Besides the obvious reasons, here's an ancedote: I know somebody who bought a PS4, but has not gotten any retail games for it. It's not that they've been buying digital copies; they literally only bought the hardware. They just wanted to have a PS4 around for when games like Infamous come out.

Looking at the software ratio of about 2 games for every unit of hardware, it appears that people simply don't want that many games for their new systems yet. And of course, having lots of less notable games at launch means the sales are more spread out.

So far, it simply looks like the new consoles are boxes for existing shooters released beforehand on weaker systems.

The market was just shrinking because of the timing of everything.  End of a generation and all.  PS4 and XBox One CAN expand the market, but Assasin's Creed, COD, and Battlefield aren't going to do it.

Right now Sony seems 100% focussed on taking Microsoft out.  Their marketing has been really really focussed on bashing MS.  They're trying so hard to fight for the 360's market share that they're missing bigger opportunities.  Meanwhile, Microsoft is banking on their multimedia features and Kinect to expand the market, but the market doesn't really seem all that interested.  They're just not generating a ton of buzz in the mainstream.

The Wii U still remains the most likely candidate to expand the market.  I think the idea of taking something familiar (the tablet) and applying it to gaming could be a great way to further lower the barrier for gaming... but Nintendo hasn't created the software to back it up, and the marketing isn't there.  In both the 3DS and the Wii U, Nintendo has been really conservative.  They need some big new IPs and quickly.

Im guessing overtracking of Hardware and undertracking of software.

I think this is a fallacy. I know you aren't using it like this, but it's used alongside the line that sales will surely increase just because new consoles are brought out!

What consumers ask from a game isn't cyclical. Make a good game in a reasonable budget, it'll sell regardless of release date.

Well the market will increase with new consoles, at least in the short term.  Hardware is definitely up YOY.

As for good games selling, not always.  Just ask Wonderful 101, Puppeteer, Tearaway, and so on.  Sadly, a lot of great games don't sell well.

The object isn't to sell well, the object is profit. If those more niche games are good enough for their intended market and have an appropriate budget, they can make money.

Hardware increasing means nothing for the market. All three companies lose money on hardware. Them selling well while software does badly will only cause greater losses.

How about some common sense guys, how many pp have a 360 or PS3, 80k+ each compared to X1 2.4k and PS4 3.6k. Logically isn't it easilier for a PS3 and 360 game to sell more?


No wonder why the Mod's here hate me because I use common sense.

Also what should shock you all is that Super Mario 3D world actually manage to get on that list! That the sign of a truely good game. Not to mention it was also announce today that it's EuroGamer of the year!!!

Then it's sad how poor the games industry is right now, because it wouldn't have won any year 1990 - 2004

Accept for 3D World. Lol.

Agree completely, but Nintendo is trying to do that next year. I think it MAY take the big N a while to get traction, but it will. Wbox One though. I honestly don't see how it will ever even sell beyond the extreme hardcore. Dead Rising 3 (if not alreasy announced for PS4) is GOING to be announced. That and Titan Fall (which is already stating times exclusive) is the ONLY thing the Xbone has.