By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sony Discussion - Is PS4 the first console to sell like this without a fad?

S.T.A.G.E. on 07 January 2018
Bofferbrauer2 said:
The PS4 is selling so strongly because both Nintendo and Microsoft basically did everything wrong with their consoles at the start of this gen. The catastrophic Wii U communication and thus sales plus the disastrous XBO reveal just meant that all Sony had to do is not fuck up hard to win this gen so far.

However, both concurrents have learned from their mistakes. Microsoft brings out the strongest console ever, has ditched Kinect and backpedaled on many other things from it's reveal. Nintendo, on the other hand, brought a sucessor to the unsuccessful Wii U with the Switch and this Hybrid console is selling like hot cakes, potentially outselling the Wii U even in it's launch year of 2017, so without a full year under it's belt!

With both its rivals having gotten stronger with drastically different approaches, it will be interesting to see how the sales of the PS4 will evolve in 2018 and beyond

Oh, and about the fad: It had one at launch: (by far) most powerful console. Yet another point to the list of fails on Microsofts side during the XBO reveal, but with the ONE X the corrected that, albeit way too late. If the PS4 and XBO would have come out with their internal hardware switched, I'm very sure Microsoft would have sold much more XBO and the PS4 not as much, though how big that difference would have been in the end is open for debate.

Sony has always been a dominant brand because they deliver something for everyone unlike their competition (and even less for Microsoft). It had nothing to do with them being the most powerful console either. The Xbox is not on Sonys level in terms of Sonys potential. In order for Xbox to succeed and gain marketshare it is actually Sony that must fail. Sony generally sells 100 million consoles or more but the PS3 era was Sonys own doing as they risked dominating the gen to save the Blu Ray format. Microsoft is not as trusted in the world, nor do they have the level of development that Sony (or even Nintendo) currently has. Because of their content issues they can never beat Sony in the long race (unless they fix it). If Sony is winning a generation, they only widen their gap on microsoft. As you saw last gen, Microsoft had an eight million console lead on Sony and Sony still closed the gap at the end of the generation, eventually surpassing them.

Last edited by S.T.A.G.E. - on 07 January 2018

Around the Network
LivingMetal on 07 January 2018
LethalP said:

We all know PS1 and PS2 only sold because they played CD/DVD's, and the PS3 proved that without the help of the new hot multimedia format (Blu-Ray was luke warm), PlayStation sales weren't all that hot, yaus? So it's strange to see Sony's gaming centric approach push the PS4 to these levels of success previously only seen on consoles with fads at their forefront (like CD, like DVD, like motion controls, touch screen etc.).

Maybe it's something else not game related selling the PS4? Because after all, no console in the history of ever sold the way PS4 is without some out-of-the-norm novelty compared to it's competition. So either PS1/2 sold for the same reason PS4 is, the library, or PS4 is an unseen anomoly in the gaming industry? Interesting stuff.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, and... wrong. 

The original PlayStation sold well because it was first announced at a $100 price point lower than the Sega Saturn. Then, it was Nintendo being late to market with the N64. Remember, the Sega Saturn already employed Cd's as the first console of its generation. CD's were NOT a fad at this time while it was already established as a viable storage media. 

The DVD playback option no doubtably helped PS2 sales, but that was more so after the PS2 was released. in fact, DVD playback was NOT originally in PS2 plans. Sony later decided to include the chip in the PS2 to playback DVD's. It was hype from the success of the original PlayStation, and the third party refusal to support the Sega Dreamcast due to piracy that let to the PS2's sucess.



S.T.A.G.E. on 07 January 2018
CGI-Quality said:
Bofferbrauer2 said:
The PS4 is selling so strongly because both Nintendo and Microsoft basically did everything wrong with their consoles at the start of this gen. The catastrophic Wii U communication and thus sales plus the disastrous XBO reveal just meant that all Sony had to do is not fuck up hard to win this gen so far.

However, both concurrents have learned from their mistakes. Microsoft brings out the strongest console ever, has ditched Kinect and backpedaled on many other things from it's reveal. Nintendo, on the other hand, brought a sucessor to the unsuccessful Wii U with the Switch and this Hybrid console is selling like hot cakes, potentially outselling the Wii U even in it's launch year of 2017, so without a full year under it's belt!

With both its rivals having gotten stronger with drastically different approaches, it will be interesting to see how the sales of the PS4 will evolve in 2018 and beyond

Oh, and about the fad: It had one at launch: (by far) most powerful console. Yet another point to the list of fails on Microsofts side during the XBO reveal, but with the ONE X the corrected that, albeit way too late. If the PS4 and XBO would have come out with their internal hardware switched, I'm very sure Microsoft would have sold much more XBO and the PS4 not as much, though how big that difference would have been in the end is open for debate.

I think the disparity between the PlayStation and Xbox is not just down to hardware power and flawed launches. The PlayStation, as a brand, is just far stronger. The situation wouldn't look much different if the power situation was reversed. And a good way to know this is looking at what happened to the Xbox One X. It had absolutely no impact on PS4's holiday sales, suggesting that most people just don't care about that stuff. 

Nintendo and Sony are in a very good place, right now.  Microsoft will have to find another hook (like the 360) that can really compete again (on top of, needing one of the other two to mess up in a very dramatic way).

The only hook the 360 had was the Kinect and the fact that they had picked up the pieces Sony left off because they made most of Sony's most prized third party exclusives into multiplats. They created a level playing with third party so people could choose their brand based on internal offerings rather than third party dominance. This generation is more accurate as it showcased and exposed Microsoft's flaw which was visible last gen only to those who pay attention. 2017 was that flaw that came to be realized in bad first party. As their sales have shown, they cannot hide behind third party forever.



LivingMetal on 07 January 2018
Bofferbrauer2 said:
The PS4 is selling so strongly because both Nintendo and Microsoft basically did everything wrong...

 Or SONY did everything right.  Perspective. 



fatslob-:O on 07 January 2018
S.T.A.G.E. said:

The only hook the 360 had was the Kinect and the fact that they had picked up the pieces Sony left off because they made most of Sony's most prized third party exclusives into multiplats. They created a level playing with third party so people could choose their brand based on internal offerings rather than third party dominance. This generation is more accurate as it showcased and exposed Microsoft's flaw which was visible last gen only to those who pay attention. 2017 was that flaw that came to be realized in bad first party. As their sales have shown, they cannot hide behind third party forever.

First party cannot be solely crucial to the success of a platform as we can see time and time again with Nintendo's systems ... 

In Sony's case their first party exclusives served as a "tipping point" and not the "absolute decisive factor" when competing against Microsoft's system. If PS and Xbox both were on exactly even grounds including brand power then just as little as 1 exclusive can tip the entire scale in either sides favour ... 

People don't necessarily buy PS4 over X1 because of it's exclusive, it's because consumers want the advantage in terms of options and having one less game can make all the difference despite everything else being equal ... 



Around the Network
S.T.A.G.E. on 07 January 2018
fatslob-:O said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:

The only hook the 360 had was the Kinect and the fact that they had picked up the pieces Sony left off because they made most of Sony's most prized third party exclusives into multiplats. They created a level playing with third party so people could choose their brand based on internal offerings rather than third party dominance. This generation is more accurate as it showcased and exposed Microsoft's flaw which was visible last gen only to those who pay attention. 2017 was that flaw that came to be realized in bad first party. As their sales have shown, they cannot hide behind third party forever.

First party cannot be solely crucial to the success of a platform as we can see time and time again with Nintendo's systems ... 

Thats because Nintendo makes vastly underpowered hardware, and for the games that can exist on their console based on power, Nintendo's first party is superior to all of them. Ubisoft seems to be the only third party willing to learn how to create a diverse portfolio and truly pushes themselves.

In Sony's case their first party exclusives served as a "tipping point" and not the "absolute decisive factor" when competing against Microsoft's system. If PS and Xbox both were on exactly even grounds including brand power then just as little as 1 exclusive can tip the entire scale in either sides favour ... 

Sonys first party, is an extension of the "greatness" mantra. Sony as far as gaming is concerned wants to be everything to everyone, so they must have all parties ready to bat for them as well as their own first party. Also, no.....they are not even and thats why first party is so important. Microsoft leveled the playing field where it has only ever mattered and thats with multiplats. If you want your brand to pull away you set yourself apart with exclusives. Not only does Sony have superior game development, they also have a higher level of quality control. Sony lives by a quality over quantity mantra, and yet they still have quantity over Microsoft. This comes from generations of trial and error in creating a fleet of trustworthy in house developers that make groundbreaking games. Even EA has tried to copy their games, because they realized formulas for games like God of War and Uncharted work  (IE: Star Wars 1313 and Dantes Inferno)

 

People don't necessarily buy PS4 over X1 because of it's exclusive, it's because consumers want the advantage in terms of options and having one less game can make all the difference despite everything else being equal ... 

Its both including answers that involve a summer of all parts method which only Sony seems to prioritize. I will admit, if it came down to stylish UI and hardware prowess...Microsoft the leader there. When it comes to developing games they struggle. They cannot gain a lead and hold it because they dont have any internal longevity which differentiates themselves from Sony. If Nintendo didnt have a third party problem and hard proper hardware, XBox wouldve had a major problem this gen. The Switch is proving a point right now and is going to surpass Microsoft before the generation is over. It is about exclusive content. Either you're special or youre not.

 


ShadowSoldier on 07 January 2018
S.T.A.G.E. said:
ShadowSoldier said:
You know after Sony's blunder and arrogance with the PS3, I was convinced it would be at least 3 gens before someone let their arrogance get the best of them again. Then Mattrick told me to hold his goddamn beer.

They weren't being arrogant. They intentionally risked the PS3 to save Blu Ray. They knew they would turn a profit on it, but only after a slow bleed. Blu Ray was dying at the hands of HD-DVD and Sony put Blu Ray in the PS3 to save it from extinction.  Microsoft later backed HD-DVD but their efforts fell upon def ears, so Blu Ray won the format war and HD-DVD went extinct. Microsoft since then has become a member of the Blu Ray association since Sony made Blu Ray the dominant format to succeed DVD, which Sony was the first to bring to market within the gaming world as well.

Bruh. They said they want people to say "I want to work two jobs for one"

 

That's the very definition of Arrogance man.



Black Women Are The Most Beautiful Women On The Planet.

"In video game terms, RPGs are games that involve a form of separate battles taking place with a specialized battle system and the use of a system that increases your power through a form of points.

Sure, what you say is the definition, but the connotation of RPGs is what they are in video games." - dtewi

Bofferbrauer2 on 07 January 2018
CGI-Quality said:
Bofferbrauer2 said:
The PS4 is selling so strongly because both Nintendo and Microsoft basically did everything wrong with their consoles at the start of this gen. The catastrophic Wii U communication and thus sales plus the disastrous XBO reveal just meant that all Sony had to do is not fuck up hard to win this gen so far.

However, both concurrents have learned from their mistakes. Microsoft brings out the strongest console ever, has ditched Kinect and backpedaled on many other things from it's reveal. Nintendo, on the other hand, brought a sucessor to the unsuccessful Wii U with the Switch and this Hybrid console is selling like hot cakes, potentially outselling the Wii U even in it's launch year of 2017, so without a full year under it's belt!

With both its rivals having gotten stronger with drastically different approaches, it will be interesting to see how the sales of the PS4 will evolve in 2018 and beyond

Oh, and about the fad: It had one at launch: (by far) most powerful console. Yet another point to the list of fails on Microsofts side during the XBO reveal, but with the ONE X the corrected that, albeit way too late. If the PS4 and XBO would have come out with their internal hardware switched, I'm very sure Microsoft would have sold much more XBO and the PS4 not as much, though how big that difference would have been in the end is open for debate.

I think the disparity between the PlayStation and Xbox is not just down to hardware power and flawed launches. The PlayStation, as a brand, is just far stronger. The situation wouldn't look much different if the power situation was reversed. And a good way to know this is looking at what happened to the Xbox One X. It had absolutely no impact on PS4's holiday sales, suggesting that most people just don't care about that stuff. 

Nintendo and Sony are in a very good place, right now.  Microsoft will have to find another hook (like the 360) that can really compete again (on top of, needing one of the other two to mess up in a very dramatic way).

Well Microsoft effectively killed the Xbox brand with the totally botched launch of the XBO. While The Playstation Brand would still be much stronger than the Xbox brand, especially outside of US &UK, it wouldn't be in such a bad shape as it is now. Those who bought an XBOX where mostly upgrading from their original ONE or waiting with their Xbox purchase until the upgraded model was out.

Like I said, it's not all on the power, but at least, the XBO would have had one advantage over the PS4 (and not fully ruined their conference with it btw) and as a result the sales of both platforms would have been closer together. If it's only 2M closer or 20M is up to debate, but for sure they would have been closer together as the PS4 would have lost an advantage and the XBO won one instead.



The Nintendo eShop rating Thread: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=237454 List as Google Doc:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aW2hXQT1TheElVS7z-F3pP-7nbqdrDqWNTxl6JoJWBY/edit?usp=sharing

The Steam/GOG key gifting thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/242024/the-steamgog-key-gifting-thread/1/ 

Free Pc Games thread: https://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread/248138/free-pc-games/1/

S.T.A.G.E. on 08 January 2018
ShadowSoldier said:
S.T.A.G.E. said:

They weren't being arrogant. They intentionally risked the PS3 to save Blu Ray. They knew they would turn a profit on it, but only after a slow bleed. Blu Ray was dying at the hands of HD-DVD and Sony put Blu Ray in the PS3 to save it from extinction.  Microsoft later backed HD-DVD but their efforts fell upon def ears, so Blu Ray won the format war and HD-DVD went extinct. Microsoft since then has become a member of the Blu Ray association since Sony made Blu Ray the dominant format to succeed DVD, which Sony was the first to bring to market within the gaming world as well.

Bruh. They said they want people to say "I want to work two jobs for one"

 

That's the very definition of Arrogance man.

They made an arrogant statement, since then Kaz hirai has been made fun of since. Regardless, he was promoted because he turned the ship around.