UK joins the rest of Europe: PS3 sales drop 82%

[SAMAS]

After an uncommonly high sales opening week in the UK(compared to the rest of Europe), sales of the PS3 have dropped like a... really heavy falling thing, for the console's second week.

Daily Tech (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6763)

Oddly enough, this kinda reminds me of this article about the 360, claiming that the ratio of games to consoles sold is too high, indicating that the system may already be reaching maximum saturation. Both platforms are pretty expensive, maybe this has just happened with the PS3 all the sooner.

[cactusmaac]

My brother bought one. Right now it's collecting dust. None of the local shops stock Blu-Ray DVDs and he doesn't have a HD screen either.

[Mr. Ifix'em]

After an uncommonly high sales opening week in the UK(compared to the rest of Europe), sales of the PS3 have dropped like a... really heavy falling thing, for the console's second week.

Daily Tech (http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=6763)

Oddly enough, this kinda reminds me of this article about the 360, claiming that the ratio of games to consoles sold is too high, indicating that the system may already be reaching maximum saturation. Both platforms are pretty expensive, maybe this has just happened with the PS3 all the sooner.


Everyone that wanted one got one. No shortages...when you think about it sony did deliver for the fans. anyways i don't see the 360 doing any better. it still struggles in Japan.

[whassup_bun]

Everyone that wanted one got one. No shortages.

Yeah that's sure. I just can't see any casual gamer spending 500 quid for a PS3 and even more money for a HD-TV. People are spending around a 100 pounds for a DS and are just having as much fun.

[Xero Kaiser]

i don't see the 360 doing any better. it still struggles in Japan

That's because nobody over there has any taste

Everyone that wanted one got one. No shortages...when you think about it sony did deliver for the fans

LAWL

There's no way to put a positive spin on sales that decline this sharply, this quickly.

[The Fury]

I'm not surprised. the people who wanted one, saved up and no doubt got one. The people who are thinking about it, just wants it to drop in price and it probably will do in time and maybe by the end of the year.


BTW, random question about the 360, does the HD-DVD Rom/player part come as an extra you have to pay for? (I heard someone once say this). If so, isn;t the 360 with the HDDVD part just as expensive as the PS3?



Problem is still that so many Europeans have the PS2 (PS2 ruling 65% of the market even with 360 being out for a year) and like me, have no reason to buy a PS3 yet, when FF13 or Tekken 6 come out, maybe but until then, FF12 which only came out 4 weeks before the PS3 will have to do.

[TransformersFan]

I'm not surprised. the people who wanted one, saved up and no doubt got one. The people who are thinking about it, just wants it to drop in price and it probably will do in time and maybe by the end of the year.


BTW, random question about the 360, does the HD-DVD Rom/player part come as an extra you have to pay for? (I heard someone once say this). If so, isn;t the 360 with the HDDVD part just as expensive as the PS3?



Problem is still that so many Europeans have the PS2 (PS2 ruling 65% of the market even with 360 being out for a year) and like me, have no reason to buy a PS3 yet, when FF13 or Tekken 6 come out, maybe but until then, FF12 which only came out 4 weeks before the PS3 will have to do.


Yes, you have to pay extra for the DVD player for the 360, but at least you have the option of having to buy one or not, as opposed to Sony shoving the Blu-Ray down our throats.

[K.O.V.G]

PS3 is gonna end up like dreamcast it's just a failure.

[Mr. Ifix'em]

That's because nobody over there has any taste

so thats why the Wii sells, right, no taste. plus in the past Sony have dominated the VG industry in Japan.



LAWL

There's no way to put a positive spin on sales that decline this sharply, this quickly.

this is not a decline. statistically it's just a slowing down. you want decline? just say "first Xbox".


PS3 is gonna end up like dreamcast it's just a failure.

Neither the PS1 or PS2 were a failure. think before you post.

[GremlinClr]

Neither the PS1 or PS2 were a failure. think before you post.

Past success is in no way indicative of future success.

[BlairH]

Everyone that wanted one got one.
Except for the people who want one but can't afford it.

anyways i don't see the 360 doing any better.
Yeah! Who needs the 360 with it's vast library of awesome games, excellent online gaming service and affordable hardware?

it still struggles in Japan.
Good thing I'm not Japanese then.

[BlairH]

Past success is in no way indicative of future success.

Exactly. The Master System and the Megadrive were hot sellers. Skip ahead 2 generations and you end up with the Dreamcast.

[ocelotrevs]

I'm not surprised. the people who wanted one, saved up and no doubt got one. The people who are thinking about it, just wants it to drop in price and it probably will do in time and maybe by the end of the year...

Problem is still that so many Europeans have the PS2 (PS2 ruling 65% of the market even with 360 being out for a year) and like me, have no reason to buy a PS3 yet, when FF13 or Tekken 6 come out, maybe but until then, FF12 which only came out 4 weeks before the PS3 will have to do.
I agree with this.
I'm waiting for the price to drop, so I won't be getting one till Christmas at the earliest. I haven't seen any game so far that makes me want to go and get one.
If anything, this will be good news for me, as it may pull the price of the console down sooner.

[Mr. Ifix'em]

Except for the people who want one but can't afford it.

Too bad. Who said this is free? you can't buy one you don't get one. you got a poor argument there.


Yeah! Who needs the 360 with it's vast library of awesome games, excellent online gaming service and affordable hardware?

games with glitches and hardly anything interesting. Only ONE game is interesting and thats gears of war. excellent gaming service? which you have to pay. which in turn it's $50 a year. not worth it.


Good thing I'm not Japanese then.

Or smart for that matter...



Exactly. The Master System and the Megadrive were hot sellers. Skip ahead 2 generations and you end up with the Dreamcast.


which neither were known to be backup with house name like Sony. SEGA....yeah, that went places.

[Sanagi]

Considering Sega was one of the biggest names in the industry when Sony was still mostly known for making the SNES's sound chip, yeah.

[Urusai Wrangler]

anyways i don't see the 360 doing any better. it still struggles in Japan.

Even the PS3 is underperforming in Japan, though; right thing the only thing NOT struggling in Japan are the Wii and DS. Still, I don't see Japan as being as relevant to the gaming culture as it once was...with hardcore Japanese gaming on the decline and more Japanese developers looking to the Euro/Western markets for salvation, I think the tides are definitely shifting.

[Phrozen]

Exactly. The Master System and the Megadrive were hot sellers. Skip ahead 2 generations and you end up with the Dreamcast.

The Dreamcast rocked. The gaming public was just incredibly stupid not to support it. Had the best lineup of launch titles ever too.

[SAMAS]

The Dreamcast rocked. The gaming public was just incredibly stupid not to support it. Had the best lineup of launch titles ever too.

The death of the Dreamcast is a lot more complicated than that.

First was Sega's own fault. Many gamers felt that they got burned by the Saturn, which Sega of America all but abandoned, and so were reluctant to adopt the Dreamcast, afraid it would suffer the same fate(self-fulfilling prophecy, that).

Secondly, Sega of Japan started having a few financial problems, and were hoping for the US market to buoy them up a bit. For the problem with that, see the above statement.

Thirdly, Sony was a lot smarter back then than they've been recently. Despite the Dreamcast's lead, they were able to hype up the upcoming PS2 to instill a "wait and see" attitude in many gamers who might otherwise have adopted the Dreamcast. Add on to this the fact that the PS2 was able to kick-start the DVD industry in Japan, giving it a rather sizable userbase(Sony ties that again this time, not so much luck).

And finally, Sega was still having these problems on Sept 10, 2001. And we all know what happened the next day...

...which wreaked havoc on the US economy. On top of the above, as well as some other problems, it was the final nail for the DC.

[Wesley Dodds]

The Dreamcast rocked. The gaming public was just incredibly stupid not to support it. Had the best lineup of launch titles ever too.

I think it had something to do with Sony's claims that the Playstation 2 could cure cancer and contact the dead.

"Well, I don't know if the cancer claim is true, but rather than buying a Dreamcast now I'll wait and see what Sony's magic box of amazing is like."

[Your Imaginary Pal]

PS3s problem, it's lack of good games and PS2 still putting out high quality highly anticipated games. FF12 and God Of War 2 were huge hits for the PS2, if they were designed exclusively for PS3 they may have twisted a few arms.
The BluRay launch was weak at best, I mean I suppose there are good titles but who needs 'em alot of people just got basic DVD players 2 years ago, which work fine with non HD TVs. People willing to be early adapters are likely able to pay the premium prices for a stand alone BluRay player that doesn't have a game console stigma. So the PS3 being among the cheapest BluRay model on the market isn't as likely an adavantage as Sony may have initially presumed.

When the big franchise games are released the PS3 may rebound.
Metal Gear Solid 4 being the first of the solid hits should be out this month in the states, with GTA 4 and a FF installment due in the fall I believe. But an 82% drop would make me shake in my boots if I were Sony, I figure it's something they may have planned for though. Even without the games to support it, the Winter Holiday season is where they are expecting huge sales.

[Kevin M.]

The PS3 will probably move a decent number of unites, both nothing like the PS1 and PS2. But first that have really rethink the price, and get some good games going.

[Xero Kaiser]

so thats why the Wii sells, right, no taste.

Glad we agree

plus in the past Sony have dominated the VG industry in Japan.

A) that means nothing
B) there's a world beyond Japan
C) nobody cares

this is not a decline. statistically it's just a slowing down. you want decline? just say "first Xbox".

In what reality is an 82% drop after one week not a decline in sales? "It's just slowing down"? Uhhh...yeah...that's what a sales decline is.

You need to send in a resume to Sony's PR department, if you haven't already

excellent gaming service? which you have to pay.

As opposed to free service that sucks? And in your own words....who said this is free? You can't buy one, you don't get one. You got a poor argument there.

If you can't afford $50 a year then you obviously aren't flipping those burgers fast enough

Metal Gear Solid 4 being the first of the solid hits should be out this month in the states

MGS4 doesn't even have a release date yet. It sure as hell isn't due out this month.

[MakeshiftHero]

And here is someone who has actually never played a Dreamcast.

Oh thats right, I forgot that you knew more things about me than I do. I must have imagined spending money and time playing games on that console.
Thanks for clearing that up and helping me out with my past so I can get my facts straight.

[Jmacq1]

It's strange, because even while PS3 may be running a distant third in the "console war" it's still actually in the lead in the "Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD" war. There are more PS3s out there in the hands of potential viewers than HD-DVD players, and just a few weeks ago a Blu-Ray disc actually cracked into the top 10 for DVD sales (Casino Royale), a feat no HD-DVD disc has been able to achieve yet.

I'm beginning to think that Sony is willing to take a powder on the console side of things if it means they can get the "win" in the format war. Which actually makes sense from a certain point of view. The question is can they decisively "win" before the next wave of technology comes along?

And none of this changes the fact that PS3 is lagging behind at least one of its' competitors in virtually every country it's been released in. The best showing so far is "second place" (Japan). No matter how much someone might love Sony, it's going to take nothing short of a miracle (or a massive price drop) to boost them to any sort of decisive "dominance" as far as gaming consoles go this generation.

Which is good. I'd prefer three moderately successful, viable systems to one hugely dominant one. Competition is good for the consumer.

[Lester C.]

The Dreamcast wasn't a failure. I still have a ton of games on that system that I play to this day.

[Agent Helix]

The Dreamcast wasn't a failure. I still have a ton of games on that system that I play to this day.

Yes, the Dreamcast was a failure. It was a great little system, but it failed pretty hard. Was it successful at being a game console? Sure, but then so was the Jaguar, I guess. Was it commercially successful? No, not by a long shot.

[BlairH]

Too bad. Who said this is free? you can't buy one you don't get one. you got a poor argument there.
But you said everyone who wanted one now has one. Obviously that's not true, but if that was the case, the user-base for the PS3 isn't exactly huge. You would have to be mad to suggest that cost was not a factor.

games with glitches and hardly anything interesting.
"games with glitches"? Which games would those be? I'm starting to think you probably have never played a 360.

Only ONE game is interesting and thats gears of war.
And Halo 3
And Crackdown
And Bioshock
And Mass Effect
And "proper" versions of the Tom Clancy games
etc etc

excellent gaming service? which you have to pay. which in turn it's $50 a year. not worth it.
Actually it's worth every penny. For the same price as a PS3, you could buy a 360, 1 or 2 games and 3 years worth of XBox Live subscriptions.

I actually have both consoles, XBox live and the Live Marketplace offers a more polished "experience" over the Playstation Network and the Playstation Network Store. (That's to be expected natch. They've been the kings of online console gaming since Halo 2 was released)

Metal Gear Solid 4 being the first of the solid hits should be out this month in the states
You are telling lies and making stuff up.

Or smart for that matter...
Being called dumb by a Console zealot. That hurts.

I'm off to play Resistance: Fall of Man, because, unlike Mr Fanboy here, I'm actually open to enjoying games on different platforms.

[Urusai Wrangler]

If MGS4 makes it out at all this year (which I doubt, personally) it'll be no earlier than September.

[blackdragon6]

i don't know PS3 looks like its in serious trouble.especialy if their waiting for the holidays to come around.by that time x-box and nintendo's sale might have doubled by then.

[SAMAS]

I think the PS3 can still find it's legs, but it's gonna take some killer exclusives, and a serious drop in price to do so.

[ocelotrevs]

I thought that the Dreamcast was a great console, any time I played it I was amazed with it.
But as said before, people were a little on guard after the Saturn, and the fact that the online play wasn't as good as hyped.

[Perry Holley]

The rules against using profanity (or quoting someone else using profanity) still apply.

It shouldn't be that difficult to follow. If you don't want your posts deleted, that is.

[blackdragon6]

I think the PS3 can still find it's legs, but it's gonna take some killer exclusives, and a serious drop in price to do so.i'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say they'll find some good exclusive games. but i doubt they'll drop the prices down anytime soon.in order for sony to get going they need back to back killer exclusives in ADDITION with a price drop.either way sony might not be screwed but their sure gonna be lagging behind .....by miles if not light years.

[Alex]

i'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say they'll find some good exclusive games. but i doubt they'll drop the prices down anytime soon.in order for sony to get going they need back to back killer exclusives in ADDITION with a price drop.either way sony might not be screwed but their sure gonna be lagging behind .....by miles if not light years.

they need the games before any price drop.
The problem now is their lineup is just crap, a lotta multiplatform titles, it's just not good.
And it's different from 360s slim pickings launch, because 360 wasn't competiting with anyone, they were the only next gen kid on the block at the time.

[SwordChucksMaster78]

When your launch line-up includes a Gundam game, you know your console's going to have a rough start. Seriously, what the hell was Sony thinking to include a freaking Gundam game for their launch line-up?!? They have a quite a legacy of sucking.

[blackdragon6]

When your launch line-up includes a Gundam game, you know your console's going to have a rough start. Seriously, what the hell was Sony thinking to include a freaking Gundam game for their launch line-up?!? They have a quite a legacy of sucking.there was alot of hype around that game though...

[Captain Trips]

I thought that the Dreamcast was a great console, any time I played it I was amazed with it.
But as said before, people were a little on guard after the Saturn, and the fact that the online play wasn't as good as hyped.

I agree. I still have my Dreamcast. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and two arcade sticks are the reason why.

[Captain Trips]

they need the games before any price drop.
The problem now is their lineup is just crap, a lotta multiplatform titles, it's just not good.
And it's different from 360s slim pickings launch, because 360 wasn't competiting with anyone, they were the only next gen kid on the block at the time.

I kinda agree and disagree with you. While I wouldn't say that the PS3 game lineup is crap, I would say that there aren't too many games out for it that haven't already been out for the 360 for a while. Also, "Resistance: Fall of Man" is just an awesome game that's a blast to play.

And I think you're right about the launch being different from the 360 for the reason you mentioned. I think Sony is starting to get things going with the PS3, but they still have a lot of catching up to do. I love mine and am excited about things like Home and games like Lair. Sony may be lagging way behind, but I doubt they're planning to throw in the towel.

[Alex]

And I think you're right about the launch being different from the 360 for the reason you mentioned. I think Sony is starting to get things going with the PS3, but they still have a lot of catching up to do. I love mine and am excited about things like Home and games like Lair. Sony may be lagging way behind, but I doubt they're planning to throw in the towel.
I don't think they are done by any means, but i don't think they have a chance of being as succesful as they were with PS2.

[Captain Trips]

I don't think they are done by any means, but i don't think they have a chance of being as succesful as they were with PS2.

You're probably right about that. While I don't own a 360, I have to say that it looks like there are some damn good games out for it. Personally, I just like Sony and have always been extremely pleased with the PlayStation consoles.

I don't see them going down the same path as Sega. At least not for a long while. Sega burnt people with a a series of products that got no support and didn't sell:

Sega CD
Sega 32X
Saturn

The Sega CD and 32X weren't that great, but the Saturn was a good system. Sadly, it didn't have much third party support and got crushed when the PS1 debuted. The Dreamcast was a really good system but didn't do well for reasons already mentioned in this thread.

Sony's situation isn't that dire, in my opinion, but I do agree that their position in the marketplace has greatly fallen off. However, I still think the PS3 is a great system with great things to come.

[Alex]

You're probably right about that. While I don't own a 360, I have to say that it looks like there are some damn good games out for it. Personally, I just like Sony and have always been extremely pleased with the PlayStation consoles.

I don't see them going down the same path as Sega. At least not for a long while. Sega burnt people with a a series of products that got no support and didn't sell:

Sega CD
Sega 32X
Saturn

The Sega CD and 32X weren't that great, but the Saturn was a good system. Sadly, it didn't have much third party support and got crushed when the PS1 debuted. The Dreamcast was a really good system but didn't do well for reasons already mentioned in this thread.

Sony's situation isn't that dire, in my opinion, but I do agree that their position in the marketplace has greatly fallen off. However, I still think the PS3 is a great system with great things to come.


Sony's problem in recapturing the ps2 glory days aren't all internal.
The high cost is an issue, it's certainly apart of it. More important though, imo, is the way game development is changing. Games simply cost more to make now, more money, more time invested. I'm sure rockstar making GTA multiplatform out of the box, and capcom doing so with devil may cry is simple smart bussiness.
Why put my game on a system with an installed base of 300,000 (i don't know the actual ps3 installed base, so i picked the number at random), when i lose nothing by putting it on another system with twice that?

The idea of companies having some loyalty to a specefic console company is incredibly childish, these people are bussiness people first, and always will be.
If anyone beleives square/enix is going to keep, say, Final Fantasy on sony out of some weird sense of obligation, look what they are doing with DragonQuest. Huge franchise, and they are doing it exclusivly for the DS.

Is it because the DS is the better system? Of course not, it's because the DS is cheaper to make a game for, and it's numbers dwarf that of the 360 and PS3 combined, in japan and america.

So it's reasonable to assume that when doing a game as expensive to make as a final fantasy, they are going to want too make it available to the giant american audience who owns 360s.

I've played the PS3, i've seen the games as compared to the 360, and i honestly don't notice a difference. Nothing wrong with that, the 360 is a powerful piece of hardware, but it all comes down to the developers needing to turn a profit.

[Captain Trips]

Sony's problem in recapturing the ps2 glory days aren't all internal.
The high cost is an issue, it's certainly apart of it. More important though, imo, is the way game development is changing. Games simply cost more to make now, more money, more time invested. I'm sure rockstar making GTA multiplatform out of the box, and capcom doing so with devil may cry is simple smart bussiness.
Why put my game on a system with an installed base of 300,000 (i don't know the actual ps3 installed base, so i picked the number at random), when i lose nothing by putting it on another system with twice that?

The idea of companies having some loyalty to a specefic console company is incredibly childish, these people are bussiness people first, and always will be.
If anyone beleives square/enix is going to keep, say, Final Fantasy on sony out of some weird sense of obligation, look what they are doing with DragonQuest. Huge franchise, and they are doing it exclusivly for the DS.

Is it because the DS is the better system? Of course not, it's because the DS is cheaper to make a game for, and it's numbers dwarf that of the 360 and PS3 combined, in japan and america.

So it's reasonable to assume that when doing a game as expensive to make as a final fantasy, they are going to want too make it available to the giant american audience who owns 360s.

I've played the PS3, i've seen the games as compared to the 360, and i honestly don't notice a difference. Nothing wrong with that, the 360 is a powerful piece of hardware, but it all comes down to the developers needing to turn a profit.

Again, I think you're right on with your thinking. I said it in another thread that I think the time of game exclusivity is coming to an end. Games just cost too much to make anymore. The PS3 has lost it's exclusive titles for the reasons you indicated - it's just a smart business move by the third party developers. Those games are still coming out for the PS3, but, obviously, the argument is that they can be played on a console that costs a lot less. So what does Sony do to make the PS3 that much more attractive to the consumer? I think things like Home are a step in the right direction. But I also think it's good that the 360 and Wii are such good systems. It's good that consumers have such quality choices to pick from.

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

even though the days of exclusivity are coming to an end i still think that each console should invest in great quality first party games like what Nintendo does.because i think sony needs more exclusives than they need a price drop.otherwise people would be like whats the point of getting a PS3 when half the titles will appear on the other 2 systems sooner or later?

sony HAS to have some good exclusive titles cause otherwise they'll be up you know what creek with out a paddle.

[blackdragon6]

sony HAS to have some good exclusive titles cause otherwise they'll be up you know what creek with out a paddle.with out a boat too...

[SwordChucksMaster78]

with out a boat too...

And with grizzly bears nearby...

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

And with grizzly bears nearby...ALSO WITH GREAT WHITE SHARKS TOO WHO JUST HAPPEN TO LIKE FRESH WATER.:D

[Lupino]

it still struggles in Japan.
So? Both the US and EU markets individually are larger then Japan, and Xbox is selling just fine in both. The days of Japan being the dominating force in the gamer market is coming to an end.

[Xero Kaiser]

So? Both the US and EU markets individually are larger then Japan, and Xbox is selling just fine in both. The days of Japan being the dominating force in the gamer market is coming to an end.

Those days are already over