So how much does releasing a console first in a generation relate to sales?

[NightDragon83]

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.

When you consider that the 360 is virtually non existent in one of the 3 major markets for the gaming industry, Japan / Asia, it just makes the fact that the 360 has maintained its WW lead over the PS3 (the successor to the highest selling home console in history btw) all the more impressive.

@OP, being first to market each gen definitely factors into the success of a home console to some degree, but that degree varies with each gen.  NES was the 1st (and only) console in town for a time, so it basically won its generation by default.  TG16 was the first of the 16-bit gen and had great success in Japan but couldn't gain a foothold in the West.  Sega blew its load early twice with the Saturn and Dreamcast, and both of those ended up being failures overall (thought some would argue that Dreamcast was just a half step and that PS2 was the first of the 7th gen consoles).  360 being first was critical to its success in overtaking Sony, and the Wii is basically in a league of its own.

But going into next gen, there's no doubt that Wii U seems poised to be the most successful, and being first to market by at least a year over its competitors is sure to help it.