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Doctor_MG on 30 November 2020
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Barkley said:

The 5 year sales data is specifically to counter the notion that this "PS consoles are incredibly long-lasting" is false, when it is not.

Yes the data isn't relevant to the "post-successor" sales in the prediction, that's why I addressed that below the table.

Here is post successor data:

Before Successor After Successor % After Successor
PS2 117.89m (March 2007) 39.79m 25.20%
PS1 72.97m 29.57m 28.83%
DS 142.89m 12m 7.74%
3DS 64.5m 11.3m 14.90%
PSP 72.305m 8.79m 10.83%
PS3 79.22m 8.19m 9.37%
Xbox 360 79.76m 6.04m 7.04%
Wii 96.85m 4.79m 4.70%
Gamecube 21.2m (Sept 2006) 0.54m 2.48%
Wii U 13.47m 0.5m 3.58%
Xbox 24m (December 2005) 0.5m 2.04%
N64 32.71m (Sept 2001) 0.21m 0.64%

Okay, but it seems like you didn't read the rest of the sentence. "Hopefully this will finally put an end to the belief that PS consoles are incredibly long-lasting, because the PS4 will already be the fourth PS console in a row (PSP, PS3, PSV, PS4) that didn't come anywhere close to the post-successor sales of the PS1 and PS2.".

It was with regard to post successor sales...that entire sentence was. Basically people have been stating that Sony consoles are incredibly long lasting in comparison to all other consoles because the PS1 and PS2 were incredibly long lasting after their successors launched. However, the graph you provided gives me a different picture. The DS and 3DS outperformed the PSP and PS3 after their successors launched. The 360 did almost as well as the PS3 with regard to post successor sales. This shows me that, by and large, OP is right. The first two Playstation consoles had incredible legs, but the consoles afterwards aren't significantly different from other successful consoles. 

There have been many individuals that I've argued with that suggested the PS4 would beat the PS2 sales because the PS2 sold almost 40M after the PS3 released, and the PS4 was, for a time, outpacing the PS2. Which, based on recent sales data, is just false. In fact, at this rate the PS4 may not reach 120M consoles sold. In other words, I agree that we need to step away from this worldview that Sony consoles are so incredibly long lasting they will sell for years and years after their successors come. It hasn't been the case for two generations and three (and a half?) consoles now. 

Edit: To add, based on Nintendo's financial data the GBA sold roughly 16M additional units after the DS arrived and the Gameboy sold an additional 4M units after the GBA arrived.

Last edited by Doctor_MG - on 30 November 2020