Console war by the numbers
With the arrival of the PlayStation3, all three foes in the latest console war are finally onsale in NZ. Here's how their global fight is shaping up:
Xbox 360: The Microsofties have got off to an excellent start, reaching their target to move 10 million Xbox 360s during the console's first year or so onsale (it was first released in the US in November 05). Gates & co. self-imposed the 10 million target, saying that was what the 360 needed to gain critical mass in the broader fight against the supermassive installed base of PlayStation2s (which number around 100 million).
Here, the Xbox 360 sold a very respectable 35,000 units during its first year and - very impressively - by Microsoft's count more than half those punters signed up for Xbox Live. For the latest on the NZ-release of the HD-DVD add-on, click here.
Nintendo Wii: The Wii takes the prize for fastest-selling console. Since its November 06 release an astonishing 6 million have sold. Sure it doesn't have the Xbox 360 and PS2's stunning graphics and high def DVD player support, but then again the big-guns have nothing as fun and original as the Wii's wand-like, motion-sensitive wireless controller that can, for example, be used as a tennis racket during Nintendo's tennis game. And priced at less than half the competition, it's cheap enough to buy on top of your PS3 or Xbox 360.
PlayStation3: It's been a slow start for Sony, with the PlayStation3 selling 2 million units since its November release (including 7000 pre-sales in NZ; online options aren't being actively promoted here). However, the critical factor has been parts shortages that first delayed the launch, then kept PS3s relatively scarce (and, at $1200, easily the most expensive contender). Don't write off Sony just yet, however. PS3 is a cheap way to get a Blu-Ray DVD player, and Blu-Ray is that standard that will win the Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD war.
Moreover (if I may use a word like "moreover" in a blog), the venerable PlayStation2 outsold all-comers in the US and Japan during the Christmas season just gone, moving more units than PlayStation3, Xbox 360 or Wii. Specifically, Americans bought 1.4 million PlayStation 2s during December. The Xbox 360 sold 1.1 million units, the Nintendo Wii 604,000 and the PlayStation3 491,000. Why the big numbers for the PS2? It's the games, stupid.
PC World is New Zealand’s top selling computing and technology magazine.
Comments
The PS3 has actually only sold about 3.75 million, it WANTED to sell 6 million units but it was way short. By the way I get my facts from an article written 7 hours ago on CVG.
Posted by: DARKSTARx89 | April 20, 2007 3:46 AM
Well rob obviously there gonna sell more guitar hero 2 games than zelda because there are a vast amount of people who have a ps2 compared to wii because the ps2 has been out for longer
Posted by: Dale | April 18, 2007 5:26 AM
"...and Blu-Ray is that standard that will win the Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD war."
I won't count on that yet Chris. Obviously, you're a big fan of Blu-Ray.
Remember what happened to the so called "superior" Betamax vs the "cheap" VHS war? :)
[I'm not making my call based on which tech is superior, but how many film and hardware companies are lining up behind the rival standards. Through Windows, and its admirable support for open standards, Microsoft tactitly supports both. Sony is going all-out with Blu-Ray, putting a player into every PS3. Microsoft is more reticient with HD-DVD, only releasing it as an add-on for the Xbox 360. - CK]
Posted by: Edmund Sia | April 17, 2007 10:05 AM
Your numbers are a mixed bag of sold and shipped. MS numbers are shipped, not sold, while your PS3 numbers appear to be "sold to consumers" (to North America, not worldwide). PS3 shipped number have reached over 6 million, which was Sony's target for end of fiscal 2007.
Thee are a little over 5M 360 sold in the US, and less than 2M PS3 in the US.
Posted by: rob | April 17, 2007 4:05 AM
Erm comparing handheld with console devices? Thats pretty stupid? Last time I checked, you wouldnt play a 256x192 output on your lounge room TV.
NFans are so absolutely ignorant when it comes to this. Same with PSP sales - PSP sales are actually around the 27 million mark, with DS at 35 million mark - but remember, half of PSP's sold were in Europe which didnt start for 10 months after DS launch.
Its easy to claim this or that, and most NFans will try to remain ignorant of the actual numbers of the PS2, PSP, and X360. But by doing so, they make themselves look like silly ignorant fanboys.
The real fact is, that next-gen is nothing near like PS2 launch over 7 years ago. We now have a much bigger gaming audience, but lesser launch sales than when the market was smaller? And additionally, that 'old' machine still outsells all the other new ones.
Guitar Hero2 sold more units than Zelda and Sports on the Wii in the US.. this is indicative of the mass of the PS2 audience.
Like Chris mentioned at the end.. its the games.. the games.
Posted by: Grover | April 16, 2007 11:51 PM
yeah yeah ps2 outsold all of THOSE... what about the DS?? its not a console but if were talkin system sales over the holiday season.. im pretty sure it takes the cake even w/o checkin the numbers
[You mean the Nintendo DS? According to a story on the IDG News Service, Nintendo has just revised its sales outlook, upward, to say it will sell 2.3 million DS units worldwide for its finiancial year that just ended March 31, but which won't be reported until later this month. Various articles say sales of Sony's handheld, the PSP, slowed during 2006 to 1.76 million, but the Wall Street Journal (April 3, 2007), says there are now 25 million PSPs out there, so it still ranks as one of the biggest games hardware releases ever - CK]
Posted by: brainiac007 | April 16, 2007 3:51 PM