Console war for Xmas (PS3)

[Elandyll]

I find the estimated numbers of PS3 sales encouraging

Translation of the following:
http://www.france24.com/france24Publ...51658.ahtfc2k8

Shaken by the Nintendo Wii and its successful bet to open video games to new users, Sony counts on the Holidays to play catch up and beef up its console, the Playstation 3, while facing its most direct competition, the Microsoft Xbox 360.

This is the first time that the three consoles will fight on the entire world market at the Xmas period: The PS3 was only released in Europe in March, 4 months after the Wii, while the Xbox 360 started the new Gen consoles at the end of 2005.

The stake is huge for the companies in this sector that make between 40 and 50% of their sales in November and December.

After a difficult start -delayed launch, price considered too high (599euros)- Sony has again good morale. The important drop in price, anounced this last few months, gave a serious jolt to its machine, certifies the Japanese Group, who anticipates to have sold 16.5 Million units by the end of March 2008.

Will it be able to restore its leadership on the console market, started in 1994 with the Playstation and then PS2, who seduced for each of them more than 100 million players?

To this day, the Wii, that separates itself from its competition by its remote control duplicating on the screen tthe movements of the player, outclasses its competitors.

With 13.3 million consoles at the end of September, it just passed the Xbox 360 that sold about 13 million units, against 5.6 millions for the PS3, according to the console makers.

Two strategies in opposition: On one hand a familly oriented console, accessible to all and at an affordable price (249 euros), on the other hand, very powerful consoles with high definition graphics, destined mostly to seasoned gamers.

"Ending up last in the Technology race", with the relative failure of its precedent console, the GameCube, Nintendo "decided to rethink the experience of games and gave a swift kick in the ant nest", analyses Laurent Michaud of the Insitute of Audiovisual and Telecoms in Europe (Idate).

A winning strategy for the Japanese veteran, specialist of portable consoles, and a new angle "healthy for the industry".

"The widening of the targets of video games toward a beginner public is at the origin of a more dynamic market", adds Stephan Bole, head of Nintendo France.

For the game publishers who had anticipated the Wii Wave, it's the Jackpot: Ubisoft is one of them. Its CEO, Yves Guillemot, had understood that "at its starting price, the PS3 was too expensive to be able to sell well". Others, like the world leader Electronic Arts, had to revise their strategy.

The Wii "has taken a considerable advance, but Sony has not said its last word", advises Mr Michaud: "Everything will be played during the Xmas period".

Microsoft, arrived on this market in 2001, considers it took the leadership and is ready to show off the big game for the end of the year.

"Sony was able to become more competitve in October", admits Francois Ruault, director of the Consumer Electronics division of the American Giant in France, "but we are re-engaging hostilities with an agressive starter price (279 euros) and a catalogue of games three times larger".

Same dynamic speech with the competitor: despite a "very competitive market in the United States, we will catch up to the Xbox very rapidly", estimates Georges Fornay, president of Sony Computer Entertainement France, without "sacrificing the older generation": 12 million PS2 units will still be sold this year.

[Sling]

Old news?? im not sure...Just got the email on my Treo.


Sony Reports Black Friday Sales Numbers
According to Gamasutra, Sony Computer Entertainment America has released their statistics for the Black Friday sales period in North America. In very good news, the numbers show a 178% increase in PlayStation brand sales, while dollar sales rose 154%. PS3 sales leaped a huge 245% compared to last year's Black Friday sales...but the system was hardly available at all during this time last year, so that's not too surprising. What's more impressive is the fact that, since November 2, PlayStation 3 hardware sales jumped 298% (including both the 80GB and 40GB models). In addition, the PSP enjoyed a 136% increase in sales in the week-over-week comparison, and PS2 sales surged 287% in the same period comparison. That thing just doesn't die, does it?

Obviously, Sony's holiday season is off to a streaking start, and with December looming large and always an even bigger month in the U.S., things are certainly looking good early.

http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-news/2209.html

[Swede]

Here's another nice article from psx extreme on PS3 Surge In Japan & Germany:

While the PlayStation 3 suffered through a slow start just about everywhere - despite shattering launch records in the UK this past March - the system has definitely experienced a major sales upswing since the 40GB introduction and the 80GB price drop. You've already seen some of the early results from the US, but it isn't the only region to see greatly increased PS3 sales.

According to PSU, Sony's next-gen console has taken a "dominating role" over the past few weeks in both Germany and Japan. Not surprisingly, the PS3 is mired in third place in Germany, but it still outstripped its two competitors in the month of October: retailers apparently report 37,000 PS3 units sold, while the Wii came in second at 28,000 and the Xbox 360 a distant third at 12,000. Perhaps even more shocking is the meteoric rise of the PS3 over the Wii in the past couple weeks in Japan (a country that has adored Nintendo's product from day one): the PS3 (39,178) outsold the Wii (36,23) for the second straight week. We don't have a number for the 360, but...well, it's Japan. Obviously, these statistics can be attributed to the new PS3's $399 price, which has clearly had the desired impact worldwide.

All that remains now is to see if the PS3 can maintain this momentum throughout the 2007 holiday season. Sony could really use it, and with the truly giant exclusive titles scheduled to arrive next year (Gran Turismo 5, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Killzone 2, Final Fantasy XIII, etc.), now might be the time for a lot of gamers to be interested in the PlayStation 3. It's a great holiday gift, no doubt!