I should have segued into that one a bit better. Feel free to strike the second paragraph above and replace it with:
"Once the PS3 figures are availble, it will be interesting to see what percentage of the PS3s were sold on eBay. If the current analyst guessimations prove to be accurate, as much as 10% of the PS3s on the m
Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars (Score:4, Informative)
Nintendo's current estimates [gamespot.com] are 2 million consoles before year's end. The 4 million number was bandied about pre-launch along with Sony's 2 million number. Sony is currently targetting 1 million units [gamasutra.com] by year's end.
If both companies make their targets, there will be a 2:1 split between the competitors. The analysts, however, believe that Nintendo will only manage to ship between 1.5 and 2 million consoles (up to a 500,000 unit shortfall) and that Sony will only be able to ship 750,000.
Wii will see how it turns out.
Bottom line (Score:2)
Kinda sad when you think about it. If Nintendo and Sony were smart, they'd both poor all their advertising dollars into production for a while. No point in hyping something no one can buy.
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Um, yeah. You might want to check that attitude at the door. Sony is already missing their projections of 2 million consoles (originally down from 4 million) by half. They're down to a broadcast projection of 1 million consoles for 2006. The analysts that you're quoting for that 200,000 number are the same ones who are saying that Sony will miss their latest target by 250,000 units. Also,
Re:Before anyone mentions NexGenWars (Score:5, Interesting)
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FYI: Wii Topic [slashdot.org] and Wii Icon [slashdot.org].
Posted at +2 this time, because I'm not feeling quite as polite.
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Vegonomics (Score:4, Funny)
never a truer word on this was spoke..
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Fuzzy math (Score:5, Funny)
Cuz each PS3 sells twice. Once at the store, and then again on ebay...
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Re:Fuzzy math (Score:4, Interesting)
There are 1500 ps2 titles listed on wikipedia and I'd estimate an equal amount of ps1 titles. So if they continue, you'd have 1500 * 3 platforms = 4500 titles (just listing quantity not quality). Not that it's apples to apples but the Xbox had about 700, the 360 has about 300 so far. Sony is an electronics and entertainment company first, whereas MS was (and is) trying to break into the market. That's just the reality of the situation.
I have a 360. But when FF13, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid and especially White Knight (assuming the videos aren't pre-vis) are released you better believe the demand will be there. Although the price is a bit steep and it's so much more complicated than the ps2 was. It's early, hard to say. PS2 launch was the same imho, all that is different is the pricey High-Def age. Tivo Series 3(HD) is $700, Series2(non HD) was $399 at launch. HD just costs a lot, ps3 is right in there. I'd be curious to know if anyone has any old HiFi (audio) war stories?
Ebay numbers wrong! (Score:4, Informative)
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Yeah but how many of those Wiis were fake and scams?
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Analysts (Score:5, Interesting)
Until NPD releases its November numbers or Sony makes an announcement I think those are about as accurate as we're going to get.
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That goes along with what I've been seeing. Anyone have any restock numbers? I know Nintendo has promised a fast restock and Sony has indicated a slow one, but will that be 4-1 like initial sales, or are we talking a different animal entirely?
TW
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
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Sony said that they would ship 400k units on launch day in North America. They said that the first 500k would have a movie included. My buddy just went to Target yesterday and was lucky enough to get one of the 20GB systems that "just came in" and it also had the movie. So, by my simple math Sony did not ship 400k to N.A. on 11/17.
Now for Nintento... They said they would have 2 million for NA launch. However, now it appears that they actually meant 600k worldwide.
So it looks like
All of the PS3's sold? (Score:4, Insightful)
Really? Wow, thanks for clearing that up for me, Sony. And here I was thinking that half of them had been lost somewhere in stockrooms across the country, and another quarter of them were sitting on store shelves while disinterested gamers walked by. I'm certainly glad we got that cleared up.
Too early to tell... (Score:5, Insightful)
As of now, "every system Nintendo or Sony makes is sold immediately!" This obviously won't last, and we'll see who eventually comes out on top...
Re:Too early to tell... (Score:5, Interesting)
Then Sony started lying out their asses about what the PS2 would be like and managed to spread the FUD so thick that people nearly quit buying Dreamcasts completely. (despite the fact that the PS2 was, in reality, only incrementally superior to the DC) Sega's marketing department failed to keep up, and the rest was history.
Point of the story being, the DC situation is unlikely to be repeated in this case. It sort of came out in a weird "in between" time, generationally, rather than this situation where the three consoles have all come out relatively near to each other. (remember, people think of the SNES and the Genesis as being of the same generation, even though they were separated by two years)
So what it's all going to come down to is customer adoption and games. Personally, I think Sony is at an INCREDIBLE disadvantage, one I'd be highly surprised to see them overcome. It's going to come down, I believe, to a slugging match between Microsoft and Nintendo in a war of prettiness and grittiness vs fun and fluffy. And I predict they'll end up at something of an equilibrium, maybe 40% market share each, with the PS3 taking the high-end business but little else.
It's a manufacturing race... (Score:4, Interesting)
However, Sony will be able to keep selling units for top dollar, which will help them, because demand is so high... but they can't supply the market.
Nintendo appears to have figured out how to get units out the door. It doesn't matter that 2x to 3x the people want a Sony system as a Nintendo system if Sony can't get them off the line and into stores. Nintendo will sell there demand, and some will substitute a Wii for a PS3. Sony blew this launch BADLY. They may win this round, they may make money, they may pull off a lot (they have a LOT of Brand Value), but they screwed up manufacturing.
If Nintendo keeps manufacturing units and selling them, they will sell games and make money. Some third parties may sign up (if you want to launch a game for next Christmas, if Sony doesn't fix its manufacturing problems by mid-year, Nintendo may be a real option for them). The interesting thing is that Nintendo's system is SO different, it isn't straight ports that will work. Last generation, game companies could switch their target system around without much re-jiggering, but Nintendo's system requires a completely different approach because it is so unique.
However, Sony blew the manufacturing... marketing did its job, but they didn't get product out there. I expect Microsoft to be the BIG beneficiary of this, as Sony and Microsoft are much more substitutable (similar hardware, similar controllers, similar target markets), but Nintendo will find itself fighting in the normal market, not just a niche...
Interesting thing as well, Nintendo didn't overspec their system, they may have underspec'd it. That means that they may be able to get costs WAY down. If Sony's botched launch delays games (because nobody wants to sell games to a dead market), Nintendo may be able to keep moving systems and get the costs down fast. If that happens, expect Nintendo to start selling to hardcore gamers because if they can get a $200 package with 2 games out within 24 months, hard core gamers may pick one up to augment their Sony/MS gaming with Nintendo's unique offering.
Nintendo executed, Sony didn't. Kudos to Nintendo. Sony, get your divisions back in sync.
Alex
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And the general public? Not at the price Sony's asking. Not when, in all seriousness, they could buy a 360 AND a Wii for the sam
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And it won't be in the $200-$300 range for YEARS. I'd say two at an absolute minimum, and only then if Sony is willing to continue swallowing huge per-unit losses.
The big problem is that, for 90% of consumers (or more), it offers NOTHING to justify that price tag. It is pretty. It is very VERY pretty. It is EXCEEDINGLY pretty if you have a huge HDTV... and that's about it. At regular 48
Re:It's a manufacturing race... (Score:5, Funny)
This is precisely the kind of insightful business acumen that I come to slashdot for.
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Maybe ... but I'm much more ticked off at MS then Sony. I've held off getting an XBox360, being perfectly happy playing games on my PS2. I think I can hold off awhile to get a PS3 (until I can just walk into a store and buy one).
The only wildcard to me is the
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like this? [gamespot.com]
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Certainly not enough to sink a console. Unless it was, in fact, already going down. And piracy is a lot better scapegoat than "Our marketing dept is pathetic and let Sony lie to all our potential customers."
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I generally agree with this statement, but I gotta ask what we judge as "winners" or "losers"?
The DS has better sales in many places than the PSP, but the PSP has sold a heck of a lot of units. It's not that far behind the DS in anyplace but Japan. Despite this, people on Slashdot like to treat it as an "also ran"
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Replace "PSP" with "N64" and "DS" with "PS1."
The PSP "sells a lot" and "has a large installed base" compared to the DS, but how many of those PSP owners are buying games? How does the average PSP game sell compared
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Meanwhile MS claims they won launch week... (Score:4, Informative)
I cant speak for anyone else but I have a hard time believing that Gears managed to move that many consoles. I was out shopping quite a bit last week and saw lots of wii's being sold but didnt more than a handful of 360's though all the stores I shopped had plenty. Of course the way that Sony and Microsoft count sales is how many ship to retail (including the ones sitting on the shelves) where Nintendo actually counts units sold.
How many of those were busted? (Score:5, Informative)
I bought my Wii and received it early last week. Plug it in, have it find my WPA-encrypted wireless network and proceed with my first system update. You need the firmware update to do anything online. Bong -- 110213 error (Google it -- a good number of people got it). Afterwards the system refused to go online (no virtual console goodness, no more firmware updates, etc). The predominant opinion is that the Wii doesn't CRC the firmware before installing it, resulting in semi-bricked consoles.
Called up Nintendo and, after 30 minutes on hold, I got someone. To their credit, they immediately sent another console out (received it yesterday). It was already updated to the latest firmware. Looks refurbished, but I guess I don't have a choice.
I'm personally very interested in what percentage of those numbers are "usable" systems. 95%? 99%? Even if only 1% are busted, that's still a considerable number of machines.
Re:How many of those were busted? (Score:4, Insightful)
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The system had small scratches and the serial number was already registered.
Also, Nintendo apparently sold some machines that were previously preview/PR machines (Google it). Many of those boxes talked about requiring a startup disc (http://forums.nintendo.com/nintendo/board/message ?board.id=wii_tech&message.id=213). So those machines were months old -- not two weeks old.
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In my opinion, that would have been poor customer service on their part. Suppose they ship you a new, non-upgraded console. What happens if, by some fluke, you get another unit that bricks on the update? Now you are really ticked off. When a manufacturer replaces a DOA product (which, for all practical purposes, was the case for you
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Regardless, why does it matter? Read my other response. The Wii I received had scratches and was already registered to someone in Washington, DC. My guess is that that person had similar problems to me, sent it back to Nintendo, they wiped the firmwa
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That would be my guess as well, and probably the most likely situation. I'd call Nintendo again and complain and write a letter (take photos for documentation). This time, since the box works, I'd request a new box be sent (brand new), and a shipping box to return the damaged box (it's physically damaged due to scratches). This way, you're not without a Wii for a period of time.
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The number I heard was "less than 1%", which even at 1% is better than most. Average Consumer electronics range between 3%-4%, and the early batches of PS2's hit 13%. It's like Dead pixels on LCD's. They happen in manufacturing, and the manufacturer will fix it under the warranty. Nintendo also offers a 90 day extension to their 1 year warranty if you registered the system.
Nintendo claimed that the 'Firmware itself' didn't caus
From what I here and see, WII has the advantage (Score:2, Funny)
PS3 went for "Blu-ray" + "High end chips"
Sony took the conservative route, using the same old selling tactics that have worked in the past.
Nintendo went for the radical chance route. It will either sell HUGE, making a mockery of PS3, or flop.
I am betting on huge. Granted, much will depend on the quality of the games that Nintendo can get out there quick.
But the honest truth is that current video games suffer from fat-slob-with-tired-thumb. It is not just a st
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IMHO, a big group of Xbox360 and PS3 early adopters are people also buying their first HDTV around the same time, who ar
Going unnoticed... (Score:2)
This has gone largely unnoticed, but Microsoft has started a hell of a holiday XBOX 360 campaign, based on the practical idea that they can steal potential sales from Sony because there don't seem to be any PS3s available for retail, so they'll buy 360s instead.
The Wii seems to have stolen a little bit off Microsoft's thunder, which they may or may not have expected (since both Sony and MS are buying into the "Nintendo isn't in our market" byline). The console currently has an 8 million to 600,000 lead...
Re:Going unnoticed... (Score:4, Funny)
"This has gone largely unnoticed, but Microsoft has started a hell of a holiday XBOX 360 campaign..."
If it has gone largely unnoticed, can we really call it "a hell of a campaign"? On the other hand, if there's anybody in the world able to pull off such a thing (a largely unnoticed hell of a campaign, that is), it's probably Micro"Zuma"soft.
Hiding the truth... (Score:2)
Nintendo, on the other hand, only has good news all around to report.
PS3 (Score:2)
Sony was quite reserved on saying how much units will be at launch. IIRC, Sony has said last year that at launch will be about 10mln units. Over the year, the figure shrunk to 2mln.
Before launch, Sony was quite silent, but industry watchers have estimated that Sony production lines can pull 200k units every month and during 3 month in production befiore launch, Sony could have had max 600k units at launch.
P.S. Figure of 800k units was also rumored.
Give me some meaningful numbers (Score:2, Funny)
How about the length of Wiis side-by-side in number of football fields?
How many Volkswagen Beetlefuls?
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Official PS3 numbers (Score:5, Funny)
Does anyone know (Score:2)
The Counter-Strike of Game Consoles (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:The Counter-Strike of Game Consoles (Score:5, Informative)
TL;DR
(too long, didn't read)
Seriously, does your keyboard have an enter key?
Re:The Counter-Strike of Game Consoles (Score:5, Funny)
The Math.... (Score:5, Funny)
Retailer makes maybe $50 after they pay all the extra security.
Ebayers make $500-1500/unit minus...
the Ebay makes 5.25% + Paypal 2.90% = 8.15% of that (more then the retailer most likely)
And then of course all the violence, injuries, and robberies.
Sony got screwed royally, and everyone else won the lottery.
Console developers need to get their shit together and learn what a Dutch Auction is.
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Sony got screwed royally, and everyone else won the lottery.
Console developers need to get their shit together and learn what a Dutch Auction is.
Console makers have lost money on the first few iterations of consoles for at least a decade. They plan on losing that money because they figure they'll make it back in game sales.
Sony decided they could afford to lose even MORE than normal in an attempt to push Blu-Ray over HD-DVD. I think they're idiots and this will only backfire on them, but that's a differen
no, they don't (Score:4, Interesting)
No. An analyst says that Sony loses $300 per unit. That is the same $900 / unit that analysts were talking about a year ago and was generally thought to be complete bunk. Just before the rootkit fiasco when everyone decided hating Sony would be the new cool thing to do on the Intertubes. Now when an analcyst spouts some bullshit numbers that ignore the fact that Sony owns the production lines for many of the PS3 components, people take it as god-given fact.
WTF ? (Score:2)
Can anyone decipher that for me ?
As it reads, 454,000 SOFTWARE purchases exceeds 75% of all HARDWARE purchase(r)s. Does that mean 75% of all wii purchases, or 75% of all console purchases ? If it's the latter, does that mean non-w
Re:WTF ? (Score:5, Funny)
If you see two ways to interperet a statement, and one of them doesn't make any fucking sense to you, go with the other one.
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When I tried to get a system over at walmart before I waited in line at B
It's not released yet (Score:3, Informative)
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You end up posting similar messages on every thread that mentions the Wii or PS3 yet you never post any link to a source for your information.
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You end up posting similar messages on every thread that mentions the Wii or PS3 yet you never post any link to a source for your information.
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As for my posting history, at least I log in and have one.
Ironic (Score:2)
Here's to you, Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fan... (Score:5, Funny)
Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Troll!
Sitting at home in your parents basement with your PS1 and 2 and 3...
Maaaaaaan, thats a lot of consoooooooles....
Or, Mr. Troll, are you playing with a wii?
Tell me, Mr. Troll-man?
So here's to you, Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Troll...
Mr. Anonymous Coward Sony Fanboy Trooo-oooll!!!
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Comment removed (Score:4, Insightful)
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If everyone hated them, Sony wouldn't be selling any.
Anecdote (Score:2)
So it's not anti-Sony fanboyism. The PS3 really does suck. It's too expensive and there aren't anywhere near enough good games.
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The December issue practically ignores the Wii, and their review of Marvel Ultimate Alliance says that some characters are "only available on the PS3 and Xbox 360". They are also on the Wii version -- but the review doesn't even mention that there's a wii port.
I think it's pretty clear that the people at that magazine are blowing off the Wii, and given the
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I've seen a lot more about the PS3 than I have the wii. The wii just gets positive articles because it's very hard to bash it (beyond LOL OLD GRAPHICS) and the PS3 is just a complete mess which is hard to complement.
It's like going "This is a bike, it works perfectly" and then "This is a 13 wheeled bike, it sort of works and it's really cool!" You can't find a fault with the bike but the 13 wheeled bike you can easily.
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There's the lack of a supply, the broken demo units, the broken global launch promise, the small number of launch titles, their Live-like network mess, the backwards compatability problems, the thefts, the shootings, the riots, the huge ebay prices, the hiring of homeless people to stand in line for scalpers, the arrogant statements by the people in charge of Sony (You'll but it without games, lol), the loss of rumble for "innovative"
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Nintendo must be paying off nearly every game site out there. Good thing they've got deep pockets and a competitor that has a high price, low supply, half-assed controller, and the death of Lik-Sang under their belt.
How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment (Score:2)
Re:How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment (Score:4, Informative)
By January, they'll probably be easy to get ahold of. If you need one before then, I suggest buddying up to someone at a Toys R Us, Target, or similar store, and finding out the exact moment they plan to unload the Wiis from trucks and put them on the floor.
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I will bide my time and wait until I can just go in and pick one up as an impulse buy. Otherwise, what excuse would I have
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However, the production rates are supposed to be HUGE, so I bet there will be some soon.
The killer, for me, is that I can't get the 4th nunchuck for my system. No one has ANY Wii accessories in stock; they sell out so fast it's not even funny.
Re:How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment (Score:5, Funny)
Customer: Hi, I'd like Twilight Princess for PS3.
EB Employee: Uhm... What?
Customer: Zelda, for PS3
EB Employee: Uhh, yeah.. that's not for PS3, that's a Nintendo Wii game.
Customer: So...?
EB Employee: Ma'am, you need to have a Nintendo Wii *points to the display beside the counter* to play Twilight Princess, or a Game Cube, when it's released for that.
Customer: So I can't play Zelda on PS3?
EB Employee: No.
Customer: So I spent 5 hours in the cold to buy my son a PS3, so he could play the new Zelda, but now he can't?
EB Employee: The new Zelda is for Wii, not PS3, I can show you our PS3 selection if you'd like?
Customer: No, I want Zelda for PS3.
and it pretty much continued like that for a couple minutes before she grasped the concept that she wasn't going to be playing zelda on her ps3. Makes me wonder how many other confused non-gamers are out there in a similar situation. :)
Re:How hard is it to find a Wii at the moment (Score:4, Funny)
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Damn DRM!
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Interesting aside, Zelda sold over 454,000 copies. I wonder
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The OP's question is quite valid.
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The difference is that you can get a Core from Microsoft, buy the HDD, the wireless controller and the headset separately, and the only difference you'll have between your 360 and somebody that paid for the deluxe set will be the color of the drive tray. With Sony, if you want to go from the low-end model to the high-end model, you have to buy the high-end model and end up with two PS3s. With that, buying the low-end model instead of the high-end mo
LEF ! (Score:2)
You can get fraternity without equality, and you can get equality without Freedom!
But, I sail the world and I have wet to see a place where freedom is even emerging.