2010 Console Sales Thread.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Thought it would be a good idea to start a general thread to avoid mucking up other threads with sales discussion. You all in the Video Game thread can thank me later.

Looks like we're about to get some action on those long-awaited sales cuts. Two articles today give a good picture of Sony's current position. First, Amazon in Germany posted a space holder for the PS3 Slim, all but confirming that a new PS3 is on the way. It's been taken down since then.

Blu-ray.com - Slim PS3 Surfaces on Amazon Germany (Update) (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3201)

A Sony exec has confirmed that manufacturing costs for the PS3 are now down 70%, which means that Sony can make a PS3 now for just under $250. Stringer said last month that he would never sell a PS3 at a loss. At this cost, they can sell the PS3 for $299 and still make a good profit on the system.

PS3 Manufacturing Costs Reduced By 70% News - TotalVideoGames.com (http://www.totalvideogames.com/PlayStation-3/news/PS3-Manufacturing-Costs-Reduced-By-70-14439.html)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

Looks like another announcement likely to come to fruition this fall. More info from Japanese sites showing how the PS2 emulation firmware will work on all PS3 consoles. Great news for existing owners of 40/80/160 GB machines along with future customers to finally have some legitimate BC. You'll need a translator to go through the Japanese sites.

NeoGAF - View Single Post - Slim PS3 ...good fake or... (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=16952451&postcount=4262)

Possibility of PS2 backwards compatibility coming soon?

Sony patents on July 30th 2009 technology to emulate the "Graphics Synthesizer" on the PS2 using the Cell & RSX:

Previously there was a patent to emulate the "Emotion Engine" (http://www.siliconera.com/2009/06/29/sony-patents-emotion-engine-emulation-technology-for-cell-processors/), however this new patent demonstrates a method to emulate both EE and GS.

Link with more pictures:
http://gigazine.net/index.php?/news/comments/20090803_ps2_on_ps3/ (http://gigazine.net/index.php?/news/...03_ps2_on_ps3/)

Patent directory:
Æõö¡¦¼ÂÍÑ¿·°Æ¸øÊó£Ä£Â (http://www6.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/Tokujitu/tjsogodb.ipdl?N0000=101)
the patent ID is 「文献種別：A、文献番号：2009-527836」

[PDF] Link: ¥¤¥ó¥Õ¥©¥á¡¼¥·¥ç¥ó (http://www23.ipdl.inpit.go.jp/PDF/display/JPA_2009527836.pdf?id=9986)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

more dola

Lots of info in advance of the big Euro and Japan trade shows. More indicators of new PS3 model on the way. 80 GB machine appears to be on the way out. Supply is limited and places in Japan are saying it's discontinued.

80GB PLAYSTATION 3 To Be Discontinued In Japan - PS3 - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5329352/80gb-playstation-3-to-be-discontinued-in-japan)

Some new worldwide numbers for PS3 are out. 23 million and change for the PS3 worldwide. In comparison, the 360 is around 30 million and the Wii is 52-53 million. I'm honestly pretty surprised that the difference between the 360 and PS3 isn't bigger given the year head start and the much lower price point on the 360.

PlayStation 3 install base reaches 23 million worldwide // News (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/playstation-3-install-base-reaches-23-million-worldwide)

Also, Bill Harris had a note in his blog this morning that mentioned that the currency adjusted cost of the PS3 is around $280 instead of the $240-250 mentioned in the other article I posted. Still cheap enough for a $299 price cut, but not quite the profit that was mentioned before.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Nintendo say no price cut coming. Also, they admit openly what most have been saying for months.......the system isn't selling becaue the recent slate of games have been very weak.

Iwata rules out Wii price cut, next console a long way off - News at GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6214750.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1)

Also, a French website has listed the PS3 Slim with a preorder date of August 18th and a release date of September 1st. Seems to fit in well with previous information. No price listed yet.

[Big Fo]

In that same article Iwata says Nintendo aims to sell 10 million copies each of Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii by the end of March 2010.

WSR sold over 500k in its first week (http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090805006164&newsLang=en)

[SackAttack]

Well, in fairness to mbbf, they could probably do that without selling a single new Wii console between now and then.

[MJ4H]

I think I would buy 10 million copies of New Super Mario Bros Wii myself if I could. God I can't wait for that game.

[SackAttack]

That and Galaxy 2 are a couple of games I'm certain I'll be getting, but Lord knows when I'll be able to play 'em. Just don't have room to set the Wii up.

[Big Fo]

I think they'll hit that projection.

Super Mario Galaxy sold over 8 million and many people find 2D Mario to be a lot more accessible than 3D Mario. Plus the DS version is near 20 million or something crazy by now. This game also offers 4-player co-op which is new to the series. It should be awesome, I can't wait.

Wii Fit Plus is being priced at 2000 yen ($22) in Japan for the standalone game and 9800 yen ($105) with the balance board, so if that translates worldwide it will be priced more like an expansion pack for people who bought the first Wii Fit.

Wii Sports Resort has already topped the charts in Europe, Japan, and with just that first week will likely top the 360 version of NCAA Football 10 for the month of July here. It wouldn't surprise me to see this game join Wii Play, Mario Kart, and Wii Fit in selling well over a long period of time.

But these three will definitely sell better than Wii Music and Animal Crossing, which lead Nintendo's weak Fall/Winter 2008 lineup.

[MJ4H]

The four player thing is the entire draw for me. It looks just like the original Mario Bros. compete/cooperate gameplay that made that one of my favorite games of all time.

[gstelmack]

Very disappointed that the Boom Blox sequel got released so quietly. I didn't even know it was out until I was browsing some site. Have it now, I like some of the new games (knock off all of your blocks only to score every remaining block) and some adjustments to rules (person in last place gets to go first). Nicely done so far.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

No surprises here as this was leaked several weeks ago by the ArsMole. 360 Pro is gone with Elite moving down in price to sell at same price as current Pro model.

Leaked back-of-box chart shows Xbox line winnowing down to Arcade and Elite SKUs (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/05/leaked-back-of-box-chart-shows-xbox-line-winnowing-down-to-arcad/)

This isn't all that shocking either, but it does show that Activision was doing little more than trying to bluff their way into a price cut for the PS3. There's no way on God's green Earth that they're leaving the PS3 as a publisher when they're making $152 million in revenue. That's more than they made on the Wii which has a much larger base..

Activision’s Second Quarter Earnings, With PS3 Showing 2nd Highest Revenue? « PS3 Blog and Community | PS3Blog.net (http://www.ps3blog.net/2009/08/06/activisions-second-quarter-earnings-with-ps3-showing-2nd-highest-revenue/)

EA reports Wii revenue leading the pack ($161M) followed by PS3 ($121M) and the 360 coming in third ($76M). Another clear indicator that the complaints about the PS3 by publishers are mainly motivated by the fact that they realize that they could see a substantial increase in revenue with a PS3 price cut.

PS3 outperforms Xbox 360 for EA | Gaming Industry | MCV (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/35278/PS3-outperforms-Xbox-360-for-EA)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like the 80 GB machine will be available for 299 in Europe. It's already been listed at 249 in Italy. Probably will see clearance deals in the U.S. as well.

ALTERNATE. Hardware - Software - Entertainment (http://www.alternate.es/html/productDetails.html?artno=QT%23S13)

[gstelmack]

This isn't all that shocking either, but it does show that Activision was doing little more than trying to bluff their way into a price cut for the PS3. There's no way on God's green Earth that they're leaving the PS3 as a publisher when they're making $152 million in revenue. That's more than they made on the Wii which has a much larger base..

Activision’s Second Quarter Earnings, With PS3 Showing 2nd Highest Revenue? « PS3 Blog and Community | PS3Blog.net (http://www.ps3blog.net/2009/08/06/activisions-second-quarter-earnings-with-ps3-showing-2nd-highest-revenue/)

I love media spin. The other headline I saw on this was referring to the fact that they made more on the 360 than any other platform ;)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I love media spin. The other headline I saw on this was referring to the fact that they made more on the 360 than any other platform ;)

Sure, and that's to be expected. The 360 should make more for Activision due to installed user base. With that said, all of the 'oh no' posts concerning Activision's comment earlier this year were a terrible misread on what was happening. It was just politics as usual. They never had any intention to pull their titles from the PS3. I'm sure you agree with that.

[dervack]

Is this worldwide earnings? And if so, they made quite a bit more on the 360, more than the 7 million console difference you like to tout.

[gstelmack]

The report I read earlier discussed North American earnings. I have not read MBBF's particular article.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Is this worldwide earnings? And if so, they made quite a bit more on the 360, more than the 7 million console difference you like to tout.

I'm not 'touting' it. Those are the numbers in regards to worldwide console numbers. Do you have a source that disagrees with those numbers? If so, feel free to post them.

[dervack]

That's why I was asking if they were worldwide. If they were worldwide, the percentage of their sales doesn't reflect the ratio of consoles world wide that you were bragging about. That's all.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That's why I was asking if they were worldwide. If they were worldwide, the percentage of their sales doesn't reflect the ratio of consoles world wide that you were bragging about. That's all.

Agreed. The PS3 portion of the market is even smaller in North America, which makes the numbers even more surprising. I'm not sure what I was 'bragging' about, but I agree with your clarification that the 360 has a larger market share and the PS3 has a smaller market share over here, though I'm not sure that needed to be clarified. I assumed everyone knew that at this point.

Good news for those waiting to see the PS3 price point. A Euro retailer is confirming a 299 Euro price point for the PS3 Slim, which means the $299 price point in North America is very likely.

Blu-ray.com - Rumor: Slim PS3 Will be €100 Cheaper (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3240)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Apparant confirmation on the expected model price swap by Microsoft. Pro is out and Elite units will sell for $299 starting August 30th.

Elite 360 Dropping In Price, RIP Pro Model - Xbox 360 - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5335673/elite-360-dropping-in-price-rip-pro-model)

With the HD cables now also removed from the new 360 SKU's (PS3 has always been that way), we have our first apples-to-apples battle between the two consoles this holiday season. Only real difference is that Wifi and Blu-ray are both in the PS3.

[Cringer]

I just want to say it is still summer where I live. :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I just want to say it is still summer where I live. :)

And hotter than hell to boot. Texas got screwed. One of the coolest July's on record in the U.S. and Texas gets stuck with a heat wave/drought.

[dervack]

Blu-ray.com - Rumor: Slim PS3 Announcement Next Tuesday (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3255)

Surprised I'm beating PS3 B-Ball fan to the punch, but announcement rumored for next Tuesday.

[Chubby]

Blu-ray.com - Rumor: Slim PS3 Announcement Next Tuesday (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3255)

Surprised I'm beating PS3 B-Ball fan to the punch, but announcement rumored for next Tuesday.

I've seens this leaked as far as a release date in europe (when it wasn't confirmed as existing anywhere yet) but not sure where...

[Big Fo]

July NPD Numbers:

Nintendo DS .... 538.9K
Wii ................. 252.5K
Xbox 360 ........ 202.9K
PSP ................. 122.8K
PlayStation 3 .... 121.8K
PlayStation 2 ... 108K

Wii SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS (WII) 508.2K
NCAA FOOTBALL 10 (360) ............................... 376.5K
NCAA FOOTBALL 10 (PS3) ............................... 237.4K
WII FIT W/ BALANCE BOARD* (WII) ,................. 164.3K
MARIO KART W/ WHEEL (WII) .......................... 156.6K
MARIO KART DS (NDS) .................................... 132.2K
POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION (NDS) ............... 116.4K
FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 (360) .......................... 116.4K
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS (NDS) ..................... 101.8K
EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE (WII) .................... 96.8K

PS3 is down year over year for the ninth straight month.

Every game in the top ten was published by Nintendo or Electronic Arts.

Mario Kart DS came out in November 2005 and New Super Mario Bros. came out in May 2006. They still cost full price ($35). Amazing.

NCAA was slightly down compared to last July.

360: 397.6k -> 376.5k
PS3: 242.3k -> 237.4k

[MJ4H]

Mario Kart DS and NSMB are mind-blowing.

[sterlingice]

Mario Kart DS and NSMB are mind-blowing.

Yeah, that is kindof crazy. But, look at the DS sales numbers- still 500K, tho many are DSi's now. Back when it was 300K new DS owners a month, that means 1 in 3 were getting both games for their new system. Then again, they really are good games. Still, that attach rate is phenomenal.

SI

[Big Fo]

Here's an interesting comparison I came across (USA only):

PS2 24,112,000 (45-month mark) (June 2004)
PS2 18,080,000 (33-month mark) (June 2003)

Xbox - 9,361,402 (33-month mark) (July 2004)
Xbox - 12,500,000 (45-month mark) (July 2005)

GCN - 7,673,241 (33-month mark) (July 2004)
GCN - 11,122,000 (45-month mark) (July 2005)

360 15,683,786 (45 months) (July 2009)
360 10,749,000 (33 months) (July 2008)

PS3 8,035,896 (33 months) (July 2009)

Wii 20,817,781 (33 months) (July 2009)

Wii is still ahead of PS2's pace overall but has been behind the last couple of months.

[Big Fo]

July top 20 chart out:

http://www.gamesetwatch.com/top-20-july-2009.png

Make that 16 out of the top 20 (and all of the top 13) games published by Nintendo and EA.

It's good to see Tiger Woods 10 still up there, it's the best golf game I've ever played.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Blu-ray.com - Rumor: Slim PS3 Announcement Next Tuesday (http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3255)

Surprised I'm beating PS3 B-Ball fan to the punch, but announcement rumored for next Tuesday.

Yeah, that was leaked by the Ars Mole two months ago. He had said announcement was coming to coincide with Madden release week. Tomorrow was the obvious choice given the trade show.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

NeoGaf's getting hammered right now. It's currently down. K-Mart has put up a pre-order page on their site for the PS3 Slim. $299.99 shipping on 8/24/09.

http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&partNumber=018W014436760001P&adCell=W2&catalogId=10104

I may actually look around to see if I can track down a used PS3 at this point. Those will likely go for $230-250 with the price drop.

Edit: Other retailers now putting up presale sites. Sears:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_05896012000P?adCell=W2

[dervack]

KMart is wrong. First week in spetember for the slim, 299. Current 80 gigs should drop to 299 tomorrow.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

KMart is wrong. First week in spetember for the slim, 299. Current 80 gigs should drop to 299 tomorrow.

Yeah, if you add it to the cart, the ship date switches to 8/30/09.

I'm not sure why anyone would buy the 80 GB version for $299. They just announced that the PS3 Slim will have 120 GB HDD if I read that correctly. I'd take the extra space anyday.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Firmware 3.0 was also announced.

PS3 Firmware v3.0 Coming Soon – Loot Ninja (http://loot-ninja.com/2009/08/18/ps3-firmware-v3-0-coming-soon/)

[Big Fo]

Bah, I was hoping for full PS2 backward compatibility or cross game voice chat. But at least they added advertisements and pay-for avatars!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

At the press conference, they said that ALL current models are $299 starting today. If so, the 160 GB Uncharted bundle is a helluva deal at that price. Haven't seen any online retailers mark down either model yet, so we'll have to see if that's true.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Side by side pictures up over at Neogaf. Pretty substantial size decrease on the Slim model..........

NeoGAF - View Single Post - Slim PLAYSTATION 3 "OFFICIALLY" (finally) Announced! (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=17178888&postcount=507)

[MrDNA]

Huh, SonyStyle.com still has the 80gb at 499. I just got one of those playstation credit card deals where you get $100 off so I'd love to be able to play this to my advantage and get a PS3 super cheap.

[cartman]

System hackers will want to get an existing PS3. The ability to install Linux was removed on the Slim.

[RainMaker]

Is size really a major issue with the PS3?

[SackAttack]

Yeah, if you add it to the cart, the ship date switches to 8/30/09.

I'm not sure why anyone would buy the 80 GB version for $299. They just announced that the PS3 Slim will have 120 GB HDD if I read that correctly. I'd take the extra space anyday.

Maybe because you can definitely upgrade the 80 GB HD if you need the extra space, but the 120, from the looks of things, isn't gonna be upgradeable?

The slim design looks like a one-piece mold to me.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Maybe because you can definitely upgrade the 80 GB HD if you need the extra space, but the 120, from the looks of things, isn't gonna be upgradeable?

The slim design looks like a one-piece mold to me.

No, the HDD is upgradeable in the Slim model. The drive slides out of the bottom right portion of the front of the console rather than out of the side on the old model. It was mentioned in the presentation as well.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Tons of new stuff coming out of GamesCon 2009. Video of PS3 Slim unboxing.........

YouTube - GamesRadar and PTOM unbox the PS3 Slim! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrOS_0Ulv7M&feature=player_embedded)

Video detailing all the new features of PS3 firmware 3.0............

http://www.viddler.com/explore/sceablog/videos/510/

Gran Turismo PSP will be free with purchase of PSP Go at launch......

Buy PSP Go at Launch, Get Gran Turismo FREE – Loot Ninja (http://loot-ninja.com/2009/08/18/buy-psp-go-at-launch-get-gran-turismo-free/)

Trailer for new PS3 exclusive 'Dead Nation'. I, for one, welcome our zombie overlords........

YouTube - Dead Nation "Gamescom" Reveal Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmYP6QuCssU&feature=player_embedded)

New Heavy Rain video..........

http://www.viddler.com/explore/Joystiq/videos/1646/2.035

New White Knight Chronicles trailer..........

YouTube - White Knight Chronicles "Gamescom" Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuznsyRxKLI&feature=player_embedded)

More info on Gran Turismo 5.

Models included:
1,000 vehicles
170 Premium new models (full interior modeling, the interior corresponds to vehicle damage)
830 kinds of standard model

■ Sound
Custom soundtracks (Use songs from your PS3 hard-drive)

■ Courses
60 courses confirmed with 20 or more to be revealed

■ Physical simulation of vehicles
Physics system simulation is brand new
Represented is full fall in vehicles [possibly rollover]
Damage representation (reproduced in full by real-time collision deformation)
faithfully reproducing the behavior of electric cars.

■ Arcade Mode
Single Race
2 player battle

■ GT Mode
World Map
My Garage
Car Dealer
Tuning Shop (parts, tires)
Car Washes/Oil Change
Race Championship (Series system, point system)
License Test

■ Online
Open Lobby
Text / Voice Chat
Private rooms
Online Photo Album
Online Replay Album
YouTube replay output

■ Photo Mode
Photo Drive (Circuit)
Photo stage (Stage Photo mode only)

■ Gran Turismo TV
Video output to a PSP or PSP Go®
Progressive Download
Improved user interface
Continuous Play for videos

Interview with Sony exec about the new Slim. Also, put the backward compatibility rumors to bed. It's not coming back......

Sony answers our questions about the new PlayStation 3 - Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/08/sony-answers-our-questions-about-the-new-playstation-3.ars)

[wade moore]

I wish I liked racing games. Gran Turismo seems to be on eo fthe most well done games out there - I just don't like racing games.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I wish I liked racing games. Gran Turismo seems to be on eo fthe most well done games out there - I just don't like racing games.

I found GT to be a very difficult game to play, until I picked up the Force Feedback Wheel with GT4 on the PS2. It's a MUCH better game with a good steering wheel and gear shift. I'm really glad that GT5 will work with the Force Feedback Wheel that I still have. Thank God for USB peripherals.

[sterlingice]

So- anyone know anything about the GH:5/GH:Van Halen offer? Apparently if you get Guitar Hero 5 in September, you get Guitar Hero: Van Halen for free with a mail-in offer.

SI

[RainMaker]

When is Heavy Rain actually going to be released? There seem to be about 5 games I keep hearing about with the PS3 that seem to have been in development forever. The other I can't think of but was real unique looking and I believe was the name of someone. They look really good but it doesn't feel like any will ever be released.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

When is Heavy Rain actually going to be released? There seem to be about 5 games I keep hearing about with the PS3 that seem to have been in development forever. The other I can't think of but was real unique looking and I believe was the name of someone. They look really good but it doesn't feel like any will ever be released.

I think the 'name' one you're thinking of is actually Alan Wake and that's a 360 exclusive.

Most of the big PS3 games are just around the corner. GT5 is rumored to be late this year, but will certainly be a spring 2010 release if not this fall since the developers have already said it's complete and merely being tweaked at this point. God of War III is coming in March 2010. FFXIII is expected in the spring as well with FFXIV coming fall 2010. Heavy Rain is a Spring 2010 release. MAG is also a Spring 2010 release.

With the price cut, they don't really need a ton of big titles for the fall. Uncharted 2 is the only really big title, though there are a few lesser games on the slate. With a lot of newer users buying this fall, they'll likely be catching up on the older games in the library for most of the holiday season, hence the reason there's a lot of big PS3 titles slated for next spring.

As far as fall 2009 games go, this is a relatively weak release schedule on all consoles, not just the PS3.

[RainMaker]

Yeah, Alan Wake is what I'm thinking.

I just remember seeing trailers for Heavy Rain back in 2006. Just seems like a really long development cycle.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah, Alan Wake is what I'm thinking.

I just remember seeing trailers for Heavy Rain back in 2006. Just seems like a really long development cycle.

I think a lot of them are dragging their feet waiting for an increase in installed base. The worldwide price cut should help that quite a bit in all three regions.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Fable III announced. Release Fall 2010.

Fable III Preview - Page 1 // Xbox 360 /// Eurogamer - Games Reviews, News and More (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/fable-iii-preview?page=1)

[SackAttack]

No, the HDD is upgradeable in the Slim model. The drive slides out of the bottom right portion of the front of the console rather than out of the side on the old model. It was mentioned in the presentation as well.

Yeah, I saw that later on and forgot to re-post here.

Thanks for the backup.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Yeah, I saw that later on and forgot to re-post here.

Thanks for the backup.

Only reason I knew right off the bat was because I'm looking to buy one. I was comparing the difference between the old model and new model and HDD removable was a must for me.

[Kodos]

Trailer for new PS3 exclusive 'Dead Nation'. I, for one, welcome our zombie overlords........

Thank you, Kent Brockman.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like the audio geeks got an extra gift with the new PS3 Slim.........

PS3 Slim bitsreams Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio, at last (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/21/ps3-slim-bitsreams-dolby-truehd-and-dts-hd-ma-audio-at-last/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Gamestop may be selling the PS3 Slim as soon as tomorrow.......

Rumor: PS3 Slim Coming Sooner? – Loot Ninja (http://loot-ninja.com/2009/08/24/rumor-ps3-slim-coming-sooner/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

NPD expecting 40-60% jump in sales in September for PS3.....

Sony PS3 Sales May Surge After Price Cut -- Game Consoles -- InformationWeek (http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/TV_theater/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=219400930)

Not expecting much of a bump in August due to the already short supply limiting any kind of jump.

[SackAttack]

NPD expecting 40-60% jump in sales in September for PS3.....

Sony PS3 Sales May Surge After Price Cut -- Game Consoles -- InformationWeek (http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/TV_theater/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=219400930)

Not expecting much of a bump in August due to the already short supply limiting any kind of jump.

This is where I think Sony still Doesn't Quite Get It.

Look, we're halfway through the lifecycle, so there isn't that First To Own It rush to purchase (or who knows, in some neighborhoods, maybe there still is?). What there is, more likely, is some pent-up demand because of the wait for the price to get down to "affordable."

We're heading into the 4th quarter here shortly, and at $299, the PlayStation 3 should sell very well from here 'til the end of 2009.

So what's the point in completely exhausting the retail channel *before* announcing the price drop? Sure, you squeeze every last penny you can out of the hardware you've already manufactured, but now you have nothing in-channel for perhaps 2-3 weeks, until the Slim hits shelves in any kind of quantity, and this right on the heels of the Madden 2010 release. Having newly cheaper product available for immediate purchase at that point in time would seem to have been the perfect synergistic opportunity, wouldn't it?

So, yay, you have an honest-to-God enthusiasm bubble building...and nothing to sell. We're past the point of shortages causing people to purchase for the prestige factor. Kinda like with the Wii shortages, with the difference being Nintendo was setting sales records even when they couldn't make 'em fast enough.

What's Sony doing?

[SackAttack]

Gamestop may be selling the PS3 Slim as soon as tomorrow.......

Rumor: PS3 Slim Coming Sooner? – Loot Ninja (http://loot-ninja.com/2009/08/24/rumor-ps3-slim-coming-sooner/)

Also, for what it's worth - if Sony does in fact get the Slim to market that rapidly, then you can basically ignore everything I just typed out.

Looking around, amazon.com is saying 8/25, bestbuy.com is saying 8/27 if you choose overnight shipping, so it's either an echo chamber or there's fire under that smoke. I haven't seen any slims arrive at best buy yet, but maybe we'll see some tomorrow night.

[Atocep]

Sony will still be taking a loss on each console sold with the PS3 Slim.

Sony Losing Money on PS3 Slim - Kaz Hirai - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5344701/sony-losing-money-on-ps3-slim)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony will still be taking a loss on each console sold with the PS3 Slim.

Sony Losing Money on PS3 Slim - Kaz Hirai - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5344701/sony-losing-money-on-ps3-slim)

Is this a surprise? MS and Sony have both worked with a loss model on the console knowing they have to get the units out there to make the money on the games, where the real profit margin lies.

Sony's problem isn't the loss on the current console as it's relatively small and at a much lower price point. Their problem was when they were taking huge losses on the launch units. That put them in a big hold right off the bat.

[Eaglesfan27]

Is this a surprise? MS and Sony have both worked with a loss model on the console knowing they have to get the units out there to make the money on the games, where the real profit margin lies.

Sony's problem isn't the loss on the current console as it's relatively small and at a much lower price point. Their problem was when they were taking huge losses on the launch units. That put them in a big hold right off the bat.

Microsoft took a loss at launch, but they didn't continue to take a loss for nearly as long as Sony has and they never took as big of a loss per console.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Microsoft took a loss at launch, but they didn't continue to take a loss for nearly as long as Sony has and they never took as big of a loss per console.

I agree. Any reason you repeated what I stated concerning Sony's mistake?

I'm not sure why it matters in the end unless you're a stockholder. As a consumer, most people would be happy with getting a product at a purchase price below what it cost to make that product. I don't care what Sony is or isn't making profit-wise on the Slim PS3. All I know is that I'm getting an awfully good bang for my buck at $299 on a PS3. I'll be buying one next week.

[Eaglesfan27]

I was just clarifying that while Microsoft went with a loss model, they got out of that model much faster than Sony. It's just another sign of how bad Sony has fubared this generation. Not only did they give up their massive lead from last generation and fall into 3rd place, but they have lost much more money than their competitors doing it.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I was just clarifying that while Microsoft went with a loss model, they got out of that model much faster than Sony. It's just another sign of how bad Sony has fubared this generation. Not only did they give up their massive lead from last generation and fall into 3rd place, but they have lost much more money than their competitors doing it.

Has anyone disputed that to this point? Though I would point out that other companies have made similar mistakes in a generation, only to come back in a new iteration.

Also, Sony's mixed blessing is that this generation is expected to last quite a bit longer than previous ones. If they continue to drop the price (which is likely given the Blu-ray drive plummeting cost point), they could still recover some of their losses on the console. Also, this doesn't even include their Blu-ray technology, which has seen tremendous growth in 2009. The PS3 will likely feed off some of that success, especially at a lower price point.

[Big Fo]

It will be interesting to see if the PS3 can outsell the 360 at the new price and how/if Microsoft counters the move.

Wii Sports Resort is now a million seller in all three major territories, the US, Japan, and Europe. Wii Motion Plus is over two million in the United States.

yahoo.com link (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Wii-Sports-Resort-Tops-1-bw-3520946971.html?x=0&.v=1)

Good stuff, after playing Tiger Woods 10 and Grand Slam Tennis I'm a big fan of the device and want to see it do really well. I still haven't gotten around to getting WSR but am looking forward to playing that sometime in the future.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

It will be interesting to see if the PS3 can outsell the 360 at the new price and how/if Microsoft counters the move.

That's already happened. They dumped the Pro model and the Elite model will be sold at the $299 price point. It's similar to the model price swap that Sony did when the 80 GB machine was introduced.

[Cringer]

Also, for what it's worth - if Sony does in fact get the Slim to market that rapidly, then you can basically ignore everything I just typed out.

Looking around, amazon.com is saying 8/25, bestbuy.com is saying 8/27 if you choose overnight shipping, so it's either an echo chamber or there's fire under that smoke. I haven't seen any slims arrive at best buy yet, but maybe we'll see some tomorrow night.

Your Best Buy isn't cool enough, or you aren't talkin'.

Already in at least one Best Buy in FL.

Sony PS3 Slim turns up at Florida Best Buy (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/sony-ps3-slim-turns-up-at-florida-best-buy/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Your Best Buy isn't cool enough, or you aren't talkin'.

Already in at least one Best Buy in FL.

Sony PS3 Slim turns up at Florida Best Buy (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/sony-ps3-slim-turns-up-at-florida-best-buy/)

Nice. I'll have to check the local BB on the way home.

[SackAttack]

Your Best Buy isn't cool enough, or you aren't talkin'.

Already in at least one Best Buy in FL.

Sony PS3 Slim turns up at Florida Best Buy (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/25/sony-ps3-slim-turns-up-at-florida-best-buy/)

All I saw at Best Buy yesterday was a coupla boxes of the Uncharted bundle.

We'll probably get 'em on the truck tonight, but we didn't have any in stock last time I set foot in the building.

[stevew]

I was in best buy today, they had the new consoles. Dunno if you had to buy it in the bundles they had on display though, those were too much extra crap.

[SackAttack]

I was in best buy today, they had the new consoles. Dunno if you had to buy it in the bundles they had on display though, those were too much extra crap.

Best Buy doesn't force bundles. You can still buy the system alone if you want to.

The bundles help them save on labor a little bit though, now that several of the electronics departments have been combined. Instead of having to have someone always in gaming to try and attach software/controllers to a system sale, they can set that up on the table and get their attachments that way.

That's all it is.

[dervack]

Is this a surprise? MS and Sony have both worked with a loss model on the console knowing they have to get the units out there to make the money on the games, where the real profit margin lies.

Sony's problem isn't the loss on the current console as it's relatively small and at a much lower price point. Their problem was when they were taking huge losses on the launch units. That put them in a big hold right off the bat.
Is it a surprise? Should be to you since you were posting about an article that said they cut down production costs 70% and then stated yourself that they could sell the console for $299 and make a $49 profit. Don't remember. I'll help you :

Fall 2009 Console Sales Thread. - Front Office Football Central (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?p=2087365&highlight=ps3+70%25#post2087365)

[KWhit]

Well, a LOT can change in 3 weeks and 2 days.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Well, a LOT can change in 3 weeks and 2 days.

Actually, it was much sooner than that. There was a clarification on that article on a couple of other message boards that stated that the cost was higher than that article reported. So it never was actually that low.

SackAttack, did you have many PS3 Slims in stock? Went to Best Buy last night to pick one up and they were sold out, but they did mention that there weren't a ton of units in the original shipment. They said the bigger shipment comes on Friday. Amazon.com was cleaned out in a hurry yesterday. They also will have a new shipment on Friday.

Was happy to see the new system is cooler by several degrees and has cut the power use by around 45%. That's a huge improvement.

[Chubby]

Best Buy doesn't force bundles. You can still buy the system alone if you want to.

The bundles help them save on labor a little bit though, now that several of the electronics departments have been combined. Instead of having to have someone always in gaming to try and attach software/controllers to a system sale, they can set that up on the table and get their attachments that way.

That's all it is.

Wait, so I can go to Best Buy now and walk the video game aisles without getting hassled 50 times if I need help?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Found a PS3 Slim at Best Buy tonight. Really impressed with the size and quiet fan. My original PS3 isn't that loud to begin with. You have to get close to the Slim version to even hear the fan. That's going to be really nice when watching movies.

[SirFozzie]

interesting, Harmonix is doing a special:

Rock Band Special Edition (Game, Guitar, Mic, and Drums)

plus

Rock Band 2 Game

for $79 (with free shipping)

This is for 360/PS3 only

RockBand Xbox 360 PS3 Game $79 (https://www.rockband79.com/)

[spleen1015]

I have never had an issue with the noise coming from a console in my life. I don't know if I've ever even noticed it.

That cracks me up.

[SirFozzie]

I have never had an issue with the noise coming from a console in my life. I don't know if I've ever even noticed it.

That cracks me up.

The 360 is loud, I notice it when I don't use the Disc drive.

[gstelmack]

Yeah, it's usually the DVD drive that is loud on the consoles.

[Neuqua]

Found a PS3 Slim at Wal-Mart tonight. Really impressed with the size and quiet fan. My original PS3 isn't that loud to begin with. You have to get close to the Slim version to even hear the fan. That's going to be really nice when watching movies.

Just wondering, why did you get a new PS3? Sorry if I missed it before. Is it just because it's the Slim?

[terpkristin]

I have never had an issue with the noise coming from a console in my life. I don't know if I've ever even noticed it.

That cracks me up.

My 360 is quite loud when using the disc drive (as expected). My PS3 (launch 60 gb version) is also fairly loud when using the drive, it also sounds like the fan runs a bit more than the 360 if they're both just sitting using the hard drive or internet (I use 360 a lot for streaming and play some PSN games which is how I make that comparison).

/tk

[SirFozzie]

Just wondering, why did you get a new PS3? Sorry if I missed it before. Is it just because it's the Slim?

I know I have MBBF on ignore now, but I couldn't resist.

Sony's asking all their operatives to purchase one, just to make sure the numbers go up ;)

[SackAttack]

SackAttack, did you have many PS3 Slims in stock?

I've still yet to see one. We didn't get any on the truck last night and I didn't work today.

Wait, so I can go to Best Buy now and walk the video game aisles without getting hassled 50 times if I need help?

If you ever got hassled 50 times, I suspect one of three things is true:

1) you fit somebody's profile, either visually or behaviorally, of a larcenous thug. Doesn't mean the people offering to assist you see you that way, necessarily, but somebody's alarm is going off.

2) you look perpetually perplexed or clueless when you shop. If you're putting off "help me" vibes, you're going to get approached with assistance.

3) you have a habit of dismissing employees with an answer completely unrelated to their question, and they're on my level as vindictive bastards.

When I was in sales, if I asked an opening question and got an answer that makes contextual sense, even if it's dismissive ("Can I help you find a game today?" "No thanks, I'm good."), I'll give you some space until/unless you ask for help.

If I asked a question and got a non sequitur ("How are you folks doing this evening?" "No."), bet your ass I was gonna do my job as repeatedly and cheerfully as possible, with said individual as the target.

They'd expect me to respond with some degree of awareness if they approached me for help. I only ever asked for the same courtesy in return.

In the co-workers I've had at Best Buy in the last 8 years, I've never worked with anybody who was in the habit of pestering the same person more than twice in a visit unless one of those three things was true.

Or unless it was Black Friday and the sheer overwhelming mass of humanity had shorted out their visual recognition circuits.

[Eaglesfan27]

Here's an article about the very limited supply of the slim model of the PS3 and speculation that Sony is doing it on purpose to artificially raise demand:

PS3 Slim already on sale, disassembled - News at GameSpot (http://www.gamespot.com/news/6216290.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;2)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Just wondering, why did you get a new PS3? Sorry if I missed it before. Is it just because it's the Slim?

My wife often works until 1-2 in the morning. So when the 2 year old wanders in at 7:00 AM, she's been wanting a DVD/BR player to play some Disney movies on to keep the kid busy while she gets a bit more sleep. It'll primarily be used as a movie player, but I'll probably play some games as well. The old PS3 is down in our home theater area where I usually play my games.

Interesting note. When I picked up my Slim last night, one of the Best Buy employees said 'Ah, picking up a Slim PS3?'. I mentioned that I already had one and that I was picking up a second one primarily as a BR player. He said that just from chats he had with consumers, that around 1/3 of the people who were buying the Slim were buying it for that reason. Granted, it's just a random conversation, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were the case.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Article on marketing plans..........

Exclusive: First Details of U.S. PS3 Slim Marketing Blitz - IndustryGamers (http://www.industrygamers.com/news/sony-launching-ps3-slim-marketing-blitz/)

Sony blog on their marketing..........

It Only Does Everything – PlayStation.Blog (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/27/it-only-does-everything/)

Direct link to one of the new marketing videos.

http://www.viddler.com/explore/sceablog/videos/531/28.92

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

double dola

First screenshots for GTA: Chinatown Wars for the PSP released. Looks like a nice upgrade. They need some sales badly to make up for the very poor sales on the DS.

http://www.rockstargames.com/chinatownwars/

New advertisements for the UK. Much better than the WTF ads that they previously used. Show the games/features, state the cheaper price point. Not sure why this was so difficult before now.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_e-lXQWSz8g&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_e-lXQWSz8g&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[sterlingice]

It's so disappointing that GTA:CW did bad numbers on the DS. It should have sold just fine :(

SI

[MJ4H]

It certainly got outstanding reviews (deservedly).

[sterlingice]

I'm hoping someone has a nice Black Friday or Christmas sale of it this year because if it drops to $20, it's mine. But I'm also not your run of the mill impulsive shopper that they're relying on. If companies relied on me to keep them afloat, they'd only be able to sell 1 or 2 games a year at full price and otherwise have to keep up a lot of shelf space open for discount stuff.

(I did pick up Wii Sports Resort and am trying to get Metroid Prime Trilogy, but even those are from the Toys R Us B1G1 50% off sale, so they're not at all full price. Considering Wii Play has never dropped below $50, I imagine Wii Sports Resort won't for quite a while either)

SI

[Big Fo]

Yeah Chinatown Wars a good game, I think the people who never played the PC versions and whose first experience with the series was GTA3 were put off by the top-down perspective, partially leading to the game's selling below expectations.

I actually found the game to be more fun than GTA4 which to me is this generation's second most disappointing game behind Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

LOVE the new Playstation 3 ads for the U.S. They've stuck with the same schtick that they used in the MLB 09: The Show ad campaign.

http://www.ps3blog.net/2009/08/27/american-ps3-slim-tv-ads/

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[SirFozzie]

And 360 makes it official, hoping to steal some of Sony's thunder:

Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 price cut: $300 Elite on Friday; $250 Pro 'while supplies last' (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/microsoft-confirms-xbox-360-price-cut-300-elite-on-friday-25/)

Surprising ... well, surprising exactly no one, Microsoft has announced a $100 price cut on its Xbox 360 Elite model, bringing the 120GB console down to price (if not feature) parity with Sony's recently revealed PS3 Slim. While the Elite will take the place of the 60GB Pro at $300 beginning this Friday (that's tomorrow!), the Pro will enjoy a temporary $50 price drop. We say "temporary" because, once those are sold out, that's it. The hard drive-less Xbox 360 Arcade unit remains at $200.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

And 360 makes it official, hoping to steal some of Sony's thunder:

Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 price cut: $300 Elite on Friday; $250 Pro 'while supplies last' (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/microsoft-confirms-xbox-360-price-cut-300-elite-on-friday-25/)

Surprising ... well, surprising exactly no one, Microsoft has announced a $100 price cut on its Xbox 360 Elite model, bringing the 120GB console down to price (if not feature) parity with Sony's recently revealed PS3 Slim. While the Elite will take the place of the 60GB Pro at $300 beginning this Friday (that's tomorrow!), the Pro will enjoy a temporary $50 price drop. We say "temporary" because, once those are sold out, that's it. The hard drive-less Xbox 360 Arcade unit remains at $200.

We already have precedent in this situation though. Sony made a similar move when the 80 GB machine was introduced by doing a 'model swap' to combat an actual 360 price cut. It didn't work well at all. The 360 price cut was much more effective at that time. The roles likely will be reversed this holiday season.

[stevew]

yeah, it's the same price but the xbox 360 lacks a blu ray drive, and wireless connectivity. The Elite needs to go down to 200ish if it wants to compete in pricing.

And i'm a big Xbox guy too.

[gstelmack]

I agree, I'd like to see the Elite at 250. Better would be Arcade at 150/Elite at 200, but that will never happen...

[stevew]

Or just upgrade to a blu ray drive and add wireless and sell the elite at 300.

[Ryan S]

Microsoft has announced a $100 price cut on its Xbox 360 Elite model, bringing the 120GB console down to price (if not feature) parity with Sony's recently revealed PS3 Slim.

In the UK Microsoft has reduced the Elite price by $50, and added $50 to the price of the arcade model. An unusual decision. I assume they will be adding something to the arcade package.

The PS3 slim is about $80 more expensive than the 360 elite in the UK at the moment at around $400 after the price cut.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Or just upgrade to a blu ray drive and add wireless and sell the elite at 300.

I'm surprised that Microsoft hasn't relented at some level yet and at least added the Blu-ray external drive. Hell, even Toshiba has crossed the great chasm at this point. Adding a Blu-ray external would be a big seller for them. I'm sure there are many 360 owners that would love to drop $150 to get an add-on for their 360 as opposed to buying a stand-alone BR player or a PS3 simply from a brand loyalty perspective and little else.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

In the UK Microsoft has reduced the Elite price by $50, and added $50 to the price of the arcade model. An unusual decision. I assume they will be adding something to the arcade package.

The PS3 slim is about $80 more expensive than the 360 elite in the UK at the moment at around $400 after the price cut.

The PS3 Slim is 249 pounds now, correct? How much is the Elite?

[SackAttack]

I'm surprised that Microsoft hasn't relented at some level yet and at least added the Blu-ray external drive. Hell, even Toshiba has crossed the great chasm at this point. Adding a Blu-ray external would be a big seller for them. I'm sure there are many 360 owners that would love to drop $150 to get an add-on for their 360 as opposed to buying a stand-alone BR player or a PS3 simply from a brand loyalty perspective and little else.

Look, MBBF, we're all aware of your love for the wacky tobaccy here, but stop and think a moment.

They can't add it as an internal feature without either splitting the market or needlessly driving up the cost of the Elite (say) with no real benefit to the games.

If they add it as an external feature, all they're realistically accomplishing is padding Sony's pockets thanks to royalties from BD movies.

If Microsoft really thinks digital distro is the way things are headed, it serves no purpose to, even as a token offering, release any kind of a blu-ray drive.

If they add it at all, either as a stand-alone this generation, a feature revision this generation, or as a part of the next generation of hardware, Sony's going to end up profiting off of every piece of Microsoft hardware sold.

Now take a look at Microsoft's market position and tell me there's a sufficient underlying weakness that would cause Microsoft to take the knee before Sony on that issue.

Toshiba crossed the chasm because they make the razors, not the blades. They make money off of the doohickeys that play the whangdoodles. Sitting out the BD generation in a sulk because HD-DVD got killed off makes no business sense for them.

But any minor return that Microsoft would get out of adding a BD peripheral would get swamped by the benefit Sony would reap from such a move. Isn't happening until next generation, if ever.

[Big Fo]

According to EA's chief creative officer advertising takes up 2-3 times as much of a game's budget as development. There's some other interesting stuff in here on how EA sees the present and future of gaming.

link (http://games.venturebeat.com/2009/08/26/eas-chief-creative-officer-describes-game-industrys-re-engineering/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Now take a look at Microsoft's market position and tell me there's a sufficient underlying weakness that would cause Microsoft to take the knee before Sony on that issue.

Well, that somewhat depends on what MS's ultimate goal is from this point forward. If their goal is to remain profitable on each console sold with the real risk that the PS3 could pass them in worldwide sales in the next 18-24 months, then you're probably spot-on in your thoughts.

On the other hand, if their goal is to push hard and make sure that they remain in the #2 spot by a healthy margin when this generation comes to an end, they're better off moving towards lower price points tht may reduce their profit and/or Blu-ray as an option. In the current situation, they're at a competitive disadvantage on features while selling at the same price. That's not going to work if they want to remain ahead of Sony.

[sterlingice]

Well, that somewhat depends on what MS's ultimate goal is from this point forward. If their goal is to remain profitable on each console sold with the real risk that the PS3 could pass them in worldwide sales in the next 18-24 months, then you're probably spot-on in your thoughts.

On the other hand, if their goal is to push hard and make sure that they remain in the #2 spot by a healthy margin when this generation comes to an end, they're better off moving towards lower price points tht may reduce their profit and/or Blu-ray as an option. In the current situation, they're at a competitive disadvantage on features while selling at the same price. That's not going to work if they want to remain ahead of Sony.

Before we start making crazy claims, let's see how things play out post-price drops for *both* systems. Considering it's over 8M behind (31M to 23M) and both consoles cut their prices, let's see how this plays out.

A Blu Ray is the last thing Microsoft needs to put on their console, tho, unless one thinks they could make one better than Sony and there are a substantial number of adopters our there who would buy a 360 just for the Blu Ray. However, I think that early adopters of Blu Ray have already bought a PS3 and you're running out of high end customers who can buy a console just for a Blu Ray player and support it.

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Before we start making crazy claims, let's see how things play out post-price drops for *both* systems. Considering it's over 8M behind (31M to 23M) and both consoles cut their prices, let's see how this plays out.

A Blu Ray is the last thing Microsoft needs to put on their console, tho, unless one thinks they could make one better than Sony and there are a substantial number of adopters our there who would buy a 360 just for the Blu Ray. However, I think that early adopters of Blu Ray have already bought a PS3 and you're running out of high end customers who can buy a console just for a Blu Ray player and support it.

SI

I agree with your comments if we were talking solely about North America. Europe and Japan both have huge growth potential in comparison to the U.S. Blu-ray is doing well in Europe and extremely well in Japan. We're also going to get some big RPG games (White Knight Chronicles, FFXIII, FFXIII Versus, FFXIV) along with the Michael Jackson Singstar release this fall and a GT5 release either this fall or early in 2010. All of those games cater to the Euro and Japan markets. If Sony makes up the difference between the 360 and PS3 before the end of this generation, it will be mostly due to the other two major markets and not the U.S.

[sterlingice]

So, as a simple Wii owner and our single SKU, are there currently some rare SKUs that are a significant bargain right now with the price drops? Basically- these are the ones that would be in short supply and have some benefit over the new ones coming out

SI

[Big Fo]

So, as a simple Wii owner and our single SKU, are there currently some rare SKUs that are a significant bargain right now with the price drops? Basically- these are the ones that would be in short supply and have some benefit over the new ones coming out

SI

The 60 GB PS3s (from launch) with full backwards compatibility go for more than $300 used on ebay. Factory sealed ones for over $500.

As for significant bargains with some benefit over the slims, I'm not sure.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

So, as a simple Wii owner and our single SKU, are there currently some rare SKUs that are a significant bargain right now with the price drops? Basically- these are the ones that would be in short supply and have some benefit over the new ones coming out

SI

I'm not sure there is. The Pro 360 is on sale now for $250, but they're in extremely short supply and you're always better off buying a newer 360 model just due to the heating issues with the older models. The old 20, 60, and 80 GB PS3's are actually more expensive than the Slim due to their ability to do backwards compatibility, so there's no real savings there either.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

Interesting interview of one of the MS execs. Definitely a different tone from the interviewers when grilling him about the value of the consoles and the accessory prices on the 360. These kinds of questions didn't hold much weight when the PS3 was $499/599. Now, the value table has shifted quite a bit.

Interview: Xbox's Aaron Greenberg on the $300 Elite and all things Xbox (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/27/interview-xboxs-aaron-greenberg-on-the-300-elite-and-all-thin/)

[gstelmack]

Dell has the 360 Elite for $255:

Xbox 360 Game Systems: Xbox 360 Elite 120GB $255 ($247 w/ DPA), Xbox 360 Pro 60GB $212 ($206 w/ DPA), Xbox 360 Arcade $170 ($165 w/ DPA) - Slickdeals.net (http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/23903)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Dell has the 360 Elite for $255:

Xbox 360 Game Systems: Xbox 360 Elite 120GB $255 ($247 w/ DPA), Xbox 360 Pro 60GB $212 ($206 w/ DPA), Xbox 360 Arcade $170 ($165 w/ DPA) - Slickdeals.net (http://slickdeals.net/permadeal/23903)

I'm sure they'll have similar discounts on the PS3 as well. They'll be $255. Tremendous price if you're willing to wait a few days.

For that matter, we've seen 20% coupons on both systems before. Not sure that 15% is even the cheapest they'll go.

[RainMaker]

Dell had deals on the PS3 for $300 back when it was $400. I'm sure they'll offer up something soon.

[Ryan S]

The PS3 Slim is 249 pounds now, correct? How much is the Elite?

£199 for the elite.

The PS3 is still overpriced in the UK at the moment. If I were to order a PS3 slim from Canada, it would cost me almost $90 in shipping, but I would still save $45 on the UK retail price.

[Daimyo]

I'm surprised that Microsoft hasn't relented at some level yet and at least added the Blu-ray external drive. Hell, even Toshiba has crossed the great chasm at this point. Adding a Blu-ray external would be a big seller for them. I'm sure there are many 360 owners that would love to drop $150 to get an add-on for their 360 as opposed to buying a stand-alone BR player or a PS3 simply from a brand loyalty perspective and little else.

Even if Blu-ray takes off in the near future, there doesn't seem to make much sense for MS to add Blu-ray now after not doing so for the last year. That feature gets less valuable for the consoles with each passing day as standalone players continue to drop in price. Who cares that their console has Blu-ray if they can buy a standalone player for $100 (which I think BR has to hit soon if it is to have a chance of being more than a niche product).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Who cares that their console has Blu-ray if they can buy a standalone player for $100 (which I think BR has to hit soon if it is to have a chance of being more than a niche product).

Uh, you realize that's already happened a month or two ago, right?

[Chubby]

Even if Blu-ray takes off in the near future, there doesn't seem to make much sense for MS to add Blu-ray now after not doing so for the last year. That feature gets less valuable for the consoles with each passing day as standalone players continue to drop in price. Who cares that their console has Blu-ray if they can buy a standalone player for $100 (which I think BR has to hit soon if it is to have a chance of being more than a niche product).


I do if I can get blu-ray for less than $100 as an added feature for my console. I don't want another box (PS3, WII, Surround Sound already take up all the room in my cabinet)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Dell had deals on the PS3 for $300 back when it was $400. I'm sure they'll offer up something soon.

Ask and ye shall receive. :) PS3 Slim available at Dell website for $255........

Playstation 3 Slim 120GB $255 (or $247), Playstation 3 160GB Uncharted Bundle $340 (or $330) - Slickdeals.net (http://www.slickdeals.net/permadeal/23963/Playstation-3-Slim-120GB-255-or-247--Playstation-3-160GB-Uncharted-Bundle-340-or-330)

Looks like the current lowest price BR player is $129.99 over at Wal-Mart. So for $125 more, you can have a gaming console and a BR player that is worlds better than what you'll get with the $129.99 stand-alone player. Great deal.

[Daimyo]

Uh, you realize that's already happened a month or two ago, right?

I'm aware of a refurb Magnavox at Newegg that was $100 for a limited time and is now $120. A similar model by Magnavox also happens to be the cheapest available at Wal-Mart at $130 (new, of course). I'm sure they'll get there by this holiday season though.

[Daimyo]

I do if I can get blu-ray for less than $100 as an added feature for my console. I don't want another box (PS3, WII, Surround Sound already take up all the room in my cabinet)

If its an external add-on, it will be another box like the HD-DVD add-on was. Either way, why would you care if the 360 in the cabinet has Blu-Ray when you already have a PS3 with it? Is that really going to away your decision to by a 360 or not? Which I guess is a corollary to my point above... the people who would have cared about it have probably already acquired a Blu Ray player in some other way and that be even more true as time moves on.

I guess there might be some people who'd want a Blu Ray enabled 360 in one room and a Blu Ray player (or PS3) in another... *shurg*

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony officially announces that they'll be bringing 3D HDTV's to the market in 2010. It'll be interesting to see if Sony's move makes 'active shutter' the 3D standard for homes. PS3 does have the ability to make 3D games once these new sets hit the market should developers choose to do so. I'm not sure that there will be enough market saturation to justify 3D gaming development in this generation. The more important part will be 3D movie releases on Blu-ray, which will provide for much better 3D picture quality.

FT.com / Technology - Sony to throw its weight behind 3D TV (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2d5adde2-9727-11de-83c5-00144feabdc0.html)

[Ronnie Dobbs2]

I read an article about 3D TV recently, sounds fascinating. Isn't the technology a while away until its actually affordable, though? The article I read said something about 10 years.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I read an article about 3D TV recently, sounds fascinating. Isn't the technology a while away until its actually affordable, though? The article I read said something about 10 years.

There are already 3D HDTV's being produced, as is mentioned in the article. The big deal about this announcement is that a large electronics company like Sony is moving into the market. A 3D HDTV right now runs about $5-7K. The one thing that may expedite the adoption rate and price drops is the fact that the 3D market in movie theaters is exploding in recent months. That will help fuel the home demand. But mass market prices are probably 3-5 years away.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Interesting news here for race fans. EA Sports has decided to not renew the NASCAR license. As a result, the only game with a NASCAR license this fall will be a PS3 exclusive: Gran Turismo 5. One wonders if the additional time that the developers took this year on GT5 when they said it was 'feature-ready' this spring was done to make sure that all NASCAR tracks were in the game since they are now the sole player in the market.

EA: 'No plans' for new NASCAR game - News at GameSpot (http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6216624.html)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

I noticed this article being circulated, but it was written early last month. The rumor has been that the 360 versions of games sometimes looked better because MS forced all developers to make games in 720p rather than any sort of hardware edge. Sony never required 720p. That may change for MS moving forward. MS has now removed the stipulation that all games must be developed in 720p or higher to be released on the system.

Microsoft Drops 360's HD Requirements? News - TotalVideoGames.com (http://www.totalvideogames.com/Xbox-360/news/Microsoft-Drops-360s-HD-Requirements-14471.html)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Engadget has up some video of custom firmware that allows for 3D gaming on existing PS3 games. Says that a release sometime next year is in the works.

PS3's new 3D mode captured on video, coming in 2010 to all existing games (http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/04/ps3s-new-3d-mode-captured-on-video-coming-in-2010-to-all-exist/)

[Cringer]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/09/vgcharz-20090904-383.jpg

[Kodos]

Lookout! Here comes the PS3!

[spleen1015]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/09/vgcharz-20090904-383.jpg

BUT THAT'S ONLY 'MERICA!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/09/vgcharz-20090904-383.jpg

1. I know we've talked about it before in these threads, but VGChartz is a very unreliable source of information. Best to wait for the NPD numbers.

2. As was noted earlier in this very thread, there won't be much of a boost of PS3 numbers in August due to the short supply of old PS3's and the fact that the Slim didn't hit the shelves in most stores until late last week, allowing for only a couple of days of sales in that month. Same situation with the 360 regarding the Pro models. There weren't many left, so the boost isn't going to be all that significant in August, but we'll see some level of boost in September due to the Elite price-swap move.

[MJ4H]

If I could easily afford a PS3 right now I'd get one. I'm starting to become more comfortable with the price and I likely will never trust 360s enough to drop a noticeable amount of cash on one.

Still thrilled to death with my Wii of course. Currently wearing out Boom Blox Bash Party, Geometry Wars Galaxies, and EA Sports Active. Wife still won't stop playing Animal Crossing.

[Ryan S]

BUT THAT'S ONLY 'MERICA!

The PS3 Slim was not available in Europe until September 1st, and none of the big retailers in the UK were selling the system early.

[dervack]

1. I know we've talked about it before in these threads, but VGChartz is a very unreliable source of information. Best to wait for the NPD numbers.

2. As was noted earlier in this very thread, there won't be much of a boost of PS3 numbers in August due to the short supply of old PS3's and the fact that the Slim didn't hit the shelves in most stores until late last week, allowing for only a couple of days of sales in that month. Same situation with the 360 regarding the Pro models. There weren't many left, so the boost isn't going to be all that significant in August, but we'll see some level of boost in September due to the Elite price-swap move.
Those numbers are from the week of the price cut. Slim or not, it's still pretty telling. Especially since Slims hit the shelves before 360 price drop in most areas.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Those numbers are from the week of the price cut. Slim or not, it's still pretty telling. Especially since Slims hit the shelves before 360 price drop in most areas.

And you're basing that on VGChartz numbers? I don't think much more needs to be said.

[RainMaker]

Am I the only one who thinks the slim is nothing special? I mean it's not really that much smaller than the old box. The PS2 slim was much more dramatic and actually allowed gamers to pack up their system and take it with them.

It's not a knock on it as smaller is always better, but I just don't see what the hoopla of it is.

[BigPapi]

Am I the only one who thinks the slim is nothing special? I mean it's not really that much smaller than the old box. The PS2 slim was much more dramatic and actually allowed gamers to pack up their system and take it with them.

It's not a knock on it as smaller is always better, but I just don't see what the hoopla of it is.

Well, except for the corresponding $100 price cut....:)

I see your point though- this move alone moves zero extra units without the price cut.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Am I the only one who thinks the slim is nothing special? I mean it's not really that much smaller than the old box. The PS2 slim was much more dramatic and actually allowed gamers to pack up their system and take it with them.

It's not a knock on it as smaller is always better, but I just don't see what the hoopla of it is.

Having both models, I'll note the differences.

1. Heat output is MUCH better than the old model. I wouldn't hesitate putting the Slim in a partially enclosed entertainment center. I wouldn't do that with the old one.

2. Noise is significantly reduced. It's especially noticeable while playing Blu-ray discs.

3. Have seen a few sites doing performance comparisons and there is some improvement in load times with the Slim. Mostly, it's due to an improved Blu-ray drive.

4. For the people using it for a home theater, there are new digital audio options that are not available in the old model.

As a system, it's a good upgrade. Couple that with a $100 price drop and it's a BIG improvement. You're basically paying $150 for a game system over what you'd pay for a stand-alone Blu-ray player. That's a great value.

[Eaglesfan27]

Having both models, I'll note the differences.

1. Heat output is MUCH better than the old model. I wouldn't hesitate putting the Slim in a partially enclosed entertainment center. I wouldn't do that with the old one.

2. Noise is significantly reduced. It's especially noticeable while playing Blu-ray discs.

3. Have seen a few sites doing performance comparisons and there is some improvement in load times with the Slim. Mostly, it's due to an improved Blu-ray drive.

4. For the people using it for a home theater, there are new digital audio options that are not available in the old model.

As a system, it's a good upgrade. Couple that with a $100 price drop and it's a BIG improvement. You're basically paying $150 for a game system over what you'd pay for a stand-alone Blu-ray player. That's a great value.

I find this post humorous as you always said heat output was negligible on the "original" PS3, and you repeatedly talked about how quiet it was.

Honestly, I see almost no reason to "upgrade" to the Slim, although #4 is slightly tempting as I do have 7.1 surround sound and I know the slim would sound better. However, that is not enough of a reason for me to upgrade as my PS3 is quiet, it generally runs cool, and it's not that bulky.

[sterlingice]

Anyone with any experience trying to repair PS3s? I'm considering getting one of the 60GB models which have a disk read error and just replace the laser. It doesn't look all that difficult and the lasers can be had on ebay for about $60. It seems like the easiest way to get a cheap b/c model.

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I find this post humorous as you always said heat output was negligible on the "original" PS3, and you repeatedly talked about how quiet it was.

Both of those comments were made in comparison to the 360 and were made some time ago. The 360 was louder and hotter than the original PS3. It's not like that's a secret in any way (see RROD thread for details). It's a relative comparison. The PS3 Slim is much better than the old PS3 in those two regards. Find humor all you want, but there's no conflict in those statements.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Big announcement in Japan. FFXIII will be available for this holiday season, meaning Sony will have new versions of their two biggest franchises (Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy) available in conjunction with a cheaper PS3 Slim. We're going to see a large boost in PS3 sales in Japan this fall. More details will be released at Tokyo Game Show next week.

VG247 » Blog Archive » FFXIII confirmed for December 17, £60 launch in Japan (http://www.vg247.com/2009/09/08/ffxiii-confirmed-for-xoxoxoxo-launch-in-japan/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Kingdom Hearts 3 will be shown at Tokyo Game Show and will be a PS3 exclusive.

Kingdom Hearts A PS3 Exclusive, Will Be Seen At TGS - kingdom hearts III - Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/5044645/kingdom-hearts-a-ps3-exclusive-will-be-seen-at-tgs)

I'm seriously beginning to wonder who the hell this 'Sony' company is. They're suddenly making decisions and announcements that make sense. **gasp**

[gstelmack]

I'm shocked that a Playstation exclusive for two titles will be a Playstation exclusive for the third.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I'm shocked that a Playstation exclusive for two titles will be a Playstation exclusive for the third.

Given that the trend has been for game after game to go multiplatform of late after being a PS exclusive, I'd agree. They hadn't been able to hold on to any exclusives over the past couple of years.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Pretty funny stuff here. Nigeria requests apology from Sony for derogatory comments portraying them as worldwide home of fraud.......

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/09/08/sony-corporation-portrayed-nigeria-as-home-of-fraud-fg/

Link to video in question.......

YouTube - PlayStation 3: It Only Does Everything Advertisement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUMpP_bGemI)

[SackAttack]

In the current situation, they're at a competitive disadvantage on features while selling at the same price. That's not going to work if they want to remain ahead of Sony.

Funny. It seemed to work okay for Sony when the PlayStation 2 was at a competitive disadvantage on features while selling at the same price with the Xbox.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Funny. It seemed to work okay for Sony when the PlayStation 2 was at a competitive disadvantage on features while selling at the same price with the Xbox.

But as you well know, the people overseeing the original Xbox were pretty inept in their decision making, much like Sony has up until the last few months with the PS3. I don't think you'd disagree with that in the least.

[Big Fo]

(blatant bump to avoid putting the new numbers on the bottom of the page)

[Big Fo]

August 2009 numbers, July 2009 in parentheses-

Nintendo DS ---------- 552.9K (538.9K)
Wii -------------------- 277.4K (252.5K)
Xbox 360 -------------- 215.4K (202.9K)
PlayStation 3 ---------- 210.0K (121.8K)
PSP -------------------- 140.3K (122.8K)
PlayStation 2 ---------- 105.9K (108K)

The PS3 price drop to $299 on the old systems hit with around 11 days left in the sales period (Aug 2-29), slims were in stores for around four days although the marketing didn't kick in until September. Everything else was pretty steady. The PS3 could possibly outsell the Wii next month but I don't think DS type numbers are in reach.

Software:

MADDEN NFL 10 (360; Aug-09) ------------------------------- 928,000
WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS (WII; Jul-09) - 754,000
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS3; Aug-09) ------------------------------- 665,000
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM* (360; Aug-09) ------------------ 303,000
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM* PS3; Aug-09) ------------------- 290,000
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS2; Aug-09) -------------------------------- 160,000
DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY (PSP; Aug-09) -------------------- 130,000
WII FIT* (WII; May-08) ---------------------------------------- 128,000
MARIO KART W/WHEEL (WII; Apr-08) ------------------------ 120,000
FOSSIL FIGHTERS (NDS; Aug-09) ----------------------------- 92,000



The industry realized its sixth consecutive month-over-month decline, and while improved over the last several months, it's still a notable decline. The back four months of the year would have to be up 14% in aggregate for 2009 to come in flat in comparison to 2008 sales.

The price cuts implemented on the PS3 and 360 hardware already made an impact on unit sales, despite having been executed fairly late in the month. It will be interesting to see the full impact of the new price points on September sales.

All hardware systems with the exception of the PS2 realized an increase in unit sales over July. The PS3 captured the greatest increase month-over-month with unit sales boosted by 72% over July levels.

There is a lot of speculation about Wii and whether Nintendo will take a price cut as sales comps to last year show declines. I do think it's interesting to note that the Wii is still selling at levels comparable to what the PS2 was doing at about this point in its lifecycle.

As many predicted, Madden captured the top spot for the month, selling nearly 1.9 million units across its five SKU's.

With the introduction of Beatles: Rock Band and Guitar Hero 5 in September, a lot of folks have inquired about the performance of these titles and the music/dance genre. While sales of this genre are down 46% year-to-date, unit sales are down much less because lower prices are playing into the dollar sales decline. It's still the third best-selling genre for the year after General Action and Multiple/Other Sports (where Wii Fit resides).

The PS3 was the only platform to realize a year-over-year increase in total software sales and this is reflected in the top 10 list for the month which includes two PS3 games.

Accessories was the only category to experience an increase for the month of August over last year's sales. The uptick in hardware sales helps to spur sales of additional controllers and other peripherals which help consumers enjoy their new system(s).

Wii Sports Resort is now over 1.25m in the US alone. Go Motion Plus, I want it used as much as appropriately possible going forward.

IIRC Dissidia is the first PSP game to make the top ten in a year and a half.

Good numbers for Batman. Sounds like most everyone in the general gaming thread is enjoying it.

Mario Kart might be out of the top ten soon :( It's had a good run though.

Madden 10 (all platforms) - 1.9m
Madden 09 (all platforms) - 2.3m

I like this year's version a lot more, it's a shame the first month sales are down so much. Last year the PS2 version sold 425k compared to this year's 160k so that's where more than half of the decline is coming from. Only 67k copies of the Wii version were sold (116k last year), not that I can blame them if people's impressions of the previous versions are anything to go by. I assume most multiconsole owners like myself prefer buying the more traditional version.

Maybe the weak Madden efforts and sales on Wii inspired this recent patent (http://www.slashgear.com/nintendo-football-controller-patent-app-emerges-2553643/) from Nintendo.

[RainMaker]

Can't put out a pile of shit every year and expect customers to give you the benefit of the doubt. Will take a few years of good Madden games to regain trust. If you had told me that the series would see a decline year after year following their exclusive license, I'd have said you were crazy (and probably most EA execs).

[sterlingice]

The demise of the Wii has been greatly exaggerated ;)

Fossil Fighters? Really?

Scribblenauts better be up there in September!

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Nice option for PS3 owners who want to use Netflix on their PS3 along with several other video services. You can now do that for a one time fee of $20. Early reviews of Play On are very positive.

Welcome PAX attendees! Watch Netflix, Hulu, and more on your PS3, Xbox, or Wii with PlayOn | MediaMall Technologies (http://www.themediamall.com/playon/lp/pax200909/?rsrc=pax09)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The PS3 price drop to $299 on the old systems hit with around 11 days left in the sales period (Aug 2-29), slims were in stores for around four days although the marketing didn't kick in until September.

The 80 GB machine supply was VERY limited and most stores waited 4-5 days for the price drop to try to squeeze a bit more money out of the old PS3's. As was stated before, not much impact was expected overall. September numbers will provide a much better picture of the situation.

Pretty amazing 360/PS3 numbers with the Batman game. Nearly a dead heat despite the larger installed base in the U.S. for the 360.

Already been said, but sad to see Madden numbers continue to drop despite the improvements. They've really shot themselves in the foot from previous years. A positive sidenote is that these continued drops could push them to not renew the exclusive license and allow other players into the game. It's already happened with the NASCAR license.

[Big Fo]

Other games that didn't chart:

Metroid Prime Trilogy -- 35,000
Wolfenstein 360 -------- 59,000
Wolfenstein PS3 ------- 30,000
Wolfenstein PC --------- 17,000
GI Joe: No version sold more than 35,000

Not a great first week for MPT but the people who would buy that game probably already had them.

It's nice to see a good movie license game (Batman) sell a lot better than one that got poor reviews, this doesn't always happen.

American LTDs since launch for current and previous generation consoles:

PS2 - 24,422,000 (46 months) (July 2004)
PS2 - 18,390,000 (34 months) (July 2003)

Xbox - 9,481,402 (34 months) (August 2004)
Xbox - 12,630,000 (46 months) (August 2005)

GCN - 7,783,241 (34 months) (August 2004)
GCN - 11,172,000 (46 months) (August 2005)

360 - 10,944,000 (34 months) (August 2008)
360 - 15,899,186 (46 months) (August 2009)

PS3 - 8,245,896 (34 months) (August 2009)

Wii - 21,095,181 (34 months) (August 2009)

Pretty amazing 360/PS3 numbers with the Batman game. Nearly a dead heat despite the larger installed base in the U.S. for the 360.

The PS3 exclusive free DLC and PS3 specific commercials must have had some effect. Maybe there are more people who have both a PS3 and a 360 than I would have thought.

[gstelmack]

The PS3 exclusive free DLC and PS3 specific commercials must have had some effect. Maybe there are more people who have both a PS3 and a 360 than I would have thought.

Or maybe the 360 owners just have more quality titles to choose from :D

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The PS3 exclusive free DLC and PS3 specific commercials must have had some effect. Maybe there are more people who have both a PS3 and a 360 than I would have thought.

The PS3 had a second playable character. There were a lot of the people who were interested in the game that chose the PS3 version for that reason alone.

[stevew]

Nice option for PS3 owners who want to use Netflix on their PS3 along with several other video services. You can now do that for a one time fee of $20. Early reviews of Play On are very positive.

Welcome PAX attendees! Watch Netflix, Hulu, and more on your PS3, Xbox, or Wii with PlayOn | MediaMall Technologies (http://www.themediamall.com/playon/lp/pax200909/?rsrc=pax09)

hmmm, interesting. Looks like I could run this on the 360 without having to buy any form of Live at all. I may have to demo it in the next few days.

[Cringer]

Or maybe the 360 owners just have more quality titles to choose from :D

heh, let me know what those might be. Not being sarcastic either, I haven't seen a 360 exclusive that I HAD to play for quite a while. And if it's on both consoles then the PS3 version is the easy choice for me. Hmm...I did rent a 360 game a few months back, but I can't think of what it is. Saint's Row 2? Was that on PS3? If not then that was it.

[Big Fo]

Full top 20 is now up:

MADDEN NFL 10 (360; Aug-09) ------------------------------- 928,000
WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS (WII; Jul-09) - 754,000
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS3; Aug-09) ------------------------------- 665,000
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM* (360; Aug-09) ------------------ 303,000
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM* PS3; Aug-09) ------------------- 290,000
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS2; Aug-09) -------------------------------- 160,000
DISSIDIA: FINAL FANTASY (PSP; Aug-09) -------------------- 130,000
WII FIT* (WII; May-08) ---------------------------------------- 128,000
MARIO KART W/WHEEL (WII; Apr-08) ------------------------ 120,000
FOSSIL FIGHTERS (NDS; Aug-09) ----------------------------- 92,000
MARIO KART DS (NDS)
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS (NDS)
WII PLAY W/ REMOTE (WII)
POKEMON PLATINUM VERSION (NDS)
NCAA FOOTBALL 10 (360)
PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE DIABOLICAL BOX (NDS)
MADDEN NFL 10 (WII) ----------------------------------------- 67,000
WOLFENSTEIN (360) ------------------------------------------- 59,000
EA SPORTS ACTIVE BUNDLE (WII)
TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10* (WII)

Eight of the top twenty were published by Nintendo, seven of them by EA.

Wii - 7
DS - 5
360 - 4
PS3 - 2
PS2 - 1
PSP - 1

[RainMaker]

Kotaku had a post on their site the other day saying that their sources were saying the PS3 slim was selling really well.

[sterlingice]

NSMB and Mario Kart DS still truckin :)

Good to see both Prof Layton and Wii Tiger Woods up there.

SI

[RainMaker]

My brother has a Wii and says that Tiger Woods is ridiculously fun.

[KWhit]

It is.

Great game. But it's been completely forgotten since I got Beatles Rock Band.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

hmmm, interesting. Looks like I could run this on the 360 without having to buy any form of Live at all. I may have to demo it in the next few days.

Good point. I didn't post the 360 option because I assumed everyone had easy access on that platform.

[Big Fo]

Kotaku - Wii Price Drop Looks To Hit First Week Of October (http://kotaku.com/5357766/wii-price-drop-may-hit-first-week-of-october)



Advance retail listings forwarded to Kotaku indicate that Nintendo is planning to issue its first price drop on the Wii, with a less expensive version of the console—currently priced at $249 USD—coming the first week of October.

That listing comes from an early version of a Walmart ad that loosely dates, but does not price a "rollback" for Nintendo's console. While the ad is not official confirmation of a price drop, the timing makes sense, as the Wii is about to enter its fourth holiday shopping season at its original price.

I'm guessing that if the rumor is true it'd just be the current bundle for $199.

IMO Nintendo should add in Wii Sports Resort so every new Wii owner has one Motion Plus. And they should bring over the black Wii that recently came out in Japan to go along with the black Wiimote/Motion Plus package and black nunchucks that have already been announced for the US.

[sterlingice]

I would love to see a Wii Sports + Wii Sports Resort exclusive color bundle for, say, $280 alongside this.

And, yes, the new colors should also be available. Tho, I don't think it's like the handhelds where someone will drop $100 or $120 to change colors for some silly reason, but $250 is probably asking a bit much so there won't be a huge spike in sales.

SI

[Big Fo]

I would love to see a Wii Sports + Wii Sports Resort exclusive color bundle for, say, $280 alongside this.

And, yes, the new colors should also be available. Tho, I don't think it's like the handhelds where someone will drop $100 or $120 to change colors for some silly reason, but $250 is probably asking a bit much so there won't be a huge spike in sales.

SI

I was thinking $199 for the hypothetical Wii + Wii Sports + WSR bundle. Although the Wii was the cheapest of the three consoles at the beginning, it was kind of expensive for the technology and no console has ever gone this long before a price drop. I'm pretty sure they'd still be making money of every unit sold.

And another currently Japan-only thing I want them to bring over is the Classic Controller Pro which closely resembles a DualShock with the exception of having a good d-pad. Capcom actually worked with Nintendo on the design and it launched alongside Monster Hunter 3 (bundled and standalone), maybe they'll launch them at the same time here in 2010.

[Big Fo]

The 80 GB machine supply was VERY limited and most stores waited 4-5 days for the price drop to try to squeeze a bit more money out of the old PS3's. As was stated before, not much impact was expected overall. September numbers will provide a much better picture of the situation.

Whether the units sold were new slims or discounted fatties the $300 PS3s had a big effect on sales last month.

Gamasutra reports (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4131/npd_behind_the_numbers_august_.php?page=2) that the average sale price for the PS3 was $335, so that'd be more than half of what was sold in August. Maybe the expected September bump won't be quite so large.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Whether the units sold were new slims or discounted fatties the $300 PS3s had a big effect on sales last month.

Gamasutra reports (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4131/npd_behind_the_numbers_august_.php?page=2) that the average sale price for the PS3 was $335, so that'd be more than half of what was sold in August. Maybe the expected September bump won't be quite so large.

So when you say it "won't be quite so large", what do you consider not so large?

It should also be noted that those sales figures you cite do not include online storefronts as the Gamasutra people mention.

[Big Fo]

So when you say it "won't be quite so large", what do you consider not so large?

It should also be noted that those sales figures you cite do not include online storefronts as the Gamasutra people mention.

Before that article came out I was thinking somewhere in the 300-400k range for PS3 in September and likely ahead of the Wii and 360, now maybe 250-320k and possibly behind the Wii.

Lots of football fans on here so I'll paste in this graph of Madden first month sales over the years from the same article:

http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/feature/4131/madden-first-month-history.png

Madden 2005 was the last one I played before this year that I really enjoyed and Madden 2006 was the best selling one on the graph. Maybe since Madden 2010 was, in general, favorably received Madden 2011 will sell better?

[Big Fo]

(double post edited out, first time that's ever happened to me on here)

[Big Fo]

The NPD released some interesting statistics (http://www.npd.com/press/releases/press_090914.html), some of them to do with multiconsole ownership.


Those who own the following console ...

Wii PS3 360
Also
own
a ...
Wii 100% 42 42
PS3 14 100% 18
360 26 34 100%

Higher than I thought. This goes some way towards explaining how some games sell similarly on the two platforms (Batman being one example) while others are skewed more towards the 360 (Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 for instance).

Personally having both a 360 and a PS3 seems a tad redundant to me.

--------

Now there's a leaked Toys-R-Us flier which says there will be a Wii price drop on September 27. Same package, a console with Wii Sports, for $199.

kotaku.com link for the flier (http://kotaku.com/5359038/toys-r-us-ad-points-to-199-wii-price-drop-this-month)

Like I said before, if this is true I would have preferred for Nintendo to get a Motion Plus in there somehow.

[gstelmack]

Personally having both a 360 and a PS3 seems a tad redundant to me.

Well, if you bought the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player, then having a 360 for the games makes sense (given the title disparity). Note the low numbers for 360 owners who also have a PS3; that will probably start skewing higher as the PS3 price drops and Blu-Ray gains more traction. I think it pretty well bears out that the PS3 is selling as a Blu-Ray player primarily and the 360 is selling as a game machine primarily.

[spleen1015]

Personally having both a 360 and a PS3 seems a tad redundant to me.

What about 2 360s and a PS3?

[Big Fo]

What about 2 360s and a PS3?

Maybe if you're looking for an unconventional way to heat your home in winter? Seriously though I could see wanting two of the same console, to have one in the family room and one in the bedroom or something.

Each one does have some cool exclusives. I just don't have the broadest taste in games, that's why I put the "personally" in there. Around 90% of my gaming time is spent on strategy games, RPGs, platformers, sports games, or sports management simulations. Some of those genres aren't well-represented on any current console so buying a third console wouldn't be worth it to me, I'd only have access to a couple of games I can't play already.

For someone who is a fan of FPS/TPS or action games I can totally understand wanting to have both a 360 and a PS3. Or like gstelmack said if someone preferred the 360's lineup but wanted a PS3 as a Blu-Ray player (and a few PS3 games or else why not get a cheaper Blu-Ray player).

[RainMaker]

Lots of football fans on here so I'll paste in this graph of Madden first month sales over the years from the same article:

http://www.gamasutra.com/db_area/images/feature/4131/madden-first-month-history.png

Madden 2005 was the last one I played before this year that I really enjoyed and Madden 2006 was the best selling one on the graph. Maybe since Madden 2010 was, in general, favorably received Madden 2011 will sell better?

The numbers are horrible when you consider the fact that they sold 200,000 more copies in the first month back in 2004 when they had competition than they did now. They essentially paid hundreds of millions for an exclusive license that has netted around the same sales they had before.

I'd also be curious to know how many new consoles are in homes these days than back in 2004. I'd have to imagine it's in the multi-millions. So despite more consoles in homes, an exclusive license to the most popular sport in the country, sales have fallen from where they were 6 years ago.

That's downright pathetic.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

The numbers are horrible when you consider the fact that they sold 200,000 more copies in the first month back in 2004 when they had competition than they did now. They essentially paid hundreds of millions for an exclusive license that has netted around the same sales they had before.

I'd also be curious to know how many new consoles are in homes these days than back in 2004. I'd have to imagine it's in the multi-millions. So despite more consoles in homes, an exclusive license to the most popular sport in the country, sales have fallen from where they were 6 years ago.

That's downright pathetic.

I really think we're going to see EA shed that exclusive license. As you mention, it really has not paid off like they thought it would. They can still do much of what they're doing now without an exclusive agreement.

[RainMaker]

I don't know. I think they'd treat it as a loss leader if they had to. Madden is the cornerstone of EA. It's the game that helps brand all their other sports ventures.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I don't know. I think they'd treat it as a loss leader if they had to. Madden is the cornerstone of EA. It's the game that helps brand all their other sports ventures.

But the numbers indicate that the exclusive license doesn't really increase sales in any way. Granted, the game hasn't been well done over that period, but the exclusive agreement needed to bump sales much more than that to justify the license. I think the 'Madden' name is far more important than an exclusive agreement. It's the only thing that has kept sales even at the point they're at.

[RainMaker]

But the numbers indicate that the exclusive license doesn't really increase sales in any way. Granted, the game hasn't been well done over that period, but the exclusive agreement needed to bump sales much more than that to justify the license. I think the 'Madden' name is far more important than an exclusive agreement. It's the only thing that has kept sales even at the point they're at.
I think it's up to whether the NFL demands an exclusive license from someone. I can't fathom seeing EA let someone else swoop in and take it. I also don't know if they want to compete in this space and risk the chance of 2K building their brand even more in the sports arena.

I still think there is a large customer base that buys Madden every year and then whatever other EA games are on the market. I grew up playing EA games as a kid and can admit that I shifted toward them when I'd buy because I just put them and sports together. I think EA risks losing that brandability as "the sports franchise". I mean EA sells a lot of copies of NBA Live every year and it's been an inferior product in the NBA regime.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think it's up to whether the NFL demands an exclusive license from someone. I can't fathom seeing EA let someone else swoop in and take it. I also don't know if they want to compete in this space and risk the chance of 2K building their brand even more in the sports arena.

I still think there is a large customer base that buys Madden every year and then whatever other EA games are on the market. I grew up playing EA games as a kid and can admit that I shifted toward them when I'd buy because I just put them and sports together. I think EA risks losing that brandability as "the sports franchise". I mean EA sells a lot of copies of NBA Live every year and it's been an inferior product in the NBA regime.

The problem is that the exclusive license may end up being too expensive for everyone thanks to the lawsuit that the veteran players filed and won against the players union for collusion. EA got a sweetheart of a deal that won't be available going forward. The price is going to be much too high. I don't think an exclusive will go to anyone. It will just move back to being licensed by multiple companies, much like the NBA or NHL.

[RainMaker]

That would be a dream scenario. 2K does a lot of good things with football and EA can make great games when they are pushed.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

That would be a dream scenario. 2K does a lot of good things with football and EA can make great games when they are pushed.

And I think the market is more than able to support more than one NFL game. EA made the assumption when their franchise sagged a bit that 2K was the main reason. What we've seen over the past few years indicates that it had much more to do with weaker quality of the Madden franchise. People will pay for Madden. You just have to give them a good reason.

[RainMaker]

I wouldn't mind seeing Sony or whoever makes The Show get into the football mix too. Quite honestly, it's such a big sport in this country that I think the market could sustain 3 games if necessary.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Anyone else feel like this holiday season is like last year, except in reverse?

2008:
-Sony announces price drop of 80 GB machine to $399, but then phases out 40 GB machine, resulting in no change in price for lowest-price model. New 160 GB bundle with Uncharted is introduced for $499 ($100 more than standard model). It provides a brief boost in sales, but nothing that is a game-changer.
-Microsoft announces outright price cut on all models. This boosts sales tremendously.

2009:
-Microsoft drops price of Elite unit to $299, but then phases out Pro model, resulting in no price change of most popular model. New Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition bundle is introduced at $399 price point ($100 more than standard model).
-Sony cuts price by $100 with redesign and increases HDD size.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in comparison.

[dervack]

But then there is also a rumor that Sony will have a 250 gb model this holiday season as well.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

But then there is also a rumor that Sony will have a 250 gb model this holiday season as well.

But there's a big difference between just swapping models (MS) and a $100 price drop along with a redesign. The two scenarios are not even comparable. Assuming the rumor to be true (though there's plenty of evidence already that it's not), you'd still be dropping the price of your premium model from $499 to $399, which is also an actual price cut rather than just a model swap as Microsoft is doing this year and Sony did last year.

[gstelmack]

I love the "Sony doesn't drop price on lowest" compared to "Microsoft doesn't drop price on most popular". Moving the elite to $299 is a big deal.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I love the "Sony doesn't drop price on lowest" compared to "Microsoft doesn't drop price on most popular". Moving the elite to $299 is a big deal.

I'm not sure it is, but the numbers will have to prove that out. There's a world of difference between a model swap that drops the Elite to the $299 level and a price cut of $50 on the Wii (rumored). They're both a drop of $50, but the difference between the two moves is substantial.

I made the point specifically because of the Arcade model. Granted, it's basically a crippled unit and doesn't sell well at this point, but it would be unfair to ignore that it does exist.

[Samdari]

a price cut of $50 on the Wii (rumored).

I think this is well past rumor stage at this point.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I think this is well past rumor stage at this point.

I agree, but if I would have stated it as fact, someone would have corrected me and said it was a rumor. No win situation I suppose. :)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Big weekend coming up. Tokyo Game Show begins September 24th. In addition, Nintendo is expected to drop the Wii price point.

Below are some notes from a SEGA meeting that were leaked and then removed from the internet. A few things of note......

-Motion controller will release in Japan in Spring 2010.
-Sony considering import section in store to download Japanese games.
-Sony releasing PS2 games for download on PSN.
-Dreamcast titles coming to PSN exclusively or timed exclusive depending on support level from SCEA
-Possible Valkyria PSP bundle on release
-Sonic Anniversary edition with all games on one Blu-ray disc

SCEA Meeting Aug 5th Notes
Aug 6 2009 – DRAFT FOR COMMENTS

Objectives of Meeting
Dyer agreed to regular quarterly meetings with SOA

Sony PS3
SCEA reiterated plans to sell 13 million PS3s this year
Big announcement back half of year they can’t talk about (potentially price cut of PS3 to reach hardware goals)
SCEA commented on indexing between PS3 and 360 SKUs, should be around 2:1 to garner most favorable treatment.

Motion Controller
Spring 2010 launch (March in JP)
No bundle/pricing details yet, should come Sept 1
Plan on selling 4-5MM units WW
SCEA agreed to provide a list of Sega IP that would work well with the motion controller, Virtua Tennis was an example
Motion Controller support allows easy way to differentiate PS3 SKU
Other differentiation opportunities include PSP/PS3 interoperability – think of features that would make users want to buy both PS3 and PSP SKUs.

Alpha Protocol
Michael Foster, product evaluator, said AP felt barely RPG. Initial level too challenging for players. “Mass Effect felt more RPG.”
Review notes sent to John Merlino a few weeks prior. After meeting Gerald mentioned AP is a high priority for his team.

Planet 51
Sell in of PS3 SKU – SCEA noted that other movie titles on PS3 had underperformed as well (inc. Transformers) this cycle.
Dyer suggests contacting Susan at Walmart and asking what she wants in the pack to sell this SKU (movie tix etc)
Other possibilities are Hybrid movie disc (BD 25 or 50 with Game and Movie on same disc).

Bayonetta
Collectors edition with Bayonetta Action Figure
Novo recommended launching PSN demo around Xmas based off a Jan 5th Ship date with 2-3 week run out to launch.
3-4 weeks is usually ideal demo timing with fresh content every week leading up to launch (trailers, insider video about PG heritage, video blogs).

Vancouver 2010
HOME, Olympic destination would garner a lot of positive attention from SCEA
Should be doing same with Bayonetta, Marvel etc. Easy to launch in all territories.
HOME merchandizing opportunities (clothes etc).

Sonic Racing
Open to DLC to differentiate PS3 SKU – not ratchet and clank but other characters
maybe characters from Rare or Fable universes

Yakuza
Could put Japanese games directly on PSN for download in a special Japanese Import section (pricing $9.99 to $39.99 for full game).
Might need to localize menus at least with subtitles.
SCEA interested in helping on MKTG side if they can have period of exclusivity.

AVP
Another great HOME candidate
AVP avatars
Hybrid BD disc with movie

Iron Man 2
Great candidate for HOME space – explore Tony Stark’s lab etc.
Should have one for Marvel in general.

PSU2
Could do bundle at GameStop with PSP 30-35K units on UMD, Go, or both.

Valkyria 1937
Could bundle with PSP as well.

Vanquish and Aliens: CM
Opportunity for PS3/PSP interoperability (see Eidos Batman, Army of Two, Assassin’s Creed for good examples).
If we offer that SCEA would be really interested in having us at their booth next E3.

Thor
SCEA would like a look at the code soon.

Sonic Anniversary
Could put out collectors edition with all old sonic games on one BD disc.
“Best of Sonic” for around $99.
SCEA would love PSN exclusive power ups/different game modes (like Castlevania’s flip it over/backwards)

PS2 emulator for PS3 (confidential)
SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN (GTA Vice City/Sonic/etc)
For co Marketing money show PS3 controller on TV ads – similar to EA Madden Spots, NCAA, etc…

London Olympics
Perfect opportunity for Motion Controller integration.

DC Digital Titles
If we provide a list of DC titles SCEA will let us know which ones they’re interested in having exclusively.
If we give them a long period of exclusivity they’ll give us more marketing support.

PSP Titles
For SKU differentiation it’s best to offer features that are slightly different from PS3 version.
Titles that are coming up on PSP are Assassin’s Creed II, GTA China Wars, Resident Evil, Little Big Planet – all massive franchises.
SCEA has a specific PSP deck which they can send up with their hardware director for a chat.

[gstelmack]

$50 rebate on 360 elite making it $249 through October 5:

Xbox.com | Events - Mail-in Rebate for Xbox 360 Elite Console (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/360eliterebate/default.htm)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

$50 rebate on 360 elite making it $249 through October 5:

Xbox.com | Events - Mail-in Rebate for Xbox 360 Elite Console (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/360eliterebate/default.htm)

I'm surprised that Microsoft hasn't followed suit to match the $100 PS3 rebate that Sony offers with the Sony Style credit card. That would seem to be a perfect fit for Microsoft, given all the products that they sell for both the console and the PC.

[albionmoonlight]

Maybe the weak Madden efforts and sales on Wii inspired this recent patent (http://www.slashgear.com/nintendo-football-controller-patent-app-emerges-2553643/) from Nintendo.

That looks like something from the onion. Gotta give Nintendo credit--they leave no stone unturned.

I bought Madden 09 for the Wii, and it is a lot of fun. You can turn off most of the "all play" type features. Personally, I'd rather it if you could turn off all the motion control features and play it with just buttons, but it is not that big of a deal.

Considering how much more fun and less expensive the Wii is on pretty much every other level, I'll live with a slightly less fun version of Madden.

[stevew]

Picking up a PS3 for my birthday. I just got a sweet deal on a used Samsung 4071(older tv, but an excellent one) and now that i have 1080p/120hz I felt it was the time for the upgrade.

[Big Fo]

More proof of the Wii price drop in case anyone wasn't convinced:

engadget.com link (http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/22/wii-price-drop-confirmed-199-starting-this-weekend/)

So if anyone was in the market for one don't buy until Sunday. I want to hear a release date for NSMBW in Friday's announcement.

[SackAttack]

I think the 81 Wii's and 100 nunchuks that came on the truck tonight is all the proof I need.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Video of Natal in action at Tokyo Game Show.

1. I have little doubt that the presenter in the sunglasses will be seen on many .gif files in the near future.

2. Not sure why Microsoft showed this technology so soon. There's a lot of lag between the motion and what happens on the screen, especially when compared to the Wii. They may be able to get that fix since it's not released for a year or more, but bad first impressions can kill a product if you show it too early.

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[sterlingice]

I like the demo of the ball game- that looks quite fun :D

The racing doesn't work so well as it might as well be the wiimote control system only not as functional (as there is no controller to act as a wheel).

SI

[Eaglesfan27]

There are rumors swirling that Microsoft may be buying EA. Obviously, this would be a blow to Sony and the PS3 if it happened:

Tech Rumor: Microsoft Eyeing EA | Technology | Financial Articles & Investing News | TheStreet.com (http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10602302/1/tech-rumor-microsoft-eyeing-ea.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA)

[SirFozzie]

If Microsoft bought out EA.. basically, this would kick the legs out from underneath Sony, just when they're getting back up.. it's like a boxing fight where someone gets knocked down, but instead of waiting for their opponent to get up, the boxer stands over his fallen opponent.. wait till he's just about vertical and.. BLAMMO!

[spleen1015]

It is only matter of time before Microsoft owns us all, except Blizzard.

[Kodos]

Seems like that would force Sony to either get the 2K team or their own team to make a non-NFL licensed football game. You simply can't have a console in the US that doesn't have a pro football game and expect to compete.

[stevew]

I would still multi platform the game. But give the Xbox version a healthy exclusive window.

[albionmoonlight]

I'd make the games the exact same, except every QB in the non-Xbox version is Ryan Leaf.

[MizzouRah]

There are rumors swirling that Microsoft may be buying EA. Obviously, this would be a blow to Sony and the PS3 if it happened:

Tech Rumor: Microsoft Eyeing EA | Technology | Financial Articles & Investing News | TheStreet.com (http://www.thestreet.com/_yahoo/story/10602302/1/tech-rumor-microsoft-eyeing-ea.html?cm_ven=YAHOO&cm_cat=FREE&cm_ite=NA)

More on MS buying EA

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idCNN2339589020090923?rpc=44

[gstelmack]

I love unsubtantiated rumors that drive stock prices in the age of day trading.

[RainMaker]

Seems like that would force Sony to either get the 2K team or their own team to make a non-NFL licensed football game. You simply can't have a console in the US that doesn't have a pro football game and expect to compete.
I don't know. Wouldn't Microsoft have some antitrust issues with the move? I don't think they'd be able to make EA titles exclusive in the sports where there is no competition.

[SackAttack]

I would still multi platform the game. But give the Xbox version a healthy exclusive window.

Yeah, but by doing that, you kill the sales of the PS3 version, which, remember, is not magically free to develop. If you're going to create a PS3 (or even a Wii) version, you need to at least recoup your development costs.

So instead, what you do is release 'em at the same time, but make sure that "your" version has some extra goodies.

Maybe try to get Sony to forego the licensing royalties they usually would collect on EA Sports titles. Sure, Sony still benefits from whatever console sales the game generates, but Microsoft pockets all the profits on that software, and by having feature differentiation, would presumably sell more hardware when Madden XX is released anyway.

Then you get the added bonus of, "well, now we've got PlayStation 3 dev kits to compare to the 360 dev kits we're used to programming for. What can we learn from that to give us an edge on the stuff we're producing for our own console?"

[Cringer]

Cops like Wii.

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[Big Fo]

A few analysts think this rumor is unlikely to be true. From ign.com (http://ds.ign.com/articles/102/1027711p1.html):


September 23, 2009 - Rumblings of a Electronic Arts takeover by Microsoft have driven Wall Street into a frenzy this morning.

Reuters is reporting "unsubstantiated talk" of a possible sale, causing shares to jump for both companies. Electronic Arts saw a jump of over 8% to $20.01, while Microsoft's shares increased 1.1 percent to $26.05

"There's talk that Microsoft might be interested in acquiring Electronic Arts. It's unsubstantiated chatter, but it's out there," said options strategist Frederic Ruffy.

Analyst Trip Chowdhry said talk of this sale is unjustified. "Our contacts just don't see Microsoft buying Electronic Arts, no synergies whatsoever, and also not Microsoft's corporate primary focus right now."

Electronic Arts and Microsoft have yet to issue any comments on this story.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter told IGN a sale of this magnitude is highly unlikely.

"Their value as a one platform exclusive publisher is lower than their value on multi-platform. A media company would pay a lot more," he said. "Also, most licenses would terminate."

[stevew]

Yeah, but by doing that, you kill the sales of the PS3 version, which, remember, is not magically free to develop. If you're going to create a PS3 (or even a Wii) version, you need to at least recoup your development costs.

So instead, what you do is release 'em at the same time, but make sure that "your" version has some extra goodies.

Maybe try to get Sony to forego the licensing royalties they usually would collect on EA Sports titles. Sure, Sony still benefits from whatever console sales the game generates, but Microsoft pockets all the profits on that software, and by having feature differentiation, would presumably sell more hardware when Madden XX is released anyway.

Then you get the added bonus of, "well, now we've got PlayStation 3 dev kits to compare to the 360 dev kits we're used to programming for. What can we learn from that to give us an edge on the stuff we're producing for our own console?"

yeah, that works too.

[Big Fo]

Microsoft says EA purchase rumor is false - Seattle Post Intelligencer (http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/180058.asp?from=blog_last3)



Electronic Arts stock jumped 4 percent Wednesday amid talk that Microsoft might be interested in buying the major video-game publisher.

"There's talk that Microsoft might be interested in acquiring Electronic Arts. It's unsubstantiated chatter, but it's out there," Frederic Ruffy, options strategist at WhatsTrading.com in New York, told Reuters. The news agency also reported that a London-based trader has heard similar talk in Europe.

However, Microsoft spokesman David Dennis dispelled the rumor.

"There is no truth to this rumor," he said in an e-mail to seattlepi.com, "we have no plans to purchase EA."

[gstelmack]

Someone made some cash after starting this rumor, and someone else was primed to make some cash when it was disclaimed.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I can't believe anyone actually bought that rumor. The thought that Microsoft (or Sony for that matter) would even take on EA is ludicrous.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Few notes from TGS:

-PS3 Slim sold 1M units worldwide in first three weeks.
-New Halo:ODST sold 2M units thus far.
-GT5 release set for March 2010 in Japan (BIG bummer that they couldn't make holiday 2009)
-Resident Evil 5 for the PS3 will support motion control on release.
-FFXIII bundle with white PS3 will be available on release date (December 17th) in Japan. 250 GB HDD. Wouldn't be surprised if this slows the PS3 Slim sales in Japan as people opt to wait for the bundle.

For You Final Fantasy Freaks (http://www.ps3blog.net/2009/09/23/for-you-final-fantasy-freaks/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New Dynasty Warriors Online game announced for 2010 for PS3. Free to play with microtransactions to buy fancy equipment.

Dynasty Warriors Online set for PlayStation 3 (andriasang.com blog, 09.24.2009) (http://www.andriasang.com/e/blog/2009/09/24/dynasty_warriors_online_ps3/)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

dola

Forza 3 demo is now available.

Also, Nintendo has officially confirmed the widely rumored $199 price drop.

[Eaglesfan27]

Stupid move by Sony. The PSP go will not support previously purchased PSP UMD games due to "legal and technical reasons." I know that kills my interest in any possible upgrade, and I doubt I'm the only one. Also, the rewards program won't be available in the USA.:

No UMD conversion for PSP Go - PSP News at GameSpot (http://tgs.gamespot.com/story/6230410/no-umd-conversion-for-psp-go)

[spleen1015]

That's pretty nuts. How can they think that is a good idea?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Stupid move by Sony. The PSP go will not support previously purchased PSP UMD games due to "legal and technical reasons." I know that kills my interest in any possible upgrade, and I doubt I'm the only one. Also, the rewards program won't be available in the USA.:

No UMD conversion for PSP Go - PSP News at GameSpot (http://tgs.gamespot.com/story/6230410/no-umd-conversion-for-psp-go)

I'm not sure it was interesting even before that. Smaller screen = no for me. The current model is a much better deal.

[SackAttack]

Stupid move by Sony. The PSP go will not support previously purchased PSP UMD games due to "legal and technical reasons." I know that kills my interest in any possible upgrade, and I doubt I'm the only one. Also, the rewards program won't be available in the USA.:

No UMD conversion for PSP Go - PSP News at GameSpot (http://tgs.gamespot.com/story/6230410/no-umd-conversion-for-psp-go)

So bear with me here, but I think I figured it out.

SCEA have *stopped*, largely, making idiotic decisions in the PS3 space, but the damage has mostly been done. Right?

SCEA are making all *kinds* of retarded decisions in the PSP space, not that it matters anyway.

Does it sound to anybody else like the folks in charge of the PS3 side of the business got reassigned to the PSP, kind of the business-world equivalent of "we can't fire you, so go hang out in Siberia for a while"?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Does it sound to anybody else like the folks in charge of the PS3 side of the business got reassigned to the PSP, kind of the business-world equivalent of "we can't fire you, so go hang out in Siberia for a while"?

Sounds about right.

[stevew]

Stupid move by Sony. The PSP go will not support previously purchased PSP UMD games due to "legal and technical reasons." I know that kills my interest in any possible upgrade, and I doubt I'm the only one. Also, the rewards program won't be available in the USA.:

No UMD conversion for PSP Go - PSP News at GameSpot (http://tgs.gamespot.com/story/6230410/no-umd-conversion-for-psp-go)

I guess I never expected the cartridge media to be allowed to be ported over. I think maybe they could have at least started a program where you could send in the UMD and get a download code or something.

Otherwise, unless there are serial codes or something on the disc, I don't know how they could expect to keep people from transferring games they didn't own over.

[stevew]

dola-Sack's probably right about the moron shift.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

I guess I never expected the cartridge media to be allowed to be ported over. I think maybe they could have at least started a program where you could send in the UMD and get a download code or something.

Otherwise, unless there are serial codes or something on the disc, I don't know how they could expect to keep people from transferring games they didn't own over.

FWIW, I'm sure that this will only encourage the existing modified firmware community to find ways to copy the code from UMD to the PSP Go. I'd actually be shocked if that didn't happen pretty quickly.

[Big Fo]

1.7 million copies of FIFA 10 were sold in the first two weeks of its European release, making it the fastest selling sports game of all-time (worldwide). It will come out in the US in a week and a half.

Move over, Madden: FIFA 10 is the fastest-selling sports game ever (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/move-over-madden-fifa-10-is-the-fastest-selling-sports-game-ever/1361737)

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

1.7 million copies of FIFA 10 were sold in the first two weeks of its European release, making it the fastest selling sports game of all-time (worldwide). It will come out in the US in a week and a half.

Move over, Madden: FIFA 10 is the fastest-selling sports game ever (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/move-over-madden-fifa-10-is-the-fastest-selling-sports-game-ever/1361737)

Even more interesting is that the PS3 version is selling more units than the 360 version. The Slim is selling very well in Europe and it appears to be having an impact on the balance of power in that region. It'll be interesting to see the ratio of sales once it hits the States.

[Big Fo]

It'll be interesting to see the ratio of sales once it hits the States.

It'll be interesting if both the PS3 and 360 versions of FIFA 10 even make the top 10 or top 20 so we can see how they compare here. After looking it up I was surprised to see that the 360 versions of FIFA 09 snuck onto the top 20 for October 2009 (#19 - selling somewhere between 97k-119k).

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony announces a new premium model. 250 GB PS3 Slim will be available November 3rd for $349. Not terribly unexpected, though the price does seem somewhat like a price cut. Previous pricing had the premium model $100 more than the standard model.

NEW 250GB PlayStation 3 System Available November 3 – PlayStation.Blog (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/10/new-250gb-playstation-3-system-available-november-3/)

[Big Fo]

September 2009 Hardware:


Nintendo DS ...... 524.2K
PlayStation 3 ...... 491.8K
Wii ................... 462.8K
Xbox 360 ........... 352.6K
PSP ................. 190.4K
PlayStation 2 ..... 146.0K

(edited to add these in):

YTD:

PlayStation 2 1,145,800
PlayStation 3 1,943,500
PSP 1,372,700
Xbox 360 2,391,500
Wii 4,017,100
Nintendo DS 5,717,800

LTD:

PlayStation 2 44,600,418
PlayStation 3 8,737,696
PSP 15,714,336
Xbox 360 16,251,786
Wii 21,557,481
Nintendo DS 33,259,158

September 2009 Software:

HALO 3: ODST (360; Sep-09) -------------------------- ------- 1.52M
WII SPORTS RESORT W/ WII MOTION PLUS (WII; Jul-09) -- 442.9K
MADDEN NFL 10 (360; Aug-09) ------------------- ------------- 289.6K
MARIO & LUIGI:BOWSER'S INSIDE STORY (NDS; Sep-09) --- 258.1K
THE BEATLES:ROCK BAND* (360; Sep-09) --------------------- 254.0K
MADDEN NFL 10 (PS3; Aug-09) ------------------- -------------- 246.5K
MARVEL:ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 2 (360; Sep-09) ---------------- 236.0K
BATMAN:ARKHAM ASYLUM* (PS3; Aug-09) --------------------- 212.5K
GUITAR HERO 5* (360; Sep-09) --------------------------------- 210.8K
THE BEATLES:ROCK BAND* (WII; Sep-09) --------------------- 208.6K



The industry managed a modest increase over September 2008, and generated the second bestselling September on record after 2007 when Halo 3 released and sold over 3 million copies that month.

On a unit sales basis, the industry was flat. The increase in revenues is driven by a rise in average retail prices in all categories with the exception of console hardware in which the average retail price decreased 8% from last September.

Across all categories, the Xbox 360 platform contributed the most to industry unit and dollar sales as sales of 360 hardware, software and accessories comprised 32% of the month's revenues.


All three console manufacturers enjoyed the impact of lower prices on unit sales as the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 realized an increase over August of 87%, 33%, and 31% respectively, on an average sales per week basis (keeping in mind September was a 5-week month compared to 4-weeks in August).

Compared to last September, the PS3 was the big winner, more than doubling last year's sales. This portrays a very strong consumer reaction to the price decrease as August and September both realized a lift of more than 70% over the prior month. This is the first month that the PS3 has captured the top spot in console hardware sales.

The best-selling platform overall remained the Nintendo DS which has topped hardware sales for 6 consecutive months.

Halo 3 certainly impacted the industry two years ago (Sep'07) when it was launched, and this year, Halo 3: ODST realized impressive sales making it the 6th best-selling SKU launch of all time. Five of the top 10 software items for the month were on the Xbox 360 platform.

We know all eyes are going to be on the Rock Band and Guitar Hero sales since the music/dance genre has been so closely followed by many this year. Both titles captured a spot in the top 10 for the month and at the item level, across all platforms, The Beatles: Rock Band came in third behind Halo 3: ODST and Madden NFL 10 while Guitar Hero 5 came in fourth. The Beatles: Rock Band achieved this level of success with an average retail price premium of 130% to the average retail price for software overall. The sales of Rock Band and Guitar Hero led the music/dance genre to a 72% dollar sales increase over September 2008.

Madden NFL 10 made up some ground this month. Although when launched in August the game sold 19% fewer units than its predecessor a year prior, with a second month of sales in, that deficit has been reduced to 13%, which bodes very well for the title through the holiday season.

The Wii Motion Plus captured the top spot for accessory sales this month, while Wii Remote Controller was the second best-selling item in terms of units, but generated the most dollar sales in the accessories category. Accessories for the 360 platform accounted for five of the top-10 accessory items for the month.

- This is the first month PS3 outsold Wii since both came out in November 2006. It's the first time PS3 outsold 360 since August 2008.
- All three consoles pretty big numbers imo.
- Rock Band Beatles outsold Guitar Hero 5, normally GH outsells RB. Total numbers (http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2009/10/npd-september-ps3-on-top-beatles-beat-cobain/): 595k for Rock Band: B on 360/Wii/PS3 and 499k for GH5 on 360/Wii/PS3/PS2.
- I am delighted with the strong sales of Mario & Luigi, it's a really good game.
- I wonder how well Scribblenauts did.
- Maybe the good Madden reviews were a reason for the better second month. For some extremely limited anecdotal evidence, I rented the game at launch after not really liking last year's game and didn't buy it until September, so I was one of those sales.
- Go Wii Motion Plus.

[RainMaker]

1.7 million copies of FIFA 10 were sold in the first two weeks of its European release, making it the fastest selling sports game of all-time (worldwide). It will come out in the US in a week and a half.

Move over, Madden: FIFA 10 is the fastest-selling sports game ever (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/move-over-madden-fifa-10-is-the-fastest-selling-sports-game-ever/1361737)
Amazing what happens when you make a good game.

[MizzouRah]

Can't wait to get FIFA tomorrow.

[Big Fo]

The FIFA commercials are some of the best I can remember in recent times. I wonder if the same ones I'm seeing here were aired in Europe.

September numbers for various non-top 10 games:

MURAMASA > 35K
Scribblenauts > 193K
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days > 201K
Gran Turismo PSP > 18K
Gran Turismo PSN Card Voucher <1k
All other seven games available on PSN Card Voucher combined <1.3k
Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny > 26K
Dead Space: Extraction > 9K
Motorstorm Arctic Edge <3k
Spyborgs ~500
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 <38k

Scribblenauts and Kingdom Hearts did quite well. Muramasa didn't do too bad for such a niche game. I think Wii owners must be getting tired of rail shooters although DS:E was only on sale for a few days of this month. GT PSP and the PSP Go and its accessories were only out for a few days also.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

GT PSP and the PSP Go and its accessories were only out for a few days also.

I've got no interest in the GT PSP version of the game because it doesn't have a full career mode like the PS2/PS3 versions have. I'm a single-player gamer for the most part, so I don't want a game that doesn't have that mode, regardless of how good it does look.

[stevew]

Supposedly the 2009 Sony Bravia TVs(series W and above) will have netflix streaming within a month or so. Don't know how long/if this will translate to the Playstation, but the rep I talked to didn't think it was anytime soon.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Supposedly the 2009 Sony Bravia TVs(series W and above) will have netflix streaming within a month or so. Don't know how long/if this will translate to the Playstation, but the rep I talked to didn't think it was anytime soon.

You can officially toss out this rep as having any industry information. :)

[Big Fo]

Wii -------------- 506.9K
Nintendo DS ---- 457.6K
PlayStation 3 --- 320.6K
Xbox 360 ------- 249.7K
PSP ------------- 174.6K
PlayStation 2 --- 117.8K


UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES (PS3; Oct-09) -- 537,000
WII FIT PLUS* (WII; Oct-09) ----------------------- 441,000
BORDERLANDS (360; Oct-09) ---------------------- 418,000
WII SPORTS RESORT* (WII; Jul-09) --------------- 314,000
NBA 2K10* (360; Oct-09) ---------------------------- 311,000
HALO 3: ODST (360; Sep-09) ----------------------- 271,000
NBA 2K10* (PS3; Oct-09) ----------------------------213,000
FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 (360; Oct-09) ------------- 175,000
KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS (NDS; Sep-09) --- 169,000
FIFA SOCCER 10 (360; Oct-09) --------------------- 156,000

(*includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)



WII - 22.1m
360 - 16.5m
PS3 - 9.1m
NDS - 33.7m
PSP - 15.8m
PS2 - 44.8m


PS2 19,010,000 (36 months) (September 2003)
PS2 24,882,000 (48 months) (September 2004)

Xbox - 9,961,402 (36 months) (October 2004)
Xbox - 12,870,000 (48 months) (October 2005)

GCN - 8,003,241 (36 months) (October 2004)
GCN - 11,382,000 (48 months) (October 2005)

360 11,421,000 (36 months) (October 2008)
360 16,501,486 (48 months) (October 2009)

PS3 9,058,296 (36 months) (October 2009)

Wii 22,064,881 (36 months) (August 2009)



BORDERLANDS (PS3) 113,000
Brutal Legend (360) - 150,000 units
Brutal Legend (PS3) - 66,000 units
DJ Hero (360) - 62,000 units
DJ Hero (PS3) - 39,000 units
DJ Hero (Wii) - 19,000 units
DJ Hero (PS2) - 3,300 units
GTA: Chinatown Wars PSP <10k
A Boy and His Blob (Wii) <10k
Demons Souls (PS3) >100k
TEKKEN 6 (PS3, X360) >175k, <300k (PS3 version sold more)
NBA 2K10 (PS2, PSP, WII, PC) 51k


The video games industry suffered another decline this month as compared to last October. This is the third best October on record, behind October 2007 and October 2008.

Based on typical industry seasonality, the industry is on track to generate full-year revenues in the range of $20-$21B in the U.S., which would put it just a bit below last year's sales of $21.3B.

The continued economic turmoil, and in particular the troubling unemployment rate, is undoubtedly impacting industry sales. Our latest Economy Tracker indicated that although consumers' general opinion about the economy is improving, their outlook on their own personal situation is worsening. If consumers' personal outlook continues to erode, they could very well be much more conservative with their holiday shopping this year.

Across all categories, the Xbox 360 platform contributed the greatest portion of total industry sales, representing 27% of total industry sales for the month. The PS3 was a close second at 26%, an 8 point improvement over last October.

With the excitement already being generated by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and the incredible buzz around upcoming titles, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Assassin's Creed 2, November is poised to be a strong month for the industry.

Hardware sales were down 17% in units for the month, with the Wii and the Xbox 360 decreasing the most compared to October 2008. Compared to last month, which was a five-week month as compared to four weeks this month, Wii, PSP and NDS sales increased on an average sales per week basis, while the PS3 and Xbox 360 declined.

On a year-to-date basis, only the Xbox 360 and the NDS have realized unit sales increases over the same time frame last year. While overall portable hardware unit sales are down, dollar sales are up thanks to an increase in the average selling price of portable hardware generated by the higher price points of the new portable systems and bundles.

Year-to-date, the hardware category has experienced the sharpest decline in the industry, with unit sales down 10% compared to the same time period last year. Recent price cuts helped spur a one to two-month increase in unit sales, and this month's Wii sales reflect that boost, but the other platforms have not sustained the sales momentum post price reduction. It will be difficult to discern the impact of the price cut into November and December just because those are always the two best months for the industry anyway, and we'd expect to see a sizeable lift in hardware unit sales as a result of seasonality.

The PS3 exclusive game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, captured the top spot for software sales this month, selling 537K units.

Software sales decreased 18% for the month, but only 11% on a units basis. The average retail price of software decreased 8%, which led to the greater dollar sales decline.

Wii Fit Plus came in second for the month. Roughly half the sales were generated by the bundled SKU, which points to a lot of newcomers to the franchise.

The top game for the month across all platforms was NBA 2K10, at 575K units. It was a great launch for the game, outselling last year's NBA 2K9 by 60% in its launch month. Sales on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms improved substantially over last year.

The music/dance genre saw big declines this month compared to last year. The genre generated $53 million in sales as compared to $137 million last year. Both Rock Band: Beatles, and Guitar Hero 5 have the potential to be good gifting items for the holidays, so we should expect to see an uptick in sales over the next two months.

On a unit sales basis, accessories sales declined the least of any category this month. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers were the top two items for the month in both unit and dollar sales.

No real surprises on the hardware other than Wii being above DS maybe.

Uncharted 2 did well which is cool because it's a good game imo. The first game sold 117k in it's first month back in November 2007 when far fewer PS3s were out in the wild.

As the NPD statement said NBA2k10 did a lot better than last year.

FIFA 10 also did a lot better (around 50% more sales) than FIFA 09 on the 360, I think it's pretty safe to assume that is similarly true on PS3 as well given the game's reception and increase in the number of consoles out there. Another one I'm happy about, despite a few complaints (the bias toward strong players over dribblers and occasional ping-pongyness) it's quite good.

Not a great start for Band Hero.

Going by sales divided by number of consoles Borderlands did a lot better on 360 than PS3, Uncharted 2 and Demon's Souls likely had something to do with that.

I have no idea what the sales expectations were for Demon's Souls but I'd guess it sold well for that type of game?

When the DS version of GTA: Chinatown Wars only sold around 90k in it's first month this spring it caused a furor in the gaming press with journalists wondering if all "mature" games are doomed to failure on Nintendo consoles and handhelds. With the PSP version selling a mere fraction of that disappointing number and considering the impressive sales of previous GTA games on the PSP (Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories did over a million iirc - and I'm not saying I expected Chinatown Wars PSP to do anything like those numbers being a port of a DS game but under 10k is still very poor) I think it's more accurate to say (as I did back when the DS game came out) that most GTA fans became fans of the game when it went third-person/3D and did not like the switch back to top-down it made in Chinatown Wars. Somehow I doubt the PSP version doing poorly will be given the same amount of attention from the gaming media.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Some interesting indicators on console sales for the Black Friday weekend...........

Dubious Quality: Console Post Of The Week: A Buffet (http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2009/12/console-post-of-week-buffet.html)

Also, some pictures of the hype wagon going into overdrive in Japan as the Final Fantasy launch in Japan is less than two weeks away. It'll be interesting to see just how big of a boost the PS3 gets in Japan.

http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=6086&mp=1

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

For those that were looking to upgrade their Xbox 360 HDD, you might want to act now if you want a 120 GB HDD. They've discontinued that HDD in favor of a bigger one. Most stores are sold out of the 120 GB HDD, but you might be able to find one if you look around hard enough.

[Big Fo]

December numbers came out today, November ones were never posted. Here are the two biggest months of the year:


November hardware:

* NDS - 1.70M
* Wii - 1.26M
* Xbox 360 - 819,500
* PS3 - 710,400
* PSP - 293,900
* PS2 - 203,100

November software:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) .......... 4.20 million
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3) ................... 1.87 million
3. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) ........................... 1.39 million
4. Assassin's Creed II (Xbox 360) ............................... 794,700
5. Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) ....................................... 744,000
6. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) ........................................... 720,200
7. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) ................................................... 697,000
8. Assassin's Creed II (PS3) .................................... 448,400
9. Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox 360) ............................. 362,100
10. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) / Nintendo ................................. 315,000
11. Wii Play (Wii)
12. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
13. Value Game Bundle $19.99 (Wii)
14. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (NDS)
15. Dragon Age: Origins (PS3)
16. Value Game Bundle $14.99 (NDS)
17. God of War Collection (PS3)
18. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
19. Borderlands (Xbox 360)
20. Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360)

December hardware:

* Wii - 3.81 million
* NDS - 3.31 million
* PS3 - 1.36 million
* Xbox 360 - 1.31 million
* PSP - 654,700
* PS2 - 333,200

December software:

1. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii) ............................... 2.82 million
2. Wii Fit Plus (Wii) .................................................... 2.41 million
3. Wii Sports Resort (Wii) ........................................... 1.79 million
4. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) .............. 1.63 million
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3) ...................... 1.12 million
6. Wii Play (Wii) ........................................................ 1.01 million
7. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) ................................................. 936,100
8. Assassin's Creed II (Xbox 360) .................................. 783,100
9. Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) .......................................... 728,500
10. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (DS) ................. 656,700

Modern Warfare 2 on 360's first month blew Halo 3 out of the water for biggest one month sales.

Wii blew away PS2's record for most consoles sold in one month set back in December 2002 (2.7 mil). It's the first December were there were no supply constraints, there was a recent price drop, and a recently released massive hit in NSMBW but that is still an amazing number. DS was no slouch either of course.

Seeing a great platformer sell as well as NSMBW has just warms my heart. Assassin's Creed 2 and Mario & Luigi are two other really good games imo, I'm glad to see them do well also.

All of 2009:

Nintendo DS ....... 11,185,400
Wii ..................... 9,594,000
Xbox 360 ........... 4,770,700
PlayStation 3 .......4,334,600
PSP ................ 2,495,900
PlayStation 2 .... 1,799,900

2009 Software:

1. [360] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - 5.8 million
2. [WII] Wii Sports Resort - 4.5 million
3. [WII] New Super Mario Bros. Wii - 4.2 million
5. [WII] Wii Fit - 3.5 million
4. [WII] Wii Fit Plus - 3.5 million
6. [WII] Mario Kart Wii - 3.1 million
7. [WII] Wii Play with Remote - 3.1 million
8. [PS3] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - 3.0 million
9. [360] Halo 3: ODST -
10. [NDS] Pokemon Platinum Version - 2.0 million

December top 20, lifetime to date sales, sales of various other games for December to be posted when/if I come across them...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Amazing to see the worldwide numbers come through as well. Wii was obviously the dominant console as was expected, but seeing the PS3 outsell the 360 by over 1M units is pretty impressive given the discounting on both sides of that battle.

[Kodos]

All of 2009:

Nintendo DS ....... 11,185,400
Wii ..................... 9,594,000
Xbox 360 ........... 4,770,700
PlayStation 3 .......4,334,600
PSP ................ 2,495,900
PlayStation 2 .... 1,799,900



Amazing to see the worldwide numbers come through as well. Wii was obviously the dominant console as was expected, but seeing the PS3 outsell the 360 by over 1M units is pretty impressive given the discounting on both sides of that battle.

??:confused:

[Big Fo]

??:confused:

Everything I posted was USA only.

[Kodos]

Ahh...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Everything I posted was USA only.

Correct. This is just off the top of my head, but PS3 sales worldwide for December 2009 were 3.8M and 360 sales worldwide for December 2009 were 2.7-2.8M. I think Wii sales worldwide were roughly 2-2.5x the PS3 numbers.

[sterlingice]

Looks like talk of the demise of the Wii was premature. It only sold 3M and still doubled each console, outselling them combined. The top 3 games were Wii games as were 5 of the top 7.

SI