Sony missed the boat marketing the PS3 and PSP.
People unfamiliar with those consoles still think they are just game consoles.
Whoever uses one to the full potential realizes that they are personal entertainment centers. Gaming is just one component. This is, justifying the steeper price. Making it really a console for the whole family.
The other mistakes are:
Lack of dualshock at launch
Lack of good titles
Lack of titles using the sixaxis to it's potential.
Here are some things I can do with the PS3 and PSP:
Playing (Of course)
On-line playing (for free!)
Download demos from Playstation store (For free!)
Browsing the internet.
Watch movies and listent to music, from solid state memory, CD, DVD and wirelessly from my computer.
Contribute to science by joining folding at home
Using it with Linux as another computer.
If pedipaws can do an infomercial, why can't Sony do it? showing all the console can do.
Kudos to Nintendo for bringing game titles outside of the true and tried genres: Racing, shooter, platform, sports. And for lowering the barrier of entry for non "gamers".
How the Wii saved Christmas
Summary
The video game industry saw a 14 percent year-over-year growth in December largely due to outstanding sales of the Nintendo Wii and DS game systems.
Topics
The video-game industry-tracking NPD Group is preparing to release its US retail sales data for December, but one analyst is already calling the month yet another big win for Nintendo.
In a sales preview note to investors, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research analyst Jesse Divnich predicted the NPD numbers would show that software sales for the month would total $2.7 billion. That would not only match last December's record-high monthly take, but it would also reflect a 14 percent year-over-year growth for the industry. Furthermore, Divnich said that half of those game sales were attributable to Nintendo's market-expanding one-two punch, the Wii and DS.
"Without these sales, the industry would have likely felt the full wrath of the recession--much like other industries closely linked to gaming," Divnich said. "We believe their simple-to-use design, cheaper and wider variety of software titles, and the already 'hot effect' in place on both systems, all played a role in driving both the Wii and the DS to the top of their segments. Simply put, Nintendo saved Christmas."
Divnich also released his expected top 10 sales lists for hardware and software, with Nintendo atop both. The analyst projects that 3.2 million Wiis were sold in the US last month--which would be another record-breaking performance--with the DS not far behind at 3 million sold.
Although Nintendo ruling the hardware roost is nothing new, Divnich also predicted that a handful of the Wii's top 10 mainstays have experienced a sales surge that pushed them to the top of the charts. The analyst pegged the Wii Play With Wii Remote bundle as the best-selling software for the month, adding another 1.3 million sold to its already sizable lifetime totals. Divnich also projected Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit, and Wii Music to represent Nintendo in the remainder of the top 10 list.
The NPD numbers could have the gaming industry closing out the year on a high note, but Divnich cautions investors not to expect a repeat performance for 2009.
"Currently, EEDAR expects high single-digit increases for software sales in 2009," Divnich said. "We believe that there exists a significant amount of upside to these figures but that will vary widely depending on hardware pricing and the Nintendo Wii's momentum."
EEDAR projected top 10 software sales for December, 2008
Wii Play (Wii)--1.3 million
Call of Duty: World at War (Xbox 360)--1.2 million
Mario Kart (Wii)--1.2 million
Wii Fit (Wii)--1 million
Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)--800,000
Call of Duty: World at War (PS3)--650,000
Madden NFL 09 (Xbox 360)--500,000
Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)--500,000
Prince of Persia (Xbox 360)--475,000
Wii Music (Wii)--425,000
EEDAR projected hardware sales for December, 2008
Nintendo Wii--3.2 million
Nintendo DS--3 million
Xbox 360--1.5 million
PSP--880,000
PS3--700,000
Talkback Most Recent of 12 Talkback(s)
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rarsa13th Jan 2009 -
Of course the Wii will sell the most...
Of course the Wii will sell the most. After all, it is the Non-******** Console, hitting a much larger target market that has up to now not been tapped before. Nintendo should get credit for targetting this market. I don't even think Nintendo knew that this market would be so big.
Neither Xbox 360 nor PS3 target this market, so you are really comparing apples to oranges when comparing Xbox 360/PS3 to Wii. ******** gamers are more interested in high-performance, high-quality graphics with more intricate gameplay vs low-quality graphics, gimmicky controllers and simple kiddie type gameplay. For instance, the Wii works well in old-age homes where they are being purchased to get people to do some basic exercise.
Not saying neither Xbox 360 nor PS3 would not like to also sell to that market, but they just weren't planning to do so.
I wish people would keep that in mind when making comparisons.
If I was a Sony fanboy I'd be more concerned with why the PS3 is doing so badly compared to the Xbox 360.
Qbt13th Jan 2009 -
LOL
The stupid ZDNet filter masked out the word h a r d c o r e as in h a r d c o r e gamer. Oh the profanity!
Maybe it is time for ZDNet to finally get their forum out of the 90's? It is pretty sad that a "technical" site still has one of the most outdated forums I have seen in many many years. Don't you guys have someone over there smart enough to fix it? It is time to retire someone's "My first Program" type 90's school project forum.Qbt13th Jan 2009 -
Maybe the Wii did so well.
Because people such as yourself don't buy them. People similar to yourself are but a stain on XBOX live and THE reason why I didn't buy an XBOX 360. You know the type, rude and childish. (your response to this post will be further evidence of this)
No matter what you think, MS would rather have made a Wii than an XBOX 360 given hindsight.
Bozzer13th Jan 2009 -
Given hindsight...
Given hindsight, I would rather have an Xbox 360 than a Wii. And that is exactly what I have. The Wii is truly the Fisher Price of gaming consoles. It amuses people that thinks 90's era game graphics are wonderful and people in old age homes that need basic exercise.
http://www.gameguru.in/sports/2007/22/wii-bowling-becomes-a-rage-at-a-us-old-age-home/
Yea, and it is because of people like your typical Mac'n'roid that I don't buy any Apple products. Now I am curious if you have the same sentiment towards rude and childish Mac'n'tards. My guess is...no. If you don't feel the same way towards those people, would you care to explain your double-standard?Qbt13th Jan 2009 -
Don't waste your time with that clown
he has only half a brain
markbn13th Jan 2009 -
And if I was a Sony stockholder
I'd be more concerned with why the company is more interested in catering to a few bleeding edge fans rather than earning money.
Michael Kelly13th Jan 2009 -
RE: How the Wii saved Christmas
Uncharted, Motorstorm, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear solid 4, Resistance 1 & 2... the list goes on. You want to stand there and boldly say that the ps3 doesn't have any good games? Have you PLAYED any of these? I'm guessing not because if you did, you'd realize what a crock your statement is.
theoboley13th Jan 2009 -
The probelm is...
The problem is that Sony pushed their Blu-Ray format, resulting in HD-DVD losing that war. OK, fine. Except now they are also killing the Blu-Ray format with their ridiculously high licensing costs. No-one wants to pay $30 for a movie, and smaller movie-houses can't even afford relaeasing Blu-Ray versions of their movies.
So what is the end result? Consumers are left back at square one, with no viable HD format, and Sony is left with an overpriced console where having Blu-Ray support no longer means anything.
It no longer matters that there may or may not be good games for the PS3. Its Blu-Ray support causes it to be too overpriced.
You can squarely blame Sony for that fiasco.Qbt13th Jan 2009 -
I concede... partially
When I said "Lack of good games" I meant "Lack of enough good games" and "Lack of enough good games early on"
Call of Duty: Great
Resistance 1: Great (haven't tried 2)
Need for speed, carbon: Great
Orange Box: Great.
But it's been more than 2 years from the console release!
Gran Turismo prologue, I found GT4 more fun than Prologue. And what's that, release a half finished game? When is the full game going to be out?
GTA IV? Other than graphics, it is substantially lacking on gameplay compared with San Andreas and Vice City.
Motor Storm: Cartoonish, repetitive.
Where is God of War?
(I cannot comment on sport games as I'm not into them)
I'm a racer, my sons are First person shooters. So the selection of games is OK for us, but that does not mean that it is narower than the Wii.rarsa13th Jan 2009 -
RE: How the Wii saved Christmas
Of course, Christmas has NOTHING to do with retail or games or any of that crap. Funny how many believe it does. You're all delusional.
VoiceOfLogic14th Jan 2009 -
Really?
I thought that it was a celebration for killing mutants and racing fast cars on a console! you just killed all the joy of Christmas for us.
I thought that new beginings and hope and joy of the seasion referred to start playing a new game with the hope to master it and feeling joy of breaking your own records.
Seriously, you are right. Maybe "How the Wii saved the Christmas shopping season"rarsa14th Jan 2009
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