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Forums - Sales - So how much does releasing a console first in a generation relate to sales?

mikecm87 on 30 March 2012
supermario128 said:
By that logic the 360 would be leading the current gen of home consoles, the Dreamcast would have sold more than the PS2, the TurboGrafx-16 would have sold more than the NES, and so on. While releasing first gives the product more time to sell, there is no guarantee it will do well. Your premise if illogical.

It's all about the games. I think the Wii U will be a good sell if they had more Nintendo games out at launch. I would buy it if there was a Zelda, Mario, Smash Bros. and Metroid game out or something, but that's a stretch. 



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NightDragon83 on 30 March 2012
bouzane said:
Fairchild Channel F, TurboGrafx-16, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox 360, Game.com and Neo Geo Pocket Color say hi.

Ummm... Xbox 360 has sold more units than all of those other systems COMBINED.

And the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, N64, GameCube, Xbox and PS3 all feel their pain.



On 2/24/13, MB1025 said:
You know I was always wondering why no one ever used the dollar sign for $ony, but then I realized they have no money so it would be pointless.

bouzane on 30 March 2012
NightDragon83 said:
bouzane said:
Fairchild Channel F, TurboGrafx-16, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox 360, Game.com and Neo Geo Pocket Color say hi.

Ummm... Xbox 360 has sold more units than all of those other systems COMBINED.

And the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, N64, GameCube, Xbox and PS3 all feel their pain.


That may be true but the 360 was released in a larger market than any of those other systems and faced less competition.



mundus6 on 31 March 2012
bouzane said:
NightDragon83 said:
bouzane said:
Fairchild Channel F, TurboGrafx-16, Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox 360, Game.com and Neo Geo Pocket Color say hi.

Ummm... Xbox 360 has sold more units than all of those other systems COMBINED.

And the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, N64, GameCube, Xbox and PS3 all feel their pain.


That may be true but the 360 was released in a larger market than any of those other systems and faced less competition.

PS2 and later PS3 and Wii is less competition? Ok...

360 continue to do well cause its a good system, now days it gets outpreformed by the PS3 though. But It still sells more games, so it looks like at least more people play on 360. Both PS3 and 360 got outpreformed by the Wii, but Wii has been the fastest selling stationary console ever, although now its slowly dying, there is still no way 360 and PS3 will ever catch up.



sales2099 on 01 April 2012
Sal.Paradise said:
sales2099 said:
mundus6 said:
WiseOwl said:
The Xbox360 was first to come out but not the most successful. The PS2 was first to come out and the most successful. The Dreamcast was first and you know the story. But I think it will come down to the attractiveness and pricing. Like most would look past the Wii U if it don't get the third party games this time around is what I mean by attractiveness. But it might be attractive from pricing being it will not have a Hard Drive (HD) and will most likely be cheaper, if the other consoles don't follow Nintendo footsteps. But I think the other consoles will have (HD), and can make Nintendo's console attractive that way.


How can the PS2 be first when you said yourself in the next sentance that Dreamcast was? PS2 came after Dreamcast and therefore its not first.

Since Dreamcast dropped out of the race we then go to the next console that actually launched and finished the gen first. That is PS2. 

Wait so to determine whether being the first console to market affects the console's performance, we ignore the console that was first to market and failed? I.e. the strongest indicator possible that being first to market doesn't guarantee healthy sales? 

Ha.





Xbox: Best hardware, Game Pass best value, best BC, more 1st party genres and multiplayer titles. 

 

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sales2099 on 02 April 2012
Sal.Paradise said:
sales2099 said:
mundus6 said:
WiseOwl said:
The Xbox360 was first to come out but not the most successful. The PS2 was first to come out and the most successful. The Dreamcast was first and you know the story. But I think it will come down to the attractiveness and pricing. Like most would look past the Wii U if it don't get the third party games this time around is what I mean by attractiveness. But it might be attractive from pricing being it will not have a Hard Drive (HD) and will most likely be cheaper, if the other consoles don't follow Nintendo footsteps. But I think the other consoles will have (HD), and can make Nintendo's console attractive that way.


How can the PS2 be first when you said yourself in the next sentance that Dreamcast was? PS2 came after Dreamcast and therefore its not first.

Since Dreamcast dropped out of the race we then go to the next console that actually launched and finished the gen first. That is PS2. 

Wait so to determine whether being the first console to market affects the console's performance, we ignore the console that was first to market and failed? I.e. the strongest indicator possible that being first to market doesn't guarantee healthy sales? 

Ha.

Touche.

But anybody can be first. You need a lot of money for marketing and billions at your disposal. Sega had neither



Xbox: Best hardware, Game Pass best value, best BC, more 1st party genres and multiplayer titles. 

 

sales2099 on 02 April 2012
Turkish said:
sales2099 said:
Turkish said:
zero129 said:
Turkish said:
zero129 said:
UnitSmiley said:
zero129 said:
Wii launched last and wiped out the PS3 and 360 in sales.
@Chark i don't think the xbox 360 having a 3 million lead over the PS3 is having almost all their lead lost, if it was 1 million lead i could see where you are coming from, but the 360 has pretty much kept that 3 million lead all this gen.
Back to the OP, the Saturn launched before the PS1 look what happened there, same with the Dreamcast etc.
Launching first doesn't mean you are going to win. It takes a number of factors, such as price, games and mass appeal.


I'm pretty sure the 360 had a much bigger lead than PS3, and for this entire gen that lead has been shrinking.

Mostly cos of japan cos they seem to hate the 360 over there (Don't know why, as MS has tried to do alot more then sony to win them over). But still a 3 million lead is 3 million and im pretty sure the lead was only something like 5 or 6 millon (I could be wrong??). so no matter what way it goes by the time next gen comes around MS will of beat sony this gen when it comes to sales. As the is no way Sony is going to be able to catch up with that 3 million lead with the time they have left.

Who says this gen is closed when the next generation releases lol? The PS2 gen is still going shipping still millions of consoels/yearly. And yes, people will care when PS3 passes 360 this year, next year or the year after. And it will probably happen before either the nextbox or PS4 releases in holiday 2013/2014. The month before PS3 Slim released in 2009, the 360 had almost a 9 million lead LOL. Its down to like 2.5 million or so.

Sure the PS3 might outsell the x360  after this gen is closed. But that still means they lost. The 360 has a lead of 3 million units do you know how much the PS3 would have to sell to catch up to that within 1-2 years??, it would have to be alot more then 20-30k a week. The 360 has kept it's lead all this gen like another user said with no help from one of the 3rd big markets (Japan), going up against a console that was coming of the success from the PS2, i think that in it's own right was a big success and then to finish in 2nd this gen is an even bigger one. By the time next gen comes around no one is going to care if the PS3 over takes the 360 or not...

I can use the same excuses too: PS3 is catching on to the 360 despite costing more, not selling in the biggest market(NA), and despite all the effort of the media bashing the PS3 its doing pretty good. Not to mention it closed a 6 million gap. What makes you think it won't close a 2.8 million gap lol? The 360 may have kept its lead, but its going down week after week, month after month. Its probably around 20 months before nextxbox/PS4 will launch, by that time PS3 will catch on. And yes, people will care, because consoles don't stop selling after a new one comes out, especially not with all the sales drama and fanboyism that arose this gen. People won't forget the "ps3 dont no sell", just like people didn't forget "ps3 dont have no gaemz". It will all backfire to them. :)

PS3 is only catching up based on its brand name from the past 2 generations and the help of Japan. Also its notable that 360 hasnt dropped its prices since Summer of 2008.PS3 has had a overall $150 price drop over the last three years to stay competitive. No matter how you slice it, being on topic, releasing later and their cockiness has completely ruined their steller market position they used to have.

And like the other guy said, even if PS3 overtakes 360, itll be after the gen is over, it wont take away the xbox brands impressive gen over gen improvement, and therefore will be a hollow victory due to PS3 never matching what the PS2 could do. But really, whos gonna care if PS3 overtakes 360 after the next gen begins other then desperate Sony fans? The Xbox fans will simply say "we beat you when the gen mattered and now were too busy cheering on the next Xbox beating the PS4 :D". For example, PS2 still sells today. But really, do you see anybody saying "PS2 still owns xbox and Gamecube in 2012!!!!!"? That gen is long over and therefore the people have moved on. 

Maybe the 360 hasnt got an official pricecut since 2008, but its become alot cheaper over the years. Here in Europe a 360 costs like 170 euros, with Kinect bundle 230 euros. In 2008 You had to pay 300 euros for an Arcade version.

No one really knows when PS3 will overtake the 360, I predict Q1 2013, almost a full year before the next HD consoles supposedly release. It will matter to a lot of people.It won't matter to some fanboys cuz they want to forget what they said at the start of the gen. No one says PS2 owned and smashed the xbox and gamecube, because there wasn't fanboyism like nowadays. This stupid console wars started with the xbox fanboys saying PS3 has no gamez and no salez, it will backfire to them.

Q1 2013? Even thought we all know MS is dropping the 360 price this year, couple with Halo 4 and therefore a LOT of MS marketing $$$$ being thrown around this holiday? I predict 2015 and onward, but thats me. 

But I dont see how it would matter to anybody if PS3 eventually overtakes 360 when the next gen is well under way. The spotlight is off them and it went to the next wave. Logically, the only people who would care would be sensitive Sony fans. 

"This stupid console wars started with the xbox fanboys saying PS3 has no gamez and no salez, it will backfire to them"

Correction. The console war started with PS2 fanboys saying Xbox/Gamecube had no games and sales. It all ready backfired on them now :P. The only reason why fanboyism is so great this gen then any other is because Sony lost its lead and the fans cant deal. After 6 years you'd think they accept it by now. 



Xbox: Best hardware, Game Pass best value, best BC, more 1st party genres and multiplayer titles. 

 

Sal.Paradise on 02 April 2012
sales2099 said:
Sal.Paradise said:
sales2099 said:
mundus6 said:
WiseOwl said:
The Xbox360 was first to come out but not the most successful. The PS2 was first to come out and the most successful. The Dreamcast was first and you know the story. But I think it will come down to the attractiveness and pricing. Like most would look past the Wii U if it don't get the third party games this time around is what I mean by attractiveness. But it might be attractive from pricing being it will not have a Hard Drive (HD) and will most likely be cheaper, if the other consoles don't follow Nintendo footsteps. But I think the other consoles will have (HD), and can make Nintendo's console attractive that way.


How can the PS2 be first when you said yourself in the next sentance that Dreamcast was? PS2 came after Dreamcast and therefore its not first.

Since Dreamcast dropped out of the race we then go to the next console that actually launched and finished the gen first. That is PS2. 

Wait so to determine whether being the first console to market affects the console's performance, we ignore the console that was first to market and failed? I.e. the strongest indicator possible that being first to market doesn't guarantee healthy sales? 

Ha.

Touche.

But anybody can be first. You need a lot of money for marketing and billions at your disposal. Sega had neither

Yah, not commenting on Sega's strategy, I don't know too much about it.

To your above post about fanboyism though, the big 'console wars' existed long before the PS2. Sega vs Nintendo, coincidentally. 



Turkish on 02 April 2012
sales2099 said:
Turkish said:
sales2099 said:
Turkish said:
zero129 said:
Turkish said:
zero129 said:
UnitSmiley said:
zero129 said:
Wii launched last and wiped out the PS3 and 360 in sales.
@Chark i don't think the xbox 360 having a 3 million lead over the PS3 is having almost all their lead lost, if it was 1 million lead i could see where you are coming from, but the 360 has pretty much kept that 3 million lead all this gen.
Back to the OP, the Saturn launched before the PS1 look what happened there, same with the Dreamcast etc.
Launching first doesn't mean you are going to win. It takes a number of factors, such as price, games and mass appeal.


I'm pretty sure the 360 had a much bigger lead than PS3, and for this entire gen that lead has been shrinking.

Mostly cos of japan cos they seem to hate the 360 over there (Don't know why, as MS has tried to do alot more then sony to win them over). But still a 3 million lead is 3 million and im pretty sure the lead was only something like 5 or 6 millon (I could be wrong??). so no matter what way it goes by the time next gen comes around MS will of beat sony this gen when it comes to sales. As the is no way Sony is going to be able to catch up with that 3 million lead with the time they have left.

Who says this gen is closed when the next generation releases lol? The PS2 gen is still going shipping still millions of consoels/yearly. And yes, people will care when PS3 passes 360 this year, next year or the year after. And it will probably happen before either the nextbox or PS4 releases in holiday 2013/2014. The month before PS3 Slim released in 2009, the 360 had almost a 9 million lead LOL. Its down to like 2.5 million or so.

Sure the PS3 might outsell the x360  after this gen is closed. But that still means they lost. The 360 has a lead of 3 million units do you know how much the PS3 would have to sell to catch up to that within 1-2 years??, it would have to be alot more then 20-30k a week. The 360 has kept it's lead all this gen like another user said with no help from one of the 3rd big markets (Japan), going up against a console that was coming of the success from the PS2, i think that in it's own right was a big success and then to finish in 2nd this gen is an even bigger one. By the time next gen comes around no one is going to care if the PS3 over takes the 360 or not...

I can use the same excuses too: PS3 is catching on to the 360 despite costing more, not selling in the biggest market(NA), and despite all the effort of the media bashing the PS3 its doing pretty good. Not to mention it closed a 6 million gap. What makes you think it won't close a 2.8 million gap lol? The 360 may have kept its lead, but its going down week after week, month after month. Its probably around 20 months before nextxbox/PS4 will launch, by that time PS3 will catch on. And yes, people will care, because consoles don't stop selling after a new one comes out, especially not with all the sales drama and fanboyism that arose this gen. People won't forget the "ps3 dont no sell", just like people didn't forget "ps3 dont have no gaemz". It will all backfire to them. :)

PS3 is only catching up based on its brand name from the past 2 generations and the help of Japan. Also its notable that 360 hasnt dropped its prices since Summer of 2008.PS3 has had a overall $150 price drop over the last three years to stay competitive. No matter how you slice it, being on topic, releasing later and their cockiness has completely ruined their steller market position they used to have.

And like the other guy said, even if PS3 overtakes 360, itll be after the gen is over, it wont take away the xbox brands impressive gen over gen improvement, and therefore will be a hollow victory due to PS3 never matching what the PS2 could do. But really, whos gonna care if PS3 overtakes 360 after the next gen begins other then desperate Sony fans? The Xbox fans will simply say "we beat you when the gen mattered and now were too busy cheering on the next Xbox beating the PS4 :D". For example, PS2 still sells today. But really, do you see anybody saying "PS2 still owns xbox and Gamecube in 2012!!!!!"? That gen is long over and therefore the people have moved on. 

Maybe the 360 hasnt got an official pricecut since 2008, but its become alot cheaper over the years. Here in Europe a 360 costs like 170 euros, with Kinect bundle 230 euros. In 2008 You had to pay 300 euros for an Arcade version.

No one really knows when PS3 will overtake the 360, I predict Q1 2013, almost a full year before the next HD consoles supposedly release. It will matter to a lot of people.It won't matter to some fanboys cuz they want to forget what they said at the start of the gen. No one says PS2 owned and smashed the xbox and gamecube, because there wasn't fanboyism like nowadays. This stupid console wars started with the xbox fanboys saying PS3 has no gamez and no salez, it will backfire to them.

Q1 2013? Even thought we all know MS is dropping the 360 price this year, couple with Halo 4 and therefore a LOT of MS marketing $$$$ being thrown around this holiday? I predict 2015 and onward, but thats me. 

But I dont see how it would matter to anybody if PS3 eventually overtakes 360 when the next gen is well under way. The spotlight is off them and it went to the next wave. Logically, the only people who would care would be sensitive Sony fans. 

"This stupid console wars started with the xbox fanboys saying PS3 has no gamez and no salez, it will backfire to them"

Correction. The console war started with PS2 fanboys saying Xbox/Gamecube had no games and sales. It all ready backfired on them now :P. The only reason why fanboyism is so great this gen then any other is because Sony lost its lead and the fans cant deal. After 6 years you'd think they accept it by now. 

How low can 360s price be? 99dollars? It basically costs less then a Nintendo DS right now. I dont think an official pricecut will be so effective, maybe for the Kinect bundles. But with the WIiU this year, sales of 360 will go down in America.

When the next gen arrives most people will be still gaming in the current gen systems for years to come. Obviously the 360 fans cared about sales the first few years, its highly understandable they try like they don't care anymore, cuz they were wrong.

Last gen, there was no console war, just becoz PS2 had 80% marketshare doesnt mean Sony fans were bashing the competition and vice versa. There was no media hate towards a console like this gen, there were no "PS2 songs" or "xbox has no games" arguments.

Its the 360 fans who started all this console war fueled by a highly anti-PS3 American media crying like little girls how PS3 had no gaemz or no salez. Now that the tides are turning, they want to forget what they said.



Jay520 on 02 April 2012

It's a contributing factor, definitely, but it's not an absolute determinent of generation victory. Other factors like price, features, marketing, and most importantly, games are more important.

Sometimes these factors are affected by launch order, like 3rd party games, but that's a factor that console producers must consider and counter by improving in other factors, specifically first party games.

In a case where a console is inferior, or even very similar, to a competitor, then launch time can be important