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PlayStation (Games) The Almighty Buck

Price Cut Leads To PS3, PSP Sales Boost 154

Posted by Zonk from the i-know-it-got-me dept.
Klaidas writes "The BBC reports that sales of Sony's PlayStation 3 console in the US rose by 21% in June, though the machine still trails the Wii and Xbox 360. NPD numbers show 98,500 PS3s were sold, compared to 198,400 Xbox 360s (up 28%) and 381,800 Wiis (up 13%). Sony said that the $100 price cut to the 60GB PS3 led to a 135% sales rise over the last two weeks, though independent confirmation of that jump is not yet available. 'Nintendo's DS handheld sold 561,900 units , while Sony's PSP, which has been boosted by an April price cut, sold 230,100 units, NPD reported. Software sales in the US are 31% higher than the same time last year, the market research showed, buoyed by new consoles from all three firms.'"
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Price Cut Leads To PS3, PSP Sales Boost More

Price Cut Leads To PS3, PSP Sales Boost

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  • Misleading headline (Score:5, Informative)

    by EveryNickIsTaken ( 1054794 ) on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @09:34AM (#19968707)
    Since the price cut occurred two weeks ago (for the PS3), these numbers don't reflect any bump from said price cut. The numbers that we'll be looking for are July, August, and September to see if the price cut leads to a sustained increase in sales.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Cutriss ( 262920 )
      Wow, now we don't even RTFS. We just RTFT. From the summary...

      Sony said that the $100 price cut to the 60GB PS3 led to a 135% sales rise over the last two weeks, though independent confirmation of that jump is not yet available.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by LordKronos ( 470910 )

        though independent confirmation of that jump is not yet available


        Honestly, I wouldn't believe anything I heard from Sony. If it were a sunny day and Sony told me the sky were blue, I'd probably still look up to be sure. For all we know, what they really meant was that they shipped 135% more PS3s into the retail channel in anticipation for increased sales.
        • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • The Headline implies the PS3 is on the uptake, which is true compared to other months, but it could just as easily been said that Sony's PlayStation 3 was outsold by every tracked console but the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox. [ign.com] in June. or

      "PS3 Still out sold by GBA" and it would also be true. It simply depends on the spin you want to put on your article. I don't know why GBA numbers were excluded from the parent article since the "Last gen PS2" was also included... Here are some more numbers...

      DS - 56

  • Poor Sony (Score:3, Interesting)

    by the computer guy nex ( 916959 ) on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @09:46AM (#19968837)
    The Xbox360 came out a full year earlier, and it is still selling 100k more units per month? That hurts. Also nice to see the Wii still going strong.

    I bet no one out there regrets their Wii360 purchase instead of just a PS3.
    • I bet no one out there regrets their Wii360 purchase instead of just a PS3.

      My friend calls his combo the "Wii60." Has a nice ring to it.

      Now all I wish is I could actually find a Wii...

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Aladrin ( 926209 )
      It hurts, but it's not entirely unexpected. The 360 has hit the point where a new buyer can pick up the console and has almost 2 years worth of titles to choose from, and the last 6 months to a year have had some very very good titles.

      The PS3 is almost a year old and still has very very few exclusive titles, with the majority of them being ports of 360 games and released up to a year later.

      Add to that the price difference and people have many reasons to buy a 360 over a PS3.

      I'll even hazard a guess that a

      • Re:Poor Sony (Score:4, Informative)

        by Fozzyuw ( 950608 ) on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @11:38AM (#19970391)

        The PS3 is almost a year old and still has very very few exclusive titles! ~by Aladrin (926209) Alter Relationship on Tuesday July 24, @08:56AM (#19968961 [slashdot.org])

        The console was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan and shortly after on November 17, 2006 in North America, Hong Kong and Taiwan.! ~Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]

        November = 11/12 month. July 7/12 month. That's about a 4 month difference before we see it's 1 year anniversary, or 1/3 (33.333%) of a year. You have a very loose definition of 'almost'.

        According to this list [wikipedia.org], there are over 40 games slated to be released before their true 1 year mark. Over 11 of them exclusive. Of course, given the usual game development, some of this might be pushed back past November 2007.

        Add to that the price difference and people have many reasons to buy a 360 over a PS3.

        The "Elite" [wikipedia.org] price of the 360 is pretty much on par with the 60-GB 'firesale' price at $479.99 compared to $499.99. Add on the option HD-DVD drive [wikipedia.org] at $199.99 [amazon.com] and now you're looking at a console that's MORE expensive than the PS3, which comes with Blu-ray. Though, you do get a bigger hard drive (120GB compared to 80GB)

        Nah, the 360 is not a better price comparison than the PS3, given similar setups. It is better for consumers because of it's optional features, but that will also be a drawback for it's system. One cannot put a game on HD-DVD media for the 360 because they cannot guarentee everyone has an HD-DVD drive. Well, one could do it, but it could scorn consumers who might purchase it (and you know there are people who will) thinking it will work because it's a 360 game.

        There are only 2 main reasons for get a 360 over a PS3. Game library (as you already mentioned) and online support. Both of these can be categorized into the 'maturity' of the console because it has been out longer.

        While I'm a Nintendo supporter, my crystal ball does predict the PS3 to overtake both the Wii and 360 in 2 years. It's going to be a huge gap to make up from the Wii but I believe you'll start seeing games on the PS3 that will just blow people away and everyone will be wanting one. One top of that, in 2-years that 80GB model will probably be selling closer to $400, which will be much more affordable for everyone as the prices of Blu-Ray and computer chips drop at their usual rate. Such games won't be possible on the 360 without a HD-DVD requirement.

        You'll see the PS3 become more popular with developers as the 'casual gamers' market that the Wii is very effectively targeting, is also a market that does not spend gobs of money on games or as often. 1 game for a casual gamer family will probably satisfy them for months, while a hobby gamer (like myself) will 'beat' a game in a week or two and will want to move onto something else. Of course, this will depend on the game. MMO's will probably take over the 360 and PS3 consoles with the availability of a hard drive.

        At that point, since "everyone"(tm) will be picking up a PS3, there will be a resurgence of interest in it as if it was part of a 'new' generation of consoles. Like "current + .5 generation". And maybe in the next 2 years Sony can correct it's PR from it's other department mishaps.

        In 2 years, those gamers who sprang for a Wii or 'Wii60' while have $400 to spend on a new console and they'll see a good healthy library of games to c

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Aladrin ( 926209 )
          Stop comparing features for a moment and compare what they do for the person who buys it.

          A gamer wants to play GAMES, not movies. In terms of that, the $400 360 and the 'fire-sale' PS3 are the ones to compare. (The cheapest 360 is crap without the hard drive, as you cannot download demos and saving is -much- less hassle with a hard drive than a memory card.) Yes, it's a nice bonus to be able to play Blu-ray, but that also assumes the person has an HDMI-capable TV as well. Otherwise, it's just a glorifie

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by toolie ( 22684 )

            The blu-ray player is cheaper than the stand-alones, the interface works well (only 1 complaint so far) and it can even stream from the network.

            Its not the cheapest any more. Amazon [amazon.com] has a stand alone player for $459.98. Thats $40.01 cheaper than the 'fire sale'. Its on sale, and no clue how long the sale is going to last, but new players are coming out cheaper all the time.

      • Folklore (TBA, probably not this year), Heavenly Sword, Echochrome... I'm sure there are others coming.

        You forgot timed exclusives UT3 and Haze, both of which look good to those who consider the Xbox a "FPS" machine and the PS a "RPG" machine. Add in HL2 and older games like RS:Vegas and Resistance and you have some pretty nice FPS games to compete with the 360's Halo (I'm not a fan myself). I think this generation you're going to see the lines blur more and more.

        Also, the fact that Microsoft has publicly

    • Re:Poor Sony (Score:5, Interesting)

      by samkass ( 174571 ) on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @10:10AM (#19969147) Homepage Journal
      The Xbox360 came out a full year earlier, and it is still selling 100k more units per month?

      Well, the PS2 came out almost 7 years ago, and, at least as of May, was still outselling the PS3 and XBox360 put together each month. As the PS3 price comes down, it will be interesting to see if Sony can convert a substantial portion of the PS2 buyers into PS3 owners down the road. And while it's true that the PS3 has little exclusive content yet, I can't wait for the first virtual world-style game (Maybe a GTA?) that uses the Blu-Ray capacity to offer an order of magnitude richer world than you can get on anything else.

      In other words, the game isn't over-- it's hardly begun.

      Although I could have gone any of the 3 ways (the Wii seems fun but lacking in features, the 360 seems like it has a good online feature but lackluster specs, and the PS3 is expensive but featureful), I don't regret the PS3. Blu-Ray movies look awesome, the machine has horsepower out the wazoo, the LAN features just work-- it has everything I need for a long time. And it plays my PS2 games so I don't have to go out and buy hundreds of dollars in new games to have a little fun.

      • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

        by hibiki_r ( 649814 )
        Sure you can play most PS2 games in the 60 gb PS3, but the 80gb version won't have the Emotion Engine built in, so the backwards compatibility advantage will take a significant step back. No Gran Turismo 4, no Xenosaga, no Metal Gear 2, no Bully, for example. The PS3 has a future if people actually want to spend $30-$35 a pop for blu-ray movies. If they'd rather spend $10-$20 for the normal DVD, they blu-ray becomes a liability, not an advantage. And, in the end, the PS3 needs exclusives to sell, and ever
        • I bought the HD-DVD add-on for the 360, because I got a very good deal on a used one from Craigslist. I was extremely excited. I watched a few movies, rented a few from Netflix and was just extremely happy with my purchase (as I assume i would've been had i bought a blu-ray player). THEN I started buying them... as you said at $30 a pop. That was something i did not really count on. I mean, I knew what they cost obviously... I just wasn't considering it.

          So now I sit on my couch and look at my 6 hd-d
        • Blue ray movies have come down. Some older titles hit the 19.95 sweet spot here in canada for occasional sales. Most are still 29.95 cnd and up.

          As for software emulation. It's actually pretty good. 70% - 80% with few show stopping glitches. the 360 does 30% and of those 30% there are still significant glitches.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by samkass ( 174571 )
          I believe the problems with all the titles you mention have been fixed by version 1.81 of the PS3's system software. The "backwards compatibility" meme is mostly just FUD. I'm not sure why people love to hate the PS3 so much anymore.
        • IIRC, a recent firmware update turned off the emotion engine chip anyway on the PS3s that have them... they all use software emu now.
      • non-scientifitc study: I personally know 4 non-gamers who bought a PS2 as a guitar hero machine. I only know 2 people with a PS3.

        take a look at amazon's bestselling video games [amazon.com]. PS2 is #16 (and #17 for the black one) and Guitar Hero 80s is #3Guitar Hero 2 bundle is #19. (PS3 is #2 and 360 is #21)

        Not to mention DS or Wii games hold 8 of the top 12 games. Casual gamers anyone? the first "gamer's game" is Halo 3 at #13 then RE4 (wii) at #20.
    • I bet no one out there regrets their Wii360 purchase instead of just a PS3.

      I bet this guy is regretting his decision [kotaku.com] just a little. And Microsoft views Rings of Red [kotaku.com] as a good thing for sales...so I guess if you do create a device that fails every 3-6 months then your shareholders will be happy because you generate repeat customers with little effort on your part. Way to go Microsoft!
      • Well, considering he's the editor of a popular gaming blog, I'm sure he's not regretting being able to write articles about the 360.

  • DS (Score:2)

    by Taulin ( 569009 )
    Another 500k DS units sold?! Doesn't everyone have one yet, or are people buying two or three for themselves? Also, an increase in Wii sales simply means Nintendo has shipped 13% more stock now than before. That percent increase in Wii is directly proportional to the output of their factories at this time.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by damsa ( 840364 )
      Yeah people buy another one for themselves if they have the older DS, and not the DS lite.
    • Dude, Nintendo can't even keep them in stock in Japan still. Every time they get them in sufficient numbers they release a special edition. Right now theres a Pikachu Special Edition. I hate Pikachu, but I could give my left nut for a yellow DS. Only place I've even seen those sold in Japan are the Pokemon centers of all places (don't ask why I was there...please...) XD

  • I got one with the thought that there was no downgrader in sight for the 3.51 firmware, which would most definitely be shipped on the new model. Mine came with 3.40, and I've upgraded it to 3.50 as part of the downgrade process, which is stalled until my friend who has a copy of Lumines remembers to bring it.

    PROTIP: hay noobz you only need to use it once, no need to hog all the copies of Lumines out there!

    I got mine at a Target store, but if you have an FYE in the area, you might want to check them out,

    • I got one with the thought that there was no downgrader in sight for the 3.51 firmware, which would most definitely be shipped on the new model. Mine came with 3.40

      Is there a way for an individual customer to get a retail store to let him check the firmware version on a PSP before buying it?

      PROTIP: hay noobz you only need to use it once, no need to hog all the copies of Lumines out there!

      Ever considered that maybe they end up liking Lumines and don't want to try the GBA version [pineight.com] in an emulator?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Cutriss ( 262920 )

        Is there a way for an individual customer to get a retail store to let him check the firmware version on a PSP before buying it?
        Yes [qj.net].
  • It's news that dropping the price of [item] leads to more people buying [item]?

    The only people this is news to are people so rabidly anti-Sony that they've convinced themselves that no one wants the PS3. Which is demonstrably false, since people continue to buy the PS3.

    This might be news if it meant that the PS3 was now outselling the 360, but it doesn't.

    If anything, I'm a 360 fanboy - I love me my Gears, my Dead Rising, and my Forza 2 - but it comes as no surprise to me that people are buying the PS3 (othe

  • June was a 5 week period, May was a 4 week period (Score:5, Insightful)

    by ShapeGSX ( 865697 ) on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @10:52AM (#19969681)
    NPD counts sales on a per week basis, not monthly. But the tallies are reported monthly. With NPD, not all months are 4 weeks. If every month was 4 weeks, they would only end up counting 12 * 4 = 48 weeks in a year. There are 52 weeks in a year, so they need 4 months out of the year to be a 5 week period.

    June is one of those 5 week periods.

    If you take this into account, weekly PS3 sales were actually DOWN for June vs May, not up! This is the only valid way to measure sales for months that have a different number of weeks in them.

    So in May, they sold 82,000/4 = 20500 PS3s per week.

    In June, they sold 98,500/5 = 19,700 PS3s per week.

    Sales didn't increase by 21% in June, they decreased by 4%!
  • NPD reported 5 weeks for June.

    So, before the price cut, sales were down about 3.5%.

    This is being reported as a 21% gain due to the price cut.

  • Don't know if this is the right place... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Discgolferusa ( 711112 ) on Tuesday July 24, 2007 @01:19PM (#19971987)
    but here goes.

    What is the facination with the Wii? Why is it doing so well? Price has something to do with it obviously, but after playing the Wii several times, I can't say I was that impressed with it. The lineup is fairly light, and it isn't long before the remote loses it's cool factor and frankly, in some games, can be down right annoying.

    I found the whole experience fairly boring after just a couple of hours of total use. Yet, I know people who are obsessed with the thing.

    So what am I missing about the Wii phenom? Is it primarily because it is easy for little kids to pickup? Or is it some party aspect that I've not had the priviledge of partaking in that has this console being some must have device?

    Of course, I've not been terribly impressed with Nintendo consoles for years. I owned a 64 and think it was the biggest waste of money I've ever had. I currently own a DS almost strictly for FF and Puzzle Quest, and if I could get them in a different medium, I probably would (Puzzle Quest on a small screen is its own little version of torture, but the game is too damn fun not to play).

    (For perspective I own a DS and a 360 currently for "consoles").

    • For Solo play the Wii is ridiculously bad so far (Zelda being the exception). Bored in an hour and I move back to my PS2/Ps3/DS. But ina group setting it's fun. Most of it's uptake is from "new" gamers. The mainstream non gamers picking it up. Of the hardcore most have a 360 or Ps3 and a Wii. As we don't want to be left otu and the wii is economically reasonable to be a 2nd system. While many who have just a wii either can't afford the 360/Ps3 or aren't gamers and have no interest in them.

      • For Solo play the Wii is ridiculously bad so far (Zelda being the exception).

        It clearly is better suited for party gaming, but "ridiculously bad" is harsh. There are many good single-player games available: Zelda, Resi 4 (yeah, it's a port, but it's the best version of one of the best games of all time), Super Paper Mario, Mercury Meltdown, Trauma Center, Godfather (the Wii version is the only one worth owning), Elebits, Excite Truck (which is a lot better than most people claim), SSX, two great golf games, Scarface, and finally a good 3D Sonic.

        As of now, I would recommend the Wi

    • I'm just speaking for myself, but I was really excited about getting a Wii when I couldn't get one, and now that I have one, it's just.. meh. I bring it out when guests come over, but the rest of the time, it just collects dust.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by poofyhairguy82 ( 635386 )
      What is the facination with the Wii? Why is it doing so well? ...what am I missing about the Wii phenom?

      Full disclaimers: I have had a Wii since January and I also own a DS and a PS3, and the guy I live with has a 360 (that I get full access to). My favorite of those is by far my Nintendo DS, which is just a Chrono Trigger away from having everything (literally) which made the SNES great. In fact, I love the DS twice as much as any of the others, so I promise I am not all about graphics. I just expect grap

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Trogre ( 513942 )
        The Wii's success has completely to do with the remote.

        I disagree. I still think is has more to do with the Wii being the cheapest major games console of all time, when adjusted for inflation.

        Id est, the most affordable major games console of all time. Don't underestimate the power of price when Mr Bluecollar stands at the game console wall at the local superstore.
    • King-manic pretty much has it down. I've seen more excitement in the Wii from all my friends that rarely or don't play video games than anyone else. I haven't played it in a while mostly for the following reason and a general lack of time with 3 classes in the summer.

      Right now, single player is a drag but I need to get a couple Wavebirds and play some Gamecube games I haven't played in a while or at all. I loved Zelda and enjoyed Heatseeker. I've heard much fun about Mario Party and Rayman is a blast wit

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by Hadlock ( 143607 )
      Why is it doing so well? Because the Wii is Video Games You Can Play With Your Girlfriend(tm)(slashdotters not included)
       
      Imagine you're married, or engaged, right out of college. You want to play video games like The Good Ole' Days, but the wife is bitching about you blowing $700 (half the mortgage payment) on a PS3. Not only is a Wii cheaper, but she gets some benefit out of it too. Which do you buy? The constant nagging every time you play, or a happy housemate?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by LKM ( 227954 )

      The Wii is viral. People who play with it actually look like they were having fun. It's easy for everyone to get into it. Take out a Wii at a party, and sooner or later everyone has his or her own Mii, and ad-hoc Tennis tournaments will start. Non-gamers love playing these games - at my place, Wii Play is actually one of the most played games, despite the fact that all "real" gamers seem to hate it.

      I find it hilarious that a lot of gamers are still in denial about the Wii. Most people don't really care abou

  • The June numbers include the first week of July.

    So the week-per-week sales went down from 21,000 for the 4 weeks of May down to 20,000 for the 5 weeks of June + July.

  • Let's see, a $400 console is outselling a $600 (now $500) console. And both of them are getting outsold by a $250 console....

    Maybe the general public is a *little* concerned about how much things cost?

    And, yes, I know it isn't as simple as price. But the Wii wouldn't be nearly as popular if it cost $600, even if it had Blu-ray and HD-DVD included.

  • sales boost was less caused by the price cut but more along the lines of finally having an "open" firmware again... It was funny that a certain game jumped within one week from #53 to #1 in the sales charts.
  • Doesn't look good when you're 100k units behind the 360 and have no software in the top 20 sales.

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