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Why Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sales milestone isn’t so impressive
arstechnica.com — Microsoft is boasting that the Xbox 360 is the first current-gen system to hit 10 million units sold in the US. These numbers leave out the year-long head start the Xbox 360 enjoyed, as well as the Wii's worldwide dominance.
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- rmw132, on 05/15/2008, -16/+7Props to Nintendo for doing so well. They've proved us all wrong.
- jkoski, on 05/15/2008, -19/+31As much as I don't like Microsoft and the fact that their 'milestones' have so many disclaimers, they are right to exclude the Wii in a (formerly 'next-gen') current gen sales race. The Wii may be fun and it may even be innovative control-wise but one thing it is not is what is generally considered to be (formerly 'next-gen') current gen. People love the Wii and they sell like crazy but let's not make it what it isn't.
- hater2win, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5I'll be Nintendo and say that we have the most the highest rated games among systems with an N.
See how that works? - Aharoni, on 05/15/2008, -2/+2There are a lot of people who keep reminding us that "The Wii is not a direct competitor to PS3/Xbox 360". I'm not claiming differently, just saying that if this statement is indeed true - then Ars' analysis of "people who buy the Wii have less money to spend on the other consoles" is somewhat incorrect. Just as a pirated game copy doesn't necessarily mean a lost sale (because most people simply wouldn't play the game if they could not pirate it) so is this case. Different demographics means that if the Wii would not exist those people would have bought neither Xbox 360 or PS3.
- Abno, on 05/16/2008, -1/+11I disagree.
Microsoft has been taking steps to compete for the casual gaming market for years now, so why is it ok for MS to try to compete with Nintendo(and Sony for that matter) in that demographic but conveniently exclude the Wii while they make their chest-beating PR announcements?
And anyone who doesn't think Microsoft wants a large segment of the casual market is kidding themselves, just like someone would be kidding themselves to think Nintendo doesn't want the core gaming market anymore. The Arcade pack, the "Microsoft casual games" divsion and comments from multiple executives talking about how important the casual demographic is to the company all contribute to the conclusion that all 3 of the current consoles are still in competition with eachother.
Yes, there is a significant difference in terms of hardware power, but that doesn't make much difference to a lot of the casual gaming market. Even the price point is negligible with the Arcade pack priced not much higher than a Wii. All that extra power and HD goodness in the Arcade pack aimed at casuals, for just about $30 more, yet they still keep losing a lot of ground to Nintendo.
Take this "milestone" for what it is, PR spin timed right before the NPD data that shows Nintendo had another month of selling over half a million more units than both the 360 and PS3, while the 360 and PS3 sales are nearly tied, 360 selling less than a thousand more units than the PS3.
In my opinion, all 3 consoles have been performing well recently, but I'm not going to buy into the claims that they are not all in competition with eachother just because they have different specs and features.
Now that I've thrown in my opnion on the subject, I gotta go kill some hookers before Lost is on.- Abno, on 05/16/2008, -0/+5I forgot to add, the 10 million units sold point is still worth noting and something MS should be proud about. My comment was directed more towards all the extra spin that came with the announcement.
And my hooker killing was denied because my girlfriend is watching Grey's Anatomy. >:|- Fighty, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1Oh, you poor thing. Couldn't survive an hour of Grey's before you had serious GTA 4 withdrawal?
It's a good thing you didn't bother me during my "holy hour". :P Hooker killing can wait, can't it?
- Fighty, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1Oh, you poor thing. Couldn't survive an hour of Grey's before you had serious GTA 4 withdrawal?
- ElAssoWipo, on 05/16/2008, -3/+1How did you go from next gen hardware to demographics?
The Wii is a gamecube with a motion sensor.
No HD, no surround sound. 2003 graphics quality.
And no, surround sound simulation through pro-logic is not surround sound, just like upscalling isn't HD.- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -1/+2The PS3 is a PS2 with better graphics and a bluray instead of DVD. The 360 is an XBOX with better graphics.
So you can make the arguement that the Wii is the ONLY next gen console in that case.
All 3 are the new consoles from their companies. All 3 are next gane. Graphics DO NOT make a system next gen, neither does power. You can't pick and choose and say Graphics and power is next gen but an entirely new and revolutionary control scheme isnt - ElAssoWipo, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_Clay_Shooting_S ...
32 year old revolutionary control scheme. - skywake, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Xbox + wireless ->
Gamecube * (1.5 ~ 2) + storage ->
PS2 * (6 ~ 9) + storage + wireless
Gamecube * (1.5 ~ 2) + motion control and IR -> Wii
Xbox * (2 ~ 4) + wireless controller -> Xbox 360
PS2 * (8 ~ 10) + motion control and wireless -> PS3
- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -1/+2The PS3 is a PS2 with better graphics and a bluray instead of DVD. The 360 is an XBOX with better graphics.
- Abno, on 05/16/2008, -0/+5I forgot to add, the 10 million units sold point is still worth noting and something MS should be proud about. My comment was directed more towards all the extra spin that came with the announcement.
- skywake, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1If the Wii isn't considered a "current generation" console then why does it sell so well? It does things you couldn't do with the previous generation consoles it just improves on them in different ways then Sony or Microsoft have improved their products. At the very least Nintendo have created a console at an attractive price that is twice as powerful as their previous console and consumes less power. That in itself is an achievement worthy of the title "gen after last gen" aka "current gen".
- ElAssoWipo, on 05/16/2008, -2/+1Because it's cheap.
Same reason the crap they sell at wal-mart sells so well.
- ElAssoWipo, on 05/16/2008, -2/+1Because it's cheap.
- hater2win, on 05/15/2008, -1/+5I'll be Nintendo and say that we have the most the highest rated games among systems with an N.
- inajeep, on 05/15/2008, -10/+18I dugg the article on the factual information but dislike the arrogance accusation at the end. All 3 companies put their own spin on the #s but comparing the 360 to the Wii isn't a comparison of equals. The PS3 is the competitor to the 360 but Ben choose to take worthy numbers put up by MS's 2nd console and trash them against Nintendo whose following is worldwide and has decades of experience that mean generations of loyal customers. I have both systems and have many more 360 titles than Wii titles, so what? I am disappointed in Ars in this case because they normally publish unbiased articles based on facts without the normal fanboy spin in either direction. Calling MS out on their spin doctoring and using the Wii AND PS3 #s would have been more inline with the standards I expect from Ars.
- dig1x, on 05/15/2008, -1/+4I agree totally. I usually expect more from Ars. MS was careful with what it said -- and parsed its language carefully -- but what remains is the truth: That in the USA (the largest market for games on the planet) the Xbox 360 is the first to reach 10 Million customers.nnThat surely means a lot to MS and its partners. As a Xbox 360 owner, I know it means that as part of the "market" 3rd parties will want to compete for my game-dollars.
- JEAH, on 05/15/2008, -7/+16we'll see how the "Wii's worldwide dominance" holds up with lack of 3rd party support. This has been nintendo's problem for years and doesn't seem to be getting any better. Certainly the wii is profitable, but dominating the gaming world it is not.
- udhar, on 05/15/2008, -6/+13@ikoski
I do not understand why you consider next-gen a console based only on their graphics.
To me Wii belongs clearly on the new generation of consoles not by it's graphics performance, but certainly by the way it interacts with the gamer.
In fact I expect the PS4 & Xbox720 to follow with motion-sensing kind of controllers.
Graphics is a simple job now (and PC's are proving it every day)
For me MS was just trying to get some $ back on it's stock value.
Wii is definitely in the new-gen console comparison.- dig1x, on 05/15/2008, -4/+11The Wii's hardware limits more than its graphics. The physics and AI are directly limited as well.
There is a reason that mod-chips from the GameCube worked directly on the Wii on day-one.- Sirocco, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Clearly you've never played Elebits.
- theaceoffire, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Don't forget the storage issue as well.
- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1The physics are limited? Huh... is that why Boomblox has these extremely accurate physics?
- dig1x, on 05/15/2008, -4/+11The Wii's hardware limits more than its graphics. The physics and AI are directly limited as well.
- clak, on 05/15/2008, -1/+8One thing I would like to know. Does Microsoft count the consoles they send out to the replace models suffering from the RROD as part of their sales? Because if they do, that's just wrong. Microsoft also has a habit of inflating their sales by counting units "shipped" to retailers as sold.
- WhereAmI, on 05/15/2008, -1/+2No they don't do that but if you get a credit because your 360 was lost or something like my friend did then they count that as a sale.
- FlyinWhee, on 05/16/2008, -5/+5OK, who really cares that much, seriously?
People are playing, Huge corporations are making money. whoop-dee-frickin-doo. - terminalpariah, on 05/16/2008, -4/+7Microsoft has actually made an amazing amount of progress in 1.5 generations. The PS2 sold 100 million units - that's a really strong brand to compete with in ANY sector. And they're not just keeping pace with the PS3, they're beating them.
I think the PS3 will surpass the 360 in sales by the end of this generation, but it won't be a wide margin. In the next gen, the Xbox will be more recognized by consumers, and Microsoft will have learned from their hardware mistakes and come out with something cooler, quieter and MUCH more reliable. Also, Sony and Nintendo will be just catching up to where Live is today (assuming they want to focus on online to that degree), and Microsoft will still be five years ahead in that space.- loktoris, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1I quote wiki on this but, "127 million" as of the end of last year.
On another note, where the hell have you been? Microsoft doesn't learn, I think they are firm believers in "history repeats itself".
IE, Windows ME, Windows Vista....360....Zune....and every other sucktastic product they have produced.
They lack the creativity to learn, and are only capable of creating copies and stealing other peoples ideas, all the way from their roots.
- loktoris, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1I quote wiki on this but, "127 million" as of the end of last year.
- dvsbastard, on 05/16/2008, -2/+8I don't care what these sales figures say, I am very happy with my 360... I am a little underwhelmed by my Wii, although I still enjoy it now and then... and I do not own a PS3 (as I don't game enough to warrant two HD consoles), but if I did, I am sure I'd be having a blast with that too...
I don't care what happens to these platforms, as long as the good games keep on coming! - ELCad, on 05/16/2008, -8/+5Funny watching bitches bragging about being about being in 2nd place.
- hellboy1975, on 05/16/2008, -4/+4I always thought the battle was more about how many games sold, not how many consoles are sold. If I remember correctly the margins on selling consoles are small compared to those on software, and given that the Xbox seems to be selling more games than the rest, I'd say that's a better indicator of what's successful.
- Masna, on 05/16/2008, -3/+4In other news, some guy actually gets angry at Microsoft for announcing its xbox sales and writes an article about it...
- paulsmith288, on 05/16/2008, -4/+10The wii is a direct competitor to the xbox and ps3. Its not like its a fuc*ing toaster.
- doshindude, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1it prints money!
- loktoris, on 05/16/2008, -0/+0ahhh, that would be an interesting mod....Wii Toaster, hm....*gets tool box*
- theaceoffire, on 05/16/2008, -1/+2Thats like saying the DS is a direct competitor to the Xbox. Different markets.
- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Um... no... thats a handheld. DS is a direct competitor of the PSP. Now if you look at the hardware they have vast differences... One is cartridge based, one CD based... One is also a movie playing medium via the (failed) UMD movies. It also plays MP3, etc, has better quality graphics etc. DS is a dual screen, touch based, but doesnt have the "non game related" aspects. So in a way the PSP vs DS is the same as the 360/PS3 vs Wii.... Yet why aren't people saying DS isn't competing with PSP? Because they are. And the PS3 is competing as much with Wii as it is 360... 360 and PS3's biggest competitor isn't each other, but the Wii. THE ONLY REASON THIS "NOT SAME DEMOCRAPHIC/MARKET" NONSENS IS BEING SPREAD IS BECAUSE THE WII IS KICKING ASS!!!!! You honestly going to sit here and tell me if the Wii was in third place that Sony and Microsoft woudlnt be bragging about how much better then the Wii they are doing? But now that the Wii is in first place they aren't competing against it? ahahah ayea right WII, PS3, 360 DIRECT COMPETITORS IN THE VIDEOGAME MARKET, PERIOD. GET OVER IT.
- theaceoffire, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1You need to press enter once in a while.
Anywho, my point is that the DS targets mobile gamers while the Xbox targets console gamers.
The Wii is targeting people who do not consider themselves gamers, which is a market that would NEVER buy a PS3 or 360.
This is why I claim they are targeting other markets, and comparisons should keep this in mind.
- theaceoffire, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1You need to press enter once in a while.
- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Um... no... thats a handheld. DS is a direct competitor of the PSP. Now if you look at the hardware they have vast differences... One is cartridge based, one CD based... One is also a movie playing medium via the (failed) UMD movies. It also plays MP3, etc, has better quality graphics etc. DS is a dual screen, touch based, but doesnt have the "non game related" aspects. So in a way the PSP vs DS is the same as the 360/PS3 vs Wii.... Yet why aren't people saying DS isn't competing with PSP? Because they are. And the PS3 is competing as much with Wii as it is 360... 360 and PS3's biggest competitor isn't each other, but the Wii. THE ONLY REASON THIS "NOT SAME DEMOCRAPHIC/MARKET" NONSENS IS BEING SPREAD IS BECAUSE THE WII IS KICKING ASS!!!!! You honestly going to sit here and tell me if the Wii was in third place that Sony and Microsoft woudlnt be bragging about how much better then the Wii they are doing? But now that the Wii is in first place they aren't competing against it? ahahah ayea right WII, PS3, 360 DIRECT COMPETITORS IN THE VIDEOGAME MARKET, PERIOD. GET OVER IT.
- RolltheStampede, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1you also have to figure how may of the install base has purchased more than one console due to failures not covered in the extended RROD warranty such the disk drive problem. There we also people who bought multiple consoles that Red Ringed before they extended warranty
- alihaq717, on 05/16/2008, -0/+2i know i will get dugg down for this but i own a wii and a 360 and i never play my wii... even mario galaxy wasnt as fun as it should have been.
- loktoris, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Like someone else said earlier, the Wii and 360 are in different markets, there may still be some market share, but honestly, people who are into 360/PS3 aren't really going to like the Wii. Different gameplay experience.
- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Except every single gamer I know has both a 360 and Wii with at least 8 games for each, and love them both and play them both equally.
The Wii IS IN THE SAME MARKET as the 360/PS3. Whoever says they aren't really need to take some business classes.
- KingGoonie, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Except every single gamer I know has both a 360 and Wii with at least 8 games for each, and love them both and play them both equally.
- loktoris, on 05/16/2008, -1/+1Like someone else said earlier, the Wii and 360 are in different markets, there may still be some market share, but honestly, people who are into 360/PS3 aren't really going to like the Wii. Different gameplay experience.
- known, on 05/16/2008, -1/+2I think Xbox is NOT a must have Gadget.
- Maurina, on 05/16/2008, -0/+1Christ people, just buy a console and play games you enjoy. It doesn't matter if the console you picked is selling more units than its competition, as long as you're having fun.
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