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

Forums - Gaming Discussion - Does releasing a console a year before the competition actually help?

 

Does a year start ever help?

Nope 34 35.79%
 
Hasn't but could 61 64.21%
 
Total:95

If the console is good it will work. The 360 was a great console so the head start really helped it.

Wii U and Dreamcast not so much so they flopped.

Just shows you though, PS1, PS2, PS3 and now PS4 all sold great no matter when they released. The fact the PS3 will sell 95M + is something else considering everything went against it. Just shows you what the PS4 will do now that it's gotten everything right.



Around the Network

Yes, but only if the parent company knows or can take advantage of it. Nintendo was clearly passive with the Wii U and paid dearly for it.



DarkRPGamer007 said:

Let's be honest now. This has literally NEVER WORKED for anybody! Before companies actually do it they always think it will work, and it does seem like a good idea, but it always seems to result in a lack of software (1st party and some cases 3rd) and they end up losing the generation anyway. And I understand there always needs to be a first, but should they all launch so they're ready or release early to maybe boost sales by like 1 or 2 million.

Since I am sounding pessimistic, there are some pros to it, like you get the console out there, the name is more recognized, (this didn't work for Wii U unfortunately), and even if there's nothing big about it there's still a certain level of hype since it's the first "next gen" console. But for anyone who disagrees, look at every gen since the original.

3rd gen

Atari 2600 (1983) 27.64m

Sega Master System (1985) 10-13m

NES (1985) 61.91m

 

4th gen

Sega Genesis (1989) 29.54 m

SNES- (1991) 49.10 m

 

5th gen

Sega Saturn (Spring 1995) 8.82m

PlayStation (1995) 104.25m

N64 (1996) 32.93m

 

6th gen

Sega Dreamcast (1999) 8.20m

PS2 (2000) 157.68m

XBOX (2001) 24.65m

GC (2001) 21.74m

 

7th gen

XBOX 360 (2005) 83.55m

PS3 (2006) 83.81m

Wii (2006) 101.11m

 

8th gen 

Wii U (2012) 7.6m

PS4 (2013) 15.5m

XB1 (2013) 8.1m

 

Hope that proves my point. Also just used numbers from the homepage for 8th gen consoles 

Where'd u get 15.5 for ps4?



It definetely helps.  Imagine if the dreamcast had been stomped by sony the day it came out. Would have been even worse.  The 360 would have sold far fewer consoles without the on year headstart.  And again the Wiiu would be less attractive if they didn't have the one year extra lead time on game development. Think it would have done worse had it not come a year early.



I chose not to vote since there wasn't a reasonable option. I would have voted "yes indeed it has helped".



Around the Network

Well ps1 and ps2 released 1 year before Nintendo or Microsoft and done well, x360 had healthy sales from releasing one year before ps3, so it can help or maybe don't Matter. The problem with the ones that released before competitor and bombed was price was high and specs got trounced. Gênesis saw a great rise from Master system.



duduspace11 "Well, since we are estimating costs, Pokemon Red/Blue did cost Nintendo about $50m to make back in 1996"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8808363

Mr Puggsly: "Hehe, I said good profit. You said big profit. Frankly, not losing money is what I meant by good. Don't get hung up on semantics"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9008994

Azzanation: "PS5 wouldn't sold out at launch without scalpers."

IMO it does not. Especially when 90% of the customers only care about visuals not about games anymore.

So the best thing e.g The WiiU successor can do is wait for PS5 and XBthreesixty to be out. (IMO otherwhise its another "Ill wait for the REAL next gen" scenario)



Kerotan said:
If the console is good it will work. The 360 was a great console so the head start really helped it.

Wii U and Dreamcast not so much so they flopped.

Just shows you though, PS1, PS2, PS3 and now PS4 all sold great no matter when they released. The fact the PS3 will sell 95M + is something else considering everything went against it. Just shows you what the PS4 will do now that it's gotten everything right.

Nobody would put the wiiu in the with dreamcast. Dreamcast put Sega out of business once and for all as a hardware company wheras the wiiu will make Nintendo money is allowing them to rebuild their cred after a lot of Nintendo fans moved away from the wii the previous gen and are coming back home.



bowserthedog said:
Kerotan said:
If the console is good it will work. The 360 was a great console so the head start really helped it.

Wii U and Dreamcast not so much so they flopped.

Just shows you though, PS1, PS2, PS3 and now PS4 all sold great no matter when they released. The fact the PS3 will sell 95M + is something else considering everything went against it. Just shows you what the PS4 will do now that it's gotten everything right.

Nobody would put the wiiu in the with dreamcast. Dreamcast put Sega out of business once and for all as a hardware company wheras the wiiu will make Nintendo money is allowing them to rebuild their cred after a lot of Nintendo fans moved away from the wii the previous gen and are coming back home.

we're talking about console sales not profit for the company. 
and Wii U is coming off a 100M seller where as the Sega console wasn't. Wii U is the biggest flop I've ever seen compared to its predecessor. 



pokoko said:
It worked awesome for the Xbox 360. It was a damn good plan to scrap the original Xbox and get a jump on the competition.

It could have worked for the Wii U. The responsibility for that failure goes on Nintendo. They released the Wii U but forgot to release any games that could have built up an installed base while there was no competition. Imagine if they'd had a Mario Kart ready to go in the first year.

No, it definitely can work, it just doesn't work automatically without any efforts from the manufacturer.

Nintendo could've also came up with a better system in the first place, but that's a different story.