PS3 Hardware Sales Down 82% in UK

[fitbabits]

GI.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23977) is reporting that hardware sales of Sony's PS3 have dropped a worrying 83%.

A spokesperson for Chart Track confirmed the figure to GamesIndustry.biz this afternoon, stating: "Yes, sales of PS3 hardware have dropped by 82 per cent."

Last week, Chart Track revealed that the PlayStation 3 had sold 165,000 units in the first two days following the launch, making it the fastest-selling home console in the UK.

"We publish the first week figures because there's such a clamour for them that we can't keep it a secret," said the spokesperson.

[Vanthar]

Isn't that still like 30k consoles in a week? For ONLY the UK?

[fitbabits]

Isn't that still like 30k consoles in a week? For ONLY the UK?
That's one way to look at it, I guess.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Isn't that still like 30k consoles in a week? For ONLY the UK?

Don't act like it's a trend because it happened one week. I'll bet a twenty dollar donation those go down to about 20k by next week.

[Tricky Thumb]

This is of course going to happen.

What I am interested in seeing is how the sales hold up over the next couple of months.

[KidCactus]

That's one way to look at it, I guess.
A very sane way, if you ask me.

[carneconcarne]

If anyone wants to get rid of their piece of trash ps3, I'll take it off your hands for $200. That's better than scrap prices!

[DangerousDaze]

This is just the flipside of unrestricted supply at launch. You get: Massive initial sales by people who have been waiting
No sell-out
Massive post-launch slump (because the waiting list has been exhausted)However, if you were to spread the figures out as they would have been if supply was limited then that huge initial peak would have spread right out.

[Franjo]

I wonder if any other companies like Eidos will wait to develop for it when the install base is there. Sad news for all PS3 owners that they can't get their hands on Tomb Raider 23.

[Food Nipple]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.

All entertainment media have a huge dropoff immediately after their initial launch, this is not news.

[fitbabits]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.

All entertainment media have a huge dropoff immediately after their initial launch, this is not news.
Well, if the initial sales of 165,000 units is news, then so is this.

[Morratut]

Isn't suprising. It's after the launch so you'll bound to have a drop off compared to the first week.

See what it's like after the first 6 months.

[CaptStu]

Well, if the initial sales of 165,000 units is news, then so is this.

Do you have 360 and Wii sales comparisons?

[fitbabits]

Do you have 360 and Wii sales comparisons?
Not on hand, no, but I'm sure someone will post them. Besides, both Xbox 360 and Wii had massive shortage problems on launch, so a direct comparison wouldn't be entirely accurate.

[Vermillion]

Nipple, slight modification to your statement would be "all entertainment media that is widely available and outpaces demand". Obviously, if you have media that does not meet demand, then your sales will remain peaked until demand has been satisfied. INCONCEIVABLE!

Obviously 2 weeks of data isn't enough to make a judgement call on the success of the launch. Once numbers have reached a steady level, we'll know what we're looking at.

[Gott]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.

All entertainment media have a huge dropoff immediately after their initial launch, this is not news.


I agree this is hot news!

[Philonious]

Well, if the initial sales of 165,000 units is news, then so is this.

Perhaps, but it wouldn't have been easier (and more logical) to post the slumping hardware and softwares sales in the same post and not bother with the Trojan Horse that is C&C?

[fitbabits]

Perhaps, but it wouldn't have been easier (and more logical) to post the slumping hardware and softwares sales in the same post and not bother with the Trojan Horse that is C&C?
Perhaps, but both news articles were released separately. Merging them now would create even more confusion.

[Borys]

Even with that drop-off it is probably still the best selling console this week (handheld or not).

Way to tell this in a negative light, GI.biz.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Even with that drop-off it is probably still the best selling console this week (handheld or not).

Way to tell this in a negative light, GI.biz.

Heh - thanks for increasing my confidence that the sales will drop off. No way is a machine as expensive as the PS3 going to outpace the DS for long. :)

[fitbabits]

Even with that drop-off it is probably still the best selling console this week (handheld or not).

Way to tell this in a negative light, GI.biz.
I don't have the numbers handy, but I'm willing to bet that the DS outsold the PS3 by some margin.

[Vermillion]

I think Borys is just going to buy as many PS3s and games as he possibly can just to get an uptick in the numbers for next week. Then he can come in here and parade around in his underwear screaming "Sony is the best. Suck it haters! Suck it like it's an ice cube off of Jessica Alba's thigh!"

[CaptStu]

Poland must be one sad place. I've never heard so much anger and depression from one person before.

[Citizen Philip]

I also heard that there was an 82% drop in people waiting in line to buy a PS3, a shocking tumble from last week when hundreds of thousands were waiting to do so.

[CaptStu]

I also heard that there was an 82% drop in people waiting in line to buy a PS3, a shocking tumble from last week when hundreds of thousands were waiting to do so.

Or, 82% more people came to their collective senses. :D

[Lothair]

This is just the flipside of unrestricted supply at launch.

Clarification: there is not unrestricted supply. If everyone in the UK went out to buy a PS3, there would be shortages. There is, in fact, a finite and restricted supply that demand does not meet. Now, you can say that this is the flipside of having supplied greater than demand, but not that the supply is unrestricted.

[DangerousDaze]

Clarification: there is not unrestricted supply. If everyone in the UK went out to buy a PS3, there would be shortages. There is, in fact, a finite and restricted supply that demand does not meet. Now, you can say that this is the flipside of having supplied greater than demand, but not that the supply is unrestricted.
Sony aimed to have no launch supply issues. Retailers have gone on record as stating that their only allocation constraint was how many they wanted to order, not how many they were offered. That's unrestricted supply.

If you pump a steady stream of water through a pipe and plug one end the pressure will build. When you release that pressure there will be an initial surge that rapidly subsides to the original pressure. This is what we are seeing in these statistics.

[Hexxagonal]

has anyone found any numbers to compare this too yet? i'm turning up nothing in google.

[Borys]

Google the word "PROBABLY" before you attack me, thanks.

[fitbabits]

Google the word "PROBABLY" before you attack me, thanks.
Google the word "rumor" before attacking me, thanks.

[Dag-Sabot]

Poland must be one sad place. I've never heard so much anger and depression from one person before. Nah, he's cool. You'd be that way too if your country were nestled between Russia and Germany and within your sexy borders lay the best "Tank country" on the hemisphere.

[Vermillion]

Google the word "Hasselhoff sex swing" before attacking me, thanks.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Nah, he's cool. You'd be that way too if your country were nestled between Russia and Germany and within your sexy borders lay the best "Tank country" on the hemisphere.

Wow...that was rough.

But I like!

[Deadend]

Ah, I wake up to see everything back to normal in PS3 news. Good times, good times.

[Kamalot]

Sony aimed to have no launch supply issues. Retailers have gone on record as stating that their only allocation constraint was how many they wanted to order, not how many they were offered. That's unrestricted supply.

If you pump a steady stream of water through a pipe and plug one end the pressure will build. When you release that pressure there will be an initial surge that rapidly subsides to the original pressure. This is what we are seeing in these statistics.
These two paragraphs have nothing to do with each other. If retailers were allowed to order as much as they wanted, there was no blockage in the pipe.

Each of your paragraphs work, but not together.

[wezlypipz]

This makes sense. I'm sure this number will slowly drop over the coming year and rise and fall with the release of more popular applications.

[DaXIthR]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.

All entertainment media have a huge dropoff immediately after their initial launch, this is not news.

Ever see the Box Office numbers for Titanic?

[Kamalot]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.This is awesome news. Thanks so much for posting it. You have convinced me to wait to pick up a PS3 when it comes out on DVD instead of paying the ticket-price.

[TheFlyingOrc]

This is awesome news. Thanks so much for posting it. You have convinced me to wait to pick up a PS3 when it comes out on DVD instead of paying the ticket-price.

Kamalot, some days I love you.

[Jack B]

I also heard that there was an 82% drop in people waiting in line to buy a PS3, a shocking tumble from last week when hundreds of thousands were waiting to do so.

What we we do without your insight...

[Heretic Machine]

The PS3 is currently in an unprecedented situation. They delivered enough consoles at the UK launch to fill the demand for launch, and more. So, everyone who wanted one, got one. Now the sales are just going to be coming from the same random spoos who buy a DS on a whim, or pick up a 360 after being pressured by their friends. So, these sales figures are less than interesting.

Now, once we get about three months in, we can compare the sales over three months to the first three months of the Wii and 360 sales, and see how everyone performed at launch in the UK relative to the others. I'm betting that the PS3 will lag behind into third place, but I doubt it is as bad as this sensationalist piece might have you believe upon first hearing, "PS3 sales drop 82%! ZOMG!"

[TheFlyingOrc]

What we we do without your insight...
At least Borys is a SDF member with some heart - CP is just a dick.

[Yellowman]

People on this site have a bad habit of calling bad news not news.

[sprankton]

Good news post. This is just as much news as Sony claiming victory over the 350 and the Wii in the UK for the launch. Both the "best selling console in UK history" and this one are non stories. The real story is how many Sony will sell over the coming months.

[Grimmjow]

people are on a roll today.

[TheFlyingOrc]

From the other thread:

In Japan the non supply constrained 360 also dropped 80% it's second week. It just never really recovered from there.

The PS3 in Japan dropped 50%. I don't remember if it was supply constrained, but I don't think so. Neither have been very successful in Japan, although the 360 has been especially weak.

My apologies to Citizen Phillip for posting actual numbers.

Week Console Sales in Japan for the first 4 weeks.

360 80% drop.

X360 12/11/05 55,750
X360 12/18/05 11,000
X360 12/25/05 7,000
X360 01/01/06 13,000

PS3 50% drop.

PS3 11/12/06 87,500
PS3 11/19/06 44,000
PS3 11/26/06 36,000
PS3 12/03/06 32,000

[Kamalot]

Kamalot, some days I love you.
You love me every day. You just need a tiny bit of help learning to express it. This is a good start though. :D

[TheFlyingOrc]

You love me every day. You just need a tiny bit of help learning to express it. This is a good start though. :D
Like this:
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/theflyingorc/calvinhug.jpg

[Jack B]

The 82% drop is large, but on the other hand selling 33k PS3's a week would be on pace for 1.7m in the UK for 12 months.

For comparison, the PS2 sold only 25% of their units in Europe. Thus, they could be on pace to sell 6.8m units over 12 months in Europe. Those would actually be very very impressive numbers. Last year the PS2 sold 4 million. I believe the PS2's best year in Europe was just over 6m units.

I think all of Europe numbers for months 2, 3 and 4 will be better indicators, but selling 33k PS3's in the UK is pretty good.

[Citizen Philip]

At least Borys is a SDF member with some heart - CP is just a dick.

Go find some fancy cartoons to post. That's what your good at. Callous and indifferent: yes, yes I am.

[Food Nipple]

People on this site have a bad habit of calling bad news not news.

I think people on this site have a habit of enjoying accuracy. Week to week sales figures are not an accurate way to measure a console's success because there's too many fluctuations. This story is a perfect example of a news story that has accurate information, but the information is framed in a way to give you an incorrect conclusion.

The statistics are correct, sales are down 82%, but you're failing to see the forrest through the trees.

[Citizen Philip]

*short echo*

[Citizen Philip]

..

The statistics are correct, sales are down 82%, but you're failing to see the forrest through the trees.


I was under the impression they were creating a forest with a tree.

[lockwoodx]

You know other high end gadgets than used to cost 400+$ and didn't loose 82% sales after the fist week.... Cell Phones.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

Sorry, but if one week of news was completely acceptable to post and write about, I don't see why the next week isn't.

The PS3 had 5 months of pent up demand. It was met within a week, and sales for the next few months will see where the PS3 is in terms of product placement. It's not that they have to be "as good as the others", they actually need to catch up too.

[NeoSuplex]

Like this:

New Doom Pic: CONFIRMED.

[TheFlyingOrc]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b350/theflyingorc/doomedwiley.png

[Food Nipple]

Sorry, but if one week of news was completely acceptable to post and write about, I don't see why the next week isn't.

It's not newsworthy. News programs like to tell you whether the NYSE and the NASDAQ are up or down for the day, but neither one is very newsworthy either. You're getting information on a regular basis, but very little of it is actually informative.

If the purpose of news is to inform, then this isn't very newsworthy because it isn't very informative.

[Dag-Sabot]

You know other high end gadgets than used to cost 400+$ and didn't loose 82% sales after the fist week.... Cell Phones.And ze Ipod?

[fitbabits]

It's not newsworthy. News programs like to tell you whether the NYSE and the NASDAQ are up or down for the day, but neither one is very newsworthy either. You're getting information on a regular basis, but very little of it is actually informative.

If the purpose of news is to inform, then this isn't very newsworthy because it isn't very informative.
You know, your analogy stinks. People's lives depend on NYSE and NASDAQ numbers... Of course they're news. Just because they don't interest you or tell you something, doesn't mean they're not news.

[lockwoodx]

If the PS3 is going to stand a chance of sustained sales they need to revamp thier entire image.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2378/ps3grillew3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Shodan2020]

I don't know why people are freaking out about this. Sony had the exact same thing happen in the US. Huge sales at first and then everyone who wanted one had one and everyone else didn't care. So there's PS3s on shelves now.

[Adam Blue]

You're right (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26659).

Oh, I've visited the thread(and posted in it). But that's it? I expected more really. Look at Stalker...or console games. Seriously, that's been open since March 11th, with only 64 replies. Most being Mike and I going back and forth.

This is the Command and Conquer series. The game is selling like crazy.

Well, unless you were being serious with your reply...

[Zanzibar]

"Suck it like it's an ice cube off of Jessica Alba's thigh!"
That's a nice mental image. Thank you.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Oh, I've visited the thread(and posted in it). But that's it? I expected more really. Look at Stalker...or console games. Seriously, that's been open since March 11th, with only 64 replies. Most being Mike and I going back and forth.

This is the Command and Conquer series. The game is selling like crazy.

Well, unless you were being serious with your reply...

You're just gonna have to accept that this site leans toward consoles.

[Food Nipple]

You know, your analogy stinks. People's lives depend on NYSE and NASDAQ numbers... Of course they're news. Just because they don't interest you or tell you something, doesn't mean they're not news.

It's the perfect example.

People's lives don't depend on daily fluctuations of the market. The only people that care about daily changes are the day traders who earn six figure incomes. For the average person, it won't make a damn bit of difference what happened in the stock market between Tuesday and Wednesday. The average person who loses money in the stock market makes poor decisions based on short term trends in the market.

You're being bombarded with way more information than is necessary. The posters above this post are proof positive that taking a myopic perspective on information can actually lead to being less informed.

[TheFlyingOrc]

It's the perfect example.

People's lives don't depend on daily fluctuations of the market. The only people that care about daily changes are the day traders who earn six figure incomes. For the average person, it won't make a damn bit of difference what happened in the stock market between Tuesday and Wednesday. The average person who loses money in the stock market makes poor decisions based on short term trends in the market.

You're being bombarded with way more information than is necessary. The posters above this post are proof positive that taking a myopic perspective on information can actually lead to being less informed.

But those who commented on the launch numbers being high aren't?

[fitbabits]

It's the perfect example.

People's lives don't depend on daily fluctuations of the market. The only people that care about daily changes are the day traders who earn six figure incomes. For the average person, it won't make a damn bit of difference what happened in the stock market between Tuesday and Wednesday. The average person who loses money in the stock market makes poor decisions based on short term trends in the market.

You're being bombarded with way more information than is necessary. The posters above this post are proof positive that taking a myopic perspective on information can actually lead to being less informed.
Dude, you just completely contradicted yourself!

People's lives don't depend on daily fluctuations of the market. The only people that care about daily changes are the day traders who earn six figure incomes.
And I'll leave it at that.

[Skyelan]

I don't know why people are freaking out about this. Sony had the exact same thing happen in the US. Huge sales at first and then everyone who wanted one had one and everyone else didn't care. So there's PS3s on shelves now.

Well, I know a lot of people took the fact that the PS3 sold surprisingly well even with being gimped, more money, that region being shoved off to the side for five months, pushed back games, and negative press all around as a sign of change for Sony.

Instead it's just like every other region, and having 'stock to meet demand' hasn't made a hill of beans difference. It sells great for the first strech, then it plummets. So yeah, I'd assume that's why some people are upset.

[DangerousDaze]

These two paragraphs have nothing to do with each other. If retailers were allowed to order as much as they wanted, there was no blockage in the pipe.

Each of your paragraphs work, but not together.
I'm not saying there was unrestricted demand (clearly there wasn't). I'm saying there was unrestricted supply. Retailers ordered as many consoles as they thought they could shift and Sony supplied them all. The blockage I referred to was the launch date itself - the waiting list built up towards launch, then the blockage was removed on launch day and a rush of orders were filled.

[oldjadedgamer]

Ever see the Box Office numbers for Titanic?

For some reason, this reminded me of this picture:

(I think someone here posted it a few months before the PS3 launched in the US)

http://www.iplayalot.com/Sony/Sony_Iceberg.jpg

[TheFlyingOrc]

Today is official humorous picture day.

[Food Nipple]

Dude, you just completely contradicted yourself!


And I'll leave it at that.

If you'd like to nitpick about semantics, I'll be glad to rephrase my argument.

To the vast majority of people, the short scale fluctuations of a market are meaningless. In the stock exchange metaphor, the day trader does care about these changes. However, to the average person daily reports are information overload, and time and time we see that this information overload causes people to make shortsighted decisions. The media may be providing relevent information to a very small minority, but at the expense of the vast majority.

In the case of this news story, it is certainly relevant if you own a game store and are trying to determine how many PS3's to order. If you're the average enthusist, weekly sales numbers mean less than nothing.

[Citizen Philip]

I forgot, is all this posting about a single national market in Europe, or the prelude to the apocalypse? I mean wow, the PS3 has put the UK back on the map: not since WWii games, captured sailors or Napoleon has a UK thread been more popular.

[Siraris]

From the other thread:

The only difference in Japan is that the 360 has 1 game in the Famitsu top 20 that is sitting near the bottom, and the PS3 has 6 titles in the top 20 with 4 in the top 10. Even more telling (and obvious) is that the PS3 has been out for 4 months, and 360 has been out for over a year there.

[Borys]

I'm more of a PCDF than SDF but I am in the Sony camp alright.

fitbabits: lesson learned :/ isn't it rumour BTW not rumor?

[Boris]

Uh oh, Phil Harrison just choked on his morning danish pastry.

[Kamalot]

I love that iceberg picture. Whoever did that PhotoChop deserves some kind of reward.

[DangerousDaze]

Uh oh, Phil Harrison just choked on his morning danish pastry.
At 19:15? He keeps odd hours, must be all those prog-rock concerts he attends.

[Skyelan]

The only difference in Japan is that the 360 has 1 game in the Famitsu top 20 that is sitting near the bottom, and the PS3 has 6 titles in the top 20 with 4 in the top 10. Even more telling (and obvious) is that the PS3 has been out for 4 months, and 360 has been out for over a year there.

Famitsu's never really been a good prediction of sales though.

Blue Dragon was extremely high up near the top just before it launched, if I recall...

[Boris]

At 19:15? He keeps odd hours, must be all those prog-rock concerts he attends.

OK, make that, Phil Harrison just coughed up his supper creme brulee. :)

[TheFlyingOrc]

The only difference in Japan is that the 360 has 1 game in the Famitsu top 20 that is sitting near the bottom, and the PS3 has 6 titles in the top 20 with 4 in the top 10. Even more telling (and obvious) is that the PS3 has been out for 4 months, and 360 has been out for over a year there.

I gave the numbers, I did not interpret them in any way.

[DaXIthR]

The only difference in Japan is that the 360 has 1 game in the Famitsu top 20 that is sitting near the bottom, and the PS3 has 6 titles in the top 20 with 4 in the top 10. Even more telling (and obvious) is that the PS3 has been out for 4 months, and 360 has been out for over a year there.

Sirasis and TheFlyingOrc:

To Whom it May Concern, I guess...

The list being referred to is not the sales charts, it's the Most Wanted charts. We know the Japanese will love all three FF13's and MGS4, and that's two-thirds of what the Japanese PS3 fan is interested in.

Meanwhile, the week-to-week and month-to-month sales in Japan tell another story. I can remember when VF5 was supposed to give the PS3 a significant lift. Meanwhile, the best-selling PS3 game over there is R:FoM, I believe - a FPS. It's a bad sign when that happens in Japan, and general attach ratio isn't fantastic.

[DaXIthR]

Famitsu's never really been a good prediction of sales though.

Blue Dragon was extremely high up near the top just before it launched, if I recall...

It's not Famitsu's editors, it's the fans telling them which game they are looking forward to that comprises the lists.

[oldjadedgamer]

The only difference in Japan is that the 360 has 1 game in the Famitsu top 20 that is sitting near the bottom, and the PS3 has 6 titles in the top 20 with 4 in the top 10. Even more telling (and obvious) is that the PS3 has been out for 4 months, and 360 has been out for over a year there.

Looking at the top selling games though, how many of the current big selling DS titles appeared on Famitsu's list? I don't remember the Brain Training games or their sequels appearing there yet they sell multi million copies when released.

It wouldn't be a sales thread if a SDF member didn't bring up 360 sales in Japan. It's almost like clockwork. It's like Nintendo fanboys always bring up DS sales in Japan when the PSP was selling better in the States a little while ago.

[Skyelan]

It's not Famitsu's editors, it's the fans telling them which game they are looking forward to that comprises the lists.

No no, I know that.

It's just the concept that just because people WANT it doesn't mean they'll actuall buy it when it comes out is what I was trying to say.

[Crenor]

I bet this means a huge price drop soon :)
I wounder how long it is before you start seeing them on eBay for <200...

[Karmakin]

At the end of the day, all that matters is total sales. Total sales determines which consoles get which games, and that DOES matter to all of us. It also determines which gaming concepts (and each of the 3 console makers have different concepts) are internalized and which ones are discarded. This stuff does matter.

And this is what I said would happen. That sales would drop like a rock, because the PS3, their "launch demand" is what sold, unlike with other recent consoles where the demand outstripped supply so the whole thing had question mark by it until the sales started to slow down.

It's just too damn expensive. Sony could have gotten by even with that if they obtained the "cool" factor, but Nintendo came right along and stole that right away from them. (If you don't think that the Wii/DS don't have the public image going for them full tilt you're out of your mind.)

It's time for Sony to go back to the drawing board, to be honest. Not to give up on the PS3, but they need a different direction for the PS4.

May I suggest a system that's wholly focused on network connectivity and digital distribution, priced at a level for mass consumption?

[Kamalot]

May I suggest a system that's wholly focused on network connectivity and digital distribution, priced at a level for mass consumption?
That would be tight. Amazing even. I could completely see it happening.

But all the Phantom fangirlz would hop in here saying how PS4 copied from Infinium labs.

[DaXIthR]

If there was any doubt before, I believe this news story proves that there are two varieties of demand: launch demand and other demand.

Granted, there can be varieties of 'other demand'. Obviously, equilibrium is disturbed with price cuts and pack-in games down the road.

But launch demand is a different type of beast. It makes people buy bundles that package $1200 TV's with their $600 consoles. This suggests that Sony's launch demand wasn't that great. A 30, 40 or even 50% drop would be expected.

An 80% drop in one week, to borrow a US box office analogy, makes the PS3 look like Gigli.

[Kelegacy]

Last week was a new system launch. This week isn't. Duh.

People are in such a craze here on EvAv to hate on Sony that this is huge news to them. It's hilarious. EvAv never lets up on the comedy, I'll give you that. But it's like silently laughing at a retarded child throwing a tantrum in a grocery store...it makes you feel sick afterwards that such a thing amused you.

[Skyelan]

Last week was a new system launch. This week isn't. Duh.

So, honest question, and I mean this and will personally eat my words because I want to know.

How many other system launches has this happened to? People keep saying 'Well it's the week AFTER new system launch, demand is done' as if it's a well established and common event, so I'm interested to know if it's true.

I'm just curious as to what other launches had this result.

I mean, if it's NOT a common event, it's not unreasonable to consider this fairly big news, especially since last week looked like a huge change for Sony sales-wise.

[oldjadedgamer]

Last week was a new system launch. This week isn't. Duh.

Did this happen with the Wii as well? Did it happen with the PS2?

[Gorvi]

Did this happen with the Wii as well? Did it happen with the PS2?
Both were supply constrained, as well as half the price. Anyone thinking that the PS3, being more expensive, wouldn't be a harder sell than the PS2 or Wii would be fooling themselves.

[Kelegacy]

So, honest question, and I mean this and will personally eat my words because I want to know.

How many other system launches has this happened to? People keep saying 'Well it's the week AFTER new system launch, demand is done' as if it's a well established and common event, so I'm interested to know if it's true.

I'm just curious as to what other launches had this result.

I mean, if it's NOT a common event, it's not unreasonable to consider this fairly big news, especially since last week looked like a huge change for Sony sales-wise.
To be honest, I do not know the answer to that. I'd be curious to know as well, however.

Demand isn't gone for the PS3, it's just dropped significantly since launch. It broke records in the UK and across Europe in its first weekend, so a hitch a week later isn't a big deal. In a month or so, yes, that could be more of a problem.

Sony had adequate supply of PS3s. It was bought in record numbers, without a holiday season to enjoy, so a second week decrease is not news worthy. We should revisit this in the future and analyze it, but not the second darn week!

[Lunar Blue]

Something is missing from this thread. TheFlyingOrc, if you would be so kind. Please?

[Skyelan]

I'm sorry, I just can't help but find it silly.

EvAv gave VERY fair coverage to the successful first week of the PS3, but the second week gives a large drop for reasons that aren't lack of stock, we're back to being a site full of insideous anti-Sony goons.

It's selectively complaining about news. Picking and choosing what qualifies based on whether or not someone happens to take offense.

I mean, it'd be one thing if we were talking about a news post that said the shocker that the DS were outselling the PSP, or the 360 floundering in Japan still or something, because that isn't anything new. But recent and sudden changes in sales DO qualify as news, even if some people take them too far.

The whole point at trying to write this off as being not news hinges on the fact that last week was hugely successful, so this is no big deal and should be glossed over.

If anything last week's success despite what seemed like increasingly huge odds only intensifies the fact that this IS news worthy, and it's not something that makes the site even more Anti-Sony. That's just, again, silly.

If in three weeks we keep getting updates with no real change to the PS3's performance I'll agree with you in it being non-news.

[H.Bogard]

GI.biz (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=23977) is reporting that hardware sales of Sony's PS3 have dropped a worrying 83%.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5765/arty3copyjw3.jpg

[Kamalot]

I'm sorry, I just can't help but find it silly.

EvAv gave VERY fair coverage to the successful first week of the PS3, but the second week gives a large drop for reasons that aren't lack of stock, we're back to being a site full of insideous anti-Sony goons.
Even I gave Sony props for selling better than expected across all of Europe. Now, I'm not dancing on any graves over here, but it is super to see the same people (http://ok1tzd.goo.cz/Hear%20No%20Evil,%20See%20No%20Evil,%20Speak%20No% 20Evil1.jpg) here take the whole, "not news" approach when sales drop.

The numbers were up last week. They are down this week. That change in numbers, is news. Get over it.

[51|RandoM]

It is still selling, though, and apparently selling pretty well for a console that is that expensive.

I believe that is the bottom line when it comes to stories like this.

[rein]

This thread reminds me. Wasn't there a big warning about posting images not long ago? A real threat kind of warning?

The PS3 sales are obviously going to drop off drastically after the first week of launch. That doesn't change the fact that Sony is still fighting an uphill battle but it is hardly reason for them to panic, or for others to start dancing on their grave. There hasn't been enough time to evaluate how good or bad the PS3 is going to do in Europe. Or the world for that matter. This generation is far from over.

...and frankly, I could give less of a fuck on who "wins" it. Either way, both companies are already spending my money.

[Skyelan]

Either way, both companies are already spending my money.

There are three. ;)

[fitbabits]

This thread reminds me. Wasn't there a big warning about posting images not long ago? A real threat kind of warning?
Yes, there was, and it's still in force. So far there's been five (I think) images in this thread of 102 posts. Not too shabby, but I would have preferred just one or two.

I'm not going to go through every thread here and delete the images I deem inappropriate (unless they are grossly so) - I'm relying on you guys to police yourselves.

[DaXIthR]

So....

when Sony blows away everyone's expectations and moves 165K in the UK in a weekend, then it's 'Sony's back', or 'Sony's turning the tide', or 'Blu-ray can't be ignored', or 'Price is irrelevant when the quality this damn good' or 'Resistance FTW'...

But when Sony looks castrated based on the following week's performance, then its 'obviously, price is a concern' and that covers all the bases for the PS camp?

As some really eloquently said earlier in this thread....

But launch demand is a different type of beast. It makes people buy bundles that package $1200 TV's with their $600 consoles. This suggests that Sony's launch demand wasn't that great.

The launch isn't over until launch systems sell out.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Yes, there was, and it's still in force. So far there's been five (I think) images in this thread of 102 posts. Not too shabby, but I would have preferred just one or two.

I'm not going to go through every thread here and delete the images I deem inappropriate (unless they are grossly so) - I'm relying on you guys to police yourselves.

I kinda made the site into a picture extravaganza today, sorry. I forget that my posting funny pictures can lead to people posting NOT funny pictures.

[rein]

There are three. ;)

What?!? :confused:





:D

[vivafletcher]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.

All entertainment media have a huge dropoff immediately after their initial launch, this is not news.

I don't think this is a great analogy. If a movie dropped by 82 percent after the first week, that would be BIG news. Movies don't drop by 82 percent.

[LilEvilFish]

And the truth shall set Britain free.

[Philonious]

It is news, cause frankly it is a big drop. What people aren't considering is the context. Unlike previous launches, which typically have sold out, the people who were most excited about getting the PS3 had no problems getting one. So the initial push for the system, which is typically drawn out due to a lack of stock, got taken care of in the first week. It is the reason their first week numbers were so strong and it is the reason the demand has gone down. Now shelves are flooded, so people who are thinking about it have no need to rush: They know if they want one it is available. (I personally picked up a 360 when I did because it was rare at the time and my excitement over seeing one overwhelmed my plan to wait). The real test of the system's success will be time, if sales decrease over the next few weeks then I'll happily join the doomsayers. Seriously until some games drop there is no point of picking up the PS3. (Again, I personally grabbed mine because I didn't want to risk gimped BC).

Sony should have done simultaneous world wide launch... The resulting shortages would have given the illusion of demand and lead to increases sales. They would have also avoided alienating a big chunk of their fan base.

[Kamalot]

Sony should have done simultaneous world wide launch... The resulting shortages would have given the illusion of demand and lead to increases sales. They would have also avoided alienating a big chunk of their fan base.
Agreed.

Or, on a slightly comical note, imagine if Sony had waited till Spring 2007 to launch worldwide. If Europe is such a huge success, why didn't they launch in Japan and the USA as well? Spring launch FTW?

[TheFlyingOrc]

Agreed.

Or, on a slightly comical note, imagine if Sony had waited till Spring 2007 to launch worldwide. If Europe is such a huge success, why didn't they launch in Japan and the USA as well? Spring launch FTW?

They really didn't need to give the 360 more momentum.

They should, however, have launched in Europe and NA at Christmas, and Japan later - as Japan does not have a end of year holiday like we do.

[Philonious]

They really didn't need to give the 360 more momentum.

They should, however, have launched in Europe and NA at Christmas, and Japan later - as Japan does not have a end of year holiday like we do.

And risk alienating their Japanese fans? World Wide would have made it so that people went batshit on eBay and everything a successful launch needs. Anyone remember back to the 360 launch when people accused Microsoft of artificially inflating demand by keeping production low?

[oldjadedgamer]

Yes, there was, and it's still in force. So far there's been five (I think) images in this thread of 102 posts. Not too shabby, but I would have preferred just one or two.

I'm not going to go through every thread here and delete the images I deem inappropriate (unless they are grossly so) - I'm relying on you guys to police yourselves.

I didn't know of this but will heed this in the future

[51|RandoM]

So you expected everybody who bought a ps3 the first week to come back and buy another one the second week?

Just remove the ability for inline images from non-admins. If a picture is worth seeing a link to it is sufficient.

[Kamalot]

So you expected everybody who bought a ps3 the first week to come back and buy another one the second week?
Are you trying to say that the market for PS3s has already been saturated and that the only people who will buy a PS3 are the ones who already bought a PS3?

You ARE!

That's awful pessimistic of you. I prefer to think of it as the people who purchased a PS3 last week purchased it on hype. Everyone else is waiting for a good reason to buy one. I hope a reason materializes.

[51|RandoM]

Are you trying to say that the market for PS3s has already been saturated and that the only people who will buy a PS3 are the ones who already bought a PS3?

You ARE!

That's awful pessimistic of you. I prefer to think of it as the people who purchased a PS3 last week purchased it on hype. Everyone else is waiting for a good reason to buy one. I hope a reason materializes.

Lol, keep dreaming.

What I am saying is that the console is still selling. Don't expect it to sell 165,000 units in the UK every week, though.

There are plenty of good reasons to buy a PS3. The UK had more of them than anywhere else when it comes to picking one up at launch.

[Shodan2020]

fitbabits: lesson learned :/ isn't it rumour BTW not rumor?

It depends on if your British or not.

They tend to add the letter "u" in odd spots in some words, like colour. :p

[Shodan2020]

But all the Phantom fangirlz would hop in here saying how PS4 copied from Infinium labs.

It's gonna be tough to get into trouble over copying something that never really existed in the first place. ;)

[Jack B]

So, honest question, and I mean this and will personally eat my words because I want to know.

How many other system launches has this happened to? People keep saying 'Well it's the week AFTER new system launch, demand is done' as if it's a well established and common event, so I'm interested to know if it's true.

I'm just curious as to what other launches had this result.

I mean, if it's NOT a common event, it's not unreasonable to consider this fairly big news, especially since last week looked like a huge change for Sony sales-wise.

If you saw my numbers posted for the first four weeks of the launches of both the PS3 and 360 in Japan, it shows the 360 had an 80% drop in week two. The PS3 only a 50% drop.

It's almost impossible to glean too much from a couple of weeks. Although, an 80% drop doesn't look good on paper, 30k units sold in week 2 was an impressive number for the UK. The PS2 sold 25% of their European units in the UK. That would make last week's 30k about 25% of a 120k number in Europe. Four weeks in a month equals about 500k or so in Europe or 6m a year. Very very good numbers, given the PS2 never sold more than 6.5m in a single year in Europe.

I believe months 2,3 and 4 will tell a better story, but an 80% drop off a 165k number is not a big issue, IMO. Sony's numbers in Europe look very good to me so far. If they are accurate then Europe has performed significantly better than the US and Japan. Could it be there stronghold, even after getting dissed by Sony? Maybe? Stay tuned.

On the other hand, you could say, Sony has compressed 6 months of pent up demand into 2 weeks. If you look at it that way, it's not so impressive. I say, let's wait a couple of months at least to make more accurate judgements on Sony's situation in Europe.

[TrackZero]

The movie 300 saw ticket sales drop by 60% after the first week too. OMG 300 AM DOOMED.

All entertainment media have a huge dropoff immediately after their initial launch, this is not news.

Bad analogy. Comparing 300 to a game is more appropriate. This is system hardware, it has a different sales curve. And yes, it is a larger drop than you'd expect this quickly.

[Mr.Condescension]

So, if we apply the same 82% drop in sales to the rest of europe we'd end up with over 100,000 units sold for the week. Pretty respectable, but I'm more interested in what happens over April as a whole. It's all about when the big games start dropping, though. I expect the PS3 sales in Europe to slow quite alot over the next few weeks. I expect sales to only really pick up when some of the larger titles start shipping, but when will that be?

[Jack B]

So, if we apply the same 82% drop in sales to the rest of europe we'd end up with over 100,000 units sold for the week. Pretty respectable, but I'm more interested in what happens over April as a whole. It's all about when the big games start dropping, though. I expect the PS3 sales in Europe to slow quite alot over the next few weeks. I expect sales to only really pick up when some of the larger titles start shipping, but when will that be?

I'd agree. See my post a couple above yours. The media always looks for a story...

In sales we call it compares. Comparing one period vs another. If you kill it in Q4 one year, the next year in Q4 you'll have a tough compare (ie percentage growth wise). They sold 165,000 units in the PS3 launch week in the UK. That's a really tough compare. We should wait for the next 2-3 months (not just weeks), but Sony seems off to a pretty good start.

The one thing, I'm not sure about is how the 6 months of pent up demand effected their launch numbers. I wonder whether they would have sold 165,000 units in the UK if they had launched in November as orginally planned. Hard to say.