Console Wars
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Nintendo said Ninten-no to Project Natal in 2007?
Great balls of console wars fire! A top-level Nintendo insider has revealed that the motion-controlled gaming setup we now know as Project Natal was offered to the Japanese company way back in 2007 and promptly turned down because it was considered too expensive. We're told this decision came from supremo Satoru Iwata himself, who was worried about latency and the purported inability to sell it at "mass-market prices." This implies, of course, that 3DV Systems was fully responsible for Natal -- which Microsoft staunchly denies -- but CVG seems to consider its informant's words to be beyond suspicion. All we know for sure is that the stuff's coming, and awkwardness at house parties is about to reach a whole new level.
NPD: Wii leads video game industry to 'biggest sales month ever'
Well, what a difference a couple of months and a holiday season can make. Just after finding that the video game console market shrunk by a fifth in October, NPD is now back with a new report that finds that December was the video game industry's "biggest sales month ever." Specifically, the group found that console sales jumped 4% compared to last December, with the Nintendo Wii unsurprisingly leading the way with 3.81 million units moved (up from 2.15 million the previous year). That's followed by the collective DS offerings at 3.31 million and, somewhat surprisingly, the PlayStation 3, which racked up sales of 1.36 million (its first time cracking the one million mark) compared to the Xbox 360's 1.31 million. Of course, no one's expecting sales to stay at quite that lofty level, but NPD says that the spike in December sales might well indicate that 2010 could be a recovery year.
Sony's PlayStation marks 15th anniversary
1994. A good year for many reasons, but for gamers it's best remembered as the year Sony shook things up in a big way with its original PlayStation game console (on this day in Japan, at least -- the rest of us had to wait 'til the fall of 1995). While Sega got a slight head start with its Saturn, the Sony PlayStation's lower price and strong launch line-up of games quickly vaulted it to the top of the pack, and helped bring in the slightly older audience that 3D0 and others tried and failed to capture. Of course, the original PlayStation was also just the beginning for Sony, and the company has taken this opportunity to reminisce a bit about the entire history of the PlayStation brand on a special 15th anniversary website (linked below). Feel free to share some thoughts of your own in the comments.
Nintendo Wii has lion's share of female console gamers
Nintendo's been doing a bit of digging and it turns out it's already won the console wars. If we're only talking about the ladies, that is. A whopping 80% of American female primary gamers (the person who primarily uses the console rather than the occasional dabblers) do their thing on the Wii, which we see as a clear indication to the graphics-obsessed Xbox 360 and PS3 developers that women prefer their games to be fun to play, rather than just look at. Maybe if we also stopped dressing female characters in swimsuits, they'd find non-Wii games relatable too -- that's just a guess though, probably wrong.
NPD: Wii reclaims lead in US sales, but console gaming market shrinks by a fifth
The NPD has released its US video game industry figures for October, which reveal that total monthly revenue from hardware, software and accessories among all manufacturers fell to $1.07 billion, constituting a 19 percent drop from what the American gamer spent over the same period last year. After being toppled from its chart-leading ways in September by a price cut-boosted PS3, the Wii has regained its sales throne by chopping $50 off its own entry fee, making itself buoyant in the US, if not the world. The PS3's own sales have suffered a slump after the September euphoria, while the 360 is still wearing the dunce cap in third place. Microsoft's response has been to keep banging that drum about being the only console to show year-to-date growth, but when you're selling less than half as many consoles as Nintendo, you have to grasp at whatever straws are nearby. Speaking of Nintendo, its DS sales so far this year have continued at such a rate as to threaten its own 2008 hardware sales record -- set by the Wii -- with ten million units sold. So there you have it: Sony fails to maintain its September lead, Nintendo keeps churning, and Microsoft keeps hoping for better times ahead. Full list of figures after the break.
Stateside PS3 sales up 300% following Slim introduction
Boy, it sure likes Sony did something right slimmin' down (and slightly cripplin') that new PS3 of theirs. And sure, considering that the British picked up PlayStation 3 purchases a whopping 999%, maybe a Stateside retail bump of a "mere" 300% (for the first week after the price cut) is small potatoes. Or maybe we're just growing jaded. If this isn't great, good news enough for Sony, check it: as of August, according to a survey by GamePlan Insights, five of consumers' top 10 most-wanted games are on PS3 (including Gran Turismo 5, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III, Assassin's Creed 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2). For more exciting facts, figures, and details, check out the PR after the break. [Via Joystiq]
PS3 Slim sales up nearly 1000% in the UK, Noel quits Oasis (again)
It looks like Engadget editors aren't the only folk who prefer technology that's slimmer, cheaper, and better. According to an article at GamesIndustry.biz, a group that charts retail sales in the UK is saying that sales of the PS3 increased over 999 percent in the week since its British debut of the newer, slimmer form factor. And if that wasn't good news enough for Sony, the console has also outsold the DS, Wii and Xbox 360 by approximately 3:1. Although the last time it was the lead hardware format in the UK was the first week of 2008, the PS3 has never lagged as far behind the others as it has Stateside. But still -- a near 1000 percent increase? If true, that makes the States' 104 percent increase seem lackluster in comparison. Then again, maybe the Brits never realized that Disney Sing It! High School Musical 3 is available on platforms other than the PlayStation. That could explain a lot of things, actually...
PS3 and Xbox 360 hardware sales jump last week amid price cuts, both beat Wii for once
If you're sick of hearing your grandmother brag about how popular her chosen console is while she rocks your world in Wii Sports Bowling yet again, maybe this news will finally shut her up. Last week, thanks to a flurry of price cuts and slimming waistlines, the other two players in the console war saw significant sales boosts. Xbox 360 numbers jumped 32 percent over the week before and the PS3 was up an impressive 104 percent. That puts all three consoles neck-and-neck for the American weekly sales lead, each one close enough to 75,000 units that the margin of error more than covers the lot. But, since both price cuts officially went into effect part-way through that week, we're expecting even bigger surges ahead -- and even bigger drops from the Nintendo's offering as we get further and further away from the release of Wii Sports Resort, seemingly the last game worth playing on the thing.
PS3 vs. Xbox 360: European install base tiff muddled by murky borders
Speaking to MCV, Microsoft EMEA VP Chris Lewis has proclaimed that Xbox 360's 9-million-plus European install base trumps PS3's recently projected 10-million-and-counting base. How is that possible, you ask? Simple. "We count installed base differently," Lewis explains. Of course!In fact, Lewis takes the counting contention one step further. "We're confident we are actually around a million units ahead," he claims. While we're fairly certain both parties stick to the traditional "1, 2, 3" ... and so on convention, we suspect Lewis is arguing over just which "European" territories are at stake in this numbers game. SCEE pools its population from Europe, Australiasia and other territories outside of Japan, the rest of Asia and North America. Microsoft EMEA combines figures from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.Kinda hard to wage a console war when the opposing sides are scurrying about different maps. So then, stalemate?
NPD expects PS3 sales to jump 40-60% post-price cut
It doesn't take a whole lot of analysis to figure out that a $100 price cut will result in a boost in sales, but market research group NPD seems to think that the PS3's new $299 price point could have a particularly big impact on Sony's numbers once next month's sales are tallied up. While it's obviously not a sure thing, NPD expects sales of the PS3 to jump between 40% and 60% over the course of September, noting that "the USD 299 price point is important to getting to a point where the next segment of price-conscious consumers can jump into the market and it most certainly will re-energise sales of the platform." It's also quick to point out, however, that those sales might not be enough for Sony to take the lead in US console sales for the month, adding that "other systems might too take a price cut," and that "content is still the key motivator of a hardware purchase decision." Update: Joystiq offers a clarification from the original quote that, historically, price cuts tend to lead to a 40 to 60 percent increase in sales over the previous, higher priced month. The group is not specifically predicting PS3's sales, just pointing out what's happened in the past -- it's a subtle but important difference. [Via gamesindustry.biz]
Xbox 360 Elite in white box turns up on Amazon, still $399
A couple of flyers and an in-the-wild shot (not to mention some discounted Pro models) not enough to convince you of Microsoft's apparent dual-SKU strategy? Then how about a fresh new listing of a white-boxed Xbox 360 Elite on Amazon? Unfortunately, the console is still listed at the usual $399.99, but it is clearly designated as the "newest version," and it's in stock right now. Of course, it may not be the worst idea to wait a bit longer for the seemingly inevitable price cut, or at least consider the also-in-stock Spring 2009 bundle with Halo 3 and Fable II for the same price if you just can't hold out another day. [Thanks, Billy Bono]
Editorial: A slimmer, cheaper, better PS3. Was that so hard?
I've wanted a PlayStation 3 since forever. It plays Blu-ray movies, it has some great exclusive titles, and it looks like it could beat somebody up without breaking a sweat across its glossy matte brow. But it's always seemed out of reach price-wise. As my desire grew stronger over recent months, I found myself unable to pull the trigger: I just didn't want to pay $400 for a video game console that came out in 2006. The fact that I could get a lot more for my $400 than $500 would've gotten me at launch was hardly consolation, given that the PS3's main competition, the Xbox 360, has been available in a "full fledged" edition for $300 for a while. Luckily, the PS3 Slim has come at last to save me from all this heartache. Follow along, as I journey from the mire of indecision to the glories of console love... but really, it's all about the price drop.
PS3 install base up to nearly 24 million
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/03/ps3-install-base-up-to-nearly-24-million/'; According to some recently released statistics from Sony, the worldwide install base for the PlayStation 3 is now 23.8 million strong. From a fact we learned earlier in June, we can extrapolate from these recent numbers that almost eight million people are currently being Quincied in PlayStation Home. Furthermore, assuming everyone owns one controller, there's more than 144 million axes of motion control floating around out there. (Axis'? Axises?)From these numbers, we can also determine that the PS3 is currently lagging behind its Console War adversaries -- the Wii is sporting nearly the same number of users in the U.S. alone, and the Xbox 360 hit 28 million users earlier this year. Hey, that just makes it more underground, you know? It's edgy and exclusive, like that hip bar that doesn't let you or your friends in, because it's too full of well-dressed, attractive people.
Epic Games VP says new consoles are a "long way off," Natal is the "next Xbox"
We've heard plenty of talk about ten-year console life cycles for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and it looks like there's some consensus starting to build around the idea that any new consoles really are still a long ways off. Speaking with Eurogamer earlier this week, Epic Games VP Mark Rein cast some doubt on the very need for new consoles anytime soon, pointing out that "over half the users who played Gears of War 2 so far do not have HDTVs," and adding that "there's no way we're ready for the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox Whatever." He did also note, however, that the current consoles would see some major changes, and in the case of the Xbox 360 he says, "it's called Natal. That is the next Xbox." For the curious, Rein also concluded that Natal would win in a fight with Sony's motion controller, but only if it was a kickboxing fight, "because it can see you kicking." [Via The Digital Home]
SCEA's Lempel says Sony isn't playing "catch up" with Xbox Live
Sony's been out there touting its PlayStation Network user numbers for some time now, but it looks like it's now ratcheting up the rhetoric when it comes to the actual user experience as well. Taking the lead on that front is Sony Computer Entertainment America's director of PlayStation Network Operations, Eric Lempel, who recently told Industry Gamers that Sony doesn't think "there's a lot of 'catch up' [with XBL] anymore," adding that, "in some cases, I think we've got more, and we've got some other things they don't have." Of course, he further goes on to point out that PSN is and has always been free, and he cites PlayStation Home as just one thing that distinguishes PSN from Xbox Live, adding that he doesn't "see a lot of things they're doing that we're not.". Your move, Microsoft.[Via Edge Online]
Microsoft says 360 leads PS3 by 1M in Europe
Ask your local pan-handling, barrel-wearing former CEO and he'll tell you: A million isn't what it used to be. But even though 1,000,000 with nearly any fiscal symbol in front of it is nowhere the fortune it was just 12 months ago, it still seems a pretty impressive figure when you're talking about console leads: A million is exactly how far Microsoft EMEA VP Chris Lewis says the 360 is ahead of the PS3 in Europe.But it's not too late, European Sony fans. With the very idea of representative currency crumbling around you, there's never been a better time to go buy an extra PS3 (or a million) and turn this tide. Besides, think of your friends' envy when you can escape from the cacophony of post-financial-apocalypse neo-orphans crying for scurvy-fighting citrus fruits in your house ... made of PlayStations!
Greenberg blasts back at Hirai for 'longevity' jab
It's charming to see that no matter how high up you are on the gamer ladder, you can still be goaded into a flame war. Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai discounted the Xbox 360's longevity and chance at market dominance yesterday, and now Xbox boss Aaron Greenberg has rushed right into the fray, saying, "That complacent attitude is out of touch with where the industry and consumer is today." You say out of touch, Aaron, we say "big thinking."But, still unmollified, he told The Bitbag, "I can't imagine any scenario where the PS3 can catch up with us. In fact, even if you doubled the current PS3 sales and Xbox 360 remained flat, they couldn't close the gap until 2014."Meanwhile, Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Amie reportedly made an ear trumpet out of $100 bills and shouted, "What? Can you two speak up?" Though the involved parties emitted nary a chuckle, we thought it was a hoot.
Greenberg gives Hirai a verbal smackdown for his 'longevity' talk
If you thought Microsoft was going to sit back and take verbal abuse from Sony Computer Entertainment's Kaz Hirai, then you don't know Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg. Commenting on Hirai's "lacks longevity" talk, Greenberg fights back, explaining that "this sounds like an old hardware company that's comfortable with its market position." Adding, "that complacent attitude is out of touch with where the industry and consumer is today." Yes'm, the gloves are off! But that isn't all. Greenberg continues by making claims of his own, admitting "I'm confident we will outsell the PS3 throughout the entire generation" and that "I can't imagine any scenario where the PS3 can catch up with us."Now, we don't like getting involved in these types of quarrels, but in this instance, we find it appropriate to step in and mediate. Hirai apologize to Greenberg, Greenberg apologize to Hirai. After the apologies are given, we can all can all go grab some Pinkberry and put this behind us.
Microsoft: Third-party pubs raked in $504 million in Dec.
Hot on the heels of the Xbox 360's impressive December NPD numbers, Gamasutra reports that Microsoft has some other numbers to share. The company touted December as the best month the Xbox 360 has ever had and also stated that 2008 was its biggest year ever, noting that it had sold "more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences in 2008 than any previous year." Outside the Microsoft stable, the company noted that third party publishers pulled in $504 million in December, outstripping the $298 million earned in November. Microsoft told GamaSutra that the Xbox 360 has "generated more life-to-date software sales at retail for third-party publishers than PlayStation 3 and Wii combined."On the online front, Microsoft claims that the number of Xbox Live transactions increased by 84% in 2008, noting "40 million Xbox Live Marketplace downloads in December alone." It's worth pointing out that the article doesn't mention how many of those downloads were payed downloads.
Sony claims Xbox 360 'lacks longevity'
Full of vitality, vigor and boastful confidence, Sony Computer Entertainment's chairmen Kazuo Hirai wants it known that after all is said, the Playstation 3 will remain on top thanks - in part - to the Xbox "lacking longevity." Ouch."You need a word that describes something that lacks longevity," Hirai said when describing the Xbox, adding that Microsoft "never had a console that's been on the market for more than four or five years and we've committed to a ten year life cycle, so you do the math." Those be confident remarks, especially in the wake of not so jolly NPD sales figures as of late. But who are we to judge?
