The_Liquid_Laser said:
There are several indicators that PS5 will do very poorly. However, if you are only looking at hardware numbers you won't see them. These are more qualitative factors rather than simply looking at hardware quantities. Here are the indicators: -PS5 software sales are terrible, worse than the Wii U, godawful terrible These qualitative factors are actually more important than early hardware numbers. It can be hard to know what is going on based purely on hardware data with a chip shortage and scalpers affecting sales numbers. But if you just take a step back and look at qualitative factors, then you can assess whether a system is going to be great or a turd before it even hits the market. For Generation 8, it was quite possible to predict the Wii U was going to flop and the PS4 was going to be a runaway success just based on their E3 presentations (and also XB1's presentation). By the same token, it should be obvious (especially by now) the PS5 is not going to do well in Japan. Software sales are terrible. The competition is too strong. There are a lot of chips stacked against the PS5. |
Speaking of qualitative factors, why exactly do you think PS5 software numbers are so bad compared to the actual hardware numbers? I think you're ignoring the elephant in the room...
If hardware in Japan is not representative of demand, it must be because scalping right? Scalping only persists where there is demand. We're 18months into the PS5 life, people would not be scalping unless demand outstripped supply. Where is the demand for Japanese PS5s coming from? ROW seems likely.
So this qualitative factor you pointed out actually just ties back into the fact PS5 is nowhere near its peak in Japan + ROW. The demand in Japan is yet to be tapped because scalping, hence why there are lottories and why expensive bundles are being used to deter scalping (see GT) in the top 10.
Alternatively I'd love to hear why you think Japanese gamers are buying PS5s but not buying any games.
Also regarding them giving up on Japan. I'd say Square Enix exclusives like FFVII remakes, FFXVI and New IPs like Forspoken are way more important for Japan than Japan studios making more Knacks and Gravity rushes. They're investing their money into Japanese games, just not in-house developed which have almost always been commercial flops. The only exception in recent decade is Ghost of Tsushima (wstern) & The Souls series. Both likely have sequels in development for PS5.
Last edited by Otter - on 16 July 2022