UK ChartTrack Data: Xbox 360 jumps 260% in sales

[Gamer From '78]

http://news.spong.com/article/13684

"The latest ChartTrack data clearly shows that Microsoft’s recent price slashing on the Xbox 360 has led directly to a notable increase in sales. What an AMAZING coincidence!

Microsoft is celebrating a 260% rise in UK sales since the recent price reductions and the launch of the Xbox 360 Elite.

What with the monster that is Halo 3 arriving later this month, to be followed soon after by Project Gotham Racing 4, Mass Effect and a veritable slew of AAA-Christmas titles, it’s clearly going to be a good Chrimbo for Microsoft in the UK this year.

Dan Cornelius, UK marketing manager for Xbox 360, said of the new £179.99 price for the Core model, "From a strategic point of view, this price point gives us an entry level that broadens our consumer base. If you look at the PS3, it's quite a lot of money for your average family."

Cornelius then had a pop at Sony for forcing consumers to "foot a huge bill for technology they don't need" and, on Nintendo, added that, "Wii is tapping into a different consumer".

"With the launch of Elite and these price drops, the delta between Xbox 360 and PS3 in terms of value for money gets broader…It certainly puts us in a better position than our competitors going into the Christmas market."

[Dancer O_o]

The 60gb PS3 and one game is or was $560. The now one and only PS3 available is the 80gb version with game for $600. You pay 40 bones for 20gb extra hard drive space and feel like you just been beat with a rubber hose.:thumbsup:

And now that the awe inspiring perfection of Lair is out you too can have a mediocre experience:mad2:

Sometimes...I think Sony needs an enema

No wonder the SCEA president just quit and went to work for a liquor company yesterday...

[Gamer From '78]

The 60gb PS3 and one game is or was $560. The now one and only PS3 available is the 80gb version with game for $600. You pay 40 bones for 20gb extra hard drive space and feel like you just been beat with a rubber hose.:thumbsup:

And now that the awe inspiring perfection of Lair is out you too can have a mediocre experience:mad2:

Sometimes...I think Sony needs an enema

No wonder the SCEA president just quit and went to work for a liquor company yesterday...

It all boils down to this: A "consumer" can pick up an Xbox 360 Core with a memory card for $270. That's between $230-$330 cheaper than the PS3. Or, they can opt for the (formerly known as) Premium unit for $350. That's still $150-$250 cheaper than the PS3.

They look at the game selection and see that there are many, many more 360 games than PS3 games. Xbox 360 has big-name games like Halo 3 while PS3 has what exactly? :confused: And it doesn't help that Lair is all over the television, print and the net about how attrocious it really is. Blu-Ray playback be damned, I just don't think most people know and/or care about that. All of the EA stuff is out in force on the Xbox 360 from day-one which is a big advantage for Microsoft over the last generation where the original Xbox was more or less an "afterthought" to the PS2.

What does Sony have to counter Microsoft this holiday? Ratchet and Uncharted? Undoubtedly to me, these will both be very solid & fun PS3 games. But Sony may have just as well handed the holiday over to Microsoft and Nintendo.

Sony talks about their "ten year" strategy for the PS3 and how this "...is a marathon, not a sprint." Nice way of saying things, but the fact is we are entering year two very soon and the PS3 has yet to break out of the shadow of the 360 or Wii even once. With UK numbers released showing a 260% boost in 360 hardware sales, it will be interesting to see what the US numbers are once NPD publishes them.

[ilnadmy]

It all boils down to this: A "consumer" can pick up an Xbox 360 Core with a memory card for $270.

And then have to buy an HDD if he wants to play any games starting next year.

[Gadfly2317]

BLIP.

After this xmas, it's all downhill for 360. That's not a hater statement regarding the 360. . . just a sales prediction. Globally, by 2009 it will be Wii. . . followed far behind by Ps3 and 360 with one having a negligble lead over the other.

[thelastword]

The 60gb PS3 and one game is or was $560. The now one and only PS3 available is the 80gb version with game for $600. You pay 40 bones for 20gb extra hard drive space and feel like you just been beat with a rubber hose.:thumbsup:

And now that the awe inspiring perfection of Lair is out you too can have a mediocre experience:mad2:

Sometimes...I think Sony needs an enema

No wonder the SCEA president just quit and went to work for a liquor company yesterday...Karraker was not the President of SCEA, he was the PR guy. The last I checked though, the PS3 has been at the top ten list of videogame products for the entire week at Amazon. So I think that people are esteeming value over cheapness.

There is also a starter pack planned for the European region later this month, with Hsword+F1 packed in with two sixaxis controllers for 600 euros. So Sony is not sitting there looking at the competition, they are doing much and working on the content. The Fifa demo hits the PSN next week thursday, Winning Eleven is landing soon, home is coming next month, TGS is two weeks away, rumors are already surfacing that Fuito Ueda (SOTC creator) is going to show a teaser of his game, WKS will be playable and , Star Ocean will be exclusive to the PS3 (according to gameindustry.biz etc..). So I think things are being done.

Look at the recent update, the friends list in RFOM is smoother, downloaded videos and the xmb in general, is faster. The memory footprint for the OS is going down with every SDK release, so the smoothness of the XMB is actually preperation for firmware 2.0 with the in-game friends list access, home and all the trivial features bots like to talk about, like in-game-music.

So things are improving significantly.......for an explosive release.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

BLIP.

After this xmas, it's all downhill for 360. That's not a hater statement regarding the 360. . . just a sales prediction. Globally, by 2009 it will be Wii. . . followed far behind by Ps3 and 360 with one having a negligble lead over the other.

Except for software sales. Which 360 will dominate. I read somewhere the 360 has sold twice the amount of software of the Wii and PS3 COMBINED!!!

I also saw an interview with a Microsoft suit where he was chattering about how no 3rd party made money on Gamecube and no 3rd party has yet made money on the Wii. If MS was concerned about Wii's performance, they'd drop the price, but they know they can continue to have this price point as long as PS3 is $600.

[Gadfly2317]

I also saw an interview with a Microsoft suit where he was chattering about how no 3rd party made money on Gamecube and no 3rd party has yet made money on the Wii.

Now THAT's an objective source!

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Now THAT's an objective source!

Yeah, i'm sure a MS executive is going to lie about sales data in a print or online interview for public consumption. You guys get more and more desperate everyday:thumbsup:

[ilnadmy]

Yeah, i'm sure a MS executive is going to lie about sales data in a print or online interview for public consumption.

Are you conscious when you post replies?

[folken001]

Are you conscious when you post replies?
Most likely not. I am sure he's on something.

[Dancer O_o]

Karraker was not the President of SCEA, he was the PR guy. The last I checked though, the PS3 has been at the top ten list of videogame products for the entire week at Amazon. So I think that people are esteeming value over cheapness.

There is also a starter pack planned for the European region later this month, with Hsword+F1 packed in with two sixaxis controllers for 600 euros. So Sony is not sitting there looking at the competition, they are doing much and working on the content. The Fifa demo hits the PSN next week thursday, Winning Eleven is landing soon, home is coming next month, TGS is two weeks away, rumors are already surfacing that Fuito Ueda (SOTC creator) is going to show a teaser of his game, WKS will be playable and , Star Ocean will be exclusive to the PS3 (according to gameindustry.biz etc..). So I think things are being done.

Look at the recent update, the friends list in RFOM is smoother, downloaded videos and the xmb in general, is faster. The memory footprint for the OS is going down with every SDK release, so the smoothness of the XMB is actually preperation for firmware 2.0 with the in-game friends list access, home and all the trivial features bots like to talk about, like in-game-music.

So things are improving significantly.......for an explosive release.

Well, that makes it sound better. Fifa demo huh? I used to play the heck out of Fifa way back on the 3DO and adored that game. Freak'n Killzone better be the second coming, I know that game is a ways off but it's about the biggest gun in the bag I think....thanks for correcting me on the President thing, my ramblings get the better of me...

I just bought Killzone Liberation PSP today...so Sony got a dollar or two.


LBP is also something I pray to sunny Jesus is as good as it seems and looks.

[Gamer From '78]

BLIP.

After this xmas, it's all downhill for 360. That's not a hater statement regarding the 360. . . just a sales prediction. Globally, by 2009 it will be Wii. . . followed far behind by Ps3 and 360 with one having a negligble lead over the other.

Where do you get your ideas for this "prediction" of things being downhill for the 360 next year? There are plenty more games exclusive to the 360 next year already announced that will keep it moving along nicely. Not to mention, sales in the UK jumped 260% for the system with the recent price drops across the 3 SKU's, and US sales data has yet to be released.

Xbox 360 sales continue to climb or hold pretty much steady on a month-to-month basis, while Wii sales have gone from an 8:1 ratio over the competition to a 4:1 ratio. Wii's are easily found in most stores now with plenty of units in stock.

If anything, the software drought that continues with "good" games being few & far between will continue to cool sales as all the 3rd party and thus BIG-GAME support follows the 360 and PS3. As we discussed in another thread, sales of Wii games pretty much sucks except for the exclusive Nintendo-made stuff.

Xbox 360 has the highest hardware to software attachment ratio of all 3 systems by a significant margin. Wii can outsell the 360 4:1, but if 3rd parties aren't making money and selling a pitiful amount of games on the Wii, they will continue to focus their efforts where they DO make their money. This isn't a "prediction" or "I think" comment, it's based on the hard facts of software sales over the last 3 generations of consoles including the current gen.

Mario, Zelda and the like have been pushed aside for new heroes like Kratos and Master Chief in the last two generations. And now Nintendo seems fit to push the famous plumber and sword wielders aside for Wii-Fit/Sports/Play/Ejaculate/Etc.

But in the spirit of System Wars, here are my predictions for the holiday 2007 season and beyond.

1) Sales of Nintendo's Wii will continue to cool significantly due to a lack of quality software on a regular basis and the "hot new thingie" trend wearing off.

2) Sales of Xbox 360 pick up significantly and hold high throughout the 2007 season, in no small part due to Halo 3, Project Gotham 4, Mass Effect and several other key software releases.

3) Sales of PS3 continue to stagnate through March 2008 when Sony announces another price drop and Sony finally & begrudgingly release force feedback controllers.

4) Holiday 2008 rolling around, Sony drops PS3 to $400 and bundles in a game. Sales are better, but still below the Xbox 360 which has at this point taken the "mindshare" lead this generation. 3rd parties continue to make the 360 their primary focus. Wii has dropped to $200, good software glut continues with possibly FIVE big-name games at best released so far in 2008.

[Jyoharl]

Wow, Microsoft is really clever.

Seeing it as people are on the prediction phase that Microsoft will go downhill from here, SOMEONE will have to take the blame for that. Microsoft has clearly proven that the Xbox360 is a great system, despite Microsoft's shady tricks. The 360 has a lot going for it, so should it fail, while gamers are saying that it is a great system, the industry can call gamers hypocrites and blame the gamers for the failure, thus giving "evidence" that a new gaming deliverance method is needed because the gamers can't be trusted.

That's smart because companies can play on the gamers "guilt", thus making gamers play what will make these companies money. So, it is not wise for Microsoft to fail because that's when the Trojan Horse effect that Microsoft had in the first place will go into play. Then everyone is in trouble.

[ilnadmy]

I don't think people are going to buy games out of guilt. It's our money, we do with it what we please. I don't go buying up all the artsy games because Clover went belly-up, or go buying all the first-person RPGs because Troika is no more.

[folken001]

Wow, Microsoft is really clever.

Seeing it as people are on the prediction phase that Microsoft will go downhill from here, SOMEONE will have to take the blame for that. Microsoft has clearly proven that the Xbox360 is a great system, despite Microsoft's shady tricks. The 360 has a lot going for it, so should it fail, while gamers are saying that it is a great system, the industry can call gamers hypocrites and blame the gamers for the failure, thus giving "evidence" that a new gaming deliverance method is needed because the gamers can't be trusted.

That's smart because companies can play on the gamers "guilt", thus making gamers play what will make these companies money. So, it is not wise for Microsoft to fail because that's when the Trojan Horse effect that Microsoft had in the first place will go into play. Then everyone is in trouble.

That sure worked well for SEGA and Dreamcast?

Generally, people don't give a damn about anybody except themselves.

[folken001]

I don't think people are going to buy games out of guilt. It's our money, we do with it what we please. I don't go buying up all the artsy games because Clover went belly-up, or go buying all the first-person RPGs because Troika is no more.
of course not. That's a pretty weird assumption. I feel so bad for M$ so I am going to spend 360 dollars buying 6 games from them so I'll feel better tonight?

[Jyoharl]

That sure worked well for SEGA and Dreamcast?

Technically....yeah. When the Xbox came out, where did the Sega community go?

[ilnadmy]

Are you implying people started buying Xboxes out of pity for Sega?

[Renzatic Gear]

Mario, Zelda and the like have been pushed aside for new heroes like Kratos and Master Chief in the last two generations. And now Nintendo seems fit to push the famous plumber and sword wielders aside for Wii-Fit/Sports/Play/Ejaculate/Etc.

Heres something I don't understand. Now that the Wii has all these funky Wii-whatever titles coming out, every supposed hardcore gamer type person is screaming that they're abandoning their core fanbase and focusing exclusively on soccer moms and unwed pregnant teenage mothers.

Why? The only thing it shows is Nintendo catering to another demographic alongside their usual crowd. Anyone that isn't obsessively protective of their hobby should see that as a good thing. Expanding an audience will eventually lead to more sales, which leads to more money being spread around for everything and everyone, which eventually leads to an absolute ****ton of awesomeness. It's basic business.

Just because soccer moms and the aforementioned unwed pregnant teenage mothers buy a Wii or an Xbox360 or a PS3 doesn't mean that all you're gonna get are chintzy minigames and make-me-not-fat workout programs. After all, there are tons of soccer moms that bought a DVD player last year. But that doesn't mean the only movies you have to choose from are variations of Fried Green Tomatoes now, does it?

And anyway, when it's all said and done, I have yet to see any indication that Nintendo is foregoing their Marios, Metroids, and Zeldas for the more casual crowd.

If anything, the software drought that continues with "good" games being few & far between will continue to cool sales as all the 3rd party and thus BIG-GAME support follows the 360 and PS3. As we discussed in another thread, sales of Wii games pretty much sucks except for the exclusive Nintendo-made stuff.

I thought that thread showed otherwise. I think the biggest problem here is most people have a problem confusing the last generation with this one. That obviously isn't the case. If it were, the Wii and 360 would have steady, if tepid, sales and the PS3 would be kicking everyones ass yet again. Things change. You can already see the first inklings of good 3rd party support even now.

[Wan-Fu]

One of the best advantages to launching early (360) is getting a jump on used and older software prices. Watching ps2 sales still going strong, I would ask myself "who is buying all these ps2's? Browsing Gamestop before buying gears, I saw who was. A poor but happy family whose parents both alluded to working fast food jobs mentioned how happy they were to have scraped enough enough money to afford a brand new ps2. Think they were buying full price games? No. Greatest Hits? No Games from the used section? No. They were fishing in the 9.99 and under bin.

Though there won't be a 9.99 and under bin for the 360 for quite some time, potential gamers, by January of 2008, will see a very compelling and (comparitively cheap) section of used and new 14.99-30.00 games available for the 360. This is when critical mass takes hold, and why (in part) many former ps2 owners more beholden to cheap and popular software than the sony brand will start making the switch to the 360.

The wii's price, software, and waggle will always attract more families, but more el-cheapo used games will serve the 360 well, especially if the price difference between the 360 core and wii is only 30 bucks. Though I hate its existence, the core, especially during upcoming holiday seasons, will become increasingly more important.

[Gamer From '78]

Heres something I don't understand. Now that the Wii has all these funky Wii-whatever titles coming out, every supposed hardcore gamer type person is screaming that they're abandoning their core fanbase and focusing exclusively on soccer moms and unwed pregnant teenage mothers.

Why? The only thing it shows is Nintendo catering to another demographic alongside their usual crowd. Anyone that isn't obsessively protective of their hobby should see that as a good thing. Expanding an audience will eventually lead to more sales, which leads to more money being spread around for everything and everyone, which eventually leads to an absolute ****ton of awesomeness. It's basic business.

Just because soccer moms and the aforementioned unwed pregnant teenage mothers buy a Wii or an Xbox360 or a PS3 doesn't mean that all you're gonna get are chintzy minigames and make-me-not-fat workout programs. After all, there are tons of soccer moms that bought a DVD player last year. But that doesn't mean the only movies you have to choose from are variations of Fried Green Tomatoes now, does it?

And anyway, when it's all said and done, I have yet to see any indication that Nintendo is foregoing their Marios, Metroids, and Zeldas for the more casual crowd.



I thought that thread showed otherwise. I think the biggest problem here is most people have a problem confusing the last generation with this one. That obviously isn't the case. If it were, the Wii and 360 would have steady, if tepid, sales and the PS3 would be kicking everyones ass yet again. Things change. You can already see the first inklings of good 3rd party support even now.

It's worrying Renz, when the highlight of E3-the show for GAMERS (y'know, us hardcore types) focuses on Wii Fit. I think Nintendo will support the faithful as well as their new, broadening audience. But it is ALSO troubling when the developer support coming along is mostly slap-dash ports, one-off party games and Capcom putting some ports/new stuff out. That is earily similar to the Gamecube days.

If sales continue strong, I can see the Wii getting more and more software. I really hope it does. I also believe that the $50 price-point for new software has helped the Wii where new Xbox 360 and PS3 games are $60 or (gasp!) higher.

To me, the Wii is a great system. I couldn't wait to buy it right after launch and as always, I have no fears that my Nintendo-hardware will conk-out on me. But I hope-and I do mean REALLY REALLY HOPE-that Nintendo broadens out past the million-Mario games, a few Zelda's and a Metroid or two. It's the rut they have been in since the N64. We need some honest to goodness Nintendo RPG's! We need some Square-Enix loving! We need Kid Icarus to come back in his own Zelda-styled adventure! Man, how I would LOVE to see a 2-3D hybrid Castlevania on the Wii!

Oh, and aside from No More Heroes, Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles and the few other 3rd-party games I mentioned interest in, I can't forget Soul Calibur! :thumbsup:

[Jyoharl]

Are you implying people started buying Xboxes out of pity for Sega?

No no no. But if you look at the events that took place, the Dreamcast died, so Sega fans weren't ready to embrace Nintendo, and they DAMN sure wasn't about to go on Sony's side, seeing it as Sony were the ones that help send the Dreamcast to the grave. Microsoft had the Xbox coming out, and Microsoft did help Sega with the Dreamcast's OS. So, it was easy scoopings for Microsoft.

[Glockstar]

One of the best advantages to launching early (360) is getting a jump on used and older software prices. Watching ps2 sales still going strong, I would ask myself "who is buying all these ps2's? Browsing Gamestop before buying gears, I saw who was. A poor but happy family whose parents both alluded to working fast food jobs mentioned how happy they were to have scraped enough enough money to afford a brand new ps2. Think they were buying full price games? No. Greatest Hits? No Games from the used section? No. They were fishing in the 9.99 and under bin.

Though there won't be a 9.99 and under bin for the 360 for quite some time, potential gamers, by January of 2008, will see a very compelling and (comparitively cheap) section of used and new 14.99-30.00 games available for the 360. This is when critical mass takes hold, and why (in part) many former ps2 owners more beholden to cheap and popular software than the sony brand will start making the switch to the 360.

The wii's price, software, and waggle will always attract more families, but more el-cheapo used games will serve the 360 well, especially if the price difference between the 360 core and wii is only 30 bucks. Though I hate its existence, the core, especially during upcoming holiday seasons, will become increasingly more important.

I don't know if we'll ever see 360/PS3/Wii games for $9.99. But we'll see an equivalent reduction: like down to $15-$20.

In fact, we already have. And no, I'm not talking about the Platinum Hits collection. If you shop around, as I have, you'll find some great 360 games at serious markdown prices... at stores such as Circuit City; Meijer; and Toys R Us. (I frequently report on my findings in the Bargain Hunters Thread.) Condemned; Tomb Raider Legend; The Outfit; Viva Pinata; and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland are among the games that I've spotted stickered at $19.99, $18.99, or less. There are some great games right there!