UK & Xbox 360

[Reasonable]

selnor said:

Reasonable said:

In the UK the impression I get is that the 360 is seen as the best buy for money if you're not also into BR movies  as well as HD/Online gaming while PS3 is seen as the best buy for money if you are also into BR movies as well as HD/Online gaming.

The split in demand I believe nicely correlates with the fact that although HD TV sales have been okay in UK SD and DVD are still the dominant formats.

The Wii though does seem to have seen a drop in market awareness and 'must have' factor.  It's still selling well, but in general terms the marketing presence and sense of demand seems to be much stronger recently for 360/PS3 vs the Wii.

The 360 does have the advantage of being cheaper (albeit more on paper than reality prior to the 360s) and has, much like US, taken root as the console of choice for teenagers and young males, which has helped secure it's position in the UK as arguably the more dominant console of late (although LTD is still trails the Wii and will probably continue to do so).

I think the UK shows a very good split across the three consoles, in line with demographics and purchasing demand, with only the poor PSP looking (again, similar to US) like the black sheep of the family.

Noone really cares for Blu Ray here. I know more people who download HD films via either Xbox Live, BT Vision than even own a Blu Ray player. 

In fact Ive only ever once since Blu Ray has been out here ( 4 years ) seen an actual Blu Ray disc. 

And I can go into HMV, supermarkets etc without even seeing a BluRay on store shelves. Just DVD's. 

BluRay prices are still the same as 4 years ago. £20-£30. To own an HD film via download is about £7. To rent HD films via download is around £2-£3. Blockbuster charge as much as £6 to rent a BluRay for 24 hours.

UK is gonna miss BluRay alltogether. 

I for one am getting the 360s next week to fully utilise HD film downloads in my home. I never have to :

1. spend extra for another new media. 

2. Either find more shelf space.

3. Sell my BluRays when the next comes out.

 

I personally think certainly in the UK where Broadband is so easily available now, that BluRay will probably be the last medium here. It is struggling big here. More people definately have adopted downloads here. It's evident by the lack of BluRay shelf space. 

Selnor, don't be silly.  Saying 'no one' automatically makes you wrong.

My point is by major demographic the 360 and PS3 sell well but clearly the demographic splits favour the 360, but it's hardly no-one in terms of BR and other aspects of the consoles differences.

I put cinema over games and I certainly care about BR as the current best medium to view them at home.  Most of my friends are big on film and all buy a lot of BRs (as do I).

Of course your knowledge is limited to your own group (like mine) but it can hardly be taken as representing the whole.

In UK Sky is very big, broadband is spreading and renting digital downloads is gaining in popularity and the 360 plays very nicely to those wanting HD games, Sky and access to moveis that way.  It obviously appeals via Live and online gameplay.

The PS3 playes very nicely to those wanting HD games, and access to movies via BR disks as well as online, etc.

The former is a larger demographic but the latter isn't no-one (and of course many other demographics buy each console, too).

LTD in terms of weeks on the market both have sold well in the UK and both will almost certainly continue to do so.  The Wii, despite dipping more recently, in terms of weeks on market has sold more than either HD console so is hardly in trouble at this point.

I really don't see the UK "miising" BR to the extend you mention and would note that BR space is most stores, particularly (not surprisingly) in more affluent areas continue to grow.  Renting is always larger than owning for movies and existed alongside people buying DVDs and right back to buying VHS tapes.  The only real change more recently is the ability to buy a film digitally, the renting is nothing new, whether it's via a trip to a shop or online as a download.  The concept and the interested people are the same.  People who buy movies will continue to buy them, and as ever the main difference continues to be the extras and additional information vs simply renting the movie to watch.

You make some good comments, but your overall position is very assumptive regarding the majority and clearly wrong.