albionus on 28 March 2007
The Joker said:
What's a better sign of demand, selling 75k of 75k or selling 78k of 100k?
Well selling 75k of 75k means there is still demand for more than 75k, how much more is of course difficult to say (could just be demand for 78k, could be 1 million). Selling 78k out of 100k essentially lets you know where your demand is, satiated at 78k. The GameCube sold huge numbers back in 2001, 730k in the US in 12 days without sellouts if I recall correctly. Then it sold 570k in 31 days, then 62k in 31 days. Europe is a much bigger Playstation market than America was a Nintendo market so it's not surprising initial sales would be good. If they were as bad as launch night made them seem then it would have been good bye Sony. This is all pending actual numbers not Sony boasts though it's not super-critical. If Sony sold 400k or 800k is that all that different? Neither is a sell out which along with the PS3's decent start and quick decline in the US and Japan would indicate lackluster sales to come. We'll need more time to spot the trend. Here and in Japan we have 4 months so we can start seeing the trend, well need more data points from Europe before anything definitive can be said. Inevitably what's most important is how well it does versus the competition. A seriously supply constrained Wii sold 800k over 23 days in PALand while and a very much in supply PS3 will probably pass that in its first 23 days it has to be remembered that the PS2 outsold the GameCube 8:1 in PALand. An in supply PS3 slightly beating a supply constrained Wii is little cause for celebration in the Sony camp at any rate. Especially since the PS3 is being beat 4:1 in Japan and 3:1 in the US in the latest sales figures. It is becoming ever clearer that regardless of what happens in Europe Sony isn't going 3 for 3 again. No matter how much Sony and its fanboys want to spin it, given the success of the PS1 & 2, anything less than 3 for 3 is a loss for Sony.
