Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg told
GI.biz that he doesn't expect the recent price drops on
Xbox 360 and
PS3 hardware to change sales trends permanently. "I don't believe the price cuts that both companies have made will impact the market dynamics too dramatically in the long term," he said. "We typically see a month or two of lifts and share adjustments, but then things tend to settle back to roughly the established market ranking. We do, however, expect that these new lower prices will bring in more consumers that were potentially a bit resistant to the previous pricing in place."
And, of course, these statements come before the rumored
Wii price drop, which may reduce even the temporary lifts experienced by the other consoles. Luckily, we suppose, that period will run right into the holidays, when
everything sees dramatic sales increases.
{ Sep 21st 2009 at 11:27AM } 
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jynxycat @ Sep 21st 2009 11:32AM
This article is full of duh.
Latin_Trident @ Sep 21st 2009 12:35PM
Aaron Greenberg, YOU LIE!!!
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 11:36AM
Less money spent = Victory!
I'm about as frugal as they come when it comes to buying games. I could use that extra money on coke and hookers!
Solace @ Sep 21st 2009 11:54AM
Everyone knows they don't make coke anymore
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 11:57AM
What are you talking about? I'm so hardcore, I traffic more drugs in a day than the entire state of Nebraska does in a year.
That's right, I sold a nickel bag yesterday.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 12:07PM
Ummm never heard of a "Nickel bag" of Coke before...thats more broken up into Kilos...
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 12:10PM
I know, I know... was just bullshitting about drugs in general :P (weed in this case obviously)
I don't actually deal... though I might partake.
?
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Sep 21st 2009 12:10PM
Chris, I thought the exact same thing. WTF is a nickel-bag of coke?
derickw69 @ Sep 21st 2009 12:18PM
a nickel bag of coke is just enough to piss you off-trust me on this one guys
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 12:22PM
lol
I constantly wonder what the cocaine experience is like, though the thought of potentially overdosing does not entertain me.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 12:48PM
LMAO...if you gonna talk the lingo at LEAST make it seem REAL...sheeeeeeeeeesh
Markez @ Sep 21st 2009 12:49PM
I imagine you're likely seriously underestimating how much drugs get done in NE :P
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 12:52PM
I'm sorry, Chris, I didn't know you were so fond of filling your nose full of dust!
whiskeyseven @ Sep 21st 2009 1:11PM
wtf happened to this thread!?
[ArchiGamer] [Nominated for Three Glemmys] @ Sep 21st 2009 5:12PM
Presumably, coke.
JACK @ Sep 22nd 2009 12:41AM
coke? Ahh yes middle school and high school all over again.
VEX @ Sep 22nd 2009 3:46AM
Pepsi is better.
*crickets chirping in the background*
aRcane @ Sep 21st 2009 11:38AM
Wow Greenberg Really? No one could have figured that out!
Truth............
Damage Control.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 11:38AM
no shit serlock....hell I'll be willing to go further and say that the360 price drop has even less effect as the 360 is already in 9 million more households than the 360...and not ALL of those 9 million are peope are diehard 360 fanboys that want to see the PS3 fail...so I'd say 4-7 million of them will end up getting a PS3 in the next 6 months.....then on top of that the PS3 appeals to more people than just gamers because of the blu-ray functionality....with that said the PS3 will most certainly widdle away at that 9 million unit lead...bring it closer to 3-4 million within a year
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 11:43AM
"as the 360 is already in 9 million more households than the 360"
you crack me up sometimes :)
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 11:47AM
yea...I'm human...I'm sure people know I meant "No shit Sherlock" and "360 in 9 million more homes than PS3" lol
David @ Sep 21st 2009 11:49AM
eh, i see your reasoning, but i think you're overestimating the extent to which households will want two gaming systems. you're right, the ps3 has great appeal because of its blu-ray player, but is this enough to make someone who already owns a 360 (and thus, has access to 80% or so of games available on the market) get a PS3? you can buy decent blu-ray players for $100 these days, so i think it's a hard sell.
in other words, what i'm saying is that out of that 9 million lead, the people who also fork out the cash for a PS3 are going to have to be rather hardcore gamers, and i don't that there's that many of them. i agree that the lead will be trimmed, but not to 3-4 million. i'd estimate 6 million at most, and that's by the end of the generation.
but i suppose we'll see.
David @ Sep 21st 2009 11:53AM
and for the record, i'm one of those hardcore gamers....i own a 360 and am planning on buying a PS3 as soon as i have the money (price drop for the win).....but i recognize that people like me are far from the majority of the gaming market.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 12:01PM
any Blu-ray player thats $100 is NOT decent...its Magnavox or Dynex shit....lol....its missing features and is nowhere near as upgradable as a $250+ player....
and I think I'm not overestimating the amount of people that currently own a 360 that would buy a PS3...reason being 360 doesnt have many of the casuals that the Wii has...and thereby its quite a number of them that are gamers and would want a PS3 at LEAST to play as Kratos, Drake, Nathan Hale and others...
I mean you dont't HAVE to be a Hardcore gamer to own more than one console....I wasnt a hardcore gamer back in 2003 yet I had a PS2, a Gamecube & an Xbox...
JXCgunrunna @ Sep 21st 2009 12:05PM
I have to agree with david on this one. I own a 360 and a Wii but i probably will not buy a PS3 for another year or so when i can it get it in a bundle with something i really want. Right now i play my computers for cutting edge games and things like TF2 and when i feel like chilling I play the 360.
its more of a cost vs time spent with the machine. So many of us on here have school and work or sports or even all 3. It basically comes down to is the few hours ill get to play with this game a week worth the price or is there alternatives out there on the 360/wii/PC that is still fun but costs less.
JXCgunrunna @ Sep 21st 2009 12:07PM
@chris
I am not in the majority here and this is probably a rarity but i have my computer hooked up to a 42 inch plasma so I can watch blurays through my computer. For the average person, the PS3 is a good deal if you want into the bluray market
Bradwart @ Sep 21st 2009 12:10PM
Only want 2 gaming systems?! I have nine and it's not enough! MORE NOW!
David @ Sep 21st 2009 12:18PM
maybe not decent to you, but i own one that i got for $100, and i know 3 people who also got $100 blu-ray players, and we're all very satisfied. you have to keep in mind that only 1/3 of households in the US have HDTVs, and the vast majority of people remain in the DVD market. i understand the appeal of blu-ray, but when you think about the general market, it's not as big a seller as you might believe. as a FIRST choice for a console, the blu-ray is a GREAT asset, and the PS3 is the better value off right off the bat. but when you already own another console, i think it's different. so if anything, i'd say the PS3's best chance of closing the install gap lies in people who haven't bought a console yet.
don't get me wrong, if the current generation of consoles was starting now with prices as they are, i think the PS3 would win in a landslide. but, the 360's install base has a consumer inertia that makes it pretty hard to beat. the PS3 slim is going to put a big dent in it for sure, but i still maintain that most people have no intent of owning 2 consoles.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 12:21PM
I've got a HTPC I am working on for the living room TV which is just 46" and I already have a PC in the bedroom on a 24" monitor and a 32" LCD TV....but I still would rather have an actual BD player that I can start up without having to take a while to load...even with the Instant-on feature that the MoBo I am putting into the HTPC has it will still take longer than just turning on a BD player....lol
and U right...people like me and you are not in the majority...lol
Markez @ Sep 21st 2009 12:39PM
I suppose I'm likely not in the majority having just bought a PS3 and owning all 3. I would change this guy's opinion to be something like 'price drops affects sales most significantly within the first few months'.
Hardcore gamer simply means to me that someone really likes spending a lot of time playing videogames, regardless of what kind. In which case, there are worthwhile exclusives on every console. A price drop makes someone more likely to consider an additional console, whether it be short term or long term. Had my gal not offered to throw down half on the PS3 I probably wouldn't have bought one until next year sometime.
Markez @ Sep 21st 2009 12:41PM
Oh, and so I have noticed no difference in picture quality between component v. HDMI. How significant is the difference really between DVD and Bluray? Anyone responding, please lay off the OMG IT ROX bullshit and actually be reasonable.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 12:42PM
David I get what you are saying...and I can see where you say the current $100 BD player are decent....but by me being the tech lover I am I simply see them as shit...for people that are just getting HDTVs they would be a good starter....as long as they are willing to actually buy the Blu-ray movies to feed it...I mean they are getting cheaper but the Average price of a blu-ray movie is still $10 more than the average DVD....so if you willing to go HD then why not get the best for ya money? Sure you will have the people that buy somewhat decent HD sets like Dynex, Westinghouse, RCA, etc.....but then the step up would be higher end Vizios, Samsungs, Sharps, Toshibas, Sonys, etc...and I don't see someone who is spending $1,000 on a LCD TV putting a $100BD player on it...sure some might...but not many....thats more of who I was refering to as I completely understand that only around 50% of US households have HDTVs....so I wasn't talking about those that are just getting into it....or that don't have it...I mean why would they get a BD player with no HDTV? lol...
and I still say you may be under estimating the amount of people that actually want 2 consoles....its plenty of actual gamers that want to drool over uncharted 2 & GoW3....
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 12:53PM
what the difference between BD and DVD??
Besides the amount of lines drawn in the picture allowing for more definition and a greater quality image, allows for better audio codecs....for starters
Space @ Sep 21st 2009 1:37PM
I love when I go over someones house and they have blu-ray and a 56" 1080p lcd but then they have the TV's sharpness and brightness are turned up to 100%.
I always have to lie and agree with them about great it looks.
Spartacus @ Sep 21st 2009 1:48PM
I have a 360 and PS3 hooked up via HDMI to a 7.1 system and a 106" 1080p home theater screen.
Most people that come over and watch movies can't tell if I have a DVD or blu-ray playing. The difference isn't enough for the common joe.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 1:54PM
with a screen that big you not gonna notice unless you like 15 feet away...lol...its easier to notice up close on something smaller than 70"
Markez @ Sep 21st 2009 1:59PM
Mine is 47", and I'm trying to figure out if I want to shell out the extra 4 beans a month w/Netflix for the Bluray discs. No need to downvote, whoever the hell that is doing that. It was a serious inquiry. I think it's possible on dtoid they were right that PS3 fanboys are the worst.
Markez @ Sep 21st 2009 2:00PM
The hardcore ones at least, apologies kids.
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Sep 21st 2009 2:50PM
I guess I'm weird then. The difference between DVD and Blu-ray is like night and day to me. But, at this point, I'm so HD spoiled. Like, I won't watch Entourage unless it's on the HD HBO station.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 3:04PM
me too Troy....the wife gets mad at me cause I blocked all the channels that have HD versions....lol...I mean some things looks like shit when compared to the HD version....
Spartacus @ Sep 21st 2009 4:00PM
Chris, you've got it backwards. The bigger the screen, the MORE difference you will notice between SD and HD signals, not less.
http://www.engadgethd.com/2006/12/09/1080p-charted-viewing-distance-to-screen-size/
So if the average person can't tell the difference between a DVD and a Blu-ray on a 106" screen at normal viewing distances, then there isn't a snowball's chance in hell they would notice on any TV currently on the market- because they are all much smaller (typically in the 50-70" range).
Spartacus @ Sep 21st 2009 4:24PM
Markez,
I have a Netflix account and upgraded to blu-ray access which I play through my PS3. For people who play video games and play around with computers, you'll be able to see a difference in graphical fidelity- IF your screen is big enough and your sitting distance close enough. Refer to the chart I linked above.
For example, if you own a 50" set, then your couch should sit no further back than 6-7' in order to get the full benefits of 1080p. If your couch sits 10' away form your 50" TV, your eyes won't be able to discern a difference between 720p and 1080p signals.
If your TV is smaller, you'd need to sit even closer (5' away for a 40" screen, 3' for a 30" screen etc.). On the other hand, if your TV is larger, say 65", than you can sit further away (around 9') and still see the benefits of 1080p.
For my setup, using a 106" screen, I could place my couch as far back as 14' and still see the benefits of 1080p. My couch sits right around 10-11' from the screen, so I'm close enough actually to be able to benefit from a 1440p signal (if one existed). For me, though I like blu-ray (DVD doesn't put out 7.1 channels of sound), the picture isn't sooooo good that I can't stand watching a DVD. I watch both on my PS3 (which happens to be a very good DVD upscaler). If you watch DVD's with bad upscaling, then yeah- there will be a huge difference in quality.
But don't buy into the hype. Blu-ray is great, but it's not 10x better than DVD. The sound (with the right equipment) will be a little better and the video (with the right equipment) will be better. I'd say overall, your equipment and set up will have a greater impact on your movie viewing experience than the disc format will though.
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 4:27PM
that might apply for ACTUAL LCD.DLP,Plasma TVs....but to be perfectly honest I can't see much of a difference on some theaters DLP HD Theaters as opposed to the ones that arent...
how ever if I put Chronicles of Naria(either one) on BD in my Blu-ray player...and then do the same with a DVD even my daughters notice a difference....and they are just 3 & 4....
Hell I did that with "Bolt" as the BD version came with a free DVD...and they will say "daddy that looks funny"
KinjiroSSD @ Sep 21st 2009 5:23PM
I don't know how people can't tell the difference BD and DVD. BD in 1080p looks absolutely stunning. People must be blind...
Spartacus @ Sep 21st 2009 5:50PM
Chris,
TV, projector, it doesn't matter- pixels are pixels. The smaller the screen, the fewer pixels are necessary to make an image look "high quality".
320 lines of resolution on a phone screen looks decent. 320 lines of resolution on a 50" TV looks craptacular.
Likewise 720p on a 30" screen looks good, but 720p on a 106" screen would look considerably worse. The bigger the screen, the more pixels you need to fill it. Period.
And DLP is DLP. It's the same technology for a rear projection big screen as for a front projector setup. So if you see the difference on a DLP RP set, the same applies to a projector setup. I swear, half of the difference in resolution is simply in people's heads. Give them two identical TV's with identical signal resolution, tell them one of the TV's is 1080p and they'll say "Oooooo, it looks sooo much better!"
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 6:49PM
I can tell the difference between 720p and 1080p tho...1080p is going to have more definition....
Troy Powers (PSN: TroyPowers) @ Sep 21st 2009 11:49AM
Whichever. PS3 is gaining on dat ass!
Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Sep 21st 2009 11:49AM
I beg to differ....but hell....I have been proven wrong before...best bet... 5 years from now come back to this thread...lol
dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 21st 2009 11:55AM
Well, if you want my take on it (which I'm sure you don't): The Wii's already "won," at least as far as sales are concerned. That was obvious from launch. I'm pretty confident that this generation will end in a sales tie for Sony and MS, and even if not, I'm sure third place isn't going to surrender and fall out of the limelight immediately. This isn't Sega we're looking at here. Y'know? I don't understand why people are that worried about it.
Shagittarius @ Sep 21st 2009 11:57AM
When the economy doesn't come out of this as expected everyone is going to be hurt this holiday season.