July Hardware Numbers, PS2 outsells 360

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raz0red
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July Hardware Numbers, PS2 outsells 360

Post by raz0red » Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:13 am

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?optio ... 6&Itemid=2
On the hardware side, DS sold 377,000 units for the month followed by PS2 with 240,000. Xbox 360 sold just over 200,000 units. PSP sold 160,000.
So anyone have a perspective on this? I have heard people say that since the PS2 is outselling the 360, that means sure success for the PS3. But, the main factor I would think is cost. A lot of people may be buying the PS2 now since it is so cheap to check out those games they may have missed due to having a cube or an original Xbox.

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Post by iamsjn » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:27 pm

I would say that availability of games is also a factor. If you want access to the most game titles, PS2 is the way to go. Price definately plays a role between the two consoles but the fact that the DS outsells both puzzles me.

A quick check of Walmart's website shows the following (where your average shopper will purchase these) -

Nintendo DS - $149.95
Nintendo DS Lite - $159.95

Playstation 2 - $129.95

Xbox360 (base)- $349.95

So price definately is NOT the factor in the DS vs. PS2 race. It's gotta come down to the portability factor in that one.
Bottom line, there is no one single demographic that dictates these sales. What I can say with confidence is that the PS3 will most likely find a home at the bottom of that list if price & game title availability is in fact the factors that drive the console purchases.

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Post by The Brass » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:46 pm

there are more playstation fan boys because playstation is a much older console so they developed the
'hard core fan boy" which will shell out all that cash for the next gen ps3
OL' DIRTY BASTARD

LimitZer0

Post by LimitZer0 » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:24 pm

By the time the PS3 launches, the 360 will have a nice library of games and will most likely have a price drop. The Wii will be affordable at launch.


Sony - The few people I know that have PS2s ONLY, will not be able to afford a PS3 within the first 3 years of the launch. The 360 and Wii will be much cheaper.

Microsoft - I have meet a few people who hate the 360 because they don't have Xbox Live and/or an internet connection. It is hard to realize that there are MANY people without internet access, but it is true. I can see how the 360 would be boring as hell without XBL, especially with the launch titles. Sony and Nintendo have had many more unique, exlusive games than Microsoft in the past. Can Microsoft capture these anti-social gamers that are probably in the majority?

Nintendo - If the Wii is half as much fun as the DS then Microsoft and Sony better watch it. Sony already lost the handheld war thinking only about powerful hardware and not about originality. As of right now, I have purchased 17-18 DS games (that is a lot for me, especially a handheld). I have purchased 3 (boring) PSP games. At some point, I am going to convince myself to buy a DS lite. The DS Rules!

In the next console war (handhelds aside), I think Microsoft and Nintendo are going to gain a lot of ground on Sony and it will be close. It is going to be a good 5 years!

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Post by raz0red » Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:29 pm

LimitZer0 wrote:I have purchased 3 (boring) PSP games. At some point, I am going to convince myself to buy a DS lite. The DS Rules!
Heh, I have both, but to be honest I have been playing my PSP much more than my DS lately. How could it be you ask?

Well, I ordered two games from play-asia.com, and I have to say they are probably the best games I have played on my PSP:

Goku Makaimura / Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins
Every Extend Extra

I bought both of these as a package deal for ~$80.00. With these games, and LocoRoco on the way, the PSP *seems* to be getting a decent flow of new titles. I will be talking about these in the "what we are playing now" segment in the upcoming podcast. If your PSP is acting like a paper-weight, you might want to check these out.

--Raz.

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Post by zodiacprime » Fri Aug 11, 2006 7:35 pm

Perspective? well, its pretty obvious really. These numbers are not just indicative of what is happening here in the US, but all over the world. A big reason Sega was finally able to outsell the hugely popular NES was because there was a perceived degree of 'Next Gen-ness' about the Genesis. Gamers had squeezed every ounce out of their NES and were ready to move on. The 360 has none of that appeal. I would happily be playing my regular old Xbox for years to come if MS hadn't decided to push the 360 down our collective throats. So, what do these numbers tell me? This simply says, "Hey, we don't think an extra layer of graphic polish justifies 'Next Gen'!" and you know what, the dirty little secret is: It doesn't! There is no compelling reason to buy a 360 at this point. I can't say that I'm too sad about this fact, not really sure why, but I get a bit of satisfaction out of knowing that Microsoft is failing and all the momentum nowadays seems to be going Nintendo's way. I'm glad Microsoft is failing on it's attempts to sully the industry with the stance that graphics matter more than gameplay. To me the best thing to happen in the industry in the past two years is the Nintendo DS. And if these numbers are any indication, then most people are agreeing with me (wow, that just doesn't seem right). But what is more important than the DS is the _success_ of the DS. As Sony and Microsoft (and their development houses) see that people prefer fun games over graphic polish they'll hopefully learn what it takes to make fun games again. So far I see little things here and there that give me hope (e.g., Loco Roco, Xbox Live Arcade) but overall they've got a lot to learn. No matter who you're rootin' for, we should keep on thanking our lucky stars the big N is still in the game.

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Post by raz0red » Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:34 pm

zodiacprime wrote:Perspective? well, its pretty obvious really. These numbers are not just indicative of what is happening here in the US, but all over the world. A big reason Sega was finally able to outsell the hugely popular NES was because there was a perceived degree of 'Next Gen-ness' about the Genesis. Gamers had squeezed every ounce out of their NES and were ready to move on. The 360 has none of that appeal. I would happily be playing my regular old Xbox for years to come if MS hadn't decided to push the 360 down our collective throats. So, what do these numbers tell me? This simply says, "Hey, we don't think an extra layer of graphic polish justifies 'Next Gen'!" and you know what, the dirty little secret is: It doesn't! There is no compelling reason to buy a 360 at this point. I can't say that I'm too sad about this fact, not really sure why, but I get a bit of satisfaction out of knowing that Microsoft is failing and all the momentum nowadays seems to be going Nintendo's way. I'm glad Microsoft is failing on it's attempts to sully the industry with the stance that graphics matter more than gameplay. To me the best thing to happen in the industry in the past two years is the Nintendo DS. And if these numbers are any indication, then most people are agreeing with me (wow, that just doesn't seem right). But what is more important than the DS is the _success_ of the DS. As Sony and Microsoft (and their development houses) see that people prefer fun games over graphic polish they'll hopefully learn what it takes to make fun games again. So far I see little things here and there that give me hope (e.g., Loco Roco, Xbox Live Arcade) but overall they've got a lot to learn. No matter who you're rootin' for, we should keep on thanking our lucky stars the big N is still in the game.
I agree that it is great that Nintendo is still in the game. I like my DS, but I play my 360 way more. Probably due to the fact that I don't take the bus to work, etc. That and the Mario games just seem to be rehashes, so that was a bit disappointing. I played Brain Age for a week or so, but soon got a little bored with it. I am almost finished with Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, but again, it seems like the same game I have played for the Playstation and Super NES. Maybe, I am just buying the wrong games, but I guess I haven't seen any long lasting games on the DS yet that are innovative. The ones that seem to be innovative don't last that long (for me). But, I am probably the exception to the rule.

Don't get me wrong, I will get the Wii day one, but I am starting to fear that it may be getting a bit overhyped. If it does, I fear there will be a backlash. With the DS, most people believed it would fail, so there weren't such high expectations. With all the hype the Wii has received, it now has a very high level of expectation that it must meet. To date, there haven't been many (if any) people who have played the Wii for an extended period of time. I am sure it makes a great first impression, but playing it for long periods of time is a concern for me as well.

As far as the 360 goes, I really like the Live stuff. The ability to always see your friends online. The ability to compare scores, and to play the classics, and new classics (Geometry Wars, etc.) has far exceeded what I expected from it. It definitely isn't for everyone, but for me at has been a blast.

One thing we said when we started this podcast, is that we weren't biased, and I am truly not biased. If the PS3 looks good, I will buy it as well. I am not a Nintendo, M$, or Sony fan. I am a fan of games that I enjoy playing. Regardless of who makes it. Oh, I also drink Coke and Pepsi as well... I know.... scary. :D

--Raz.

LimitZer0

Post by LimitZer0 » Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:30 am

I love Ghouls and Ghosts. That is the first arcade game I remember playing. I will order that for sure. This is the type of thing that needs to be on XBLA dammit!

Anyway, I am going to have to disagree with you about Mario. I have been waiting for a Mario like this since Super Mario World. I can't stand 3D worlds for adventure/platform games. I believe it was a bit too easy and could have had way more levels, but it blows the recent Mario games out of the water.

I remember you all talking about Mario Kart on the DS and how you were not that impressed with it. I was very impressed with it. I like it way more than Double Dash. It has the SNES Mario Kart feel with updated graphics and online play... what more could you want?

I do agree with the fact that many of their original/creative games get played out fairly quick. I too have Brain Age as well as Big Brain Academy. I no longer play Big Brain Academy and only play Brain Age for Sudoku. Since these titles were $19.99, I feel I got my moneys worth.

I also play my Xbox 360 more than the DS, but if San Diego had a decent public transportation system, I would take busses/trains/trolleys just to relax and get some game time in.

I too am not a fanboy of one company. I hope to have all systems with the best games for each.

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Post by raz0red » Sat Aug 12, 2006 10:48 am

LimitZer0 wrote:Anyway, I am going to have to disagree with you about Mario. I have been waiting for a Mario like this since Super Mario World. I can't stand 3D worlds for adventure/platform games. I believe it was a bit too easy and could have had way more levels, but it blows the recent Mario games out of the water.

I remember you all talking about Mario Kart on the DS and how you were not that impressed with it. I was very impressed with it. I like it way more than Double Dash. It has the SNES Mario Kart feel with updated graphics and online play... what more could you want?
I probably didn't state things the way I wanted well enough. I like the New Super Mario Bros. as well as Mario Kart, but my point is that they really aren't "innovative". They are definitely fun games, some of the best games around to be sure. But, they aren't significantly different than their predecessors.

Further, they really don't take advantage of the dual screen / stylus. The fact that I am not playing them is that I played the previous versions (Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Castlevania) for an enormous amount of hours. When I am faced with playing something new and different versus something very similar to something I have played before (for many hours), I usually tend for the former. For people who didn't spend a ton of time playing those other games, they don't have that issue.

I guess, I would just like to see some more innovative games for the DS that last a bit longer than that initial couple week period. I really haven't seen any yet, but if you guys know of some, please let me know. I really want to play it more.... Right now, the only game that I go back to on the DS is Meteos.

--Raz.

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Post by msaeger » Sun Aug 13, 2006 8:21 am

I don't think the PS2 selling well means success for the PS3 but I think it will be a success just not right away. The ps1 and ps2 didn't have anything good at launch either it took about a year. The 360 has been out almost a year and there is almost nothing even announced that interests me other than some XBLA stuff.

The 360 will have the American style games and the PS3 will get the Japanese ones. The 360 bombed in Japan so I doubt any of the developers in Japan are even looking at it. Unless they all switch to the Wii there will be something good for the PS3 eventully.
Wii Wii Wii

Matt

LimitZer0

Post by LimitZer0 » Sun Aug 13, 2006 2:13 pm

The fact that I am not playing them is that I played the previous versions (Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Castlevania) for an enormous amount of hours. When I am faced with playing something new and different versus something very similar to something I have played before (for many hours), I usually tend for the former. For people who didn't spend a ton of time playing those other games, they don't have that issue.
I want to see more innovation across all systems, but some things are best left alone. I also played those games for hours, but I played them for hours because they were badass the way they were. Making the same type of game with updated graphics and a few new moves in those cases are exactly what I wanted. For people who want the old Mario, it is perfect... if you are sick of it, you have Mario coming on the Wii soon. You get the best of both worlds. 8)

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Post by PristineSteam » Sun Aug 13, 2006 7:33 pm

I liked Mario Kart DS, it just wasn't very new or different. It was great to play some of those old tracks on the DS though. I really like New Super Mario Bros. even thought it isn't all that new and different either. I'm not sure why, but probably because I haven't played a Mario Bros. game in a while and the gameplay is so solid.

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