Comments on: The state of the next-gen video game console

More than two years into the so-called next generation, it's too early to tell who's going to win. But some think the eventual victor might surprise you.

[spm82]

"Consumers just have this image that consoles cost $199 or less," he said.
Is that why the PS2 was $299 upon release, and did not drop under $200 for quite a while? It still sold like crazy in the first year. I'll admit that the $400-500 price point is not accessible for a lot of households and is not attractive to casual gamers, but that quote is utterly ridiculous.

[Lerianis]

Yeah, I bought an original XBox when it was $300 dollars (only to have the price drop ONE DAY after I bought it).
Somewhere between 199 and 250 dollars is the price point where most people are willing to splurge on a new console.

[ahickey]

A genuine question on Xbox 360 shipments.
Does the 10+million include the units they had to ship to cover the quality problems they had or are they new sales?
Nothing I have read has made this clear to me (or is it just me)

[skelley_2]

No. These are retails sales/shipped numbers and not shipments of remanufactured units to non-retail channels. YOu could probaly add-on anotehr million for that! I'm not sure though if they count remanfactured units resold at retail as part of that number. Not that they have any to sell at retail since they are shipping all of them to customers. ;-)

[michael_o]

Whoever wrote this must be the statistician for Hilary's campaign. The Wii is outselling the PS3 4:1 in Japan; only lately have they caught up where there seem to be a few on the shelves of some stories -- PS3's and 360's are stacked up tall as a person. This generation's contest is over: it's Nintendo by a landslide.

[thenet411]

You must also think the science on global warming is settled and over too. You're funny.

[celticbrewer]

but its longevity will be half of the other two. If they can fix supply problems, Wii will sell this year more consolses than the other two combined. But after that... nothing. Sorta like Xbox, they've already hit their peak. I hear of people still going out to buy PS3s and Wiis- I haven't heard anyone lately say they're going to buy a XBox (unless it's to replace one that's died)

[aztec92154]

On the subject of Sony Playstation 3 Losses, Matt Peckham at PCWORLD says: "There are over 127 million PS2s sold worldwide. [What are the] chances of the PS3 replicating that success? I'd say today almost zero. The PS3's chugging along at 12.6 million units worldwide since its late 2006 launch. It'll be lucky to sell half as many systems by the time the PS4 shows up (as early as 2010, by the way). Sony predicts it'll sell another 10 million PS3s for the fiscal year through March 2009. That would make around 23 million. Compare that to the Xbox 360's 19 million and Wii's 26 million already today." SOURCE: http://blogs.pcworld.com/gameon/archives/006963.html

[Ravenlore]

if nintendo can continue to make games that use the controler well then it will continue to sell well. Until their next console in 2013. I do not need a Hit game each month but a few a year like Big Brain, Using per like fit to do snowboarding or other movements will go a long way to enjoy the console.

[X-C3PO]

IDC normally provide an "guessed" data to confuse people or try to lead people to do something.

[aaroberts]

Pidgeon's analysis is inane and he?s obviously being paid by Sony for it. No one even mentioned Xbox live which is the major reason people go with Xbox? idiot.

[Ravenlore]

This is just sad. The insane babblings of a child trowing a tantrum. - - Xbox live cost $50.00 a year after 5 years 2010 when the third Xbox is launched that will cost $250.00 PS3 is working on improving their service copying the best there is PC online games, and improving on it with Home!!

[adasha76]

You shouldn't mix worldwide and US only sales in the same context - it's highly misleading. The Wii overtook the XBox's overall sales worldwide last year. The US is the only territory where this has not happened, but probably will withing a couple of months.

Anyway analysts are usually wrong so why do we keep paying attention to anything they say?

[adasha76]

You shouldn't mix worldwide and US only sales in the same context - it's highly misleading. The Wii overtook the XBox's overall sales worldwide last year. The US is the only territory where this has not happened, but probably will withing a couple of months.

Anyway analysts are usually wrong so why do we keep paying attention to anything they say?

[adasha76]

ahh stupid cnet comment system

[samkass]

The article is also very skewed because it's only counting cumulative sales, not yearly sales. Right NOW the PS3 is outselling the XBox360 worldwide by significant margins, and has been all year. The XBox360 is *already* in third place in market share this year and falling further behind each month.

Yes, the Wii will have the most numbers because of its price. I suspect many Wii owners either also own one of the other consoles, or would never have bought one of the other consoles, though. So it's not really taking a lot of sales away from the other two, I suspect.

[superman9956]

Wrong the xbox 360 has been outselling the ps3

[aemarques]

Sorry, but the Wii is NOT a Next Gen console: no high definition video, no media center, no nothing. I very much doubt that it will have staying power.

[superman9956]

the wii is a nex gen console the other are not game consoles

[StiC1138]

Why? Is the Wii a car, or the title of the latest #1 best seller in paperback fiction? No it is a video game console competing with Sony and MS for consumers and developers Although the graphic capabilities are certainly not next gen, there is no denying that the interface is new, intuitive and a lot of fun.

[rnieves1977]

NEXT GEN simply means the next generation or incarnation of something whether it has the HD or not... It is Nintendo's Next Generation Console...

[skelley_2]

It is next gen... not for graphics or HD but for gameplay mechanic and contoller design. Personally. I think Nintendo had more innovation in their console than the other two and I own a 360. PS3 and 360 might catch up but they'll need to do it through innovative games and not hardware.

[Lerianis]

superman9956 is right that the PS3 and XBox360 are not SOLELY gaming platforms like the Wii. They are more 'media center replacements', in all honesty.

[gerrrg]

The biggest problem with the forecasting, is that it doesn't appear to take into account that even while Sony may cut prices, there's nothing holding back Nintendo from slashing prices to maintain momentum. From $249 down to $149, that baby will be selling like hotcakes. I'm betting that since Bluray STILL hasn't caught fire with consumers, it'll be some time before the cost of manufacturing will drop significantly such that Sony is willing to suck it up and become price competitve at $250.

[skelley_2]

Totally agree with your statement. Microsoft could also dramtically change the game by dropping their price to 199.99 for a core this fall and 250.00 for a pro. These forcasters are just dumb, they have no idea of the future competitive changes each company might make, what add-ons, what games, etc. You think Wii Fit is the only hardware add-on thing coming out for the Wii this year?

[None51]

Nintendo is king, at least until xb and ps3 come down in price, and figures at this point are misleading, xb has been on the market for years, the other two just came out much later and demand is still relatively high. When prices catch up, you will see xb AND ps3 overtake Nintendo!

[rdupuy11]

Wii is still at its launch price, because as Nintendo has made very clear, there is no point in dropping the price, when they cannot make enough of them, and there is none in stock.

But, they can combat any price drop on the part of sony and ms, with a price drop. They can well afford to drop the price. There may be a point where price is not as important, but Nintendo can compete on its library of titles anyway.

Those arguing the Wii isn't part of this gen based on spec..thats pure sophistry. The Wii is playing this generations titles....Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports, and Wii Fit

[cgamboak]

I love PS3 but not buying any japanese goodies until they stop the wales kiling, 1000 authorized for this year only....

[david__B]

Pretty much shows price rules. The PS3 will always be the most expensive period. The Wii will slow way down in sales, like the Gamecube did when it's games start looking really really bad against the PS3 and the Xbox360.

I wouldn't expect the more expensive PS3 to ramp up sales like the PS2 did. The original Xbox and PS2 where priced the same, the PS3 will always be more expensive then the Xbox 360 and the Wii and all things being equal, when the parent goes to buy he's not spending more for a console that has less games, many of which are/will be on both the 360 and PS3.

[megustansalchichas]

i was a ps fan gen 1 and gen 2 -lots of games, lots to choose from. then the ps3 hit and the price was ridiculous. then when they brought down the price they took out ps2 compatibility -***? i've heard of brand loyalty, but i'm not stupid, it's just a toy.
With the ability to play online games and a much larger library of old school arcade titles the Xbox looked more attractive -I purchased, and am impressed by the service, if not the hardware. make it more fun and people will buy -because that's the purpose of a TOY.
So it should be no surprise that people are moving to purchase something that promises to make it even more fun to play against others. Imagine marble madness against a friend with the wiimote -I can't wait. why do people argue about these things like they're mutually exclusive -aren't most kids nowadays waaaay too spoiled with all the toys they could ever want? not to mention adult kids, who purchase most of these things.
For the price of a top end PS3 you can buy a wii today and an xbox next year, and be able to play everything except ps3 only titles. no big loss there.
Until the ps3 shows some smarts -actual fun games at a good price, it deserves to be in third place.

[PFreak]

$399 for a PS3 buys you a whole lot more than $349 for an Xbox. The PS3 is, in fact, the cheaper machine if you want similar specs.

[pfletcher]

its a platform - doesnt matter how much better it plays the same game in pretty much the same resolution - makes no sense - your comment

[ralfthedog]

Why are people upset at a $400 game system. That may sound like allot of money, however, it is only the cost of one gallon of gas. If you need the money to buy a PS 3, just ride the bus to work for one day.

[lil-yankee]

It is true that this gaming war has alot to do with the wallet and the savings as must americans now consider themself in crisis for many different reasons. Now, price has a significance and gaming machines or consoles are not a toy like you claim, they are mahcines. Taking Nintendo Wii out of the picture, both the Ps3 and the 360 have super computing power. When you opt to buy a wii or a 360 price shouldnt be the motive as many fail to see but quality and services. If you decide to go with a Wii then you are asking for pure gaiming. If you ask for a 360 you are in the same market as the Ps3 but then are crippled in some areas. See the hardware in the ps3 is the holds the most potential out of the three and it also sets you back with a blue ray disc drive that most people will now not prioritize in. As sony made it clear this isnt a race this is a maraton and its very long (10 years) approximately. as we move in to 2009 and further we should be expecting blue-ray to be more widely available and cheaper just as dvd's did and the ps3 will be at the top of everybody's list since it plays games has many more features than a blue-ray player and its a very solid future proof player. Now, when sony gets a price cut it would open the doors for those consumers like you that do not have enough money to get a ps3. Im not saying that people would just go and buy it, there are people that dont like it, it happens to all companies, but more people will enter the ps3 clan as prices get reduce. The wii will then reduce teh prices too but this wont matter as the market for people who can affort a 200 dollard machine is just stupid. Someone that doesnt have it in his heart to take a more than 200 for a gamin console is just a waste in society, probably doesnt have a tv and is most likely homeless, thats what I say. [Editors' note: Ad hominem comments have been removed.]

[DehumanizerBR]

These forecasts are ridiculous. The Ps3 will finish 2008 with 23,5 kk units sold? It need 1,4 kk per month sonce now to achieve this number at the end of the year, it's completely nonsense. If the person who made this projection didn't think well even about the number of 2008, I think about the the next years... lol

[djmob7]

I have both a Wii and a PS3. Money wasn't really a factor for either. The Wii I bought primarily for my daughter who is currently 7 and the PS3 for the BlueRay player.

We have probably 10-12 games between the two systems, but the Wii gets played (by everyone) much more. Although not the best graphics, the Wii is just more fun to play. Even my wife who never plays any type of video game will go a couple of rounds of DDR on the Wii. As for gaming on the PS3, with the exception of CoD4, none of the games I've played have held my attention for more than a few days.

I do think PS3 is a good value though when you factor in the cost of the BlueRay player, but I also think that BlueRay may become an enthusiast-only technology (i.e. SACD) as streaming/downloadable movies gain popularity.

[smokified]

Why is it that when people refer to BluRay they only think about movies? What about games and data storage? I even have a thing that will make a frisbee out of a 120mm disc.

Look at the whole picture as opposed to only what you know about. there is more out there in this world, and people who are a lot smarter than you are inventing this technology. Don't think that the engineers at Sony overlooked something that every idiot American keeps spouting off about.