By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sales Discussion - So how much does releasing a console first in a generation relate to sales?

cloud1161 on 29 March 2012

Releasing a console first in a generation seems, at least to me, a key factor in being the most successful console sales wise.  I know this is still way too premature, but just judging from the 20k drop in sales of the Vita while the 3DS remains relatively unchanged is saying something.  Likewise, I believe that the DS was out before PSP (not entirely sure) and it did not necessarily crush the PSP but it was a clear victor sales wise.  I think the Wii was the first of the current home console generation as well and it had a demanding lead for a while, but now it is severely dying down.  The PS2 was the first of that generation I know because both Microsoft and Nintendo stated that the PS2 was far inferior compared to their consoles and they felt no threat of the PS2 being released first, but the PS2 was the most successfull home console to date.  I can't remember the time's of any other releases.  I know there's the whole aligned launches argument and I usually agree that that is the only fair way to judge sales success, but it seems those released first have the best aligned first two or three years as well.  I am by no means saying that the console that sales the most is the best, it's just a speculation about numbers and release dates.  Please correct me if any of my relative release dates are off.



Check out my video game music blog:

http://games-and-guitars.synergize.co/

 

 PROUD MEMBER OF THE PLAYSTATION 3 : RPG FAN CLUB

 

He who hesitates is lost

Around the Network
Chark on 30 March 2012

Wii came out last so....



Before the PS3 everyone was nice to me :(

supermario128 on 30 March 2012

By that logic the 360 would be leading the current gen of home consoles, the Dreamcast would have sold more than the PS2, the TurboGrafx-16 would have sold more than the NES, and so on. While releasing first gives the product more time to sell, there is no guarantee it will do well. Your premise if illogical.




Nintendo still doomed?
Feel free to add me on 3DS or Switch! (PM me if you do ^-^)
Nintendo ID: Mako91                  3DS code: 4167-4543-6089

Chark on 30 March 2012
cloud1161 said:

Releasing a console first in a generation seems, at least to me, a key factor in being the most successful console sales wise.  I know this is still way too premature, but just judging from the 20k drop in sales of the Vita while the 3DS remains relatively unchanged is saying something.  Likewise, I believe that the DS was out before PSP (not entirely sure) and it did not necessarily crush the PSP but it was a clear victor sales wise.  I think the Wii was the first of the current home console generation as well and it had a demanding lead for a while, but now it is severely dying down.  The PS2 was the first of that generation I know because both Microsoft and Nintendo stated that the PS2 was far inferior compared to their consoles and they felt no threat of the PS2 being released first, but the PS2 was the most successfull home console to date.  I can't remember the time's of any other releases.  I know there's the whole aligned launches argument and I usually agree that that is the only fair way to judge sales success, but it seems those released first have the best aligned first two or three years as well.  I am by no means saying that the console that sales the most is the best, it's just a speculation about numbers and release dates.  Please correct me if any of my relative release dates are off.

Not sure if you can really take anything out of that. It just launched and is coming down from launch sales. 3DS came out last year so its sales should be relative to the market demand and therefore is not decreases as the Vita is.

Also, the Dreamcast was the first one to come out on the market not PS2.

Xbox 360 came first this generation and lost almost all their lead to the PS3, and the Wii is just another story.



Before the PS3 everyone was nice to me :(

KeptoKnight on 30 March 2012
Chark said:
cloud1161 said:

Releasing a console first in a generation seems, at least to me, a key factor in being the most successful console sales wise.  I know this is still way too premature, but just judging from the 20k drop in sales of the Vita while the 3DS remains relatively unchanged is saying something.  Likewise, I believe that the DS was out before PSP (not entirely sure) and it did not necessarily crush the PSP but it was a clear victor sales wise.  I think the Wii was the first of the current home console generation as well and it had a demanding lead for a while, but now it is severely dying down.  The PS2 was the first of that generation I know because both Microsoft and Nintendo stated that the PS2 was far inferior compared to their consoles and they felt no threat of the PS2 being released first, but the PS2 was the most successfull home console to date.  I can't remember the time's of any other releases.  I know there's the whole aligned launches argument and I usually agree that that is the only fair way to judge sales success, but it seems those released first have the best aligned first two or three years as well.  I am by no means saying that the console that sales the most is the best, it's just a speculation about numbers and release dates.  Please correct me if any of my relative release dates are off.

Not sure if you can really take anything out of that. It just launched and is coming down from launch sales. 3DS came out last year so its sales should be relative to the market demand and therefore is not decreases as the Vita is.

Also, the Dreamcast was the first one to come out on the market not PS2.

Xbox 360 came first this generation and lost almost all their lead to the PS3, and the Wii is just another story.

^ Pretty much. PS3 is kicking their ass. Why you think that is? Exclusives and fans?



Around the Network
archbrix on 30 March 2012
supermario128 said:
By that logic [...] the TurboGrafx-16 would have sold more than the NES, and so on.

???

You do know that the TG16 and NES were two different generations, with the NES launching several years before, right? 

EDIT:  I realize you meant SNES...

 

I agree with your main point, though.  Launching first doesn't guarantee anything by itself, but certainly it can potentially give a company an advantage... as long as they don't squander their lead.



UnitSmiley on 30 March 2012
zero129 said:
Wii launched last and wiped out the PS3 and 360 in sales.
@Chark i don't think the xbox 360 having a 3 million lead over the PS3 is having almost all their lead lost, if it was 1 million lead i could see where you are coming from, but the 360 has pretty much kept that 3 million lead all this gen.
Back to the OP, the Saturn launched before the PS1 look what happened there, same with the Dreamcast etc.
Launching first doesn't mean you are going to win. It takes a number of factors, such as price, games and mass appeal.


I'm pretty sure the 360 had a much bigger lead than PS3, and for this entire gen that lead has been shrinking.



UnitSmiley on 30 March 2012
zero129 said:
UnitSmiley said:
zero129 said:
Wii launched last and wiped out the PS3 and 360 in sales.
@Chark i don't think the xbox 360 having a 3 million lead over the PS3 is having almost all their lead lost, if it was 1 million lead i could see where you are coming from, but the 360 has pretty much kept that 3 million lead all this gen.
Back to the OP, the Saturn launched before the PS1 look what happened there, same with the Dreamcast etc.
Launching first doesn't mean you are going to win. It takes a number of factors, such as price, games and mass appeal.


I'm pretty sure the 360 had a much bigger lead than PS3, and for this entire gen that lead has been shrinking.

Mostly cos of japan cos they seem to hate the 360 over there (Don't know why, as MS has tried to do alot more then sony to win them over). But still a 3 million lead is 3 million and im pretty sure the lead was only something like 5 or 6 millon (I could be wrong??). so no matter what way it goes by the time next gen comes around MS will of beat sony this gen when it comes to sales. As the is no way Sony is going to be able to catch up with that 3 million lead with the time they have left.


Or i could say the 360 is only leading mostly because of NA. Even though Sony is winning in Japan and Europe. Unfortunately NA is much bigger than Japan and has more consumers. And unfortunately again, NA prefers the 360 (for some reason i'll never understand)



Sal.Paradise on 30 March 2012
zero129 said:
UnitSmiley said:
zero129 said:
Wii launched last and wiped out the PS3 and 360 in sales.
@Chark i don't think the xbox 360 having a 3 million lead over the PS3 is having almost all their lead lost, if it was 1 million lead i could see where you are coming from, but the 360 has pretty much kept that 3 million lead all this gen.
Back to the OP, the Saturn launched before the PS1 look what happened there, same with the Dreamcast etc.
Launching first doesn't mean you are going to win. It takes a number of factors, such as price, games and mass appeal.


I'm pretty sure the 360 had a much bigger lead than PS3, and for this entire gen that lead has been shrinking.

Mostly cos of japan cos they seem to hate the 360 over there (Don't know why, as MS has tried to do alot more then sony to win them over). But still a 3 million lead is 3 million and im pretty sure the lead was only something like 5 or 6 millon (I could be wrong??). so no matter what way it goes by the time next gen comes around MS will of beat sony this gen when it comes to sales. As the is no way Sony is going to be able to catch up with that 3 million lead with the time they have left.

According to this, the 360 had a lead of almost 9 million in summer 2009. 

http://vgsales.wikia.com/wiki/2009_fiscal_year

So yeh, they had a big lead.



Wh1pL4shL1ve_007 on 30 March 2012
KeptoKnight said:
Chark said:
cloud1161 said:

Releasing a console first in a generation seems, at least to me, a key factor in being the most successful console sales wise.  I know this is still way too premature, but just judging from the 20k drop in sales of the Vita while the 3DS remains relatively unchanged is saying something.  Likewise, I believe that the DS was out before PSP (not entirely sure) and it did not necessarily crush the PSP but it was a clear victor sales wise.  I think the Wii was the first of the current home console generation as well and it had a demanding lead for a while, but now it is severely dying down.  The PS2 was the first of that generation I know because both Microsoft and Nintendo stated that the PS2 was far inferior compared to their consoles and they felt no threat of the PS2 being released first, but the PS2 was the most successfull home console to date.  I can't remember the time's of any other releases.  I know there's the whole aligned launches argument and I usually agree that that is the only fair way to judge sales success, but it seems those released first have the best aligned first two or three years as well.  I am by no means saying that the console that sales the most is the best, it's just a speculation about numbers and release dates.  Please correct me if any of my relative release dates are off.

Not sure if you can really take anything out of that. It just launched and is coming down from launch sales. 3DS came out last year so its sales should be relative to the market demand and therefore is not decreases as the Vita is.

Also, the Dreamcast was the first one to come out on the market not PS2.

Xbox 360 came first this generation and lost almost all their lead to the PS3, and the Wii is just another story.

^ Pretty much. PS3 is kicking their ass. Why you think that is? Exclusives and fans?


Ps2 : 150 million

Xbox: 25 million

 

Years later....

 

Ps3: 62 million

xbox 360 65 million

 

Yeah kicking ass alright. 



Yay!!!