| vivster said: Nah. But even if it does, it doesn't mean anything. There will always be idiots like me who will point out that the numbers are unnaturally inflated by poeple double dipping. |
Eh, the actual userbase for every console is smaller than the sales numbers. I know people who've bought multiple PS2s, PSP versions, multiple DS versions, multiple 360s, multiple Vitas. I know people who've owned a Wii and then picked up one or two used Wiis as well to experiment on, that's two fewer Wiis actually in homes right there. (and these examples are not all the same person) Also electronics fail and get rebought or thrown away. The only thing we can do is track the money that changes hands at the counter.
Keeping the 3DS selling isn't really all about userbase. It's about continued sales revenue, continued interest, continued shelf space, and just the notion that in general people are still willing to spend money on the system's games. And with the new 3DS it's also about extending new opportunities to developers because this version is more powerful with added buttons, so the more it sells the more those features will be used.
When it comes to userbase one metric could be online accounts. End of October last year MS had sold ~79.5m 360s and reported 48m Live accounts. Not every active owner would sign up for the free account when prompted but I'm sure a significant majority have. (I don't know anyone who hasn't.)
