NPD: March belongs to DS, PS2
The detailed GameDaily BIZ report reveals that total hardware sales rose by 69% in March to $370 million. Of that, console hardware raked in $257 million, making for an increase of 93%. NPD analyst Anita Frazier calls it an "outstanding month," though some console manufacturers might not share that particular sentiment. The North American console sales for March are as follows:
- Nintendo DS: 508K
- Sony PlayStation 2: 280K
- Nintendo Wii: 259K (2.1 million total)
- Microsoft Xbox 360: 199K (5.3 million total)
- Sony PSP: 180k
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance: 148K
- Sony PlayStation 3: 130K (1.2 million total)
- Nintendo Gamecube: 22K
- Microsoft Xbox: N/A
As usual, the DS remains unchallenged at the top, content with watching its opponents slaughter each other down below. Fueled by God of War II, the PS2 overtakes the Wii, itself beleaguered this month by a sales drop of nearly 23%. If people are buying systems as fast as Nintendo can make them (their claim, not ours), it would appear that Nintendo is making fewer and fewer systems available each month.
Adding to that peculiar lose-lose situation, the system only held a single game in the software's top 10:
- God of War II (PS2): 833K
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 (Xbox 360): 394K
- Guitar Hero II w/guitar (Xbox 360):291K
- Wii Play w/remote (Wii): 273K
- Motorstorm (PS3): 199K
- Diddy Kong Racing (DS): 189K
- Spectrobes (DS): 165K
- Major League Baseball 2K7 (Xbox 360): 165K
- MLB '07: The Show (PS2): 164K
- Def Jam Icon (Xbox 360): 148K
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Scott @ Apr 19th 2007 9:49PM
Slow month for next gen
Ian Von Porter @ Apr 19th 2007 9:49PM
Oh man.. MS is in trouble.. PS2 has outsold it every single month that 360 has been out. After 7+ years of cost reductions, its pure profit for Sony. .. Yea, PS2 is cheap.. but, so is GC.
Arno @ Apr 19th 2007 9:49PM
Haha, I love that picture. :)
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 19th 2007 9:54PM
GBA has kicked PS3 again. Maybe Wii were shorted in preparation for SPM.
Donald @ Apr 19th 2007 9:55PM
"Nintendo Game Boy Advance: 148K
Sony PlayStation 3: 130K (1.2 million total)"
I know one is about $80 US and the other is FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY NINE US DOLLARS, but I still burst out laughing at this.
And I'd expect DS sales to spike next month thanks to Pokemon. I bought a second DS today...
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 9:55PM
http://ps3.justgotowned.com/
TheGuy @ Apr 19th 2007 10:03PM
Wow...the PS3 isn't doing well. Overall Sony did okay with PS2 and PSP sales pushing-up overall sales, but something seriously needs to be done about the PS3. I don't know how much money Sony is loosing now on each PS3, but if a price cut or the ultimate "killer-app" game (crosses fingers for PS3 Killzone) doesn't happen this year I'll have serious concerns about the PS3's prospects in North America.
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:03PM
2. Oh man.. MS is in trouble.. PS2 has outsold it every single month that 360 has been out. After 7+ years of cost reductions, its pure profit for Sony. .. Yea, PS2 is cheap.. but, so is GC.
Posted at 9:49PM on Apr 19th 2007 by Ian Von Porter
Let's just say you're right and the PS2 is pure profit for Sony(it isn't), that $149 or $129 or whatever it costs is just putting a dent in the $200+ they're losing on the PS3. Not to mention all the bad publicity and the developers starting to sweat bullets.
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:11PM
NO matter how you spin it... 130k for the most expensive, "no games", "crappy online", , is still up 2k from last month. Looks like all the biased press and trolling still aren't swaying the consumers.
The PS3 is not an impulse buy like the other consoles and handhelds. It takes contemplation and the faith to know that you are in the possession of the most powerful media hub.
Flame away, you can't change my opinion.
andres @ Apr 19th 2007 10:12PM
the ps2 isnt pure profit they still have to pay to make the item. Plastic and screws are not free. Second and if it was pure profit it would be around 100 bucks since the companies that BUY the product to sell to the consumers need to make there cut.
Do not know what the price is for the ps2 as far as wholesale but if its around 30% less then retail that means that sony roughly gets 70+ dollars now subtract the cost of manufacturing which lets say is around 10 bucks to make a ps2 and ill say another 5 or so for labor the ps2 is netting roughly 50 bucks a unit. Which is not bad of course my numbers have got to be off. But with the price the PS3 is at especailly if its sitting on shelves that means retailers wouldnt be ordering more if they do not sell what they have. You figure the ps3 sinking them. Since i think they lose roughly 200 dollars a unit.
As always if my numbers are off please correct me.
RoroCo @ Apr 19th 2007 10:15PM
MS is in trouble??? Sony colored glasses are a bitch. Yes the PS2 is selling well, but Sony will be in serious trouble if they have to rely on the PS2 for the next 5 years.
If the PS3 does not start selling, look for Sony to go the way of Sega in the console market.
JSL @ Apr 19th 2007 10:17PM
"is still up 2k from last month"
"Flame away, you can't change my opinion."
This month was a five-week reporting month, so when you divide the sales up by week, PS3 sales were actually down. Nice try though.
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:19PM
@8
Are you kidding me. Developers are drooling over the power the PS3 gives them. "Too hard to code for" is the EXCUSE of any lazy and most importantly short sighted developer.
The only problem I see in the near future are developers struggling to fit a decent game on the DVD for the 360. If multiple disks are not a problem for you, then you shouldn't mind to have to put in disk 1 to start the game and then have to eject and put in another disk into the 360, then load. I'll be there 4 minutes faster (if not more) on my ps3.
If the 360 and PS# launched at the same time with the same launch titles, who would win?
Prof-KOS @ Apr 19th 2007 10:21PM
"The PS3 is not an impulse buy like the other consoles and handhelds."
What kind of impulses do you have if a $500 product, or for that matter a $300 product, are impulse buys. Are you high?!? Yes the PS3 is the most expensive console, but not by so much that one is an impulse buy. Christ, some of us that have mortgages and cars to pay for have to justify buying games never mind dropping $500 on an impulse.
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:24PM
Sony has the PS2 to fall back on if need be. What does MS?
Sony is still making more than MS, yet you 360 guys still try to spin it bad. Give it up already. Nintendo appeals to a different crowd...... so yipee, the "easy to entertain" genre wins another month. So what.
Ian Von Porter @ Apr 19th 2007 10:25PM
Lets look at the 360 situation:
- sold worst than Dreamcast before ps2 came out
- selling worse than original xbox
- non-existent in Japan
- selling worse than PS2, a 7+ year old console (its as cheap as GC, so there), every SINGLE month that its been out
- not looking good in Europe
- major hardware issues
- yet another sku coming out
... yet, 360 has more and better games than both Wii and PS3 combined. So, whats going on? 360 should be pushing 500k units a month easily.
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:25PM
13. @8
Are you kidding me. Developers are drooling over the power the PS3 gives them. "Too hard to code for" is the EXCUSE of any lazy and most importantly short sighted developer.
The only problem I see in the near future are developers struggling to fit a decent game on the DVD for the 360. If multiple disks are not a problem for you, then you shouldn't mind to have to put in disk 1 to start the game and then have to eject and put in another disk into the 360, then load. I'll be there 4 minutes faster (if not more) on my ps3.
If the 360 and PS# launched at the same time with the same launch titles, who would win?
Posted at 10:19PM on Apr 19th 2007 by Matt B
To answer your last question, the Wii. J/K If ifs and buts were candy and nuts. Actually the 360 would win since Microsoft would have launched in all 3 major markets while Sony couldn't pull it off.
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:29PM
@14
I hear ya man...I have the same bills. I got mine as part of a nice tax return. Have kids. It pays.
I'm just saying that it is easier to psychologically be more settling on paying 250 vs 600 bucks.
My favorite episode on the Drew Carry show had the old lady saying, "We spent millions in research to find out that people think that $600 is alot of money."
Makes sense now.
KC @ Apr 19th 2007 10:29PM
Matt B, stop being such a fanboy.
"Developers are drooling over the power the PS3 gives them"
And not happy that their sales won't be very good. If they want "power" to develop games(and by power I assume you mean graphics), they'd be a PC developer.
also, "The only problem I see in the near future are developers struggling to fit a decent game on the DVD for the 360."
There has never been any game thats had this problem on any console unless its plauged with FMVs. Basically a movie, or a game with to many cutscenes. You want to watch movie or ya want to play games?
I dont know if you've noticed, but developers like making shorter games. Quicker to make, quicker to send out, quicker to make money and be ready to make another game soon after.
Its unfortunate that HD graphics hog up so much space on current discs. HD graphics arnt worth scrapping game content, but thats whats happening.
You'll see it in GTA4, when you notice GTA3 had a much bigger world. The methods to compress data get better every day. The space videogames take up on discs arnt expanding, its the lame HighDef content.
But really Matt B, why are you trying to defend the ps3? Are you not happy with it?
James @ Apr 19th 2007 10:31PM
Total console sales:
Nintendo: 937,000
Sony: 590,000
Microsoft: 199,000
Total Gross Sales (based on numbers above)
Sony: $150,400,000
Nintendo: $144,610,000
Microsoft: 79,600,000
Microsoft is seriously f*cked.
Granted Sony is losing a nice chunk of thatmoney on the PS3, but they have the double safety net of the PS2 and PSP to weather that storm until the PS3 becomes profitable. And I even had to assume that every Xbox unit sold is a Premium unit just to get to those measly sales numbers, which we all know isn't true.
Look at those sales figures... The only way Microsoft have a shred of hope is if they can somehow come to dominate the entire industry. Barely beating out the much more expensive PS3 and getting pummeled by Nintendo is not going to cut it. For all the negatives the PS3 supposedly has, it sure seems to be keeping the pace okay given that it is by far the most expensive item listed.
Like I said: Microsoft's Home Entertainment Division is seriously f*cked:
http://www.informationarbitrage.com/2007/04/msft_and_japan_.html
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:34PM
Matt B, could you name some developers that are drooling over the PS3? Even David Jaffe, the God of War dev, came out last month and stated that Sony would have been better off launching without Blue Ray.
A game that requires me to change discs would probably do so, so infrequently (maybe every 12 hours)that it would be the equivalent of me changing games on a daily basis. Are you telling me that you're so lazy that you can't do that? And does it really take you 4 minutes to change a game? Are you Stephen Hawking or some shit?
abib @ Apr 19th 2007 10:34PM
@Matt B,
What does MS falls back on? MS can shut down their entire company but leaves OS department running(read: windows) and still makes money. Heck, stop producing OS for other systems such as smartphone, PDA, IPTV, and what not.. and they still make money. the loss in gaming department is a chump-change compares to billions of dollars they make by selling their OSes.
Sony doesn't have this privillege; they must make money off their gaming department.. since every other departments are at heavy losses.
p/s: how do I change this password from a random randomness to something more manageble?
Icarus @ Apr 19th 2007 10:35PM
Sony's PS3 is in deep sh*t and the company cant choose to stick to one model and build from there. Instead of erasing the 20 gb HD and supporting the 60gb HD and now they want to release another model with a minor upgrade to 80gb HD wich isn't much compared to the HD in the Elite. Is Sony smokin' crack?
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:37PM
Both Ian and Mogul have good points, but speculation right now. Though I value the criticism.
Warren, I'm no douche. Would we still be playing Nintendo games if not for the PS? Would we still be playing PS games if not for the PS2 and XBOx?
WOuld you still be playing the PS2 if not for the 360/PS3?
Its the future ahead, not what has already happened.
minus_273 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:37PM
MAttb:
"Sony has the PS2 to fall back on if need be. What does MS?
Sony is still making more than MS, yet you 360 guys still try to spin it bad. "
God i hate 12 yr olds who have no idea what they are talking about.
Are you on crack? sony make more than MS? have you ever hear of the windows monopoly? office? sql server? exchange?
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:39PM
@ ABIB
Sony has this huge movie and music company to rival that of the OS company. They also make TV's and computers. Does MS?
KC @ Apr 19th 2007 10:44PM
Instead of bickering back and forth why not just look it up online and see what companies makes more money.
MS or Sony.
Not that it really matters, both of them have enough money to give ps3s and 360s away to millions if they wanted. Neither is in trouble.
minus_273 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:47PM
MattB:
"Sony has this huge movie and music company to rival that of the OS company. They also make TV's and computers. Does MS?"
What part of "Sonys other divisions are running at a loss" do you not understand. Just look at their financial statements.
TVs and computers huh? those two industries are great for profit margins arent they?
Irwin @ Apr 19th 2007 10:47PM
yea, why dont we make this debate on who makes more products shall we?
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:52PM
Sony: $150,400,000
Nintendo: $144,610,000
Microsoft: 79,600,000
280K PS2's X $129 = 36 million
130K PS3's X $599 = 77 million
180K PSP's X $169 = 30 million
That's a grand total of 143 million
What kind of calculator were you using?
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 10:54PM
You guys win, I'm a shmuck I guess.
I'm just a happy PS3 owner just like you guys are happy 360 owners. We both defend our choices. I just point out the flawed "PS3/Sony is going down" arguments because neither one of us wants to be wrong. right now, none of us are.
abib @ Apr 19th 2007 10:54PM
@Matt B
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/18/biz_07forbes2000_The-Global-2000_Rank.html
According to forbes magazine, microsoft is in the top 100 (@66) most profitable company in the world. Where Sony doesn't even listed there.
Tell me again, who makes more money and has better support to fall back on?
James @ Apr 19th 2007 10:59PM
Ugh, you all have it wrong. It doesn't matter whether Microsoft Corp or Sony Corp make more money total. It's all based on divisions. The computer software division is separate from the home entertainment division. While Microsoft can theoretically support a struggling division (Xbox/Zune) with profits from a profitable division (like Windows and Office), at some point the smartest thing to do is to kill off the struggling division so it does not negatively affect the profitable one.
And as I already stated, Microsoft's Home Entertainment Division is in a heap of financial trouble.
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 10:59PM
Jeez. Even Samsung is on that list and they don't make consoles. Go figure.
Realize @ Apr 19th 2007 11:01PM
I'm more impressed with Nintendo and Sony at this point of time.I'm jaded with Microsoft for abandoning the Xbox and having way to many faulty
360's. p.s people please stop exaggerating .Microsoft nor Sony aren't in huge trouble financially this early in the game!"
Video games FTW!"
James @ Apr 19th 2007 11:02PM
@Mogul
I rounded all the "99"s to even hundreds. *Most* consoles tend to have 99 cents at the end of their price. For example, an Xbox 360 usually sells for 399.99, not 399.00. It's (slightly) more accurate this way than the way you did it.
abib @ Apr 19th 2007 11:02PM
James,
it doesn't matter. Bill gates will support the home division for a very looong time with his money or microsoft's. He already outlined his vision of the connected world and the living room being the center of this 'world'. It starts with Xbox 360 then Windows Live, Zune and whatever else he has in mind.
James @ Apr 19th 2007 11:02PM
Sony's 2006 Financials:
Net Income: $1.057 Billion
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/qfhh7c000000lpn1.html
Microsoft's 2006 Financials:
Net Income: $12.599 Billion
http://www.microsoft.com/msft/reports/ar06/staticversion/10k_fh_fin.html
Silent Xenocide @ Apr 19th 2007 11:04PM
I think it's funny when people who realise that the PS3 isn't selling well, like to go out and say "Oh but the PS2 is doing good!" Honestly, that isn't going to matter in the long run, and I believe this is a comparison of the current gen's consoles and how they are doing, not the last gen. In 5 years when this generation is over is Sony going to be saying, "Well, we sold a pretty good amount of PS2's a while back. So I guess we are winners."
Causality @ Apr 19th 2007 11:05PM
I love the whole M$ is screwed comments. So your ps2 out sold the 360 which happened to out sell the ps3.
You realize that for every ps2 sold there is a customer who may NOT be upgrading to a ps3 (or 360)for at least a year. Its called price, alot of people can't afford the $400 - $600 systems.
The battle between sony & ms is this generation like it or not. Lets talk about what happens in the first 2 years. The consoles with more sales get more games. Why? Because there are more people that will buy the games developers produce. Can you understand that? Step 2, for the most part people purchase the system with the most / best games. That then translates into more console sales and then more games.
MS is in good order dont fool your selves sony humping boys.
REP96st @ Apr 19th 2007 11:05PM
LOL.... Sony fanboys are the greatest lemmings in history!!! LOL!! its pure comedey to read their post!! They stand so hard by sony its just rediculous!! keep them coming!! M$ in trouble.. LOL!!! When?? LOL!! If the PS3 launced the same time as the 360, M$ would loose...LOL!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!?? That wouldve spelled doom for sony!!! ITS TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE!!! DAMN M$... WOULD YOU PLEASE DROP THE PRICE AND SHUT THESE SONY ZOMBIES UP!!!!
James @ Apr 19th 2007 11:09PM
If you look at Sony's Financials closely, Sony is losing big money in their Electronics division. They lost almost 31 Billion Yen in 2006 and 34 Billion Yen in 2005. 31 Billion Yen is about $265 Million.
Mogul218 @ Apr 19th 2007 11:09PM
Causality, some links to back you up.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37771
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37773
Jitty @ Apr 19th 2007 11:11PM
Wow, the ps2 seriously needs to stop selling and let the ps3 sell some more units...
Luigi193 @ Apr 19th 2007 11:12PM
How can you guys beleive microsoft is going down? I am in NO way a MS fan AT ALL, but i don't understand how you guys thing microsoft is doomed? They can pump all the money they want into the 360 until it makes money cause there microsoft...THEY have infinate money. They dont need a 7 year old console to fall back on if things get rough. They are selling a lot more then the ps3 and thats all that counts. Forget portables and last gen, for microsoft its the current gen war, not last or portable. The 360 is doing fine, it has great online good games and alot of people have it.
After saying all this, i would never buy one, i am a nintendo fan, (but we don't gotta worry about them right now cause there not in any financal trouble right now...). I just don't think we should worry about MS... Maybe we should think of sony and there console that is being beat by the GBA!!!!
Jitty @ Apr 19th 2007 11:14PM
@ Mogul218,
Please, if you're going to give us links, please don't give use the inquirer, especially on the subject of the ps3...
Rubang B @ Apr 19th 2007 11:15PM
That settles it. I'm naming my firstborn DS Lite.
Jitty @ Apr 19th 2007 11:17PM
Please, people, stop saying the "ps3 isn't selling" please at least try to say that it "isn't selling well" Because the wii is selling 129k more than the ps3 and if the number of ps3's sold (130k) is "not selling" then I could say that the wii is not selling more than the ps3..
Matt B @ Apr 19th 2007 11:23PM
NO one is saying MS is going down. The 360 will have its time as well as the PS3. I'm just betting that, in the long run, more 360 owners will still be buying PS3's than PS3 owners will be buying 360's. that seams to be the hardest pill to swallow for alot of people.
Kaemon @ Apr 19th 2007 11:24PM
Haha, this is hillarious. All the people here bashing the 360... hah.
I don't own a 360, but I do know this.... the Xbox 360 helps Microsoft in more ways then the PS3 will ever help Sony. Even if the Microsoft Gaming Division loses billions and never gains a cent.
Why?
You might be asking that, well, its simple. Lets say the Microsoft Office division makes 40 Billion a year (It makes more then that I'm pretty sure.) and the Microsoft Gaming Division lost 7 Billion the same year (Which they did last year) They are able to take that 7 Billion dollar loss in the gaming division, and apply that to their taxes of the Office Division.
So really, all the Xbox is, is a way for them to lower the taxes of their other divisions! It wouldn't be nearly as good if they made MONEY of the Xbox. Which is why they don't try to lower its production cost.
I don't think Sony is a big enough company to do this though... hmm, and if they are suffering in their other divisions, they might have even more problems, or, japan might have different rules, so that might ruin that plan for sony there....
Anyway, this all means one thing.... Even if Nintendo wins, or Sony wins....
Microsoft will truly win no matter what happens!