shams,

Why do you think this is Crunch time for the PS3 ?
Except in NA, the sales are pretty good.
And the 40gb cannot sell alone without game. We both know that (see some of your past posts ^^)
How can you judge his performance since the "good" games (exclusive games with good review like Ratchet or multiplateform game with good frame rate like CoD4) ONLY start to come ...

Did you read my main/opening post?

Sales in Europe have dropped 50% in the last 2 weeks - its back down to pre-price cut levels.

The PS3 is getting killed in the US. And sales in Japan have been pretty poor really.

...

The next 2-3 weeks will show how the Japanese market responds to Sony's moves (new model, white, bundle with DW, price cuts, etc..). Sony have basically pulled out ALL the stops in Japan - there is NOTHING left they can do.

The same applies to the US. PS3 being outsold 3:1, or by 100k / week by 360. The next few weeks will show how the market responds to the 40gig model (price cuts already factored in).

Sony has basically run out of exclusives - the last one(?) left in the US is Uncharted - which should do well, but I doubt will set the charts alight.

...

In short - this all relates back to Sony's fiscal predictions (11m units in fiscal year - meaning another 8.5m sales in next 8 weeks + 3 months in '08). I simply see this as impossible, and completely unrealistic.  

If Sony would drop their forecasts to say... 7-8m - there wouldn't be a problem. They should reach that without too many stresses (now that they have dropped the price, dropped BC, etc..).

...

Sony have basically pulled out ALL their stops, and even gone further than they really should have. The extra $100 drop + dropping BC really is desperation. And that's all well and fine - as long as the market accepts it, and they manage to pull it off.

Hence - this is why its CRUNCH TIME for the PS3. If sales improve, market accepts the new pricing/model - then all is good (even if Sony misses their forecast, which will be embarrassing - down the track).

But if the market doesn't accept it, and the PS3 ends a distant 3rd/last this Xmas - then they are in real trouble. Apart from even more price cutting, and bundling - what more can they do? 

It all looks for naught, the PS3 can summon demons that were vanquished hundreds of years ago using 5 armlets worn by the heroes who saved the world from the Battle of the Reapers.

It's a pretty good business strategy.

I'm not sure whats going wrong with the PS3 but everyone should relax a little bit. The worldwide figures show that PS3 is beating 360 even if it is only barely. This week in Japan the PS3 should top the Wii even though it might only be for a week or two. The only market where the PS3 is getting killed is America. I really don't know what Sony can do to win this market back. I guess it is all about the games. I just picked up my 3rd Wii yesterday (sold the other two) to play Mario and I feel a little less stressed about the conole wars. I really believe Sony will come back, although I don't know how or when. I don't see Uncharted moving many systems, sad to say I wasn't impressed with the demo very much.

@xiru, the 360 is beating the ps3 in worldwide sales by about 75k. europe is neck and neck. japan, has been ps3 over the 360, but the sales there are not as good as they should be. but all that being said, it will be interseting to see how the christmas breaks down, even more so with sony price breaks and their new massive advertising campain.... i see their ads almost 5 times as fequently as ms, and 10-20 times more than MS

Shams said: "Sony has basically run out of exclusives - the last one(?) left in the US is Uncharted - which should do well, but I doubt will set the charts alight."

I know you are talking about for the remainder of this year, but isn't Haze and GT Prologue still coming out this year?
regardless,
You act as if the PS3 has weaker remaining exclusives than Microsoft does.

I believe this "crunch time" only 1 year into the PS3's life cycle does not exist.
A little premature in my opinion.

You are right about 1 thing though- It is almost Christmas time.
So to you, (shams) I say --------- have a Merry Christmas

Besides shams, if you need to troll, just be upfront about it. People will appreciate you more if you are.

It's not like you're the biggest PS3 fan on the site who just decided to be analytical.

Firstly - read my opening post.

At the very bottom...

"(NOTE - I am *not* saying the PS3 is dead. All this analysis related to THIS Xmas only. What happens next year at this stage is anyone's guess...) "

Now that that's out of the way...

...

Prologue has been delayed to Q1 '08.

Haze (to my knowledge) is not an exclusive - and I'm not sure if its hitting this year anymore. The PS3 has plenty of great games hitting over the remainder of this year - but not many exclusives.

...

Secondly, we could start any entire thread about what happens to the PS3 next year - if it doesn't do great this Xmas. Its too far in the future for me to think about now - what happens now is much more interesting. 

Actually Montana - your post is the one trolling. Just because this is a thread about the PS3, doesn't give you an  excuse to flame me with no backing.

Why don't you reply to my posts, and argue against my points instead? I may well be wrong on several issues - if I am please point them out.

Is that how you set the example to the other posters, MontanaHatchet?

shams is not trolling, for he is on topic and wrote based on facts. You can dispute the facts, but you can't say he's trolling without trolling yourself.