May console sales #'s

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Has anyone seen the reports that Microsoft phone representatives are currently telling people who need their 360's repaired that it may take some time to get them shipping boxes because they're out of boxes? Certainly not any new information as it's pretty well know that the failure rate is pretty high on the 360, but that's just way out of hand if true.

I do have to give kudos to Microsoft's PR wing as they have somehow found a way to minimize the exposure of the failure rates of that system. That is no small feat.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Bee

He's actually a marketer for Microsoft using reverse psychology to destroy the sales of the PS3...and it seems to be working.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the $600 price tag is hurting the sales of the system. I can't take any credit.

[Bee]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that the $600 price tag is hurting the sales of the system. I can't take any credit.

And he's modest too!!!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Bee

And he's modest too!!!

In related news, I was the one that forced Paris Hilton back to court this morning.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

So the Sony execs have gone from making stupid comments to making 'duh' comments:

Quote from the SCEE president:

"Our big bangs will be arriving around September and October; Phil [Harrison] will be announcing these at a later date, but they will probably be in the arena of social gaming as well as more traditional games."

1. Don't most big games come out in that timeframe for the holiday season? I'm not sure this is a groundbreaking comment.

2. Social games = Home or Little Big Planet
Traditional games = Ratchet and Clank?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Has anyone else seen this latest marketing video/commercial? Someone has seriously lost their marbles at Sony in regards to who they use for marketing.

http://dubiousquality.blogspot.com/2...f-control.html

[albionmoonlight]

Based on the discussion of those commercials, I am not going to click on them at work.

But is that description accurate? Are those actually commericals for the PlayStation?

And, if so, Sony should make sure that someone in its gaming division did not make a Randolph & Mortimer Duke type of bet: "I bet you $1 that I can take the most respected name in console gaming and tank it in one generation . . . ."

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Based on the discussion of those commercials, I am not going to click on them at work.

But is that description accurate? Are those actually commericals for the PlayStation?

And, if so, Sony should make sure that someone in its gaming division did not make a Randolph & Mortimer Duke type of bet: "I bet you $1 that I can take the most respected name in console gaming and tank it in one generation . . . ."

Basically, the clip mentioned is an uncut version of a 20 minute commercial. It's only intended for the internet. The commercials that you'll likely see are just 30 sec. snippits of that full-length piece. I think the intent of the piece is to show that there are all kinds of people on the Home network or on PS3, but they really went WAY out of bounds with this one.

[MJ4H]

Yeah I saw it the other day. Sony has gone looney tunes.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by MattJones4Heisman

Yeah I saw it the other day. Sony has gone looney tunes.

100% accurate. Insanity.

[sabotai]

Remember when video game commercials talked about video games? Those were the days...

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Remember when video game commercials talked about video games? Those were the days...

And had actual game footage in the commercial. There's a podcast called the 'Cheap Ass Gamer Podcast' or CAGcast for short. They play audio of old video game commercials at the end of each of their podcasts. It's always funny to hear a commercial stating how action packed the Soccer game for the Atari 2600 is while you listen to the bleeps and bloops in the background. Pure gold.

[KWhit]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Based on the discussion of those commercials, I am not going to click on them at work.

But is that description accurate? Are those actually commericals for the PlayStation?

And, if so, Sony should make sure that someone in its gaming division did not make a Randolph & Mortimer Duke type of bet: "I bet you $1 that I can take the most respected name in console gaming and tank it in one generation . . . ."

I guess they figured that the dead goats they previously used to sell the PS3 weren't edgy enough.

That is some high-quality management they have over at Sony.

[Big Fo]

NPD numbers as found on a different messageboard and this site-

Games:

331k NDS POKEMON DIAMOND VERSION
314k WII MARIO PARTY 8
249k PS2 SPIDER-MAN 3
238k NDS POKEMON PEARL VERSION
227k WII PLAY W/ REMOTE
217k 360 FORZA MOTORSPORT 2
184k 360 GUITAR HERO 2 W/ GUITAR
140k 360 SPIDER-MAN 3
138k 360 COMMAND & CONQUER 3: TIBERIUM WARS
131k PS2 GUITAR HERO 2 W/GUITAR

Consoles:

[NDS] 423k
[WII] 338k
[PSP] 221,120
[PS2] 187,765
[360] 155k
[PS3] 81,604
[GBA]80,554
[GCN] 10,728

Wii outsells PS3 and XBox360 combined. The PS3 and XBox360 are still screaming for price drops, it seemed to have worked quite well for the PSP.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Just added them up, but keep in mind VGChartz is usually higher than NPD. The 360 in the last 5 weeks (the 4 ending in May and the first one ending in June), sold 301,158 units. The PS3 sold 98,538. The PS2 sold 291,350. Looks like May might be the first month the 360 outsold the PS2, if May is a 5 week reporting month for NPD, that is.

Looks like according to the NPD, the PS2 still outsold the 360 for the month of May. Also, it looks like the price drop for the PSP moved some units.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by twothree

Looks like according to the NPD, the PS2 still outsold the 360 for the month of May.

Yeah, VGChartz overestimated the 360 numbers by 40%, but only overestimated the PS2 numbers by 10%. http://www.vgchartz.com/news/news.php?id=356

It also seems like May was a 4 week reporting period, not a 5 week.

[Mota]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Sony is now offering rewards for Gamestop locations that sell PS3's......

http://www.gamersreports.com/news/58...ing-ps3-units/

BEST CONSOLE EVAH!!!!

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Another yawner of a month. There's been some dry months regarding games in past years, but this has to be one of the worst spring/summer years ever. There is absolutely NOTHING to play. It should heat up in a little over a month, but it's brutal right now.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Another yawner of a month. There's been some dry months regarding games in past years, but this has to be one of the worst spring/summer years ever. There is absolutely NOTHING to play. It should heat up in a little over a month, but it's brutal right now.

Try telling that to Forza 2 owners

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by twothree

Looks like according to the NPD, the PS2 still outsold the 360 for the month of May. Also, it looks like the price drop for the PSP moved some units.

I was about to say "Wow, the PSP showing some life" until I remembered that fact. Due to its high price point and lack of quality games, that bump will be short lived unless there's something to take advantage of it.

SI

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Try telling that to Forza 2 owners

True. That is the one that did come out that does look awfully nice. The roster updates for football from EA are coming out as well for those that are into it. Overall though, the new games have been miserable. All systems are expecting an abundance of games starting in August/September through the end of the year, so I guess the best thing to do is just stash away your money and wait for a couple of months.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I was about to say "Wow, the PSP showing some life" until I remembered that fact. Due to its high price point and lack of quality games, that bump will be short lived unless there's something to take advantage of it.

SI

There's rumors of a PSP 'lite' redesign that may provide another boost. No word on when it will come out. The one saving grace for Sony right now is that their PSP and PS2 consoles are exceeding sales forecasts at this point.

[Eaglesfan27]

Not a surprise, but it looks like a PS3 price cut is going to happen some time this year:

CEO: Sony 'refining' PS3 price

Sir Howard Stringer pondering just how much he can afford to knock off the PS3's price tag to boost sales.

By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Jun 15, 2007 3:33 am PT


A price cut for the PlayStation 3 got closer to reality today. Sony chairman and CEO Sir Howard Stringer has told the Financial Times that he is aware that there is "no question" that consumers want a lower price
tag.

Stringer praised the success of rival Nintendo's latest console, the Wii, saying that the company "has been a successful enterprise, and a very good business model compared with ours." However, he vehemently disagreed that the Wii was more fun to play. "No, no, no, no," the executive replied to the question. He also attributed much of the difference in sales between the two consoles as due to the fact that the Wii was significantly cheaper, and that the two systems were "complementary and supplementary," to each other, and not in direct competition.

In light of this, Stringer confirmed that Sony would be looking to cut the price of the PS3--he gave no specific amount, but indicated that the company was looking to make a decision about this before the holiday season. He said, "[The amount of the price cut] is what we are studying at the moment. That's what we are trying to define."

The Sony CEO said that he "was not worried" about the PS3 at all. He said, "While [it seems] people haven't bought as many PS3s, it is no different from the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation in terms of sales." Stringer pointed out that the PS3 was following the sales path of the previous two consoles, both of which over time ended up with market dominance.

Stringer added that current games for the console were using only 20 percent or so of the machine's capabilities. "Once they use the full bandwidth the games experience is stunning...it's dazzling."

[oykib]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

The Sony CEO said that he "was not worried" about the PS3 at all. He said, "While [it seems] people haven't bought as many PS3s, it is no different from the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation in terms of sales." Stringer pointed out that the PS3 was following the sales path of the previous two consoles, both of which over time ended up with market dominance.

Stringer added that current games for the console were using only 20 percent or so of the machine's capabilities. "Once they use the full bandwidth the games experience is stunning...it's dazzling."

Crackhead quote of the month.

[SackAttack]

oykib, put it in perspective.

If the PS1 and PS2 both sold 3 million units in their first six months, and the PS3 has done the same thing, then that's factually true.

If the Xbox 360 has 10 million units installed, the Wii has 8 million units installed, and the PS3 has 3 million units installed, that's ALSO factually true.

It looks like it hasn't sold well relative to the others, but on a pure numbers basis, it has sold as well as the PS1/PS2 did.

There is not, however, sufficient evidence to extrapolate that PS3 will therefore dominate as the first two did.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

oykib, put it in perspective.

If the PS1 and PS2 both sold 3 million units in their first six months, and the PS3 has done the same thing, then that's factually true.

If the Xbox 360 has 10 million units installed, the Wii has 8 million units installed, and the PS3 has 3 million units installed, that's ALSO factually true.

On a life-to-date basis, the hardware install bases in the U.S. now look like this at the end of April (May numbers not included)(taken from this article http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=16199 ):

PS2 – 38.2 million
GBA – 35.7 million
GameCube – 11.7 million
Nintendo DS – 10.9 million
PSP – 7.4 million
Xbox 360 – 5.4 million
Wii – 2.5 million
PS3 – 1.3 million

Does anyone know what the final US install base was for the PS1? Was it close to the PS2's still growing 38.2 million?

[SackAttack]

Found a forum where a guy had been posting sales numbers, both worldwide and regional. I presume from reading that those are NPD sales figures, and he's got 40.78 million PSone units installed in North America as of the end of 2004.

That's gotta be pretty close to 'final,' because I just haven't seen new PSone systems available much after about 2002.

[SackAttack]

Dola,

same thread I read is claiming 5.5 million PS3s sold worldwide to 5.82 million Wii's.

Am I the only one calling shenanigans?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

New bundle being released for Japan next month. Their going to package the new Hot Shots Golf game with the systems. Demand is high for this game as over 300,000 units have already been preordered over a month before the release of the game. FolkSouls, a RPG that the Japanese have also been targeting with lots of preorders, also comes out this coming week. Should be interesting to see what kind of boost in console sales occurs with the release of these two games and the bundle deal.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/797/797919p1.html

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

More game news for the consoles. Looks like Unreal Tournament 3 will be a timed exclusive on the PS3. Epic is upset with Microsoft because they are not allowing users to create mod content on Xbox Live, so they are going to go ahead with release on the PS3 and PC and release later on the 360 when they have the issues sorted out.

Rumor: Unreal Tournament 3 - PS3 Exclusive…timed *UPDATED*

Epic’s ability to create games of AAA quality is unrivaled, making them a perfect partner for Streamline Studios digital content service. Unreal Tournament 3 will be the fifth next-generation that epic has worked in this generation.


Today a rumor has started that the much anticipated game which was previously announced on the Xbox360 and PC and later on the ps3 will be a timed exclusive on the ps3. More Details shall be unraveled at E3 this year.


UPDATE 1
http://www.gametrailers.com/bonusround.php?ep=6&pt=1 part 1 about Xbox live

http://www.gametrailers.com/bonusround.php?ep=6&pt=2 part 2 about PSN network

Geoff Keighley basically confirmed this last week. According to him it is because Sony is allowing user created mods, and Microsoft thinks it could be used to undermine their Xbox Live service. He says PC and PS3 versions release at the same time, and the 360 is coming sometime later after they sort out some issues.


UPDATE 2

In fact, he was very positive on Sony’s open attitude to networked content compared to the Xbox 360 - he commented of Microsoft’s platform: “Unfortunately it’s more of a closed platform,” and even noted that Microsoft seems to be “quite negative toward user-created content” under certain circumstances Epic has encountered.

He notes that the mod community was “an essential part of [Epic’s] success”, and commented: “We would love to transfer this mod community over to the console platforms.” Of course you’ll need a PC to create levels for the upcoming UT2007 for PS3/PC, but Sweeney believes that everything will be in place so that modders can make new levels on the PC, “download them to the PlayStation 3, and distribute them online.”

[spleen1015]

Not bad for a gimmick, eh?

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6172790...stnews;title;0

Kyoto, Japan-based Nintendo's shares, driven by the success of the DS and the Wii, closed up 1.4 percent today in Tokyo at 44,500 yen (approximately $360).

The latest growth in the share price now brings the Mario Factory's market capitalisation--i.e. cumulative value of its stock--to 6.30 trillion yen ($51 billion), reports Reuters. This takes it past Panasonic parent Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.'s 6.23 trillion yen ($50 billion) and has it closing in on Sony's 6.64 trillion yen ($54 billion).

Over the last two years, Sony's stock has gained 72 percent, outperforming the Nikkei's average of 59 percent. Nintendo shares have also jumped--some 300 percent over the same time period.

Analysts reacted to the news positively. KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said, "Nintendo is a market leader in everything it does now, which is basically the handheld as well as the console gaming market. We haven't seen Nintendo being a market leader in both products in over a decade."

Ichiyoshi Investment Management chief fund manager Mitsushige Akino said, "I think Nintendo is bound to overtake Sony (in market capitalisation)."

[gstelmack]

And there's a reason Live has much less of a problem with hacking and cheating than Sony's service...

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Has anyone seen the reports that Microsoft phone representatives are currently telling people who need their 360's repaired that it may take some time to get them shipping boxes because they're out of boxes? Certainly not any new information as it's pretty well know that the failure rate is pretty high on the 360, but that's just way out of hand if true.

I do have to give kudos to Microsoft's PR wing as they have somehow found a way to minimize the exposure of the failure rates of that system. That is no small feat.

As someone who just went through the repair process (my original launch box finally kicked the bucket), I'll comment:

Took about 10 days from my phone call to a shipping box arriving. Took about 2 weeks from the time I sent that box back until my new console arrived.

In the box was a card for a one month Xbox Live Gold subscription, which I used to extend mine, along with a letter apologizing profusely and a survey about the experience to send back.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

And there's a reason Live has much less of a problem with hacking and cheating than Sony's service...

Yeah, I can certainly understand that. I'm honestly not a big online player, so I don't care one way or the other as it doesn't affect my gaming experience. I do find it interested that a company would penalize MS (in the form of a timed release) for keeping tighter standards on their products. Some people like it one way, some like it the other. The PS3 has always been seen as a more customizable console due to options like the ability to add the operating systems to the console, so I suppose the mods fit into what Sony would like their console to be in that sense.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

As someone who just went through the repair process (my original launch box finally kicked the bucket), I'll comment:

Took about 10 days from my phone call to a shipping box arriving. Took about 2 weeks from the time I sent that box back until my new console arrived.

In the box was a card for a one month Xbox Live Gold subscription, which I used to extend mine, along with a letter apologizing profusely and a survey about the experience to send back.

Geez. Did you have another console to keep you busy for that month?

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Yeah, I can certainly understand that. I'm honestly not a big online player, so I don't care one way or the other as it doesn't affect my gaming experience. I do find it interested that a company would penalize MS (in the form of a timed release) for keeping tighter standards on their products. Some people like it one way, some like it the other. The PS3 has always been seen as a more customizable console due to options like the ability to add the operating systems to the console, so I suppose the mods fit into what Sony would like their console to be in that sense.

What about the XBOX toolkit that allows you to write software for it?

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Geez. Did you have another console to keep you busy for that month?

Sort of. We have a pair of gaming PCs connected on a LAN, so we've been playing Titan Quest while waiting for the 360 to return so we could finish Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

Don't overlook the 1 month live card. It's only worth about $5, but they did give me something in return for my troubles...

[Chubby]

F this new expensive crap, I just bought me two brand new SNES controllers for my FC Twin

Total cost $16+tax

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Sony announced 145 games should be available for the PS3 by March '08 (105 boxed and 40 downloadable). It will also be interesting to see which Euro games will be available that won't be sold in the U.S. since the PS3 is region-free.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26024

Sony confirms 145 PS3 games for US before March
Mark Androvich 23:55 (BST) 21/06/2007
At least 15 first-party games due in fiscal year

Sony has promised PlayStation 3 owners that at least 145 titles are on the way to the US, which includes approximately 40 PSN titles and more than 105 boxed games.

The clarification follows Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai's recent statement promising 380 titles within the fiscal year ending March 2008.

According to an SCEA spokesman, Hirai was citing international figures.

The number of first-party titles announced for fiscal 2007 stands at 15, including Heavenly Sword, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, LAIR, Little Big Planet, Eye of Judgment, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

Third-party titles currently scheduled for fiscal 2007 include Coded Arms: Assault, Metal Gear Solid 4, and Ninja Gaiden Sigma.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Anybody else see this? It seems like Sony and MS handle PR quite differently. Sony ends up saying far too much and ends up putting their foot in their mouth. Microsoft says very little and acts like the problems aren't there.

Here's an interview with the hardware head at MS about the unusually high amount of console failures. Never fear.......he wants to make the customer happy.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/200..._failures.html

A Q&A with Todd Holmdahl, the hardware guy at Microsoft, about Xbox 360 failures
By Dean Takahashi
Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 9:01 pm in Dean Takahashi, Dean and Nooch on Gaming, General.

I can’t imagine that gamers who have defective Xbox 360s would have a great time talking with Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of Gaming and Xbox Products Group. He’s ultimately responsible for the quality of the game console, having spearheaded the hardware side of both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360. Holmdahl has appeared in both my books as a critical figure involved in getting the consoles off the ground. He came from the Microsoft Hardware division that makes mice and keyboards. Holmdahl doesn’t really acknowledge many mistakes in the Xbox 360 launch, as you’ll see in the interview that follows. He ran the teams that are responsible for designing and manufacturing the console. I think there are a lot more answers to discover to the questions that I posed to Holmdahl. We’ll see if the real answers shake loose from other sources.



Q: What is the post-mortem on Xbox 360 manufacturing? How has it turned out for you?

A: Like any other post mortem, there are some things you would have done differently that you learned and that you incorporate back into your processes. Overall, it was really smoothe compared to the complexity of the product we were building.



Q: The ramp of the Xbox 360 compared to the original Xbox. Was it similar or different?

A: Having lived through both of those, I remember both very well. Both were very complex products. State of the art technology. They were relatively similar in the ramp complexity and ramp speed. Exciting stuff. You and I had a conversation about this around November, 2005.



Q: I’m sure you’ve seen some of these complaints that we’ve written about from the guy who went through seven machines. There are a lot of people posting on the blog saying they still have problems. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that the quality of the Xbox 360 isn’t there. How can you paint the bigger picture for me there?

A: We’re very proud of the box. We think the vast majority of people are having just a great experience. You look at the number of games they are buying, the number of accessories they are buying, the Live attach. They love the box. They continue to buy the box. That said, we take any customer issue very seriously. We continue to look into these things very deeply. You have seen we have made some changes to our customer service policy.



Q: Do you still say that is a normal return rate for the console?
A: We continue to say the vast majority of the people are really happy with it.



Q: I’ve heard varying accounts of what is considered a normal return rate. Some people say that 2 percent is normal. Sometimes 3 percent to 5 percent is considered normal. Back to that question, can you address whether you are within those rates or within a normal rate.

A: We don’t disclose the actual number.



Q: Normal compared to the Xbox?

A: We don’t comment on that.



Q: What explains this anecodotal evidence that it’s out of whack, compared to the Wii or the PlayStation 3 or other consoles.

A: I would go back and say the vast majority of people love their experience. We continue to go back and address all of these issues on a case by case basis. There is a vocal minority out there. We go off and try to address their issues as quickly and as pain free as possible.



Q: There were some folks, who are not totally guessing, who said that when you had three million consoles in the market, you have a bone pile of bad ones. That seems to suggest a pretty high defect rate as far as the yield goes. Can you address that?

A: We don’t talk about our production.



Q: Can you say anything about the yield? Do you have a good yield? Can you say anything about the yield?

A: The important thing here is that each product that comes out of the factory is rigorously tested. To ensure highest quality for our customer.



Q: The one thing I notice is that if you don’t have a good yield, it come back and totally mess up the business model. If you are counting on a billion dollars in profits and you don’t have a good yield, where it’s like 80 percent, there goes that extra billion dollars in profit. I take it that yield is very key. It’s really important.

A: You focus on a whole bunch of different metrics. Yield is one we focus on very closely. I think if you take at what Robbie Bach has been saying for his business, it’s that the Entertainment & Devices Group will be profitable in fiscal year 2008. That is what we are targeting right now.



Q: If you have a high defect rate, won’t that ruin the business model? Won’t that ruin the profit?

A: I would say we don’t have a high defect rate. The vast majority of people are really excited about their product, and that we are targeting profitability for next year.



Q: Can you say whether the yield ramp was any better this time around?

A: We don’t comment on that.



Q: You guys did get rid of Wistron. Was that related to product quality?

A: We didn’t get rid of Wistron. It was a voluntary decision between the two of us. We try to run as efficient as possible. With our supply base the way it is now, two high quality contract manufacturers satisfy our needs.



Q: There is talk you are going to 65 nanometer chips. Can you talk about the significance of that?

A: We continue to redesign the box, continue to drive costs out. We don’t talk about the specifics of it.



Q: If you make a jump in a chip generation like that, from 90nm to 65nm, does that give you the opportunity to do a lot of things like totally resetting the quality level, totally resetting the costs?

A: Whether it is 90nm or 65nm, we have a high quality bar we target.



Q: Does the quality automatically get better if you go from 90nm to 65nm?

A: The quality is good at both of those.



Q: If it’s early or late, what’s the significance of having 65nm six months early or six months late?

A: We don’t comment on what we’re doing internally.



Q: It seems like the obvious chance to do something new. For example, does it give you a chance to do the Xbox 360 Elite?

A: You know the business as well as I do. The design is essentially the same clock for clock as the previous version. It has to perform similarly to what was done in the past, as we go through this thing. We continue to drive the same levels of quality, to increase the quality if possible, and to ensure the customer has the best experience possible.



Q: If you take the main chips from 90nm to 65nm, do you get accompanying benefits in the rest of the system? Does the board itself get smaller?

A: That’s a really good point, Dean. When you do these designs, you’re looking at the CPU or the GPU, or just one specific internal component, as we continue to look through it, we look at it as a complete system. We make sure the components work with the system, delivers the right levels of performance, and operates at the right voltage to perform at the levels we want it to perform at.



Q: There was a surge of supplies in the spring of 2006. Did that mark any particular advance in manufacturing? Was that Celestica coming online?

A: We hold as confidential our production ramp. It’s not something we talk about.



Q: I remember one of the warranty coverage changes was to offer a different kind of warranty for any of the machines made in 2005. Or any of the machines bought in 2005. It sounds like you learned something between 2005 and 2006.

A: Out of warranty repairs were for early production batches coming out of the lots in 2005. We addressed that as part of that policy or that issue.



Q: That wasn’t due to a specific thing. Was it due to the graphics memory?

A: There were no systematic issues that we responded to when we first offered that warranty.



Q: Your returns as a category. Is there any No. 1 reason for a return?

A: There are no systematic issues. The vast majority of the people just love the product, have a great experience with it. When there is an issue, we get on it and address it as quickly as possible.



Q: Was there any issue here where I didn’t ask it the right way but you could say something.

A: The overriding thing, Dean, is that people have the product, they love the product, it continues to sell well. The stuff we talked about with Live has been very successful. The game attach has been very successful. The accessory attach. We are absolutely committed to delivering a high quality experience. When people do have issues, the leadership team works to make sure that those issues are dealt with as pain free as possible. We go out of our way to try to ensure that happens.



Q: At this moment, I consider this to be your critical issue for this whole generation. What can you say about that.

A: My job is to make sure the customer is happy. This is certainly part of making sure the customer is happy. We have other things. You saw the release of the spring update. I certainly view customer happiness as one of my No. 1 responsibilities.

[TroyF]

Earnhardt Jr. will be sponsoring Sony next year in NASCAR. Actually a pretty good move for Sony and it could help the PS3 line.

MS has made their fair share of mistakes as well. (the first being not stomping on Sony's throat by making a price cut NOW)

Still, I'd say they have a long way to go to get to the level of ineptitude Sony has shown.

[twothree]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Anybody else see this? It seems like Sony and MS handle PR quite differently. Sony ends up saying far too much and ends up putting their foot in their mouth. Microsoft says very little and acts like the problems aren't there.

Here's an interview with the hardware head at MS about the unusually high amount of console failures. Never fear.......he wants to make the customer happy.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/200..._failures.html

LOL. That is some funny stuff. His replies remind me of a chatterbot with a very limited database.

[MikeVic]

What a crappy interview.

[CraigSca]

That was a waste of time. The MS guy didn't say anything, but the interviewer kept on asking the same line of questions. Couldn't they have spared everyone and given sample questions beforehand to learn that the interviewee wouldn't be forthcoming with anything?

[gstelmack]

While home sick yesterday, I got to watch the G4TV Golden Mullet awards. Was fun with them showing "gameplay" footage of Gundam Mobile Suit: Whatever for the PS3 from E3, then showing the final shipping game. Was interesting to see the discrepancy between what was used to push the PS3 quality at E3 and what finally made it into an actual shipping game.

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Earnhardt Jr. will be sponsoring Sony next year in NASCAR. Actually a pretty good move for Sony and it could help the PS3 line.

MS has made their fair share of mistakes as well. (the first being not stomping on Sony's throat by making a price cut NOW)

Still, I'd say they have a long way to go to get to the level of ineptitude Sony has shown.

Heard, that Jr. signed an endorsement deal with Sony, but nothing about his car being sponsored by them. Am I misinterpreting what you are saying?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

That was a waste of time. The MS guy didn't say anything, but the interviewer kept on asking the same line of questions. Couldn't they have spared everyone and given sample questions beforehand to learn that the interviewee wouldn't be forthcoming with anything?

The MS guy is quite aware of the giant elephant in the room. He knows what everyone else does: If the actual failure numbers for the 360 actually ever came to light, it would be a PR nightmare/disaster for Microsoft.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

While home sick yesterday, I got to watch the G4TV Golden Mullet awards. Was fun with them showing "gameplay" footage of Gundam Mobile Suit: Whatever for the PS3 from E3, then showing the final shipping game. Was interesting to see the discrepancy between what was used to push the PS3 quality at E3 and what finally made it into an actual shipping game.

That game was terrible. There's a long list of embarrassing games on all three major consoles at this point. I think part of the reason that people need/want the big games like Halo, MGS, FF, Mario, etc. is because the quality of the majority of the 3rd party games is really bad right now. At least they know what they're likely to get with the major titles.

[sachmo71]

Add one more to the Wii sales totals.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

Add one more to the Wii sales totals.

Plenty of them in stock where you were? Some people say they still can't get them, but there's multiple stores with them in stock in my area.