Xbox One Reaches 40 Million Total Sales

[PAOerfulone]

DonFerrari said:

PAOerfulone said:

The topic wasn't which company was left in worse shape or was in worse shape, it's which reveal was worse. In which case, if you think that just $599 and a lack of games was a worse reveal than $499, lack of games, and a whole laundry list of anti-consumer practices such as DRM policies, Used Game policies, Required Internet Connection, overemphasis on TV, apps, and various entertainment forms other than... y'know, video games. If you think the former reveal was worse than the latter reveal. I'm sorry, but you're the one who's in the wrong.

The lack of 1st party is definitely an issue with Microsoft and it took them longer than it should have to address it. In that regard, we all agree. However, you can't just overlook how that horrible first reveal severely and negatively impacted them. That was the deciding factor for the vast majority of gamers to jump back to PlayStation after they went from the PS2 to the 360 in the last generation. Even after they reversed those policies, the damage to their brand and image was done and they still haven't fully recovered from it. If Microsoft had an actual good reveal, (No DRM, no used games policies, no always online requirement, and actual focus and emphasis on games, and no Kinect 2 requirement), the Xbox One would have launched at a cheaper price than the PS4 at $349 with a far more favorable public opinion. As a result, it would have sold significantly better in its first year and the PS4 considerably worse, and that would be the trend now. I still think Sony would be the leader and winner of this gen, because the momentum was on their side towards the end of last gen. But instead of Sony nearing 90 million and Microsoft just passing 40; Sony would be around 75 million, while Microsoft is closer to 60. Instead of selling 7-9 million Xbox One systems a year, Microsoft would be selling around 11-13 million, and instead of 17-20 million PS4s a year, Sony would be selling around 14-17 million.
That reveal took this generation from slightly in Sony's favor to Sony wins before the race even started.

Plus, with the exception of 2006 (launch year) and 2008, the PS3 outsold the 360 every other year during its life cycles. So, hindsight being 20-20, the PS3's reveal didn't really have that much of a negative impact in the grand scheme of things.

Half of the bad things on the reveal of X1 was solved before it launched, so to credit it for they losing half the sales on a 5 year time is ludicrous.

PS4 sold on first year about 15M so much less than 160 total of PS2, so nope, we didn't have everyone immediatelly jumping ship.

Aligned PS3 outsold X360 every year as far as I remember. Considering PS3 sold half of PS2 the reveal and time took to reach market price hurt PS3 a lot. And considering The most relevant markets for X360 (USA and UK) it was actually ahead of X360 for like 3 years the reveal had little impact, they lost WW and that would happen no matter what, because PS4 was going to do great.

1) As I already said, the damage was already done. The Xbox brand was brutally tarnished and it has still not fully recovered. From the reveal onwards, even after Microsoft reversed all of their policies, the Xbox One was almost universally viewed as the inferior console to the PS4. It's fate had already been decided.

2) I honestly don't know what you were expecting here? The PS4 to sell half the PS2's lifetime totals in one year? Of course not everyone is going to jump ship, but everyone could see what this reveal would do in the long term.  Besides, the PS3's peak year, 2011, was ~ 14.5-15 million. So the fact that the PS4 managed to sell those same numbers in its first year, with a more expensive $399 price tag and a significantly weaker library, goes to show that while not everyone jumped on board the train, everyone knew where the train was headed. As of now, the PS4 is on track to sell around 120 million worldwide, minimum. FARRR above the PS3, which it is about to blow right through once Black Friday numbers drop.

3) You lost me here. What are trying to say? That the PS3 was outselling the 360 every year? That's literally what I just said. Because as I stated in an earlier comment, PlayStation was & is a far bigger, more popular brand and name than Xbox. They were coming off the PS1 and PS2, two massively successful consoles that both sold over 100 million with a legacy and reputation.
That the Xbox One was going to sell less than the PS4 regardless? Again, that's literally what I just said. The difference being it would be much closer and the Xbox One would be selling better, the PS4 would be selling worse, and it isn't a bloodbath right from the start.