Report : PS3 faltering as publishers back Wii

[Dodece]

The difference in available titles is staggering. Shelf space is almost proportional to sales rates. Go to your local retailer and compare the shelf space. Then think towards the sales rates. All my local retailers give the PS3 mediocre shelf space. The local Wal-mart has the PS3 games in a case that is two foot by six foot. Enough space to display 24 games and have consoles on the bottom shelf. Meanwhile the WII gets a space that is six foot by six foot. The 360 gets five foot by six foot. The cube gets one foot by six foot. The PS2 gets a whopping ten foot by six foot. However the PS2 section shrinks every month. Unfortunately that space is getting taken over by the Wii and the 360.

Ironically I recall the same setup for every console that has done poorly specifically the case that holds the PS3 now was the same case that held the Dreamcast, the Saturn, and the PSP. I also remember looking at that case when I was younger thinking about getting that system. I also remember myself talking to friends about it, and we always had the same things to say. Damn it looks nice that video up on top, but it doesn't look like its going to get any games. We jokingly referred to it as the death case.

Volume is a sales pitch, and shelf space is a sales pitch also. They are intricately connected as well. I think Sony would do well to purchase more shelf space from retailers. Right now all their doing is losing shelf space. That would get more of their library out to the public, and it it would make the console look more successful. Ironically it looks like the local Wal-mart just trades out old games for new games. The space stays the same. I know unlike in my youth that the PS3 has over thirty games. Unfortunately for Sony to uninformed gamers it looks to be the opposite. They get the impression that the console has no games, or it is a console that will do poorly.

Notice I am not saying that is not the case. The PS3 console has done poorly so it deserves the shelf space priority it has received. The point is Sony is losing the shelf space war, and Nintendo is in a position to capitalize. Were the 360s sales to get any better with the larger user base. Microsoft will too capitalize. The result will be those consoles will look healthier. Sony could really use more games on display, and while it might be cheap buying retail space could help them out.

The retailers are not going to give it to a console that is performing poorly. They are going to give the prime real estate to the top performers. Further more they are going to make that decision before the holidays start. Changing out displays during the holidays is a bad business practice. Sony can contest the perception that the Wii is going to generate these holidays, but they need to buy the space to make the pitch, and retailers can and will sell shelf space to companies provided they pay enough for them.

Just my thoughts based on visual inspection the PS3 looks to be doing horribly you can argue the quality all you want, but the Wii is going to have twice the games this holiday season, and since the Wii is selling well the retailers are going to give them the space. Meanwhile the PS3s are going to stagnate in their swamp land farther from viewing eyes. Displayed in a way that makes the console look less then inviting.