Console Wars
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Dec NPD: Xbox 360 outsells PS3 by 2:1
You can let go of all that anxiety you've been experiencing while waiting for December's NPD sales figures to be released, because we have 'em and are nice enough to share.For December, the NPD group is reporting that the Xbox 360 performed as expected, selling a satisfying 1.44 million units which is double that of the Playstation 3's 726K, but way (way, way) below the Wii's 2.15 million in sales. 360 software sales also did well, with World at War taking the number two spot with 1.33 million copies, Gears 2 selling an additional 745K and Left 4 Dead selling a very respectable 629K.Make your way towards the break for a complete listing of December's NPD hardware and software sales as well as 2008's top ten best selling games. We won't ruin all the sales surprises, but will tell you that a certain Grand Theft Auto IV was the Xbox 360's best selling game in '08.
Greenberg talks up MS strategy, 2009 lineup
In an interview with G4TV, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg had quite a lot to say about the Xbox 360's performance in 2008 as well as what's in store for the future. Greenberg began by trumpeting the 2008 numbers that were released last week, also noting high sales for Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: World at War and Left 4 Dead. He then clarified that the Xbox 360 has at least a 1 million unit lead over the PS3 in Europe (by install base, not sales). When asked about the runaway success of the Wii, Greenberg stated that the two machines offered different experiences and that he saw no reason why both couldn't successful. "I look at retail outlets and car companies and airlines... you know there's more than one," said Greenberg, adding, "I think what we're finding is that there are two platforms that are clearly having success." Greenberg also reiterated his belief that Sony will have to reduce the price of the PS3 "sooner, rather than later" if the company wishes to remain competitive.Perhaps most tantalizingly, Greenberg spoke to Microsofts still nebulous lineup for 2009. He noted that while 2009 is "a big year for Halo fans" thanks to Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST, Microsoft still has plenty up its digital sleeve. Greenberg said that Microsoft prefers to "under promise and over deliver," explaining that the company likes to save announcements until a product is close to launch. He cites the NXE as an example, saying that the company kept it under wraps -- well, mostly -- until E3 2008, which preceded the November launch in the same year.And before you ask, no, he didn't drop any hints as to what said projects might be. Our guess: Alan Wake and Duke Nukem Forever will both launch this year exclusively on Xbox 360 ... on the same day.[Via VideoGamer.com]
Robbie Bach on casual gaming: 60 million songs downloaded from Live
Speaking to Variety, Microsoft's Robbie Bach discussed Microsoft's performance during 2008, specifically on how the company plans to woo casual gamers. Bach said that "people are still buying consoles" despite the poor state of the global economy, though they may buy "a little bit fewer games." Bach stated that customers "want to be entertained even when the economy is not entertaining." Bach also discussed how Microsoft is expanding its casual audience. Bach noted that the biggest drivers of the casual market for Microsoft are music gamee, such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and the new Netflix streaming application in the New Xbox Experience, which Bach says is expanding the Xbox market beyond "traditional gamers." Concerning music titles, Bach says that 60 million songs have been downloaded from Xbox Live, though we have to wonder how many of those purchases were made by casual gamers.Other subjects touched upon in the interview include Xbox Live as a business, Kodu, and the Zune. Head over to Variety for the full interview.
Analyst: 1.5 million 360s sold in December, twice as many as the PS3
Industry analyst Jesse Divnich of EEDAR just sent out his analytical estimates of this week's upcoming December NPD sales figures. And from what we can tell, December looks to have been sales-successful for the gaming industry. According to his estimates, Divnich predicts that 1.5 million Xbox 360 consoles were sold in North America with the Wii selling around 3.2 million and the Playstation 3 a much lower 700,000 units. As far as software goes, it's predicted that Xbox 360 titles sold rather well, with World at War selling an estimated 1.2 million copies in December, Gears of War 2 selling around 800,000 units and both Left 4 Dead and Prince of Persia hovering around the 500,000 unit mark. Official December NPD figures are expected to be released later this week.[Image via TimmyGUNZ]
Bach reminds us why the 360 won't get Blu-ray
The Xbox 360 Blu-ray rumors will never end, no matter how many times Microsoft denies their interest in Sony's Blu format. Now with CES in full swing and tech on everyone's mind, Microsoft's Robbie Bach got the chance to all out crush any hopes of Blu-ray coming to the Xbox 360 in any form. Mainly because it isn't a feature that gets a lot of requests. In an interview with TechFlash, Bach gave three big reasons why Blu-ray wouldn't be a good fit for the Xbox, starting with it not being a "feature we get a ton of requests for." Secondly, "it doesn't help us in the core of what Xbox does, which is in gaming. We can't have publishers produce games on Blu-ray disc." The third reason Blu-ray and Xbox will never make technology love, "it costs a lot of money." There, maybe that'll stop those pesky Blu-ray rumors from popping up. Doubt it though.[Via Kotaku]
Sony email: PS3 a great value, Xbox "a burden on the wallet"
Here's a little Friday flamebait for ya. An email from Sony made the rounds at Joystiq earlier this week, extolling the virtues of the Playstation 3, specifically its value. The email included the above chart, which makes it abundantly clear that the PS3 offers the most bang for the buck, while the Xbox 360 requires add-ons and the Wii lacks features. A choice selection from the email claims that the Xbox "requires" several add-ons that put "a burden on the wallet and adds clutter to the entertainment center." We're not really sure how the hard drive and WiFi adapter add clutter, especially considering they both attach directly to the console. Then again, we're not PR experts.We do have to hand Sony the fact that Xbox lacks built in WiFi -- the $99 adapter is a tough, oddly shaped pill to swallow -- but the other comparisons are just charming.
MS predicts a Playstation 3 price cut 'soon'
With a 28 million Xbox 360 base and keeping a sales lead over the Playstation 3, Microsoft knows that the worldwide console price cuts they enacted in 2008 have been a key component to their strategy. Something that Sony has yet to do with PS3, which Microsoft exec Aaron Greenberg finds surprising. "We absolutely expect the PS3 price drop to happen in the next couple of months," Greenberg told Edge. "We're frankly surprised it's taken this long... I would expect they'd have to move on price, sooner than later, for sure." Color us surprised as well.Continuing into 2009, Microsoft is well aware that Sony will become more aggressive in their PS3 pricing which, truth be told, is still an expensive piece of hardware for the casual market. Greenberg is right though, it's truly odd to see Sony staying firm on their pricing structure, especially with how things are playing out in the industry.[Via Eurogamer]
Xbox 360 install base surges to 28 million
Late last night, Microsoft sent word that they've reached an Xbox 360 install base milestone, announcing that by 2008's end they have been able to sell 28 million consoles worldwide. That's an increase of around 10 million consoles since last January, don'tcha know. On top of the 28 million install base news, Microsoft proudly informed us that 2008 saw an 84% increase in year-over-year online consumer spending, that the Xbox Live community has ballooned to 17 million members and that over $1 billion has been spent on Xbox Live since its launch in 2005. High fives all around!
Nielsen: 360 the second most played console of '08
The Nielson Company (the same folks who give us television ratings) just released their scientific digits for 2008's most played video game consoles. Based on console usage, calculated using a select few Nielson households and expressed in a percentage of total console usage minutes. After the data was tabulated, Nielson has awarded the Playstation 2 the most played console of 2008. But seeing that this is an Xbox centric website, the bigger news is that the Xbox 360 took home the number two spot as the second most played console of '08. Congrats! Now about that Playstation 3 and its 5th place finish behind the original Xbox. Hmm ... Playstation 2 - 31.2% Xbox 360 - 17.2% Wii - 13.4% Xbox - 9.7% Playstation 3 - 7.3% Gamecube - 4.6% "Other" - 16.2% [Via Joystiq]
Gamasutra crunches numbers, breaks down console wars
There is currently a very interesting article over at Gamasutra detailing the current state of the console wars. Beginning with the November NPD numbers and reaching all the way back to the launches of the Wii and PS3, the article breaks down the lifetime sales numbers of the three big consoles and provides some detailed analysis (graphs!). Particularly interesting is the graph of Wii and PS3 sales relative to the Xbox 360 installed base (above). The Wii managed to surpass the 360 around halfway through 2008, whereas the Playstation 3's position has remained more or less the same and is actually slightly lower as of November. The upshot is that Sony is having difficulty (in the US anyway) and the article examines what could be done to turn things around.The article also examines software sales for November as well as the unfortunate performance of EA's original titles Mirror's Edge and Dead Space. If you're even a little interested in the business side of the gaming industry, we suggest you head over to Gamasutra and check out the whole article. It's a good read.
Xbox 360 leads PS3 in Europe by 1 million units
Eurogamer reports that the latest numbers from GfK Chart-Track put Microsoft's Xbox 360 sales at about 1 million units ahead of Sony's Playstation 3 in the European territories of France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. The news comes hot on the heels of Sony claiming an overall lead "in PAL territories" of 300,000 units. Eurogamer points out, however, that PAL territories include countries outside of Europe, such as Australia. The Xbox 360 enjoyed a record month in November, which surely contributed to the current lead. Also, as Eurogamer points out, it's worth noting that the Xbox 360 launched a full year prior to the PS3, making the million unit lead seem less substantial.Of course, given the recent Xbox 360 price cut in Europe and the fact that Sony has no plans to lower the price of the Playstation 3 anytime soon, Microsoft's lead may just continue to widen.[Via openXbox360]
100 comments at least: Console attach rates
Gamasutra Ah, attach rates. We know how much you love them. Gamasutra has compiled a fascinating and pleasingly colorful set of graphs highlighting the latest known tie ratios, both for first- and third-party titles, of the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. As the article notes, tie ratio can used to gauge the "health" of a system, with a higher number indicating more games being sold for every system escaping its retail self.Comparing each system within their first 23 months on sale, the Xbox 360 had the highest third-party software tie ratio at 5.2, followed by the PS3 with 4.4 and the Wii with 3.1. The Xbox 360 has since gone on to establish a combined first- and third-party ratio of 8.1 after 35 months on the market. Interestingly, the Wii's ratio has remained quite consistent throughout 2008 -- certainly a positive result in the face of continued success in the hardware arena. Remember, a high attach ratio may sometimes indicate diminishing hardware sales, with consumers spending more on software as a system matures.
Worldwide PS3 sales beat Xbox 360 in Q2
The cool kids amongst you have already hopped down to the comments to start bragging/defending, so we know we're speaking exclusively to fact-loving nerds now. So be it. According to each company's own figures, sales of the PS3 beat the Xbox 360's in the second quarter of the fiscal year (July, August, September), moving 2.43 million and 2.2 million consoles respectively. That puts Sony at 16.84 million PS3s in the world compared to Microsoft's 24 million 360s.Though we're proud of both Sony and Microsoft and think they both did a great job in the battle for second place, we're a little surprised to see the PS3 win out. Was it residual Metal Gear momentum? Halloween magic? Something else? Share your thoughts, hopes, fears and dreams after the break.
NPD: Price cuts spur Sept. Xbox 360 sales
The September NPD hardware and software sales numbers just came in and just as our analyst friend predicted, the Xbox 360 saw a dramatic sales increase thanks to Microsoft's aggressive price cutting efforts. During the month of September, the Xbox 360 sold a pretty impressive 347.2K units while the Playstation 3 sold a (more than expected) 232.4K units and the Wii is well ... in a league of its own. It sold 687K consoles in September. As far as software goes, we're impressed at Star Wars: The Force Unleashed's numbers, selling 610K on the 360 alone and over 1 million across all platforms. The 360 also claimed four of the top software sales slots including Rock Band 2 and Mercenaries 2. Check the break for a complete listing of September NPD sales.
Analyst: 360's Sept. NPD sales best of 2008
According to video game sales analyst Jesse Divnich of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), the Xbox 360's North American sales for September were impressive, 31% better than August's NPD weekly sales numbers.Mr. Divnich just released a report estimating September's NPD sales and claims that Microsoft's 360 price cut spurred console sales in the region to the tune of 320,000 units for the month. If true, September would be the first time in 2008 where the 360 sold over 300,000 units in a month. Even better news is that September's PS3 sales are estimated to be around 215,000 units or less. Official NPD sales numbers release October 16th, so here's hoping that the 360 reaches or eclipses these sales estimates.
MS's Ballmer claims 360 is an 'unqualified success'
In an interview with Mercury News, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was happy to acknowledge the Xbox 360's success and also wanted to make it clear that the recent 360 price cuts had absolutely nothing to do with console sales. "Xbox is an unqualified success" said Ballmer, adding "the product is selling very well" and that "the Xbox is an absolute home run." And when Mercury News pushed the point a bit further, asking whether or not a 360 price cut was a last ditch effort to spur console sales, Ballmer responded with an emphatic "no" saying "that's the craziest thing I've ever heard anybody say. All consoles start at higher prices. They always come down through the long cycle." Word!There you have it, an Xbox 360 sales status report from Mr. Microsoft himself. We say, preach on Ballmer and don't let anyone mock you for sporting pink boxing gloves. Ever.
UK retailers expect big demand for Xbox 360 post price cut
A number of top retail executives in the UK have spent time with a Magic 8-ball and all agree, the Xbox 360 could be huge this holiday following its upcoming price cut."The timing is excellent, and we'll work closely with Microsoft to give customers all the product and advice they need in the run up to Christmas," Tricia Brennan, MD of Game UK, told GamesIndustryBiz. While the executives from GAME, HMV and top indie retailers could only speculate that a budget Xbox 360 could deal a blow to Sony this holiday, they do agree that the current economic climate may play a factor for those in search of cheap entertainment. "I think prematurely devaluing the market is a danger, but the reality is the economic down turn is not going to go away tomorrow so anything which combats the rising prices of living helps the entertainment market as a whole and we'll see the benefits of this price cut way into 2009 reflecting in software sales," offered Steve O'Brien, of respected indie stores Action Replay and Gameshop.Beginning September 19, the Xbox 360 Arcade will be priced at GBP 129.99, the Xbox 360 (Premium) unit will sell for 169.99 and the Xbox 360 Elite will be reduced to GBP 229.99.
August NPD: 360 regains sales lead over PS3
August's NPD video game sales numbers are in and, unlike the 360's depressing July NPD showing, there's actually some good news to report. That good news being that the Xbox 360 was finally able to outsell the Playstation 3 after months of taking the back seat in sales.For the month of August, again Nintendo reigned supreme in both the handheld and console markets, selling 518,300 DS' and 453,000 Wiis. The battle for second place in the console market was heated, but like we said, Microsoft was able to sell 195,200 Xbox 360 consoles narrowly passing the PS3's 185,400 unites. Also, keep in mind that the 360's recent price cuts and their effect on sales are not part of August's NPD tabulations seeing the the cuts went to effect in September. And, quickly, looking at the software side of things, Madden 09 sold crazy well on all platforms and both Too Human and SoulCalibur IV made the top ten. Complete August NPD hardware and software sales after the break.
Rumor: Xbox 360's defect rate was as high as 68%
According to VentureBeat's own Dean Takahashi and his numerous insider sources, 68% of all the early manufactured Xbox 360 consoles were defective and Microsoft knew it. Takahashi does mention that it's common industry knowledge that "early yields on electronic goods are almost always lousy", but in the case of the 360, the problem was never fixed and production of the defective consoles went as planned. Because, you know, Microsoft had launch plans to stick to.Again, this is all rumor seeing that Microsoft would never admit to such knowledge or such high defective rate numbers, but let's say they knew that 68% of all their consoles had a potential for failure. If so, shame on them, but we think they learned their lesson.[Via Eurogamer]
Microsoft settling in for second place?
OK, fanboys, before you hit that spittle-flecked "post comment" button after just reading that inflammatory headline question, hear us out. We're not just idly speculating here -- we're basing our query on an unusually frank quote from Microsoft Senior Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Business Don Mattrick. In an interview with BusinessWeek, Mattrick said that he's "not at a point where I can say we're going to beat Nintendo." Coming from a guy whose job it is to promote Microsoft's position in the market, that's a pretty big admission of doubt. It's not just Mattrick that's doubtful-- analyst Billy Pidgeon told the magazine, "I expect the 360 to remain in second place this generation. But it's going to be close."The question, then, becomes how much this sales position really matters. Microsoft's sales might fall just shy of Nintendo's, but that doesn't seem to be hurting the company's ability to attract big-name games or roll out new features for the system. In fact, with Nintendo's decidedly less powerful system catering to a decidedly different audience, Microsoft's position relative to Nintendo might not matter nearly as much as their position relative to Sony. And on that score Mattrick has no doubt: "We will sell more consoles this generation than Sony," he told BusinessWeek.
