August 2014 NPD Thread! PS4 - 190k, XBO - 160k, Wii U < 60k, PSV < 6k

[Zanten]

Soundwave said:

pokoko said:

Hold on a minute.  You keep saying "underperforming".  I want to be sure about what you mean.  Are you using the PS2 as a universal standard?

From a business perspective, "underperforming" means that something is not doing as well as it should be doing relative to the current market.  If analysis indicates that it should be hitting 400k a month, then it would be underperforming.  It does NOT mean that a product is not measuring up relative to a product from 13 years ago.  Anyone in business knows that markets change over time and that eternal standards don't really carry any meaning beyond the trivial.

So, then, when you say "underperforming", what exactly are your criteria?

The comparative market leaders (the PS2 and Wii) since the year 2000 (14 years ago now) perhaps? I'd say it's fair to compare. 

Saying "that will nevar happen again" is a bit of a cop out. Market leaders will get compared, the SNES had to be comapred to the NES, we use these comparisions as a metric of the industry, but fanboys don't understand that and think it's some stupid "my console is bettar than yourz" line of reasoning mistakanly. 

I got the same blow back from Nintendo fans who kept saying "but the 3DS has sold 20+ million alreadY!" when I would point out there were some disturbing month to month patterns developing in its sales way back and it was the same "b. ... bu ... but you can't compare to the DS!" schtick then too. Now even the most ardent fanboys are starting to realize that there is a real decline going on in that market sector. 

Wait a second though, then by that metric, the Wii seriously underperformed last generation as well. o.O It wasn't able to get close to touching the previous market leader (PS2's) sales, and wasn't even able to establish the same sort of marketshare dominance that, again, the previous market leader (again, the PS2) established over its competitors. Last generation was a significantly closer race than the mass stomping that was the Gamecube/Xbox/PS2 debacle.

I mean, granted, the two generations were different, other circumstances came into play, etc, etc, but we've already established none of that matters, only the raw numbers, so clearly the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 were all, unconditionally, and completely, underperforming. ...as was pretty much every console that came out before the PS2 as well.

Which brings us to; what EXACTLY do you think needs to be done to ensure a success? o.O If nobody has performed to the PS2's standards since the PS2 itself, or even before the PS2, then I guess this brings us back to 'People need to buy more consoles in general this generation'?