Jump to content
N-Europe

Recommended Posts

Posted

The best thing the PS4 ever did was get the fuck out of the way and provide a no-bullshit platform for games.

 

It's basically a cheap PC for 'filthy casuals'. I love it.

Posted (edited)

I think it would've been closer if Microsoft hadn't initially tried to go with the policy of restricting used games, DRM etc. I do think this made consumers have a lack of faith in them. This little bit of mis-trust snowballed on them, especially when Sony came out at E3 and confirmed there'd be no such policies with PS4... that they got such a reaction for just carrying on what was the norm showed the hurt that Microsoft would suffer.

 

Don't get me wrong, as I said it would've been closer, but Sony ticked all the boxes with what they were doing and how they approached both the consumer and developer. I don't think it's the console per se which is why they're doing so well, it's the thought process and relationships built in the background as well as how they've conveyed their message to the consumer that has boded so well for them.

Edited by Kav
Posted
I think it would've been closer if Microsoft hadn't initially tried to go with the policy of restricting used games, DRM etc. I do think this made consumers have a lack of faith in them. This little bit if mis-trust snowballed on them, especially when Sony came out at E3 and confirmed there'd be no such policies with PS4... that they got such a reaction for just carrying on what was the norm showed the hurt that Microsoft would suffer.

 

Don't get me wrong, as I said it would've been closer, but Sony ticked all the boxes with what they were doing and how they approached both the consumer and developer. I don't think it's the console per se which is why they're doing so well, it's the thought process and relationships built in the background that has boded well for them mostly.

 

I think the price difference was another major factor. The XBOne is selling a lot better now that it's down to PS4 levels. The problem is that the damage has already been done.

 

It will be interesting to see how this year pans out for Microsoft. They must have taken a bit hit to get the price down and take the Kinect out of the box. The Halo brand has been somewhat tarnished due to the MCC being a total train wreck. Gears of War is still no where to be seen ( although I think we may see a collection of 1-3 this year ) and Rare are still being quiet about what's going on over there.

 

The console could do with a big exclusive to sway consumers and the longer they leave it, the harder it will become to get people on board. I'm expecting big things from them at E3 and hopefully they won't get any leaks, unlike the past few years. Baffles me how they continue to let that happen.

Posted

Microsoft also went with Kinect, adding £80 over the cost of the PS4. That was a massive mistake, which they admitted to by getting rid of the bundled Kinect to bring the price down. That basically comes back to what I was saying - PS4 didn't focus on gimmicks, giving it a pretty decent price point for a pure gaming machine.

 

Even if Microsoft had done better with the marketing/policies, their initial enforcement of Kinect and the high price point it brought would have seen the PS4 storm ahead, I reckon.

Posted

Yeah that's a good point. They thought Kinect would be a boon and would justify the higher price. In this, they made a similar mistake as Nintendo wherein they thought the casual market that the Kinect attracted would flock back. Whereas the gamer that invests most time and money into their hobby just wants the console & games and the price-point will be a big factor in their decision making. Add to that the DRM policy and compare it to what Sony's vision was, it was always going to be a clear win for Sony.

 

Kudos to Sony though, they've been very smart but still aggressive in the correct way this gen, learning from the prior gen. Microsoft have been too bullish and Nintendo were, and still are, simply stupid.

Posted

All of the above reasons are true but wasn't there one more reason? Microsoft held their E3 presentation a day before Sony in 2013 and the backlash was so huge to Microsofts decisions that Sony reportedly changed several aspects of their presentation at the last second. Namely, the used game policy. Microsoft rowed back on that decision but a lot of public perception damage had already been done. Yes the Kinect decision was another crucial point. Had Sony made their presentation first, things could have been slightly different.

 

I know Nintendo made a lot of mistakes but I'm glad now for the inclusion of the gamepad.

Posted
The idea that smash was always going to sell like it has on the 3ds regardless is simply hindsight talking. Nobody was predicting that the game would sell as well as did on a handheld. It's been such a hit that now you expect the franchise to continue on a handheld.

 

Fairly sure I was ;) I did also advocate for WiiU priority over 3DS(for the record, I don't have the 3DS version).

Posted

This weeks Japanese software and hardware sales.

 

  1. [3DS] Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker – 53,264 / NEW
  2. [PS4] Far Cry 4 – 36,239 / NEW
  3. [PS3] Tales of Zestiria – 29,487 / 370,377
  4. [3DS] Youkai Watch 2: Shinuchi – 27,566 / 2,431,812
  5. [3DS] Yowamushi Pedal – 20,510 / NEW
  6. [PS3] Far Cry 4 – 18,366 / NEW
  7. [3DS] Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – 14,108 / 2,488,766
  8. [WIU] Kirby and the Rainbow Curse – 12,867 / 45,005
  9. [3DS] Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate – 10,832 / 2,451,205
  10. [PS4] Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War – 10,219 / NEW
  11. [3DS] Super Smash Bros. for 3DS – 8,878 / 2,131,311
  12. [PS3] Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War – 7,621 / NEW
  13. [3DS] The Legend of Legacy – 6,514 / 60,488
  14. [WIU] Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – 6,398 / 576,112
  15. [PS3] Ukiyo no Shishi – 6,184 / NEW
  16. [3DS] Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy+ – 5,851 / NEW
  17. [3DS] Youkai Watch 2 – 5,425 / 3,093,812
  18. [PSV] Kokujo no Psychedelica – 5,318 / NEW
  19. [WIU] Mario Kart 8 – 5,103 / 906,468
  20. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf – 4,910 / 3,909,169

 

  1. New 3DS LL – 21,880 (20,065)
  2. PlayStation 4 – 17,392 (13,793)
  3. PlayStation Vita – 11,871 (14,991)
  4. New 3DS – 7,700 (8,028)
  5. PlayStation 3 – 7,211 (8,600)
  6. Wii U – 6,807 (7,088)
  7. 3DS LL – 3,641 (3,882)
  8. 3DS – 3,187 (3,287)
  9. PlayStation Vita TV – 521 (589)
  10. Xbox One – 222 (259)

Posted (edited)
Sony Q3 results are in and the PS4 has done the business, shipping 6.4 million in just one quarter!

 

Yep it sure has.

 

The handheld numbers are dreadful and Sony still putting PSP/Vita together is insulting.

 

All of the above reasons are true but wasn't there one more reason? Microsoft held their E3 presentation a day before Sony in 2013 and the backlash was so huge to Microsofts decisions that Sony reportedly changed several aspects of their presentation at the last second. Namely, the used game policy. Microsoft rowed back on that decision but a lot of public perception damage had already been done. Yes the Kinect decision was another crucial point. Had Sony made their presentation first, things could have been slightly different.

 

I know Nintendo made a lot of mistakes but I'm glad now for the inclusion of the gamepad.

 

I don't think the used game policy was the problem. It was all about price. Once you go over £399 you have a problem.

 

As Sony found out with the PS3 it does not matter how much percieved value you are adding, people look at £399 and are cautious to pay such amounts for a games console.

 

If MS had released a non Kinect version at launch for £349 XB1 would of been fine.

Edited by liger05
Posted
I don't think the used game policy was the problem. It was all about price. Once you go over £399 you have a problem.

 

As Sony found out with the PS3 it does not matter how much percieved value you are adding, people look at £399 and are cautious to pay such amounts for a games console.

 

If MS had released a non Kinect version at launch for £349 XB1 would of been fine.

 

I agree on the price, that's why it was a mistake to force people to buy Kinect.

Posted
Sony Q3 results are in and the PS4 has done the business, shipping 6.4 million in just one quarter!

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but that means Sony shipped more PS4's in one quarter than Nintendo have done since February 2013.

Posted
Correct me if I'm wrong but that means Sony shipped more PS4's in one quarter than Nintendo have done since February 2013.

 

Ooooh, boom! Haha

Posted

Oh man them Wii U sales are bad, I thought if anywehre, it was always at least guarenteed mild success in Japan. Could it be sustainable though? Despite the dire sales of hardware, Nintendo have managed to get quite a few million sellers on the system right? I'm a big fan of the console so just curious as to if it will have legs and ride the storm or if things are gonna end early.

 

Obviously Nintendo are going to keep it going until the next console but will they end up bringing the new console out sooner? I think it puts them in a very hard place. Releasing a console mid-way between the PS4One life-cycle will be extremely hard but it's very unlikely the U will be able to last as long as those consoles either so they'll be kind of forced into that position I think.

 

Then what happens? When the PS4One successors come, the U2 will be in a similar sticky situation and most likely underpowered in comparison, meaning yet another early console death or another stretched out, dying console.

Posted
Oh man them Wii U sales are bad, I thought if anywehre, it was always at least guarenteed mild success in Japan. Could it be sustainable though? Despite the dire sales of hardware, Nintendo have managed to get quite a few million sellers on the system right? I'm a big fan of the console so just curious as to if it will have legs and ride the storm or if things are gonna end early.

 

Obviously Nintendo are going to keep it going until the next console but will they end up bringing the new console out sooner? I think it puts them in a very hard place. Releasing a console mid-way between the PS4One life-cycle will be extremely hard but it's very unlikely the U will be able to last as long as those consoles either so they'll be kind of forced into that position I think.

 

Then what happens? When the PS4One successors come, the U2 will be in a similar sticky situation and most likely underpowered in comparison, meaning yet another early console death or another stretched out, dying console.

 

They won't end the wii u early. They will ride it out the most cost effective way possible. Expect a lifespan of 5 years or so.

 

Post Zelda I don't expect much on the development side for Wii U rather work going towards the new platform.

Posted

I'm stealing this from GAF because I'm shameful and evil.

 

Oh, and it's really interesting.

 

Between 2006 and 2010 the Wii sold in 85 million units worldwide. 5 years

Between 2011 and 2014 the Wii sold in 16 million units worldwide. 4 years

 

That's a very significant drop.

 

The PS4 sold more in a little over 1 year than the Wii sold in the last 4 years.

 

To compare:

 

Between 2006 and 2010 the PS3 sold in 48 million units worldwide. (5 years)

Between 2011 and 2014 the PS3 sold in 39* million units worldwide. (4 years)

 

Between 2005 and 2009 the 360 sold in 39 million units worldwide. (5 years)

Between 2010 and 2013 the 360 sold in 44 million units worldwide. (4 years)

 

*Number is estimated

**Numbers are rounded

Posted

The thing with those numbers is that it doesn't really tell a set story. The market is just a pool of people that buy the consoles and it doesn't really extend much beyond that pool of people.

 

The fact the Wii was so cheap and due to the controls, the thing sold like hot-cakes to the point of saturation within the market and so it was bound to stop selling anywhere near as well.

The fact the 360 & PS3 had legs is because they didn't saturate the market and then price drops made them more readily affordable so there was still room for them to keep selling.

 

If the PS4 sells 85 million in 4 years, the telling thing would to then see it's sales thereafter for the following 4 years. I don't imagine it doing much better than the Wii, if at all, as the market may well have been fully saturated by that point.

Posted

The bubble had burst and the expanded market had moved on at that point. The software also dried up pretty fast.

 

The PS3 & 360 continue to sell now ( especially the 360 ) due to the continued support on the platform. It's somthing Nintendo really need to sort out, with both the Cube and Wii suffering massively when they were preparing their next consoles. The transition period always seems rough with Nintendo consoles.

Posted (edited)
I'm stealing this from GAF because I'm shameful and evil.

 

Oh, and it's really interesting.

 

Between 2006 and 2010 the Wii sold in 85 million units worldwide. 5 years

Between 2011 and 2014 the Wii sold in 16 million units worldwide. 4 years

 

That's a very significant drop.

 

The PS4 sold more in a little over 1 year than the Wii sold in the last 4 years.

 

To compare:

 

Between 2006 and 2010 the PS3 sold in 48 million units worldwide. (5 years)

Between 2011 and 2014 the PS3 sold in 39* million units worldwide. (4 years)

 

Between 2005 and 2009 the 360 sold in 39 million units worldwide. (5 years)

Between 2010 and 2013 the 360 sold in 44 million units worldwide. (4 years)

 

*Number is estimated

**Numbers are rounded

 

 

I think a mixture of the rise of the ipad and Nintendo basically giving up on the Wii really effected sales.

 

The way Nintendo handled the end of the wii lifespan was shambolic. Just allowed it to die a slow death.

 

No doubt many wii owners ended up buying a ps3 or 360 once they saw no games being released on their wii's.

 

The PS3 & 360 continue to sell now ( especially the 360 ) due to the continued support on the platform. It's somthing Nintendo really need to sort out, with both the Cube and Wii suffering massively when they were preparing their next consoles. The transition period always seems rough with Nintendo consoles.

 

Just look at what Nintendo did with that ridiculous wii mini released. A gimped wii which offered nothing over the original wii (wasn't even too much smaller). Nobody was interested in that. The wii needed continued software releases. Nintendo need to appreciate that not everybody buys a new console straight away and expect the older console to still have software support when a new console is announced let alone released.

Edited by liger05
Posted

This weeks Japanese software and hardware sales.

 

1. [PS3] Dragon Ball Xenoverse – 44,221 / NEW

2. [PS4] Dragon Ball Xenoverse – 34,690 / NEW

3. [3DS] Youkai Watch 2: Shinuchi – 24,068 / 2,455,880

4. [3DS] Lost Heroes 2 – 20,691 / NEW

5. [3DS] Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – 12,234 / 2,501,000

6. [PS4] Far Cry 4 – 9,790 / 46,029

7. [3DS] Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate – 9,715 / 2,460,920

8. [PSV] Ebikore PhotoKano Kiss – 9,512 / NEW

9. [3DS] Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker – 9,240 / 62,505

10. [3DS] Super Smash Bros. for 3DS – 8,950 / 2,140,261

11. [PS3] Far Cry 4 – 8,513 / 26,879

12. [PS3] Tales of Zestiria – 8,225 / 378,602

13. [PS3] Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin – 7,770 / NEW

14. [WIU] Kirby and the Rainbow Curse – 7,004 / 52,009

15. [WIU] Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – 5,683 / 581,796

16. [WIU] Mario Kart 8 – 4,799 / 911,267

17. [3DS] Youkai Watch 2 – 4,777 / 3,098,589

18. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf – 4,678 / 3,913,847

19. [PSV] Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita the Best) – 3,574 / NEW

20. [3DS] Kenka Bancho 6 – 2,896 / 40,742

 

 

  1. New 3DS LL – 21,650 (21,880)
  2. PS4 – 18,758 (17,392)
  3. Vita – 10,013 (11,871)
  4. New 3DS – 7,916 (7,700)
  5. Wii U – 6,517 (6,807)
  6. PS3 – 6,426 (7,211)
  7. 3DS LL – 3,084 (3,641)
  8. 3DS – 2,642 (3,187)
  9. Vita TV – 560 (521)
  10. Xbox One – 238 (222)

×
×
  • Create New...