PS3 may sell less than GameCube

[MasterXeus]

http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=137448

I was surprise when I read this.

How does everyone feel about this news?
Makes me sad, but then with a great fall line up for games and a possible Price cut, it's going to be interesting to see what happens this Christmas.

For those who doen't wish the click on the link.

Based on the first 10 months of availability, the troubled PlayStation 3 sold 22 percent less than the Nintendo GameCube for the same period.

According to the NPD, a firm that tracks North American hardware sales, the PS3 sold 1,742,000 units in its first 10 months of availability compared with 2,120,000 GameCube units.

The GameCube, released by Nintendo in 2001 to compete with Sony's PS2 and Microsoft's original Xbox, is largely seen as a failure. Although commercially successfully (to a degree), the GameCube only managed to sell 22 million systems worldwide compared with 24 million Xbox units and 115 million PS2 machines.

"We're in a position where we're having to play catch-up," PlayStation president Kaz Hirai recently said in an interview with Spong regarding the struggling PS3. Hirai went on to blame "production issues" for his console's slow start before denying widespread belief that the PS3 launch price was too high.

[Cyorg]

Well it's obvious that not everyone is smart enough to buy one.

[eat_me_cool]

Its all down to price. Selling a high quality system at a reduced price is much easier than selling a mediocre system at a low price.

Selling a high priced system is just plain difficult.

[u_nick]

Originally Posted by Cyorg

Well it's obvious that not everyone is smart enough to buy one.

Bingo.

A lot of 'followers' are just giving into the 'we hate sony' vibe thats popular on the internet these days.

I'm betting/hoping, after the price cut, it sells well this christmas. Everyone last year bought a Wii and a 360 with the complaint that the PS3 cost too much. Now (after the price cut) its the same price as the 360. So no more complaints.

[MasterXeus]

Originally Posted by u_nick

Bingo.

A lot of 'followers' are just giving into the 'we hate sony' vibe thats popular on the internet these days.

I'm betting/hoping, after the price cut, it sells well this christmas. Everyone last year bought a Wii and a 360 with the complaint that the PS3 cost too much. Now (after the price cut) its the same price as the 360. So no more complaints.

I hope so.

[Weez_Dawg]

I thought that the ps3 has sold over 4.7 million units???

[clownface]

That's worldwide, this survey just concentrates on North America.

[frank_t]

Originally Posted by eat_me_cool

Its all down to price. Selling a high quality system at a reduced price is much easier than selling a mediocre system at a low price.

Selling a high priced system is just plain difficult.

don't suggest that to others in these forums.

they'll jump all over you as being unsupportive of blu-ray.

[movies3]

i believe those numbers will change this xmas.... just wait and see

[Luis_A51]

the price cuts have helped, and a cheap 40gig will help too, but just as importantly games in 08 like MGS4, FF13 and GTA4 will help just as much.

Any analyst who bases their predictions on data so far doesnt deserve a job. Its just another example of another extremely low quality analyst/journalist getting their article read simply because it spins bad news for the PS3.

[Terjyn]

People are constantly trying to compare the Gamecube with the PS3, but the similarities are shallow at best.

The Gamecube was never considered "expensive", so was not held back by this fact.

The Gamecube was already following up on a relatively weak seller, the N64, which had been dominated by the Playstation.

The Gamecube was still in the recovery phase of Nintendo pissing off CD developers so they had to use those stupid mini-discs.

The Gamecube came late in the game yet had no real advantages over the other systems in its generation.

The Gamecube had no other uses other than as a game console.

The Gamecube had no third party developed exclusives in the pipe at all when it released...and even had very few crossover games.

All Nintendo products have the "Nintendo/Capcom" syndrome, which is that those are the only two companies which ever make a decent profit off a Nintendo console. Note that neither the Wii nor the DS has really broken this trend yet.

All of these are different from the PS3, which is following on the heels of the most successful console in history, has a very high price, offers a ton of non-game uses, and already has several high-profile third party developers. To me it is remarkable that something which costs so much has sold so well, so I find it interesting people are calling it a failure.

Nobody cares that Kia outsells Lambourghini. I still find it interesting that a lot of people consider buying 200$ worth of stuff at 250$ is a better deal than buying 900$ worth of stuff for 600$.

*EDIT*

Hirai went on to blame "production issues" for his console's slow start before denying widespread belief that the PS3 launch price was too high.

I hate this kind of statement. Production issues cause higher prices...

[Xerious]

difference btwn the two consoles are going to be evident:

Gamecube was touted as a GAME only console, no extras, no shit, just pure game. Hell, it looked like a toy! It sold because it was Nintendo, but pretty soon developers got tired of being kicked to the side and serious gamers had the PS2 and Xbox to turn too. All the "kiddie" games were released for GameCube and that finally killed it.

PS3 is Sony's top of the line, do it all machine with a Trojan Horse the size of Manhattan known as BD inside it. The thing is a glorious testament of what technology has come to. Sure, sales may be sucky right now, but then again, what did you expect? The prices will fall signifigantly in the next months leading to Christmas and supply is up this time around. With stellar titles like LBG and the BD offering, there's no doubt that this thing is going to pack a punch. You should compare the numbers to the PS2 just the same. People spreading FUD about PS3 and saying this and that are just oblivious to the fact that PS3 will take footing and become the primere system. Wii who? It's a novelity, yes, I have one... pretty soon those graphic barriers are going to kill it. 360... if only they could figure out how make a stable console. PS3... yeah, we just need a little price drop, that's all.

BD is winning and it's winning because of the PS3... don't forget that. Thjis Christmas will be blue and black.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Nobody cares that Kia outsells Lambourghini. I still find it interesting that a lot of people consider buying 200$ worth of stuff at 250$ is a better deal than buying 900$ worth of stuff for 600$.

My God, exactly! people throw out numbers as if the price is the same. Funny thing is they write every game review with the tone of "Sure the game is good and the graphics are great... BUT I expect more from such an expensive system." Strange how the price is only worth mentioning in certain contexts.

BMW & Audi sell far less than a cheap Ford... are they worse cars?

[Frode]

Price and lack of "exciting" games, and by that I mean games that get the public talking. Right now there's no must-have game out for the PS3 that actually sells systems. That'll change, but it's taking time.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Frode

Price and lack of "exciting" games, and by that I mean games that get the public talking. Right now there's no must-have game out for the PS3 that actually sells systems. That'll change, but it's taking time.

You are correct. However we all know there are lots of good games and media hype does not a great game make. teh mass media and general public likes garbage. Do you think they could ever get mega hype behind a title like Oblivion reagrdless of what system it's on?

If that wasn't a must-own on every system then nothing is.

[Frode]

Oblivion is not a must-own title . I say that owning the PC version, but mostly because I wanted to load mods for it - without them I probably wouldn't have it at all.

[Blu-Ray Buckeye]

Originally Posted by Frode

Oblivion is not a must-own title . I say that owning the PC version, but mostly because I wanted to load mods for it - without them I probably wouldn't have it at all.

The point is, there is no such thing as a "Must OWN!!!" title. Everyone has their own tastes. Oblivion is a great game but not the kind that will generate media hype. People who don't like FPS will hate Halo3, RFOM, MGS4 or Bioshock... it doesn't matter, they'll hate it. A game that is perfectly made may not generate much buzz just because of its genre.

[sj001]

There is no way at all that the PS3 would sell less than the Gamecube... not a chance in hell.

[sj001]

I had a Gamecube, I bought it for the Resident Evil games when they were supposed to be exclusive to the Gamecube from Capcom. But after RE4, the Gamecube took a big nosedive, and all of the games were kiddie games. Traded in it for God of War II I think...

[Sir Terrence]

Originally Posted by frank_t

don't suggest that to others in these forums.

they'll jump all over you as being unsupportive of blu-ray.

We jump all over people for being unsupportive when they say they are bluray supporters, and their words are oblique critisizms of the bluray format. Or when a person is trumping up HD DVD and belittling BR, much like you have done in the past Mr Transparent.