Black Friday, whether you view it as America's most chaotic consumer spending spree or simply as an excuse to
shove everyone between you and a $3 toaster, is a critical retail event for console manufacturers.
According to Microsoft, the Xbox 360 enjoyed record sales during the frantic shopping period, amounting to an increase of 25% over last year. The company can't resist claiming victory in a battle that
doesn't involve the Wii -- the Xbox 360 is said to have outsold the PlayStation 3 by a factor of three.
Microsoft also expressed satisfaction with software sales, with
Gears of War 2,
Fable 2 and
Lips (yes, the karaoke game) leading the way. We'll have to wait until November's
NPD results are out until we can see just how well each of those titles fared.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:21AM
way to go MS. with that price point they have there, i can't really say i'm surprised. the seem to be a company that know's exactly what it's doing. i love Sony, but they should take some notes if they want to move those PS3's at a respectable rate.
Hyams @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:24AM
PS3 price cut in March is all but confirmed now. The devil's in the details though:
- Will it just be a £10 price cut in Europe alone? (which would do nothing.)
- Or will it be a £100/$100 worldwide price cut? (which would send PS3 sales shooting above the 360.)
- Or, most likely, will it be something inbetween? (which would do ... I have no idea.)
Snowblind @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:31AM
It does really depend how big that cut is. Anything less than £100 isn't going to get me interested, and even then.. I'm not going to be buying one in March, I'd probably leave it until the end of the year.
So I'd have to agree with the original post.. Sony don't really seem to know what to do.
SoulBlade @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:31AM
I'm sick of MS's bragging - it's a great console and all, but win with style - don't be a dick and encourage fanboys. Why don't they ever compare themselves against the Wii on a regular basis?
Sony will drop the price soon (March apparently) - the console's been out for a year less than the 360 - it makes sense the 360 was able to have a huge price cut at this point - Sony will probably follow suit in a similar time frame. Plus, Sony can't really afford to take more loss per console like MS.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:38AM
yea but the thing is, March isn't during the holiday shopping season. and im sure a $50 price cut would help but not as good as a $100 price cut would. i know Sony is struggling right now, price cuts aren't that easy for them to just throw out there, but they have to do something. they brought out some big games and added lots of features but it's just not netting that massive turn around they need yet. we could go back to design decisions, but that's in the past (and the fact that i love every feature in the beautiful black monolith).
fact is, they needed to do well this holiday season, and with the biggest shopping day of the year gone, they have been trounced once more by the competition.
i have all the consoles, so im not really worried about which one actually "wins" per say, but i am worried that Sony will loose so much money on the PS3, they won't make a PS4 (or will rush it out early with cheap, faulty hardware).
Lee @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:51AM
Yea fo sho. Sony have a lot to learn, which is silly considering how long they've been in the market for. That system needs to be on the same pricing level as the 360, and then to get as broad a library as the 360 before it will do anything but sit crying in 3rd place.
tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:13AM
Sony does have a lot to learn. They're sort of like all the japanese developers putting out jrpg after jrpg, except instead of putting out bad games they keep making bad business decisions just because they may have worked 5-10 years ago.
They're going to fall hard when this generation is over, but the good news is they'll likely get it together for next generation.
Lee @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:24AM
I really hope so. Before the PS3 I was mostly a Sony player but their bad decisions and after all the problems I've gone elsewhere now. Didn't realise how brilliant the old nintendo games were (thanks VC) or how MS really do have a clue when it comes to online gaming.
Come on Sony. And make the PSP2 something spectacular whilst you're at it. Just don't drop the UMD drive completely and I'll get one.
Wiinterfang @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:08AM
The argument about the PS3 price-cut isn't that great, is until next year and we are talking about know.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:12PM
Repeating the same mistakes?
PS2 was cheaper than Xbox, not more expensive.
These are new mistakes.
Lars @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:26PM
You all keep talking about Sony needing to "learn" and stop making "mistakes", but I really love what they've done this generation. I guess everyone else wants a cheap toy but I want an uber system with all the bells and whistles, which Sony has delivered. I really hope they don't take notes from MS or Nintendo. I don't want to see HDD-less systems on store shelves, and special proprietary HDD's selling for their weight in gold. And I know someone's gonna say "it all boils down to games" but no, it doesn't. I bought a PS3 for more than just games.
Yes it's true that if they want to move more units than the competition then they have to cut the price and either appeal to teens or appeal to kids and parent's more. But why should I give a shit about that? If I want a kiddie system I'll buy a Wii, if I want a more mature adult system I'll buy a PS3, and if I want a more teen-oriented system I'll buy a 360. Just makes perfect sense to me.
Rallying behind # of units sold just seems silly to me. I own a Wii too, but you don't hear me boasting "woot, Wii kicked all your asses!" That's just dumb.
HotSake @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:49PM
Microsoft is a bunch of hobos. Wii is still owning the 3rd gen console sales, but they decided to pick on PS3 - the only gaming platform they can beat.
PSP even outsells 360 in America and around the world, don't believe me...go look at vgchartz.net
Microsoft's over-zealous retort fails against smart gamers
Duke @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:11PM
Lars, if you are going to talk about Sony learning from its mistakes like people have, then you can't color it with your own personal wants and needs only. Part of the mistake a company makes is placing their product outside the reach of the majority of consumers. Sony has made an expensive console in many people's minds and that makes it hard to sell as many units.
Also, your whole kiddie, teen and adult console bit is lost on me. I have all three consoles this generation and the fact that my PS3 lets me watch bluray does not make it somehow more mature or adult. I then shoot crap and play with colorful characters just like I do on the other consoles.
There is nothing that makes your PS3 so high and mighty in that respect. I don't see how a 360 is for teens if it happens to be used by so many adults and children as well - you have nothing to back that idea. People use their 360's for media sharing and for streaming video from Netflix too. Does that make it mature? Or is price tag and bluray the marks of maturity? How weak does that sound!?
Duke @ Dec 2nd 2008 3:55PM
HotSake
What?! So MS is full of it with their sales? I think you are drinking some bad Kool Aid.
sk8monroe81 @ Dec 2nd 2008 4:46PM
sony's # 1 problem:
gearing every product and designing every product for the Japanese gaming market.
IMO it would be more beneficial (profit wise) for sony to gear their products and games for america and the world too. there are too many japanese only ps3 exclusives that never come to america.
beefing up online support, get back with squenix, gather more 3rd party exclusives, etc..
however i have seen that some japanese and european corporations care less about profit, and more about making a great product that they want to use. the ps3 is a work of art, technologically speaking. and they havent forgotten about their homeland and where they came from. thats cool.
but for an american gamer in the worlds # 1 gaming market, its annoying.
Lars @ Dec 8th 2008 8:37PM
Duke, you are absolutely right.
Just because they are more teen, child, or adult oriented doesn't mean you can't enjoy them all. That was not what I meant. I own all of them too, and they all have their merits. I'm not saying "lol, teh Wii iz for kiddiez" or anything like that. I'm just talking about target demographics when I say that. Just look how each console is designed, priced, and marketed.
My point was just that the systems are different enough to make comparing sales a pretty dumb idea. That's like comparing BMX-style bikes, road bikes, and mountain bikes. Sure they're all bikes in the basic sense of the word, but they will appeal to different people because they have different purposes, and therefore the sales will vary greatly between styles... simply because there may be more of a demand for one style over another. And of course there are people like us that want it all and will get all 3 styles.
The only thing I don't agree with what you said is "the mistake a company makes is placing their product outside the reach of the majority of consumers." I don't agree at all. Are you saying everything should be cheap, basic, and affordable for everyone? That makes no sense at all. I'd hate it if I wasn't able to buy a luxury car, or a house with more than 1 bathroom, or a high-end PC, or anything that goes above and beyond basic functionality. They packed a lot of functionality into the PS3 and that's what I love about it. I love having a BD-ROM built-in, a Super Audio CD player, and all that stuff. It's kinda like the luxury version of the consoles. I don't understand why I can't love all 3 consoles for their own merits.
Plus, considering the price of a nice big HD TV... I wouldn't call it "out of reach" for anyone who owns one of those.
ill trooper @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:21AM
WOW... (that's as in 'amazing,' not "World of Warcraft")
Hyams @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:22AM
Haha, wow.
Hashbrown Hunter @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:40AM
What about World of Warcraft?
Cellien @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:32PM
What about World Wide Web?
Top Cat @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:12PM
fail
szu @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:22AM
I wouldn't be surprised if a good percentage of the 360's sold were Arcades.
Actually, I would be surprised if the Arcades alone outsold the PS3.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:41AM
that's not unlikely. $199 is seriously the console sweet spot. just look at how the PS2 sold when it hit that price back in the day.
T @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:40AM
$199 is a "sweet spot", but I wonder how many turned sour this weekend when they got home, plugged it in...and were greeted with some form of message letting them know they can't actually do anything with the console until they find a way to fit the NXE on their non-existant HDD.
Seriously, the Arcade should NOT count as an Xbox...it can't do anything the Xbox is best known for (online, DLC, media) unless it has an HDD attached.
szu @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:49AM
Quite true, most informed gamers would never choose the Arcade. However, the Arcade was created to cater to the 360's "casual" market.
ExMcCloud @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:54AM
I wouldn't be suprised if cicuit city boosted those numbers they were selling 360 Arcades with a free refurbished hard drive AND an extra wireless controller for $199? Good Lord and lets not talk about those Wal-Mart Bundles the 360 just had better deals Sony needs to move some software so they can have deals like that...I bought another 360 just because...lol....So I have 2 360's and a Ps3.
Vcize @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:01AM
20gb hard drives for the 360 can be had for slightly more than the cost of an HDMI cable on monoprice nowadays.
Arnon @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:10AM
I was aware that the new Jasper models had 256mb built into the consoles now so they could get the NXE running. Not to mention how it comes with a memory card lol.
Badboy1979 @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:20PM
The arcade comes with a 256MB card. IT CAN DO online and media streaming... it can even do Media Center. But yes it can't do is DLC without the hard drive.
Just FYI, games like Halo 3 have socail playlists running that allow you to play without the DLC.
el serpiente @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:23AM
HAH! the psTRIPLE is truly a piece of shit! Enjoy 3rd place STUPID SONY PEOPLE!
you stupid sony fanboys reap what you SOW!
Stupid stupid heads.
Stupid.
-------
Just wanted to steal his thunder, carry on!
j.howlett @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:38AM
close, but it's still missing something.
xFenixKnightx @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:02AM
You forgot "HA! This is living!"
Eh, I find that guy entertaining. Kinda like Killjebus. How can you guys get so fired up at the stuff he sais anymore?
The Aggie CEO @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:08AM
so.........when there are 100 Million PS3's out there and 50 Million 360's what will you say then?? "ooooh Xbox 720 FTW!!!!!"
Pureshooter @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:21PM
If the PS3 does hit 100 million consoles we'll probably already be on the second generation of games for the next consoles and no one will give a damn about 360, Wii, or PS3 sales.
Kodros @ Dec 2nd 2008 1:31PM
"no one will give a damn about 360, Wii, or PS3 sales. "
I'm pretty sure that MS, Nintendo, and Sony will give a damn about the sales.
Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:23AM
Damn that ozzy osbourne ad. I click close and nothing happens.
Those are some pretty impressive numbers. Even with the preceived value of the PS3 with Bluray and no competition from HD-DVD.
I guess it is all about the games after all.
Christopher Grant @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:32AM
What browser/OS are you using? Anything fancy going on like FlashBlock or the like?
Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:36AM
I'm just using IE 8 Beta. The ad loads and I see Ozzy's face. I click the close button at the top right and nothing happens. I keep clicking and still nothing happens. Maybe I just didn't wait long enough, but it was atleast 2 seconds. I just clicked on my joystiq link on my favorite bar and got back into the story.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:46AM
Firefox 3 + Ad Block Plus Add-On = problem solved
copa @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:15AM
I spent Thanksgiving out of town with relatives. During some downtime, I sat down at someone's laptop, and thought I'd check in on Joystiq.
This was the first time in years I tried surfing Joystiq without Adblock. After less than 5 minutes, I just gave up because I couldn't beat the Ozzy boss battle.
Fuck if I ever try that again.
Delgado @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:53AM
Many of us that read this blog aren't on our own personal computers (be it work, school, ect).
IMO, its pretty inexcusable that I have to fight through a crazy-ass, browser killing ad just to read this website. You shouldn't have to have a work around to have a functional website.
Wiinterfang @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:11AM
I have firefox 3 and Adblock plus and I still get the Ad :(.
Heh (Mr. ESC, living in the hearts of us all) @ Dec 2nd 2008 12:49PM
I use the latest version of Opera and I've yet to even SEE this infamous ozzy ad lol. I never have a problem coming here and reading.
Draco @ Dec 2nd 2008 6:23PM
I got that Ozzy ad on the way here, Firefox 3 no add-ons. Although the close button did work, I had to scroll to the top of the screen to do so.
greggo @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:33AM
thats funny because the best buy here was using hundreds of PS3's as fences for the crowds haha
ThePhoenixLament @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:47AM
We were using Rock Band 2 for the 360 and ps3. Like hundreds of copies of RB 2 for both systems.
Arno @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:36AM
Owned.
Now I can pick a PS3 up for cheap sometime next Spring. I was gonna get it this holiday season but maybe I'll get a Wii instead.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:44AM
NNNOOOOO!!!! dont do it!
just wait for the PS3 bud. my Wii sits there everyday, with it's gray hat on, mocking me for buying it on launch day.
Arno @ Dec 2nd 2008 9:54AM
Well, actually... I'm getting a Wii as a present, I snuck a peak at the present my gf picked up on black friday. White box and the Nintendo logo in the corner. Must be a Wii. :)
That makes it ok, right? I'll play Wii Sports and pick up Mario and Zelda. Win?
Karen @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:16AM
Also pick up Metroid 3, Super Paper Mario, Mario Kart and Resident evil 4 to get ready for 5. A stack of Wii points cards and a classic controller too (if you don't have your GC ones). You'll be set for a fun Christmas especially with a Player 2 in the house.