5.5 Million PS3s Shipped

[johnlucas]

omgwtfbbq said:

 

if you were saying it as a reply to Taz42, then why did you quote my post, and then say I was wrong?

I never claimed Sony's viewpoint was a valid one. My argument was plain and simple: In Sony's financial report when they say "Sold" they mean "Sold to retailers".

So basically what you're telling me now is you said "You're wrong" and then proceeded to agree with everything I said?

Anyway, your ideas are still crap. Sure in theory, it's easy to track how many things are sold. But this relies on setting up an infrastructure whereby the retailers send information to Sony. This costs the retailer money, and for no purpose. Sony could foot the bill, but why? They're paying money to track their numbers, but it doesn't help them.

To Sony, as well as Nintendo and Microsoft, the retailer is their customer. They don't care (and neither do investors) whether it's sold to an end user or whether it's collecting dust on a store shelf because the retailer has already handed the money over to Sony. The only reason why the number moving matters to them is because if they move it means they get to sell more consoles to the retailer. ie, it only effects them indirectly because it effects the important figure, the amount of consoels that they have MADE MONEY ON.

Japan works just like USA. How do you think different places in Japan have different figures? Because it's a guess based on whatever data they can get. The EXACT SAME THING happens with TV and Movie ratings. You think that every time you buy a movie ticket Sony Pictures gets a memo? You think that NBC (or whatever the tv stations you have over there) can tell when you're watching your channel? Of course not, they take a small sample and guesstimate the final solution, the same way NPD/Media Create/Chart track do it. And these outside 3rd parties collect this data because people PAY THEM TO DO IT, so they know where to put their advertising dollars, etc.

The metric to determine financial success to your investors is money made, period. Here we care about the sales figures because that shows which console people are interested in, and we like to predict how the gaming market will look. But to Sony, this is a money making business (well... supposedly)

Well I know investors don't care about the product. They just care about the profit. As they should.

Well I thought Japan was accurate. I guess I was wrong. At LEAST they put out the numbers in public unlike NPD. I know TV ratings are crap. They only pick certain people to rate this stuff. The point I was making is at least it's public. Less obscure than game sales seem to be.

Well I'll just say this. Without the finances from the buyers the investors won't have any financial success to worry about. If customers mattered so little why even have customer service?

I see what you're talking about and we really aren't on opposing sides. I dig what you said here:

"I think you seem to have a mistaken impression that the world is generally a just and fair place and that people are clever and intelligent and won't put up with crap.

I agree with what you say. I really do. The problem is that companies treat consumers like sheep to be herded because consumers ACT like sheep to be herded. Sony fucks their customers over again and again and again. Microsoft are one of the most disgusting companies in the world. Every time I read a press release from one of their executives I can barely breathe from the slimyness of their speech and the cloud of FUD they exude with every word they utter.

I refuse to be a sheep for these corporations, and I haven't purchased a single Microsoft or Sony product in over a year now.

But Sony is still a huge company making billions, and people are still saying how they're a great reliable company who never let them down. People are praising Microsoft and their Xbox business, and still using Windows and buying into Vista.

The day that consumers stop acting like sheep will be the day that companies stop treating them like sheep."

I'm no sheep. I'm a Taurus. I'm a bull and you don't ride a bull. If I choose to side with you it's only my choice but it's not an obligation. The moment you cut up I drop you. You guys may think my favor of Nintendo is eternal but if they ever stopped fulfilling my requirements in producing products then they'd be out on their ass too. So far this hasn't happened and I don't get nearly as much false hype and hoodwinking from them like I see from the other companies. I don't expect any of these guys to be boy scouts but I'd like a little more straight shooting out of them. I read Sega-Sammy fiscal 2007 report and it admitted shortcomings they need to look over. I respected that. EA's on the other hand had me in a fog trying to decode GAAP from non-GAAP and the general intentional difficulty put down to making the report hard to read and understand simply.

Sega-Sammy's stuff was neat concise and clear. Direct. Itemized and explained. I can respect that. EA's Good God! Gave me a headache!

From Nintendo I get sturdy goods, consistently good games, a respectful helpful customer service, and a price with the budgets of most people in mind. If they choose to call retailers customers it doesn't mean as much because they still put focus on the real customer as well. So as long as this continues I support them. Sony's stuff used to break too much, XBox 360's stuff is doing that now. And they keep jacking up prices for questionable returns. So I won't support them with my own dollars though I don't mind playing someone else's who used their own.

If you put the work in I will buy. If you forget about who runs this whole chain then I won't.

And if they get too cocky well the pirates are there to keep 'em in check. Forget about us too long and we'll just jack your "shtuff"! Hahahahahahahaha! It'll be nice to see those financial metrics when they're zero 'cause everybody's rippin' and a' roarin'. END USER/CUSTOMER. Those who forget will pay the price.

The working man keeps society running not the boss. I always keep in mind the true important ones in every discussion matter. 

John Lucas