June Console Sales Numbers (Meet the new boss)

[Big Fo]

(same as the old boss)

Hardware: (last month in parenthesis)

Nintendo DS—783k (472k)
Nintendo Wii—666.7k (675k)
PS3—405.5k (208k)
PSP—337.4k (182k)
360—219.8k (186k)

Software:

1. PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4, Konami, 6/08.................774.6K*
2. NDS Guitar Hero On Tour, Activision, 6/08..........422.3K
3. 360 Ninja Gaiden II, Microsoft, 6/08..................372.7K
4. Wii Fit with Balance Board, NOA, 5/08................372.7K
5. Wii Play with Remote, NOA, 2/07.......................359.1K
6. 360 Battlefield: Bad Company, EA, 6/08.............346.8K
7. Wii Mario Kart with Wheel, NOA, 4/08.................322.4K
8. Wii LEGO Indiana Jones, LucasArts, 6/08.............294.5K
9. NDS LEGO Indiana Jones, LucasArts, 6/08..........267.8K
10. PS2 LEGO Indiana Jones, LucasArts, 6/08.........260.3K

* = does NOT include copies bundled with hardware. Counting bundles MGS4 sold close to one million.

That PS3 bump is bigger than I might have guessed. It shows once again that consumers value backwards compatibility, plus some pretty good numbers for MGS4.

Other than that, boy don't people love their Guitar Hero, shooters, Wii peripherals and anything with LEGO in the title? Not too many surprises here, though I still find people buying a $50 DS Guitar Hero pretty strange.

The 360 version of GTA4 already being off the charts (in it's third month) is surprising, the PS2 games would stay on the charts for ages.

Nintendo could have sold more Wii Fit and Mario Kart but didn't meet supply.

It's once again nice to see third parties able to make some fat loot on Nintendo platforms.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith didn't chart. Cool. Aerosmith sucks.

July will be interesting as far as 360 v. PS3 goes since the price of the 20 GB 360 just went down to $300 and all the Metal Gear fans have their consoles now. Basically, don't hand Sony that silver medal just yet, they're still millions behind.

I'll add updated LTDs and other numbers when they show up, for now it's back to some NCAA 09.

[SackAttack]

Nintendo sent me a text earlier saying that NPD was calling them the console hardware sales leader in the US with around 10.9 million units shifted. Don't know what Microsoft's domestic numbers are.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

A interesting thing to note that I didn't see on the original post was that the PS2 nearly outsold the 360 in the U.S. I think that the PS2 bundle that Sony is offering may be an attempt to push that console's sales past the 360 month-over-month heading into the holidays.

I get the impression that the 360 demand at this price point is drying up in a big hurry. Microsoft needs a price cut (the 20 GB price drop is a clearance sale, not a price cut) in a big hurry. Their only apparant boost point through the end of this year would appear to be Gears of War 2. FFXIII will help them in 2010 or 2011, but not right now.

I can't get the numbers right now, but it appears that the PS3 made up between 400-500K worldwide this month alone as far as cutting into the 360's margin. Pretty good month, but Sony needs to keep pushing units in July-September for it to matter.

[Ryan S]

If the numbers are correct, it looks like the PS3 got a 200k boost with the Metal Gear Solid bundle.

[sterlingice]

The Lego Indiana Jones numbers are interesting. A nice third party showing for the Wii and a couple of nice third party showings for the DS.

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That PS3 bump is bigger than I might have guessed. It shows once again that consumers value backwards compatibility, plus some pretty good numbers for MGS4.

That's a pretty broad assumption you draw in regards to backwards compatibility. It may be true to some consumers, but you state it as though it's a fact that all consumers covet backwards compatibility. You can't state that as fact based on a 200K jump in sales anymore than you can point to the bump in sales when the 40 GB machine was released as proof that they don't value backwards compatibility.

[cartman]

These numbers show that the PS3 is never going to catch the 360 in the US this generation.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

These numbers show that the PS3 is never going to catch the 360 in the US this generation.

9 months ago, no one thought that the PS3 would beat the 360 in worldwide month-to-month sales in any one month. The commonly held perception was that it wouldn't happen until 2009 at the earliest.

The PS3 has now beaten the 360 worldwide for 7 straight months. It's awfully early to say 'never', just as it was 9 months ago.

[cartman]

9 months ago, no one thought that the PS3 would beat the 360 in worldwide month-to-month sales in any one month. The commonly held perception was that it wouldn't happen until 2009 at the earliest.

The PS3 has now beaten the 360 worldwide for 7 straight months. It's awfully early to say 'never', just as it was 9 months ago.

This from the guy that predicted a couple of months ago that BR would be 40% of movie sales by the end of this year.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This from the guy that predicted a couple of months ago that BR would be 40% of movie sales by the end of this year.

Really? Link?

[Cringer]

A interesting thing to note that I didn't see on the original post was that the PS2 nearly outsold the 360 in the U.S. I think that the PS2 bundle that Sony is offering may be an attempt to push that console's sales past the 360 month-over-month heading into the holidays.

I get the impression that the 360 demand at this price point is drying up in a big hurry. Microsoft needs a price cut (the 20 GB price drop is a clearance sale, not a price cut) in a big hurry. Their only apparant boost point through the end of this year would appear to be Gears of War 2. FFXIII will help them in 2010 or 2011, but not right now.

I can't get the numbers right now, but it appears that the PS3 made up between 400-500K worldwide this month alone as far as cutting into the 360's margin. Pretty good month, but Sony needs to keep pushing units in July-September for it to matter.

I would agree with this point. If my 360 died the only reason I would buy another at this point is because I bought GTAIV and NCAA Football over the last several months. If I didn't have a 360 or PS3 and wanted to buy one, the PS3 just seems like more for the money right now, especially since they actually have some games I would be interested in unlike last year.

[cartman]

Sorry, my bad. Got you confused with Synovia.

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=58638&page=15

[cartman]

I get the impression that the 360 demand at this price point is drying up in a big hurry.

?

April 360 sales: 188K
May 360 Sales: 186K
June 360 sales: 219K

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I would agree with this point. If my 360 died the only reason I would buy another at this point is because I bought GTAIV and NCAA Football over the last several months. If I didn't have a 360 or PS3 and wanted to buy one, the PS3 just seems like more for the money right now, especially since they actually have some games I would be interested in unlike last year.

I think I mentioned this once before. Your point is a good example of it. There's going to be a couple million people by the end of this calendar year who's RROD warranty will expire (and that number will continue to increase every month). I think it's going to be extremely interesting to see what those people do when their 360 hits a RROD and they no longer have the warranty to fall back on.

Some possibilities:

-Repair the console for the standard price (usually $129, but don't quote me on that exact number). I really don't see this as an option for many people. Why drop that money in a console that may bust again when you can buy a newer model for just over double that cost.

-Buy a used 360. Doubtful that they'd take this option given that most used consoles right now are likely to be prone to RROD issues.

-Buy a new 360. This is where I think Microsoft might be able to save themselves. If they can get out a new console with a reliable chipset that gets good publicity for being reliable, they may be able to get old owners with a busted 360 to buy a new 360 since they likely already have an existing library of games.

-Buy a new PS3/Wii. A definite possibility. The PS3 has very good reliability, good exclusive lineup on the way, and Blu-ray. The Wii is a very obvious choice as well. Very popular and has some games that the 360 owner may not have played but would like to play.

It's certainly interesting, as it would appear that it's going to introduce a second wave of consumers to the console battle.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

?

April 360 sales: 188K
May 360 Sales: 186K
June 360 sales: 219K

Compare those numbers to the same month a year ago. The Wii and PS3 have both seen significant growth over the numbers from one year ago. The 360, give or take a few thousand, is relatively stagnant. Given that the 360 has been on the market for a year longer than either of those consoles, that's not a good situation. A console in year 3 should be hitting its stride given its head start, not falling behind the other two in sales.

As I mentioned above, the 360 has been in third place worldwide by a comfortable margin for 7 straight months now after announcing that winning Europe was very important. Not only that, but they've fallen behind in their strongest territory. Something's not working.

[Eaglesfan27]

If my 360 dies out of warranty, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat (unless the Xbox 720 is out and is BC.) I have too many 360 games to want to do anything else. Given the high attach rate, I suspect there are millions of 360 users who would be in the same boat.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

If my 360 dies out of warranty, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat (unless the Xbox 720 is out and is BC.) I have too many 360 games to want to do anything else. Given the high attach rate, I suspect there are millions of 360 users who would be in the same boat.

That would be a coup for Microsoft if that occurred. They create a system, sell millions of consoles, a lot of them break, and those same users buy another console to replace the old broken one. In some warped sense, they'd almost end up being rewarded with increased sales for their design screw-ups on the earlier models. At worst, they'd get additional revenue to mitigate the costs from the RROD warranty repairs.

Your mention of the 'Xbox 720' brings up another interesting point. FFXIII is not expected on the 360 until 2010 at the very earliest according to the lead developer. If the Xbox 720 ends up being released in late 2010 or sometime in 2011, do they hold off on the 360 version of FFXIII and create an enhanced version for the 720 or do they release it for the 360 and use backwards compatibility on the new system. A FFXIII release timed with the 720 release would be an interesting move.

[Ryan S]

That PS3 bump is bigger than I might have guessed. It shows once again that consumers value backwards compatibility, plus some pretty good numbers for MGS4.

Does the MGS PS3 bundle have backwards compatibility? In the UK I think it is just a regular 40gb PS3. There has been no backwards compatibility at all since Sony phased out the 60gb and replaced it with the 40gb version.

[Eaglesfan27]

Your mention of the 'Xbox 720' brings up another interesting point. FFXIII is not expected on the 360 until 2010 at the very earliest according to the lead developer. If the Xbox 720 ends up being released in late 2010 or sometime in 2011, do they hold off on the 360 version of FFXIII and create an enhanced version for the 720 or do they release it for the 360 and use backwards compatibility on the new system. A FFXIII release timed with the 720 release would be an interesting move.


I don't think there is any chance that it will be held off until the 720. They have already said the version will be released at the same time as the PS3 version and there have been articles where they have talked about their "patented" compression techniques that will allow them to maintain the same quality in the cut scenes on the 360 version as the PS3 version without having too many discs (although that number hasn't been defined.)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Does the MGS PS3 bundle have backwards compatibility? In the UK I think it is just a regular 40gb PS3. There has been no backwards compatibility at all since Sony phased out the 60gb and replaced it with the 40gb version.

Correct, the MGS4 bundle in the U.S. and Japan has backwards compatibility. The one in Europe does not. The new core 80 GB PS3 will not have backwards compatibility in any regions.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I don't think there is any chance that it will be held off until the 720. They have already said the version will be released at the same time as the PS3 version and there have been articles where they have talked about their "patented" compression techniques that will allow them to maintain the same quality in the cut scenes on the 360 version as the PS3 version without having too many discs (although that number hasn't been defined.)

A lot of those disc size issues with ports should be resolved when the 720 comes out since it will likely have a BR disc drive. You'll have the same size disks at that point.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Trailer for new PSN title, The Last Guy......

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/241650.html

Full install of 360 games on HDD will reduce load times by 30%......

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=327736

[Eaglesfan27]

A lot of those disc size issues with ports should be resolved when the 720 comes out since it will likely have a BR disc drive. You'll have the same size disks at that point.

My point is that there are multiple articles already out from Square execs saying it will be a 360 release and they will be the same quality as they have this "patented" compression technique that the disks issue won't be significant. I don't think they'll back out of their very public statements that this will definitely be a 360 release and will be of the "same quality as the PS3 version" and suddenly switch it to the 720.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

My point is that there are multiple articles already out from Square execs saying it will be a 360 release and they will be the same quality as they have this "patented" compression technique that the disks issue won't be significant. I don't think they'll back out of their very public statements that this will definitely be a 360 release and suddenly switch it to the 720.

I understand. I wasn't speaking about just FFXIII, but rather ports in general. I should have been more specific.

I noticed you added the "same quality as the PS3 version" for some reason after I quoted your post. It's going to be a port of the PS3 version, so one would assume that it's the same game, no?

[Kodos]

I have both a PS3 and a 360. If the 360 broke, I'd probably just stick with the PS3 at current price levels. The main thing that has made me buy the 360 versions of games is the opportunity to play FOFC guys online. I still prefer the PS3 controller to the 360, although the 360 is a good controller. Years of muscle memory make me prefer the PS3 controller.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Nice feature for European PS3 owners. The PS3 can record shows as a DVR while you play games. I must say I'm a bit jealous. Icy and others will have to post how it works.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=191896

[Eaglesfan27]

I understand. I wasn't speaking about just FFXIII, but rather ports in general. I should have been more specific.

I noticed you added the "same quality as the PS3 version" for some reason after I quoted your post. It's going to be a port of the PS3 version, so one would assume that it's the same game, no?

I added it a few seconds after I posted. I added that because there are a bunch of Sony fanboys on other boards saying the 360 version is going to "be vastly inferior" and other similar things.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I added it a few seconds after I posted. I added that because there are a bunch of Sony fanboys on other boards saying the 360 version is going to "be vastly inferior" and other similar things.

I think there's a good chance you may see differences because the tools being used on the PS3 version are propriatary. But I don't think that will be a reduction in quality. Square's got 2 years to put it together and they're not know for putting out inferior products. A bad port to the 360 would turn that user base off pretty quickly. I sincerely doubt they'll make that mistake and I'm sure you agree with that.

[SackAttack]

That would be a coup for Microsoft if that occurred. They create a system, sell millions of consoles, a lot of them break, and those same users buy another console to replace the old broken one. In some warped sense, they'd almost end up being rewarded with increased sales for their design screw-ups on the earlier models.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/PlayStation_2.png/363px-PlayStation_2.png

http://www.tweak3d.net/articles/ps2repair/1.jpg

In the spirit of the thread, same as the old boss.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

In the spirit of the thread, same as the old boss.

:lol:

I hear my PS2 is a valuable antique. I still have my launch day PS2 and use it to play the old GH games.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting comments from Square Enix. First, he comments that the Japan PS3 version of FFXIII will still be released on schedule and will not be delayed by the 360 announcement (Japan usually gets the FF games 4-6 months before the other regions). Second, he claims that an 'announcement that will shock fans' is coming on August 2-3 in Japan. What exactly would be so 'shocking'?

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168827

[Radii]

In the spirit of the thread, same as the old boss.

Yup :D I bought a 2nd PS2 in 2006 when the first one died, and would absolutely buy a second 360 if needed at this point.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yup :D I bought a 2nd PS2 in 2006 when the first one died, and would absolutely buy a second 360 if needed at this point.

With that said, I don't advocate that either situation was consumer-friendly or should be ignored, hence the reason for my original criticism. Just because Sony screwed up last generation doesn't mean that MS gets a pass for this generation because they're now even in some way. Sony obviously ramped up the quality in the PS3. Hopefully, MS will do the same knowing there's over $2 billion reasons to do so.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Anyone else notice that Microsoft didn't release a NPD press release thus far? Usually, all three console makers have a press release out at this point detailing what they did in the past month.

Sony? Check.

Nintendo? Check.

Microsoft? Silence.

[SackAttack]

:lol:

I hear my PS2 is a valuable antique. I still have my launch day PS2 and use it to play the old GH games.

Mine lasted from October 2000 to January 2002. The replacement unit lasted from January 2002 to August 2007, at which point I loaned it to my cousin since I had a 60 GB PS3 capable of playing my old games.

And, you know, that's something that comes to mind re: Sony's schizophrenia on backwards compatibility. Clearly there IS a subset of their audience that cares about it.

A subset of their audience which bought their systems to take advantage of it. If the new 80 GB "Core" eschews that entirely, and they stop selling the one WITH the feature...what are they going to do for people who spent $600 to get the BC system, should it break down?

[Eaglesfan27]

Mine lasted from October 2000 to January 2002. The replacement unit lasted from January 2002 to August 2007.

Similiar to my experience. My launch day PS2 lasted just under 2 years before dying. By that point, I had enough games I bought a 2nd one which lasted 5 years. Last year, I bought my 3rd PS2 (although I considered buying a PS3 for BC.)

[Cuckoo]

Still have my launch day PS2. Never had a problem with it. That's part of the reason I decided to buy a PS3 last month, though there were many other reasons for me.

[Cringer]

I had two PS2, both of which died. My 360 on the other hand has only died once and overall should last longer then either PS2 did as fully operational. (The last PS2 limped along for a while, playign some stuff and not others)

Different experiences all around....wowsers.

[Big Fo]

That's a pretty broad assumption you draw in regards to backwards compatibility. It may be true to some consumers, but you state it as though it's a fact that all consumers covet backwards compatibility. You can't state that as fact based on a 200K jump in sales anymore than you can point to the bump in sales when the 40 GB machine was released as proof that they don't value backwards compatibility.


"Consumers value backwards compatibility" and "all consumers covet backwards compatibility" don't quite read the same to me but whatever. I feel most people could tell that I wasn't trying to speak for every prospective PS3 buyer in the country but making a general observation based on the evidence at hand.

Let's look at the numbers. PS3 sales in America by month since launch with SKU history from bastion of complete truth Wikipedia:

Nov/2006 197,000
Dec/2006 491,000
Jan/2007 244,000
Feb/2007 127,000
Mar/2007 130,000
Apr/2007 82,000 (April 11- Sony discontinues 20GB PS3)
May/2007 82,000
Jun/2007 99,000
Jul/2007 159,000 (60GB price drop, $600 -> $500, $600 80GB Motorstorm bundle announced for August)
Aug/2007 131,000
Sep/2007 119,000
Oct/2007 121,000 (80GB price drop, $600 -> $500, $400 40GB SKU announced, out early November)
Nov/2007 466,000 (omg sales did go up after BC was taken away, oh wait its November plus the 80GB SKU that people wanted just had a price drop)
Dec/2007 798,000
Jan/2008 269,000
Feb/2008 281,000 (MGS4 bundle announced Feb. 28)
Mar/2008 257,000
Apr/2008 187,000 (most of the 80GB SKUs gone by April, sales decline with no BC available)
May/2008 209,000
Jun/2008 406,000 (sales practically double on the strength of backwards compatibility, MGS4, and Wal-Mart gift cards)

People in general do seem to care about being able to play their PS2 libraries on the PS3...

Might as well join in with my PS2 reliability history, I never had to buy a new one but had to open the thing up several times to clean the lens on the disc drive. That's the most trouble I've had with any console, my SNES, PS1, DC, Wii, and PS3 have all been trouble free although the Dreamcast might not work any longer. It's been a few years since I've tried.

[General Mike]

Jan/2008 269,000
Feb/2008 281,000 (MGS4 bundle announced Feb. 28)
Mar/2008 257,000
Apr/2008 187,000 (most of the 80GB SKUs gone by April, sales decline with no BC available)
May/2008 209,000
Jun/2008 406,000 (sales practically double on the strength of backwards compatibility, MGS4, and Wal-Mart gift cards)


I don't know how much of a jump I'd put into any one of those things you mention. I have a strong feeling that a good number of people delayed buying a PS3 because they were waiting for the MGS4 pack-in system, which is just a far superior deal to the 40 GB for $400. They had a nice little artificial boost in sales last month, but the lost sales in April and May was quite foolish on Sony's part.

[SackAttack]

I don't know how much of a jump I'd put into any one of those things you mention. I have a strong feeling that a good number of people delayed buying a PS3 because they were waiting for the MGS4 pack-in system, which is just a far superior deal to the 40 GB for $400. They had a nice little artificial boost in sales last month, but the lost sales in April and May was quite foolish on Sony's part.

But *why* is it a far superior deal?

I mean, the game itself is $60, so you're paying an extra $40. For what? an upgrade from Sixaxis to DualShock 3? An extra 40 gigs of HD space? Backwards compatibility?

I mean, the Sixaxis is $5 cheaper than the Dualshock 3 at retail, which means the other two features are really costing you an extra $35, so it depends on what's more important to you, the buyer - the larger HDD, or the ability to play PS2 games. Considering the HDD is easily upgradeable, for anybody doing the mental calculus, I have to think that the perception that the 80 GB is just a "far superior deal" has to be including the BC in the equation.

[Big Fo]

Updated LTDs:

USA only

PS2: ~42.4 million
NDS: ~20.8 million
PSP: ~12.0 million
Wii: ~10.9 million
360: ~10.5 million
PS3: ~4.9 million

Worldwide (2008 in parenthesis)

Wii: 28.1m (8.8m)
360: 18.2m (2.6m)
PS3: 13.0m (4.2m)

[SackAttack]

So I was just snooping through the PlayStation Store terms of service looking for information on video rentals for a friend of mine, and I found THIS lovely little nugget:

Subscriptions may not be shared among any PSN accounts, including the Master Account with its associated Sub Accounts. All subscriptions will be automatically renewed unless you cancel the subscription. For automatic renewal, your wallet must contain funds in an amount sufficient to cover the subscription's automatic renewal cost, or your subscription will be terminated. If you do not have sufficient funds in your wallet and you have previously entered your credit card billing information, your credit card will be automatically charged a minimum amount determined by SCEA in order to renew your subscription automatically, even if the amount charged exceeds the cost of the subscription. Any difference between the amount charged and the sum of the cost of the subscription and existing balance will be credited to your wallet. Subscription charges may be increased at the end of each subscription period. If charges are increased, you will be asked to confirm whether to continue with the subscription. You may cancel subscriptions via PSN Account Management. Cancellation will take effect from the next renewal of that subscription. Except as otherwise stated in this Agreement, you will not receive a refund for any subscriptions paid in advance.

The white bolded text, meh, Microsoft does the same thing. If you've got a credit card on file, used to purchase points or what-have-you, you get automatically billed for Live renewal. It's the red part that concerns me.

I mean, I see the words "minimum amount," and my first thought is that it's akin to "$5 minimum purchase for credit/debit" signs that you see at smaller retailers, but the concern is that they don't state what the minimum amount is in this case. Just that it's determined by Sony.

And since you can't get a refund without terminating your account, it means that, theoretically, having your subscription renewed automatically obligates you to additional purchases from the PlayStation Store.

Cute. And definitely incentive not to store my credit card information on my PSN account, since they do allow one-time use of cards, without storage.

[Big Fo]

Games 11-20 are up (no numbers), here's the top 20:

1. PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4, Konami, 6/08.................774.6K*
2. NDS Guitar Hero On Tour, Activision, 6/08..........422.3K
3. 360 Ninja Gaiden II, Microsoft, 6/08..................372.7K
4. Wii Fit with Balance Board, NOA, 5/08................372.7K
5. Wii Play with Remote, NOA, 2/07.......................359.1K
6. 360 Battlefield: Bad Company, EA, 6/08.............346.8K
7. Wii Mario Kart with Wheel, NOA, 4/08.................322.4K
8. Wii LEGO Indiana Jones, LucasArts, 6/08.............294.5K
9. NDS LEGO Indiana Jones, LucasArts, 6/08..........267.8K
10. PS2 LEGO Indiana Jones, LucasArts, 6/08.........260.3K
11. 360 Grand Theft Auto IV
12. Wii Rock Band
13. Wii Super Smash Bros. Brawl
14. Wii Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
15. DS Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
16. 360 Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
17. PS2 Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
18. DS New Super Mario Bros.
19. PS3 Grand Theft Auto IV
20. 360 LEGO Indiana Jones

Wii - 7
360 - 5
DS - 4
PS2 - 2
PS3 - 2

Mario and Sonic is still charting, those legs have helped the game (Wii and DS versions combined) to hit ten million sold worldwide.

kotaku.com link (http://kotaku.com/5026683/another-mario-sonic-collaboration-in-the-works)

[MJ4H]

Mario and Sonic is great on both platforms. I have both versions.

[ColtCrazy]

After the failure of football on the Wii, I'm now looking to buy a 360 or a PS3. I've bribed my wife with a shopping trip, so I should be able to get one within the next month. I honestly have no idea what to get. Both have pros. With the 360, I know what I am getting because I have an Xbox. I loved the exclusive KOTR and Fable, though I've only heard of a Fable 2 coming for the 360, no new KOTR games. :( For the PS3, there's no exclusives I'd play but my wife would get mileage out of the BR because she's a Disney fan and they are going BR exclusive, though she's told me to buy a system based on the games. It's a toss up for me right now.

[RainMaker]

The biggest reason I have a 360 over a PS3 is because everyone I know has a 360. I've looked at the PS3 for the BR player and "The Show", but don't think I'd use it as much since I wouldn't be able to play online with friends.

[KWhit]

Well, for me right now, the 360 still would be my choice because of the game lineup. There are a lot of great games that have been released on the 360 over the past couple of years that I still want to go back and play. Of course, the question for you then becomes does that make up for the integrated BluRay in the PS3?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like the upcoming Square Enix announcement will likely be a new PS3 exclusive to replace the multiplatform move of FFXIII........

http://n4g.com/events_e32008/News-172631.aspx

Konami decides to join the ranks of developers that screw up. MGO expansion has some big issues in it which will likely kill any chance that game has of succeeding........

http://kotaku.com/5027126/konami-sorry-for-mgo-expansion-clusterfuck-but-no-fix-in-sight

NASCAR developers decide to not let NCAA developers have all the fun in regards to games released with big-time bugs.............

http://kotaku.com/5027069/goshdangit-my-nascar-09-gamesave-done-blowed-up

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

After the failure of football on the Wii, I'm now looking to buy a 360 or a PS3. I've bribed my wife with a shopping trip, so I should be able to get one within the next month. I honestly have no idea what to get. Both have pros. With the 360, I know what I am getting because I have an Xbox. I loved the exclusive KOTR and Fable, though I've only heard of a Fable 2 coming for the 360, no new KOTR games. :( For the PS3, there's no exclusives I'd play but my wife would get mileage out of the BR because she's a Disney fan and they are going BR exclusive, though she's told me to buy a system based on the games. It's a toss up for me right now.

The pros/cons have been discussed quite a bit, so I won't bother with that too much. What I would note is that the Leipzig Games Conference and the Tokyo Game Show are both coming up in the next few weeks. The game announcements at those two shows are supposed to dwarf what was seen at E3. I'd hold off on any decisions until then to get a better feel for the games that will be coming on each of the systems.

Also, a 360 purchase should likely wait until the new Jasper systems come out.

[MJ4H]

lol ea sports

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The chorus of calls for a major Xbox 360 price drop continues. This analyst notes that the PS3 is actually positioned better than the 360 for the first time in this generation. He also mentions that, outside of Gears of War 2, the Xbox 360 is devoid of any other must-have exclusives in the near-future. He states that the Netflix arrangement is much more beneficial to Netflix than Microsoft.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/analyst-calls-for-real-xbox-360-price-cut

[Big Fo]

I got a chuckle out of the subtitle for Dead Rising on Wii.

PRESS RELEASE: CAPCOM® ANNOUNCES DEAD RISING: CHOP TIL YOU DROP
Wii Gamers Prepare For a Zombie Invasion

...

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop includes the following features:
• Utilizes the same engine as Resident Evil 4 Wii edition.
• New level of interaction – aim and fire guns, swing and throw weapons and shake off zombie attacks with added Wii Remote functionality
• Huge environment – expansive indoor and outdoor areas of the mall provide a variety of different locations to explore
• Improved save functionality allows for more seamless gameplay
• Hoards of enemies on screen at once resulting in non-stop, pulse-pounding action
• Anything in the mall is at Frank’s disposal
• Grab environmental objects like umbrellas and benches to use as improvised weapons
• Snatch items from different stores to use as weapons including golf clubs, lawnmowers, frying pans and more
• Consume food and drink to revive health


Rest of the release here. (http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=29759)

[Big Fo]

Top 10 for all consoles/handhelds (except the PSP for some reason) :


July 2008
Overall Top 20 Video Game Titles

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
2. Guitar Hero: On Tour (NDS)
3. Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360)
4. Wii Fit (Wii)
5. Wii Play w/ Remote (Wii)
6. Battlefield: Bad Company* (Xbox 360)
7. Mario Kart (Wii)
8. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Wii)
9. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (NDS)
10. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (PS2)
11. Grand Theft Auto IV* (Xbox 360)
12. Rock Band* (Wii)
13. Super Smash Bros: Brawl (Wii)
14. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith* (Wii)
15. Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games (NDS)
16. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith* (Xbox 360)
17. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith* (PS2)
18. New Super Mario Bros (NDS)
19. Grand Theft Auto IV* (PS3)
20. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Xbox 360)

Top 10 Wii Titles

1. Wii Fit
2. Wii Play w/ Remote
3. Mario Kart
4. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
5. Rock Band
6. Super Smash Bros: Brawl
7. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith*
8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
9. Game Party
10. Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games

Top 10 Xbox 360 Titles

1. Ninja Gaiden II
2. Battlefield: Bad Company*
3. Grand Theft Auto IV*
4. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith*
5. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare*
7. Dragonball Z: Burst Limit
8. Grid
9. Rock Band*
10. Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy

Top 10 PS3 Titles

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
2. Grand Theft Auto IV*
3. Battlefield: Bad Company*
4. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare*
6. Dragonball Z: Burst Limit
7. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith*
8. Grid
9. Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy
10. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

Top 10 PS2 Titles

1. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
2. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith*
3. The Incredible Hulk
4. Rock Band*
5. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock*
6. Kung Fu Panda
7. Iron Man
8. God of War II
9. Grand THeft Auto: San Andreas
10. NASCAR 09

Top 10 NDS Titles

1. Guitar Hero: On Tour
2. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
3. Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games
4. New Super Mario Bros
5. Mario Kart
6. Kung Fu Panda
7. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day
8. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
9. Mario Party
10. Imagine: Babyz

* Includes Collector's, Limited, Legendary, Bundled (Guitars) editions

From the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (http://www.interactive.org/top-ten.php)

Look how similar the 360 and PS3 charts are.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Bioware denies internet rumors that the next two Mass Effect games will be Xbox 360 exclusives.

BioWare has 'never confirmed any plans' for Mass Effect 360 exclusivity - Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/bioware-has-never-confirmed-any-plans-for-mass-effect-360-excl/)

Good news for Final Fantasy fans. The original build of FFVII is going to be released on the PSN and XBLA. In addition, either a remake of FFVII or a sequel of FFVII will be released for the PS3..........

The Final Fantasy Info [Rumor] « PlayStation LifeStyle (http://playstationlifestyle.net/2008/07/22/the-final-fantasy-info-rumor/)

I can now reveal exclusive inside info about Final Fantasy… VII!

Final Fantasy VII will be getting a “new” version of the classic game from the massive franchise and it will be exclusive (for now at least) to the PLAYSTATION 3. It is unclear whether a new version will be a simple remake or an extension to the original like Crisis Core, and if it will be a Blu-ray release, or on the PSN. Something else which won’t be exclusive is the original FF7 which will be coming to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade by the end of the year.

Both will be officially announced at either Square Enix’s August conference in Japan, or the Tokyo Game Show.

[Neon_Chaos]

After the failure of football on the Wii, I'm now looking to buy a 360 or a PS3. I've bribed my wife with a shopping trip, so I should be able to get one within the next month. I honestly have no idea what to get. Both have pros. With the 360, I know what I am getting because I have an Xbox. I loved the exclusive KOTR and Fable, though I've only heard of a Fable 2 coming for the 360, no new KOTR games. :( For the PS3, there's no exclusives I'd play but my wife would get mileage out of the BR because she's a Disney fan and they are going BR exclusive, though she's told me to buy a system based on the games. It's a toss up for me right now.

Might want to hold off on buying a 360 until the new Jasper mobo 360 comes out in August. They're replacing the 90nm Graphics Chip found in all 360s with a 65nm Chip. The Falcon model had its old 90nm CPU chip replaced with the 65nm chip, along with the removal of the X-clamp, and it has drastically reduced failure rates. I would think that doing the same to the GPU would reduce heat and further stomp out failure rates on the Jasper 360s.

[General Mike]

I've given up on my plan of buying a console this generation. Just doesn't seem worth it to me. The way the industry is going isn't going to help change my mind either.

[twothree]

I've given up on my plan of buying a console this generation. Just doesn't seem worth it to me. The way the industry is going isn't going to help change my mind either.

I hate that the "ship now, patch later" mentality of computer games has invaded the realm of console games. I bet some companies already have resources allocated for a post release patch for a console game in their development cycle and budget. Which is just sad.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New Splinter Cell game delayed until 09-10 fiscal year......

Splinter Cell: Conviction Delayed (http://kotaku.com/5028679/splinter-cell-delayed)

[Sun Tzu]

I hate that the "ship now, patch later" mentality of computer games has invaded the realm of console games. I bet some companies already have resources allocated for a post release patch for a console game in their development cycle and budget. Which is just sad.

*looks around for the +1 smiley thing*

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting new info from Surfer Girl from post-E3. First, it appears that Bungie is becoming increasingly frustrated with Microsoft over the pulled announcement at E3 and Don Matrick's comments afterwards............

Surfer Girl Strikes Back: Miss Independant (http://newsoftrockhallelujah.blogspot.com/2008/07/miss-independant.html)

And Sony is putting more pressure on Insomniac to produce final build quality gameplay in Resistance 2 since the release is only a few months away.........

Surfer Girl Strikes Back: Insomniac feeling the heat (http://newsoftrockhallelujah.blogspot.com/2008/07/insomniac-feeling-heat.html)

[Eaglesfan27]

Interesting rumor that Xbox Live may start allowing Silver members to play online games for free:

Rumor: XBL Silver Now Allows Free Online Play? (http://kotaku.com/5029541/rumor-xbl-silver-now-allows-free-online-play)

[cartman]

Sony reportedly had to pull WipEoutHD because it ran the risk of causing potentially fatal responses to some people................

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/07/23/failed-epilepsy-test-could-be-reason-for-wipeout-hd-delay

Failed epilepsy test could be reason for WipEout HD delay

Most gamers blindly chug through the opening few seconds of any game they play. You know, the crucial moment when the game warns users with epilepsy about potential issues? Alas, it seems that the long-awaited HD version of the famed WipEout series has been brought to a halt because of this very warning.

Though it has been in the works and basically done for quite some time, the PSN release WipEout HD has not been able to meet release standards due to the failure of some key epilepsy tests. Sony Europe's David Reeves explained last week that the game was suffering from "a specific technical problem" that "no region has been able to solve at the moment," and CVG has learned that this technical problem is that the game "fails the epilepsy tests so much that it has to be re-engineered."

Sony has not officially confirmed this, but word has it that the game has gone back into the development house to be worked on with no realistic window for how long the fix might take or when a PSN release can be expected. Hopefully the development team can come upon a "eureka" solution: the game has been a long time coming and we're anxious to take it for a spin.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony reportedly had to pull WipEoutHD because it ran the risk of causing potentially fatal responses to some people................

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/07/23/failed-epilepsy-test-could-be-reason-for-wipeout-hd-delay

That stuff always amazes me. There's usually 2-3 games a year that fail that test, though you don't always hear about it. I've always wondered who the people were that would volunteer themselves for that kind of a test.

"Whoops, looks like that game won't go out. Bill's having a seizure."

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony financial numbers for Q1 2008 are out. Sales don't contain any surprises, but the bottom line certainly does. The gaming division is already making a profit. That's worthy of note because Sony didn't expect to make profit until Q2 2008 when the new chip sets were introduced.

Sony: Sony Shifts 1.5 Million PS3s, 3.7 Million PSPs In Q1 2008 (http://kotaku.com/5030338/sony-shifts-15-million-ps3s-37-million-psps-in-q1-2008)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting rumor that Xbox Live may start allowing Silver members to play online games for free:

Rumor: XBL Silver Now Allows Free Online Play? (http://kotaku.com/5029541/rumor-xbl-silver-now-allows-free-online-play)

Probably should clarify that your statement is misleading. The rumor states that it only is happening on games that are both PC and 360-based. There's no indication at all that Silver members will be able to play all games online anytime soon. The Gold Membership is a major revenue driver for Microsoft and they won't abandon it anytime soon.

[Big Fo]

Boom Blox sells over 450,000 since launch, "continues to sell well."

shacknews.conm link (http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=53917)

EA didn't specify whether this was US only or worldwide but it is probably the latter. You may or may not remember but when this game sold only 60k in its first month (of which the game was on sale for only a week) it started up another wave of "third parties can't sell games on Nintendo platforms" articles all over the internet. It's not all about the first week/month of sales on the Wii and DS...

I guess this also means that the MSRP won't be dropping anytime soon so I might as well stop waiting to get the game, pretty much everyone who has played it seems to like it.

[MJ4H]

Good 3rd party games will sell. 3rd parties need to stop shoveling crap at the Wii, though.

[Big Fo]

Well even if third-parties do produce more good titles, there is always going to be shovelware. It's part of being the most popular console. The PS1 and PS2 had loads of craptastic games but it's no big deal, just buy the good ones. In addition to the Wii's popularity, Nintendo has no sort of quality control or anything like Sony and Microsoft do with their consoles. As long as the game runs relatively bug-free they'll approve it no matter how bad it is.

[MJ4H]

Hey, I agree there will be shovelware. The problem is when it is nothing but shovelware.

My problem isn't with shovelware, really, anyway. My problem is with Rock Band releasing a crippled version for the Wii, EA Sports making even shittier (if that's even possible) versions of their games for the Wii, and countless developers taking the easy way out and porting ps2 games. Further, since the Wii isn't as graphically advanced as the other consoles, a lot of developers put basically no effort into the graphics component. There is so much laziness on the part of 3rd party developers for the Wii it is absolutely amazing to hear some of them turn around and bitch about how their stuff doesn't sell.

It is good to see an actual good 3rd party game selling well.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some amusing spin from the EA CEO as the NCAA franchise sees drops in pre-sales and overall sales for the third straight year. Evidently, pre-sales are a dinosaur out of the past now. Also, he claims that they are emphasizing quality and innovation in their games. Certainly an interesting assertion.........

EA Sports: With Preorders Down, EA Highlights Sports Innovation (http://kotaku.com/5030700/with-preorders-down-ea-highlights-sports-innovation)

[Big Fo]

After Sony was happy just to get into the black with their latest financial results, Nintendo has posted a $1.1 billion profit over the last quarter.

Reuters article (http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUST6661320080730?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=10218)

Nintendo earnings release (http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2008/080730e.pdf)

Some numbers from the release, taken from neoGAF:


Wii HW Q1 - 5.17 million (an increase of 1.74 million from last year) (29.62 million total)
DS HW Q1 - 6.94 million (a decrease of 0.04 million from last year) (77.54 million total)

Wii SW Q1 - 40.41 million (an increase of 24.42 million from last year)
DS SW Q1 - 36.59 million (an increase of 2.33 million from last year)

Mario Kart Wii Q1 - 6.42 million
Wii Fit Q1 - 3.42 million (5.27 million total)

Cash and Deposits ~$6.6 billion (decrease mostly due to payment of dividends and income taxes)
Total Assets ~$16.4 billion

Yearly Net Profit Forecast ~$3 billion

Nintendo Since 1998 has made roughly $10,737,000,000
Sony Since 1998 has made roughly $1,953,000,000
Microsoft since 2002 has made - $6,369,000,000

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some interesting numbers were in the Nintendo release. Sales in Europe and North America were very strong. Somewhat surprising was the dramatic fall in demand for the Wii over in Japan. In Q1 2007, Nintendo sold over 900K units. In Q1 2008, that number plummeted to just over 500K units. The DS also saw some big drops in unit sales. Software sales are still relatively strong. Is Japan just a place where consoles will sit on shelves and collect dust?

Nintendo Q109 Results: DS, Wii Totally Cooling Off In Japan (http://kotaku.com/5030827/ds-wii-totally-cooling-off-in-japan)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

This will be an interesting trend to watch. In EA's financial release for this quarter, they showed a heavy profit on their PS3 software, with profit on the Wii and 360 being substantially smaller. There must be a bigger profit margin on the PS3 units, as the installed base on the PS3 is not as big as the other two consoles. As we all know, EA runs for the profit margins. We'll have to see if this negative trend for the 360 and relatively stagnant numbers on the Wii will move more emphasis to the more profitable PS3 console.

Ea: PS3 Now EA's Single Biggest Bread-Winner (http://kotaku.com/5030788/ps3-now-eas-single-biggest-bread+winner)

In other news, Netflix is rolling out early testing of the price bump on HD movie rental service.........

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSN2543889620080725

[MJ4H]

lol

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

lol

I'm assuming since your a Wii fan that this is in response to my post concerning the slower Wii sales. It's certainly a relevant point. Wii sales in that region are way down and PS3 sales are selling 1/3 of the Wii's numbers. The 360 is all but gone. There's certainly something amiss in the hardware market over in Japan. Nintendo and Sony have both voiced concern over the slow market in Japan. The slow market in Japan is a big reason why Europe has become THE battleground in this generation of consoles.

[MJ4H]

its a response to you being you

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

its a response to you being you

As always, very insightful post by the man who idolizes an accused felon.

[MJ4H]

speaking of insightful

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

speaking of insightful

Sorry, I stooped to your level. Apologies. I'm sure you enjoyed the 2008 Cotton Bowl as much as I did.

We'll resumed the regularly scheduled console discussions.

[MJ4H]

lol

[Big Fo]

Yeah Japan is the Wii's weakest region. This is also true for the 360 and PS3. Still, in a typical week (ignoring the Metal Gear bump basically) about three times as many Wiis are sold as the HD twins combined. People just love the handhelds over there it seems.

As far as the declining DS sales over there, over 20 million people already own one and it has passed the PS2 as the best selling console or handheld in Japan's history. How many more people are really out there that want a DS but haven't bought one in the last four years? One-sixth of the population already has one, compared with about one-fourteeth here in the US.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah Japan is the Wii's weakest region. This is also true for the 360 and PS3. Still, in a typical week (ignoring the Metal Gear bump basically) about three times as many Wiis are sold as the HD twins combined. People just love the handhelds over there it seems.

As far as the declining DS sales over there, over 20 million people already own one and it has passed the PS2 as the best selling console or handheld in Japan's history. How many more people are really out there that want a DS but haven't bought one in the last four years? One-sixth of the population already has one, compared with about one-fourteeth here in the US.

Definitely. The DS has reached the point where they need a new color release. Sounds crazy, but Japanese people go crazy for it.

I'm a bit surprised at the Wii numbers as they shouldn't be hitting a slowdown quite yet. My guess is that a price cut may be in order in early 2009 to restart demand over there. I doubt a price cut comes as quick in N/A and Europe as the demand remains very strong.

[MikeVic]

I do not think the Wii needs a price cut.

[SackAttack]

This will be an interesting trend to watch. In EA's financial release for this quarter, they showed a heavy profit on their PS3 software, with profit on the Wii and 360 being substantially smaller. There must be a bigger profit margin on the PS3 units, as the installed base on the PS3 is not as big as the other two consoles. As we all know, EA runs for the profit margins. We'll have to see if this negative trend for the 360 and relatively stagnant numbers on the Wii will move more emphasis to the more profitable PS3 console.

Ea: PS3 Now EA's Single Biggest Bread-Winner (http://kotaku.com/5030788/ps3-now-eas-single-biggest-bread+winner)

In other news, Netflix is rolling out early testing of the price bump on HD movie rental service.........

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssConsumerGoodsAndRetailNews/idUSN2543889620080725

I don't pretend to understand what kind of number massaging is going on with EA's financials, but somebody over at Kotaku posted this link:

hxxp://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=12187261&postcount=129

Which link purports to explain how exactly EA is booking the revenue. As best I can tell the difference isn't in actual retail game sales but in how and when they book the microtransaction revenue.

Put another way, all of the Xbox 360 revenue for the quarter is being booked identically in both GAAP and Non-GAAP forms. The PS3 revenue has around a $50 million difference. I know that GAAP stands for "Generally Accepted Accounting Principles," but I'm at a loss for how exactly those result in $50 million worth of revenue difference depending on how you book the revenue.

[gstelmack]

Could also simply be the earlier "develop on 360 first" mentality, which means the PS3 is cheaper to make since the hard work was done on the 360, and the PS3 was just the port. Would be interesting to see if this flips after the switch to "develop on PS3 first".

[SackAttack]

Could also simply be the earlier "develop on 360 first" mentality, which means the PS3 is cheaper to make since the hard work was done on the 360, and the PS3 was just the port. Would be interesting to see if this flips after the switch to "develop on PS3 first".

I don't think it's that, because the discussion there is one of revenue for the quarter, not profitability on the games.

The GAAP numbers are asserting that the PS3 made $50m more in revenue than the 360 for the quarter, but the Non-GAAP numbers (the ones I guess they have to be more careful with for auditing reasons) show it as $81m to $68m. Closer to parity than they were in the past, but still with a slight edge on 360 because of some EA-owned properties that were (and may still be) exclusive to the 360.

[Ryan S]

I'm a bit surprised at the Wii numbers as they shouldn't be hitting a slowdown quite

Is it possible that the slowdown in Japanese sales is down to units being shifted to other markets to satisfy demand in Europe and North America?

[Big Fo]

Nah, Japan gets enough to meet demand. But some analysts have speculated that consoles meant for North America are being shifted to Europe because of the weaker dollar, which could explain why North America is the only territory to still have shortages.

I forgot to mention it when I posted the numbers up the page but it's nice to see Mario Kart outselling Wii Fit, it's such a good game. 6.4 million copies in three months and change is pretty solid and it will probably keep selling for some time.

[kingnebwsu]

If I have someone to "ignore," and you guys keep quoting him, it sort of defeats the purpose of the ignore, eh? :)

Seriously, one anonymous person has posted like 15 times in this thread. I'm sure it's all insightful thoughts... :p

[Big Fo]

Here's a cool video on IGN showing possible applications for WiiMotion Plus and some development tools for motion recognition.

AiLive Shows Off WiiMotion Plus (http://wii.ign.com/articles/895/895223p1.html)

Give me some kind of medieval battlefield action game with swordfighting and IR bow and arrow shooting ASAP.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New indications from Activision as far as console sales in North America for 2008........

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53960

During a conference call today, Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith detailed the company's expectations for console sales across 2008, revealing its belief that the PlayStation 3 will sell more systems than the Xbox 360 this year.

By the end of the current calendar year, Activision believes the consoles will sell:

PlayStation 3: 8 million units
Xbox 360: 6-7 million units
Wii: 15 million units
PlayStation 2: 4-5 million units

Griffith also noted the company's expectation that handhelds will grow "in excess of 24 million," but did not provide a specific breakdown between PSP and Nintendo DS.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New info from the developer of 'Rage'. If things don't change, the developer says that the PS3 version of the game will be better graphically than the 360 version. Microsoft currently charges some of its licensing fees on a per-disc basis. The Rage developer states that unless Microsoft drops some of the licensing fees to allow for 3 discs on the game, the development group will be forced to used compressed data on 2 discs.

This will be an interesting story to watch to see if Microsoft gives in and rescinds some of their licensing fees as it's becoming apparant that more and more advance games will require multiple discs on the Xbox 360.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53976

[Big Fo]

XBox 360 to see an across the board price drop in September?

Early Sept price reduction on X360 hardware:

* Arcade (no hard drive) to $199
* Pro (60GB) to $299
* Elite (120GB) to $399

We should also expect hardware and game bundles for all hardware versions coming in the fourth quarter, just in time for the holidays.

In addition, the mole revealed that the upcoming release of Forza 2 Platinum Hits will include all the DLC tracks that were made for the title, which is a good way to add value to the game.

The last time the mole talked to me, before he became a super-villain, he told me the 60GB model of the hardware was coming, and he was right on the money with that one. Those prices should be considered rumors, but I'd be very surprised if this wasn't accurate information. Very sexy pricing.

full article (http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/08/01/mole-attack-360-price-cuts-on-all-hardware-in-september)


A $299 non-gimped 360 bundled with a game could see the 360 take second place in the vital holiday season.

[MikeVic]

I have no desire to get a 360 anymore, but would get a PS3 if the price dropped more. As long as I get a new TV before that.

[cartman]

There is some pressure on Sony from the other Blu-Ray manufacturers to not drop the price of the PS3, as they are saying it will hurt their already weak player sales.

[Eaglesfan27]

There is some pressure on Sony from the other Blu-Ray manufacturers to not drop the price of the PS3, as they are saying it will hurt their already weak player sales.

That is an interesting twist on the PS3 Blu-Ray advantage.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That is an interesting twist on the PS3 Blu-Ray advantage.

It's been a stupid game that both Sony and the BR player manufacturers have played. Neither want to drop the price because they both want a higher profit margin while selling players. At some point, something's gotta give. BR players are expected to drop significantly in price after the holidays (they're expected to be around $300 at the low end by the holidays). I'm guessing similar PS3 drops will come after the new year.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

XBox 360 to see an across the board price drop in September?

A $299 non-gimped 360 bundled with a game could see the 360 take second place in the vital holiday season.

They need much more than a $50 drop to spark sales. Both the PS3 and 360 need a $100 price drop to see any noticable bump. They also need more good games in the fall, which is somewhat surprising to say given that the 360 library has been the stronger one up to now. Sony has the stronger upcoming lineup at this point.

[MizzouRah]

XBox 360 to see an across the board price drop in September?



A $299 non-gimped 360 bundled with a game could see the 360 take second place in the vital holiday season.

Seems to be true: VGChartz.com | VGC Exclusive: Xbox 360 to Cut Arcade Prices to $199.99 on Sept. 7th (http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=1618)


Not only is the impact of the $199.99 going to of large importance, the scheduling of the drop is telling as well. It takes place 1 week after Square Enix's 'Infinite Undiscovery' and 2 weeks before Harmonix/EA's 'Rock Band 2' - Both exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform at the time of release and pricedrop (obviously, Rock Band 2 will ship in November for the other platforms).
Could Microsoft be making a true power-play for the Holidays? I think so. At a $199.99 price point, and Microsoft's continued dedication to steal away both Sony's hardcore user base through gobbling up former exclusives such as Tales of Vesperia, and Star Ocean, and attempting to woo casual gamers away from Nintendo with such offerings as Your In the Movies and Lips, it would seem that the price drop could act as a suitable catalyst for higher sales.

[sterlingice]

Good 3rd party games will sell. 3rd parties need to stop shoveling crap at the Wii, though.

Well even if third-parties do produce more good titles, there is always going to be shovelware. It's part of being the most popular console. The PS1 and PS2 had loads of craptastic games but it's no big deal, just buy the good ones. In addition to the Wii's popularity, Nintendo has no sort of quality control or anything like Sony and Microsoft do with their consoles. As long as the game runs relatively bug-free they'll approve it no matter how bad it is.

I don't know where this "Nintendo has no sort of quality control or anything like Sony and Microsoft" came from. I want you to point me to the Sony and Microsoft quality control. It's just that since the Wii is the dominant console, they get the majority of the shovelware as opposed to the PS2 last generation. Similarly, the NES and PSX led in the "lack of quality control" division. The SNES seemed to have a little bit more restraint (there are still a lot of bad titles, just not the ratios) but that may be just because there was stiffer competition from the Genesis.

Back to the 3rd party meme, again, good games will sell on Nintendo systems. But when you constantly neuter games or don't spend the resources to polish them, they won't sell. Even going back to last gen, SoulCalibur 2 sold the most copies on the Gamecube, more than the PS2 and XBox- it was a good game. Resident Evil 4 sold decently (1.6M) on the Gamecube but did get outsold on the PS2 (2.0M) despite being a timed exclusive- but I think late in the console life with a huge install base difference explains that one. Both RE remakes (RE and 0) sold over 1M copies on the Gamecube as well. Again, put out good 3rd party games, they sell- Activision seems to be doing ok on the Wii with GH. Put out filth and neutered crap and it doesn't sell. Strange how that works.

SI

[MJ4H]

this this this this this

[Big Fo]

It's amazing that the Wii has been out for almost two years and third parties have yet to release a good RPG, racing game, or FPS/TPS for a console with a userbase pushing 30 million.

[MJ4H]

Well, Mario Kart is a good racing game, and Metroid Prime 3 is a good FPS (though some would argue it's more like a FPA instead of FPS). Haven't paid much attention to RPGs because I don't like them, but I'm pretty sure you are right about there not being a good one on Wii.

[Eaglesfan27]

Not a true RPG, but I really enjoyed Fire Emblem which is a Strategy style RPG game.

[Big Fo]

Mario Kart, Metroid, and Fire Emblem are all made by Nintendo though. I guess Resident Evil 4 could be considered a third-person shooter but that's about it.

[MJ4H]

Sorry I missed that you said 3rd party. My mistake.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mario Kart, Metroid, and Fire Emblem are all made by Nintendo though. I guess Resident Evil 4 could be considered a third-person shooter but that's about it.

I forgot that it wasn't a 3rd party game.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Tons of new stuff over the weekend. First, it appears that Microsoft won't be the only ones getting the Netflix treatment. The first of several upcoming deals went through to make the upcoming Blu-ray stand-alone players also function as a Netflix rental box.......

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-31-2008/0004859007&EDATE=

Rumors are swirling that the upcoming game that Square Enix is to announce this week may be the next new iteration of Kingdom Hearts..........

RUMOR: Kingdom Hearts III to Be Unveiled Soon « GOONL!NE (http://gamzsonev3.wordpress.com/2008/08/02/rumor-kingdom-hearts-iii-to-be-unveiled-soon/)

Certainly not surprising here. Microsoft confirms that they won't be cutting off Gold Live fees anytime soon..........

Microsoft: We won’t scrap Live Gold fees | Gaming Industry | News by MCV (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/31408/Microsoft-We-wont-scrap-Live-Gold-fees)

Another confirmation of the upcoming 360 price cuts........

http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/08/01/mole-attack-360-price-cuts-on-all-hardware-in-september

More info about the avatar options on the 360..........

Rumor: Avatar customization options discovered - Xbox 360 Fanboy (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/07/31/rumor-avatar-customization-options-discovered/)

Finally, several EA games just received a permanent price cut (pulled from Cheap Ass Gamer website)..............

Just got into work and printed off the list of today's permanent price drops, and this week a ton of EA published games getting reduced by $10-20.

Burnout Paradise is now only $29.99 (PS3/360). No excuse now people.

Orange Box for the 360 dropped to $29.99. Army of Two is $49.99.

Need for Speed for every platform dropped by ten bucks. Same with Medal of Honor Heroes 2. Few other titles like Boogie, My Sims, and Sims Castaway got a drop too.

08 sports games are now a notch above clearance levels (NHL, Tiger Woods, NBA Live, NCAA March Madness)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Couple of more news notes. A MS developer was murdered by her husband over the weekend in a murder-suicide. She had recently obtained a restraining order (what good do those really do in these type of cases) as she had found out that he had bought a gun.

In her request for a protection order, Melissa Batten described how her husband had called her more than 30 times on July 19 and 20 and warned her never to hang up on him. She also described a chain of circumstances that led to the phone calls, including how her husband broke into her workplace at Microsoft on July 16 and was caught by security guards.

Joseph Batten confronted her in a parking lot, shot her several times with a 9-mm handgun and then shot himself in the head, police reported.

Here's a video of her doing a preview for Banjo Kazooie this year........

http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x671n0

The new "Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty" game has a release date set for August 22nd...........

PlayStation.Blog » Set Course for Booty this August (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/08/01/set-course-for-booty-this-august/)

[KWhit]

Orange Box for $30 is a ridiculous steal.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Orange Box for $30 is a ridiculous steal.

I've heard that Burnout Paradise is also a great value, especially for $30. The developers are still putting out free upgrades on that game. It's great to see developers who support the games going forward rather than using any updates as a revenue grab.

[spleen1015]

I've heard that Burnout Paradise is also a great value, especially for $30. The developers are still putting out free upgrades on that game. It's great to see developers who support the games going forward rather than using any updates as a revenue grab.

I have Burnout Paradise on the PS3. Good stuff.

[MizzouRah]

Orange Box for $30 is a ridiculous steal.

Drooling over that price!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I have Burnout Paradise on the PS3. Good stuff.

No sooner than I mention their free DLC, I notice this new info on an upcoming free DLC release that will add 15 hours of gameplay to Burnout Paradise.....

MTV Multiplayer » More Wheelies, Less Crashing — How Motorcycles Work In ‘Burnout Paradise’ (http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/07/31/more-wheelies-less-crashing-how-motorcycles-work-in-burnout-paradise/)

[Eaglesfan27]

I've heard that Burnout Paradise is also a great value, especially for $30. The developers are still putting out free upgrades on that game. It's great to see developers who support the games going forward rather than using any updates as a revenue grab.

I almost bought Burnout Paradise for full price when I cancelled my preorder of Madden last week, glad I waited. I'll be picking this up for 30 sometime this week as this game has tempted me several times.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Official Rock Band 2 release dates have been leaked........

Xbox 360- September 14th

PS3- October 19th

Wii- November 18th

[Phototropic]

Does anyone know if the September date will be a game-only release or if it will apply to the bundle as well?

[SackAttack]

The new "Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty" game has a release date set for August 22nd...........

PlayStation.Blog » Set Course for Booty this August (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/08/01/set-course-for-booty-this-august/)

God, if you'd just read the stuff you're linking to, you'd know that the release date is August 21st.

What was left of your credibility is just totally shot now.

(Why, yes, yes I am on the edge of my seat for Quest for Booty. Why do you ask?)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

God, if you'd just read the stuff you're linking to, you'd know that the release date is August 21st.

What was left of your credibility is just totally shot now.

(Why, yes, yes I am on the edge of my seat for Quest for Booty. Why do you ask?)

:D

Who's not interested in Booty?

[cartman]

Sounds like the latest PS3 firmware is breaking some consoles (not a repeat):

Playstation 3: Users Report Firmware 2.42 Causing PS3 Failure (http://kotaku.com/5033332/users-report-firmware-242-causing-ps3-failure)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

SOCOM: Confrontation pricing announced. Same setup that Warhawk had on release. Nice deal for those that already have a headset...............

$59.99 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
(Bundle Version)
Includes SOCOM Confrontation, a newly designed Bluetooth® Headset for the PLAYSTATION®3 system and exclusive Behind the Scenes videos.

$39.99 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation
(Stand Alone Version)
For all of the people who want SOCOM: Confrontation on a disc. Does not include the headset or the Behind the Scenes videos.

$39.99 SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation on the
PlayStation Network
SOCOM Confrontation downloadable from the PSN without ever leaving you couch. Does not include the headset or the Behind the Scenes videos.

[Calis]

Hearing an awful lot of great things about Braid which was released on XBLA this morning. It looks fantastic. Think I'll be purchasing this one, but I'm trying to get some work done before I do so, but I'm probably going to fail.

Good couple weeks for downloadable games with PixelJunk Eden and then this. They're making up for the slowdown in actual AAA releases.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Good couple weeks for downloadable games with PixelJunk Eden and then this. They're making up for the slowdown in actual AAA releases.

I picked up PixelJunk Monsters and High Velocity Bowling when they were on sale for $5 last week. I was happily surprised with both of them.

[Big Fo]

Nintendo has put out a chart comparing third-party software sales on the Wii, 360, and PS3 over the first 19 months each platform has been out, plus some numbers below. (NPD data so USA only, chart is from joystiq.com)

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2008/08/nintendothirdpartyredux.jpg

* Wii: 60 million software units total, 56% are third-party units or 33 million (Nov. '06 through June '08)
* Xbox 360: 35 million software units, 84% third-party or 29 million (Nov. '05 through June '07)
* PS3: 25 million software units, 82% third-party or 20 million (Nov. '06 through June '08)

Third party sales on the Wii rise to 62% if you remove Wii Play, which mainly sells due to being bundled with a Wiimote. The 360 still leads in most third party software sold when taking its 12 month head-start into account.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Nintendo has put out a chart comparing third-party software sales on the Wii, 360, and PS3 over the first 19 months each platform has been out, plus some numbers below. (NPD data so USA only, chart is from joystiq.com)

* Wii: 60 million software units total, 56% are third-party units or 33 million (Nov. '06 through June '08)
* Xbox 360: 35 million software units, 84% third-party or 29 million (Nov. '05 through June '07)
* PS3: 25 million software units, 82% third-party or 20 million (Nov. '06 through June '08)

Third party sales on the Wii rise to 62% if you remove Wii Play, which mainly sells due to being bundled with a Wiimote. The 360 still leads in most third party software sold when taking its 12 month head-start into account.

Yep, those numbers demonstrate basically what everyone has stated the entire time. The first party titles are dominant on the Wii. Not only that, Nintendo is playing games with numbers as well. It's not surprising that they would give the total sell through rather than the attach rate. The third-party attach rate is abysmal on the Wii when compared to the 360 and PS3.

It should also be noted that the vast majority of the third party sales are from the Sonic Olympics and Guitar Hero games. Those two games are the only third party games in the top 15 in sales. After those two games, there's a significant drop off.

No one would protest that the Wii is selling well as a console, but the third party sales are a concern to third party developers, so Nintendo would be well advised to stop 'whistling through the graveyard' by producing graphs and releases like this and start working on ways to increase those numbers to ease third-party developer concerns.

[sterlingice]

Yep, those numbers demonstrate basically what everyone has stated the entire time. The first party titles are dominant on the Wii. Not only that, Nintendo is playing games with numbers as well. It's not surprising that they would give the total sell through rather than the attach rate. The third-party attach rate is abysmal on the Wii when compared to the 360 and PS3.

Why in the world would developers care about attach rates? If you're EA, why would you care that 1M copies of EAGenericGame24 are sold on 5M Wii or 20M Wii? The 1M copies are what matters not the 20% vs 5% attach rate.

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pretty nice video of Infamous from the E3 gameplay session:

G4 - Infamous Direct-Feed Gameplay (http://www.g4tv.com/e32008/hdvideos/27706/Infamous_DirectFeed_Gameplay.html)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Why in the world would developers care about attach rates? If you're EA, why would you care that 1M copies of EAGenericGame24 are sold on 5M Wii or 20M Wii? The 1M copies are what matters not the 20% vs 5% attach rate.

SI

You make my point when you mention EA. They're a great company to use for comparison as they publish their titles on virtually all consoles at the same time. Their last financial statement was very telling. The profit margins on Wii games are relatively small when compared to the Wii. The PS3 profit for EA is increasing by leaps and bounds. Here are the profit numbers for EA in the last quarter.

PS3: 139M
360: 81M
PS2: 79M
Wii: 57M

Note that this is not a one quarter trend either. The PS3 profit has increased by 1000% over a year ago. While the Wii can use those numbers to claim victory due to larger installed base, there is going to be a time relatively soon where we see bigger installed bases from the PS3 (likely price cut and emphasis on BR by major retailers this fall) and possibly the 360 (price cuts needed). When that happens, the developers are going to see much bigger profit numbers. Sales aren't everything; profit is where the developers look when deciding what to publish and where.

[Eaglesfan27]

Of course, as was mentioned in the other thread, those numbers may reflect distorted reality (with EA knowing it) as many of their games are developed for the 360 and then ported to the PS3. Therefore, the costs of development is likely bringing down those profit numbers for the 360. Since, the Wii versions are developed independantly, same situation there.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Of course, as was mentioned in the other thread, those numbers may reflect distorted reality (with EA knowing it) as many of their games are developed for the 360 and then ported to the PS3. Therefore, the costs of development is likely bringing down those profit numbers for the 360. Since, the Wii versions are developed independantly, same situation there.

That doesn't matter in this comparison even if it were found to be true. Toss out the PS3 numbers as that appears to be your major hangup in this issue. Let's use the 360 numbers which you are assuming in your example have major built in costs since it was developed on the 360. They are making more profit on the 360 than the Wii despite the development costs that you assume exist on that console since you're assuming it's the primary development console. It's another argument to spend more time and effort on the PS3/360 game due to the higher profit.

Another flaw in that logic is that the Wii somehow has development costs in it. The Wii versions of the games are a direct port from the PS2 version of the games. The only development cost is to add in the motion control, which is relatively minimal. Also, as several reviewers have noted, the Wii graphics are actually worse than the PS2 version of the game despite being a direct port. The Wii users are actually getting an inferior product.

[Big Fo]

Not only that, Nintendo is playing games with numbers as well. It's not surprising that they would give the total sell through rather than the attach rate.

You have to be kidding me :D :D :D

The third-party attach rate is abysmal on the Wii when compared to the 360 and PS3.

First-party software sales, third-party software sales, and console sales are all "abysmal" on the PS3 compared to the Wii. It does have the 360 to prop it up though.

It should also be noted that the vast majority of the third party sales are from the Sonic Olympics and Guitar Hero games. Those two games are the only third party games in the top 15 in sales. After those two games, there's a significant drop off.

It should also be noted your "vast majority" is less than a fifth of overall sales, and not much more than the percentage of PS3 third-party sales that came from GTA4 and COD4.

No one would protest that the Wii is selling well as a console, but the third party sales are a concern to third party developers, so Nintendo would be well advised to stop 'whistling through the graveyard' by producing graphs and releases like this and start working on ways to increase those numbers to ease third-party developer concerns.

I'm not sure what else they are supposed to do, the Wii is the worldwide leader in software sales and good (and even not so good) third-party games have been successful. Not to mention, making a Wii game is significantly cheaper than making a game for one of the HD consoles.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

First-party software sales, third-party software sales, and console sales are all "abysmal" on the PS3 compared to the Wii. It does have the 360 to prop it up though.

And you've entirely missed the point. Third party profits on the Wii are significantly less than the 360 and PS3 profits despite selling more games. As long as that continues, the third party developers are going to continue to move to the PS3 and the 360 as they have been in recent months. Nintendo isn't releasing a press release like this because the third party developers are flooding to the system. They're doing it to try to convince third party developers that all is well despite numbers to the contrary.

It should also be noted your "vast majority" is less than a fifth of overall sales, and not much more than the percentage of PS3 third-party sales that came from GTA4 and COD4.

Once again, the main argument is totally missed by this comment. The reason those two games were pointed out was because they were the only two games that were not first party games in the top 15 in all-time sales on the Wii. The 360 and PS3 aren't nearly as dependent on first party games. There are several third party games in the top 15 of the PS3/360 charts. Couple that with Nintendo's primary developer saying that he has developed all the big games that he had envisioned for the Wii and one has to be concerned about what will come next on the Wii, especially from Nintendo. Their Wii Music demo didn't impress anyone

I'm not sure what else they are supposed to do, the Wii is the worldwide leader in software sales and good (and even not so good) third-party games have been successful. Not to mention, making a Wii game is significantly cheaper than making a game for one of the HD consoles.

The numbers are there for everyone to see. Third party developers have voiced concern in recent months over the relatively low profits and sales figures for third-party games. If Nintendo wants to remedy the situation, they'd be much better off listening to the third-party concerns rather than issuing press releases denying there's a problem.

[Big Fo]

And you've entirely missed the point. Third party profits on the Wii are significantly less than the 360 and PS3 profits despite selling more games. As long as that continues, the third party developers are going to continue to move to the PS3 and the 360 as they have been in recent months. Nintendo isn't releasing a press release like this because the third party developers are flooding to the system. They're doing it to try to convince third party developers that all is well despite numbers to the contrary.

There's more to the games industry than EA's financial statement for three months out of the last year, that you have brought up multiple times when defending the PS3 and seem to base your entire false arguement of "Wii games aren't as profitable" around. And even so, this is what EA's CEO had to say about the matter:

One thing that's different is we typically figured out who the market leader was going to be before the start of the cycle and bet with our development resources on that platform.

We made the wrong call there (by betting on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), which made this transition harder than it would otherwise be. But now we're catching up, and I think we're fine. We've got some incredibly innovative Wii titles, [and] incredibly innovative DS titles coming. And so I think that issue's sort of behind us.

Are you suggesting that the Wii has been receiving less third party support in recent months than it was in 2006? Again, you gotta be kidding me.

One other point I'd like to throw out there is that even if third-parties aren't making games for the Wii, they are still competing with Nintendo's first-party titles for software sales, whether in the form of multiconsole owners (a bigger slice of the market than in past generations thanks to the big differences between the Wii and PS360) or people who look at the respective libraries before making a decision to buy a Wii or PS3 or 360.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

There's more to the games industry than EA's financial statement for three months out of the last year, that you have brought up multiple times when defending the PS3 and seem to base your entire false arguement of "Wii games aren't as profitable" around.

Are you suggesting that the Wii has been receiving less third party support in recent months than it was in 2006? Again, you gotta be kidding me.

One other point I'd like to throw out there is that even if third-parties aren't making games for the Wii, they are still competing with Nintendo's first-party titles for software sales, whether in the form of multiconsole owners (a bigger slice of the market than in past generations thanks to the big differences between the Wii and PS360) or people who look at the respective libraries before making a decision to buy a Wii or PS3 or 360.

The presentation of the EA numbers was not in any way to prop up the PS3. That's a straw-man argument. I even mentioned in the reply to EF27 that you could throw out the PS3 numbers and still make the same argument with the 360 numbers. I'd also note that the EA Sports titles on the Wii are not performing well at all, despite the EA CEO's comment. What EA and their CEO fail to realize is that they have to do more than just realize that the Wii could be a gravy train for them. They also have to actually put out a quality game that people want to buy. The latest EA Sports games have been hammered on the Wii thus far and are not doing well at all in regards to sales.

Obviously, your second point regarding third party support is without merit. I never suggested that. Developers can move to the other systems for development while still developing for the Wii. It doesn't decrease games for the Wii, but it does provide more games for the 360/PS3 with more developers looking to release on as many platforms as possible.

On your third point regarding first party software, I also never suggested that there is any competition when factoring in the Wii sales. There's no reason to question anything about hardware sales or first party sales. That is where Nintendo is thriving. That has no bearing on my point at all.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Several bits of 360 news today. Lots of info on the new 60 GB version of the 360 that will soon be released. There are a couple of changes from the old 20 GB version of the system......

The Official Site of Benjamin J Heckendorn (http://benheck.com/08-06-2008/inside-a-60-gig-xbox-360#more-422)

Braid developer reveals that Microsoft is changing the XBLA policy to cut the amount of royalties paid to XBLA game developers, which may keep him from releasing any further titles on the system...........

New XBLA deal problematic for Braid developer // News // GamesIndustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/new-xbla-deal-problematic-for-braid-developer)

Fable 2 now has a release date of October 21nd.

Loot Ninja » Fable 2 Gets Release Date (http://loot-ninja.com/2008/08/09/fable-2-gets-release-date/)

[Neon_Chaos]

Several bits of 360 news today. Lots of info on the new 60 GB version of the 360 that will soon be released. There are a couple of changes from the old 20 GB version of the system......

The Official Site of Benjamin J Heckendorn (http://benheck.com/08-06-2008/inside-a-60-gig-xbox-360#more-422)

Braid developer reveals that Microsoft is changing the XBLA policy to cut the amount of royalties paid to XBLA game developers, which may keep him from releasing any further titles on the system...........

New XBLA deal problematic for Braid developer // News // GamesIndustry.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/new-xbla-deal-problematic-for-braid-developer)

Fable 2 now has a release date of October 2nd.

Loot Ninja » Fable 2 Gets Release Date (http://loot-ninja.com/2008/08/09/fable-2-gets-release-date/)

Woohoo, Fable 2! And it's October 21.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Woohoo, Fable 2! And it's October 21.

Thanks. Left out a number. :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like Microsoft will convincingly win a month for the first time this year. The post-MGS4 hangover along with the clearance of the 20 GB Xbox 360's is expected to boost the 360 past the PS3 in July. In other unsurprising news, the Wii sold a lot of units.........

Npd Group: NPD Predicts Mammoth Wii Win in July (http://kotaku.com/5035436/npd-predicts-mammoth-wii-win-in-july)

[Ryan S]

Looks like Microsoft will convincingly win a month for the first time this year. The post-MGS4 hangover along with the clearance of the 20 GB Xbox 360's is expected to boost the 360 past the PS3 in July. In other unsurprising news, the Wii sold a lot of units.........

I don't know about the US, but I would expect the 360 to beat the PS3 in UK sales for August thanks heavy in store promotion of the 80gb PS3 and the lack of a price cut for the 40gb machine.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I don't know about the US, but I would expect the 360 to beat the PS3 in UK sales for August thanks heavy in store promotion of the 80gb PS3 and the lack of a price cut for the 40gb machine.

I can see how the lack of a 40gb price cut would hinder sales, but why would heavy promotion of the 80gb PS3 create slow sales? I think I'm misunderstanding your post.

FWIW....the UK is the strongest of the European 360 markets by a pretty wide margin. The PS3 overall in Europe is roughly even in total sales with the 360.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pachter discusses the big increase in Wii supply and what the holiday season holds for the Wii.........

Gamasutra - Analysts: 'Hardware Storm' Could See Wii Sales Approach 1M Per Month (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19782)

[Ryan S]

I can see how the lack of a 40gb price cut would hinder sales, but why would heavy promotion of the 80gb PS3 create slow sales? I think I'm misunderstanding your post.

The heavy in store promotion of the 80gb PS3 is right next to the 40gb PS3 deals. The 80gb promotions have the price clearly displayed, along with the release date at the end of August. Not many people are going to go for a £300 40gb when they can get the 80gb for the same price in three weeks.

I expect UK sales to be down this month, but to jump considerably in September once the 80gb console is released (and retailers are forced to discount 40gb models)

[Big Fo]

Revenue by platform for THQ last quarter:

* 1. Nintendo DS ($27.3 million)
* 2. Nintendo Wii ($23.3 million)
* 3. PC ($23.2 million) * 4. Xbox 360 ($20.1 million)
* 5. PlayStation 2 ($19.9 million)
* 6. PlayStation Portable ($10.4 million)
* 7. PlayStation 3 ($6.7 million)
* 8. Mobile ($5.1 million)
* 9. Game Boy Advance ($1.6 million)
* 10. GameCube ($53,000)

I wonder what GameCube games are still being bought :D

Source: gameindustry.biz link (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/wii-and-ds-head-thq-sales-list)

--------------------------------

From Capcom's fiscal year 2008 results:

System : # of software sold : # of software titles released


PS2: 3,100,000 (Total Titles:29)
Wii: 2,930,000 (Total Titles:13)
PS3: 1,750,000 (Total Titles:8)
360: 1,620,000 (Total Titles:10)
PSP: 3,150,000 (Total Titles:16, sales are mostly from Monster Hunter in Japan)
DS: 2,400,000 (Total Titles:27)
PC and others: 480,000 (Total Titles:3)

Plans for Major New Titles (FY09)
Resident Evil 5 (X360, PS3) Plan :2.3 mil. units
Street Fighter 4 (X360,PS3) Plan :1.7 mil. units
Bionic Commando (360,PS3) Plan: 1.5 mil. units
Dead Rising Chop Till You Drop (Wii) Plan 0.5 mil. units

Hopefully Capcom announces a PC (more likely) or Wii (less likely) version of RE5, after playing RE4Wii there's no way I'm going back to dual analog sticks for Resident Evil.

Source: Capcom's website (http://ir.capcom.co.jp/english/data/pdf/fy2008a.pdf)

------------------------------------

After two news articles full of numbers, here's one for the lighter side.

"Militant Atheists" moaning about Spore - from Eurogamer.com (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=211296)

"I think our bigger fear was that we didn't want to offend any religious people; but looking at the discussion that unfolded from this thing, what we had was a good, sizeable group of players that we might call militant atheists, and the rest of the players seemed very tolerant, including all of the religious players."

"I didn't expect to hit hot buttons on the atheist side as much; I expected it on the religious side," Wright revealed. "But so far I've had no critical feedback at all from anybody who is religious feeling that we were misrepresenting religion or it was bad to represent religion in the game. It was really the atheists."

I've seen religious people complain about overly violent games, minorities complaining that too many of their race are being gunned down in Resident Evil 5 trailers, or right-wingers on Civilization forums calling the development team communists for putting Stalin and Mao in the game as leaders, but this was a new one for me.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The heavy in store promotion of the 80gb PS3 is right next to the 40gb PS3 deals. The 80gb promotions have the price clearly displayed, along with the release date at the end of August. Not many people are going to go for a £300 40gb when they can get the 80gb for the same price in three weeks.

I expect UK sales to be down this month, but to jump considerably in September once the 80gb console is released (and retailers are forced to discount 40gb models)

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like the Dennis Dyack vs. NeoGaf situation will not end well for Dyack. Early reviews of 'Too Human' haven't been too good and he's getting smacked around by the NeoGaf minions............

Game Informer reviews Too Human. Evilore 1, Dyack 0. Who cares?! We want the BATMAN! - NeoGAF (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=330989)

[sterlingice]

Probably would have been better received if it had been released 2 generations ago like it was supposed to.

I'm sure Duke Nukem Forever and Chinese Democracy will get equally good receptions ;)

SI

[Big Fo]

A 6.75 in Game Informer for a high-profile, expected to sell well, HD console exclusive is like a 4 or 5 in the "legitimate" gaming press.

GI gave Lair a 7.25 and an 8 for fucks sake :D

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Probably would have been better received if it had been released 2 generations ago like it was supposed to.

I'm sure Duke Nukem Forever and Chinese Democracy will get equally good receptions ;)

SI

It goes without saying that he was colossally stupid for going to war on a message board. But it certainly made for good entertainment. His problem going forward is that no one's going to take him seriously on any future projects.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like the new Twisted Metal game for the PS3 will be revealed at the upcoming Leipzig Games Convention.

http://www.n4g.com/ps3/News-183079.aspx

Interestingly enough, MS and Nintendo will not be having press conferences at the convention. I can understand why Nintendo wouldn't bother given that their systems are still selling well, but I'm surprised that MS is not looking to make an impact in the territory that they've deemed critical to the overall success of the 360.

[Big Fo]

Twisted Metal :cool:

It's only been one day, but maybe Madden sales won't exhibit the same decline it has these past few years.

ERTS: Report Early Madden ‘09 Sales Top Expectations

Posted by Eric Savitz

Not sure how much you want to extrapolate here, but there are early signs of strong demand for Madden NFL ‘09, the latest version of the Electronic Arts (ERTS) football game, which launched on multiple game platforms last night.

Stene Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia writes that initial checks find sell through is up in the low single digits from last year’s edition. “If this trend holds in the near-to-medium term, we believe investors will view is as a positive,” he writes. Bhatia says that expectations for the game were tempered by pre-order activity for the game that was down year over year. Bhatia says he has been estimating Madden units would be down 10% for the March 2009 fiscal year, he says that he is “getting more comfortable that actual sell through units could be flattish year over year.”

Bhatia notes the game is getting better early reviews that the ‘08 and ‘07 versions. Review sites Gameratings.com and Metacritic.com show the early reviews are mostly positive.

ERTS today is up $1.07, or 2.3%, to $48.58.


We won't know much until the August thread though. July's numbers come out tomorrow so I'll post 08 and 09 comparisons for NCAA Football though...

edit: Forgot to post a link to the article. here (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2008/08/12/erts-report-early-madden-09-sales-top-expectations/?mod=googlenews_barrons)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

It's only been one day, but maybe Madden sales won't exhibit the same decline it has these past few years.

We won't know much until the August thread though. July's numbers come out tomorrow so I'll post 08 and 09 comparisons for NCAA Football though...

You won't be able to make a final assessment on NCAA or Madden until after the September numbers. Both games always receive a small second boost of sales in the week or two after the season begins, so the best assessment usually doesn't come until late September.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting move by Sony. They're switching from their 'no mascot' policy. They will now use 'Sackboy' as the mascot for the console...............

Gametrailers.com - The Source For Video Game Media (http://www.gametrailers.com/viewnews.php?id=6262)

New PSP-3000 model on the way. It may be shown as soon as next week in Leipzig..........

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=290118&fcc_id=%27AK8PSP3001

Rock Band 2 bundle (X360) will now be moved back and be released the same time as the PS3/Wii versions. The stand-alone game will still be released a month early on the Xbox 360..............

Rock Band 2: Rock Band 2 Bundle Delayed (http://kotaku.com/5036770/rock-band-2-bundle-delayed)

[rjolley]

What's new about the PSP-3000?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

What's new about the PSP-3000?

Externally, there doesn't appear to be a lot of difference. Early guesses are that they included additional anti-piracy features along with cheaper parts to facilitate a larger profit and/or a price drop. Tretton also stated at E3 that they were looking to add internal memory to the PSP, so that may be a possibility.

Unspectacular PSP-3001 outed by the FCC - Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/14/unspectacular-psp-3001-outed-by-the-fcc/)

[MizzouRah]

They are also adding a GPS to the psp via add-on device.

GPS for Sony PSP coming to US - Joystiq (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/06/gps-for-sony-psp-coming-to-us/)