PS3 more bad news it seems...

[Attean]

If that is true, why did the original NES sell more than the SNES (61,780,000 to 49,020,000)? Why did the SNES sell more than the N64 (49,020,000 to 32,930,000)? Why did the N64 sell more than the Gamecube (32,930,000 to ~18,000,000)?

If the SNES had made gaming mainstream, following Nintendo systems would have sold more, not less.

There's several reasons for that. The SNES's lifespan wasn't as long as the NES. Also, they had some competition then with SEGA so the pool of gamers was somewhat divided at that point. And the gamecube gamers were split 3 ways among many other factors. Nintendo did decline after the 64 but to imply the SNES was less popular than the NES is inaccurate. To say that FF7 was the first mainstream game is a fallacy when mario did that years before.

 

[Rich Tate]

There's several reasons for that. The SNES's lifespan wasn't as long as the NES. Also, they had some competition then with SEGA so the pool of gamers was somewhat divided at that point. And the gamecube gamers were split 3 ways among many other factors. Nintendo did decline after the 64 but to imply the SNES was less popular than the NES is inaccurate. To say that FF7 was the first mainstream game is a fallacy when mario did that years before.

I would agree completely on Mario. My girl never heard of Final Fantasy period, other than the shitty movie, she had no idea it was a game series. Say the word Mario and shes ripping the controller from my hand.

 

[Michael.R]

In Japan, aside from last week where the DS was COMPLETELY sold out, the DS is outselling the PSP by around 4 or 5 to 1. In North America, numbers are much harder to come by, but I believe it is 2 or 3 to 1. It is being massacred in both hardware and software - however, the PSP is still doing respectably for a system that's being dominated. That said, unlike Nintendo who's making cash hand over fist, Sony is losing money for every PSP from what I remember... and they are supposed to be making up that loss in software, but they are not. That's NOT good.

For a first portable system from sony I would say the PSP is doing very well and not being massacred by Nintendo or brushed aside. For a system that costs more, has more exspensive software, and more exspensive peripherals,and its exspensive media capabilities such as UMD and memory sticks I think its doing very well.

In UK its neck and neck with the DS even though it launched much later.

The PSP sold roughly 795,000 units, nearly equal to the DS's 800,000

In August sony said 9 million psp games were sold and 8.2 million UMD movies. Which im sure would make up money they lost on their hardware.

They handheld market has also exploded in 2005 which would lead me to believe that both companies put out very good products. Sony just isnt making money on their software they probably also sell a lot more memory sticks because of the PSP now. I personally see more PSPs around my city though than I do NDS. Both are excellent consoles and I would have to give the edge to Nintendo for better games but LCS for the PSP has been selling extremely well and PSP has had a bunch of games on the top 10 since release. (and anyone that is going to bash GTA please dont because I dont like it just as much as you)

I think we are more likely to see the NDS sales slow down befor the PSP. PSP will probably pick up more and more momentum as its life goes on. Granted Nintendo has been performing very well and I love th NDS but I also love my PSP and I dont think it is being massacred.

End of september 2005 the PSP had 8.81 millions hardware sales to the Nintendo DS 8.83 million. But I would take that with a grain of salt because it could just be shipped to store not actual sales.

And here is some more information (Japan Sales)

Hardware sales / Q1 & 2 2005 / Q1 & 2 2004
1 PlayStation 2 / 1,286,882 / 1,365,260
2 Nintendo DS / 1,236,268 / na
3 PSP / 1,137,597 / na
4 Game Boy Advance SP / 497,931 / 1,295,460
5 Game Cube / 159,559 / 340,204
6 Game Boy Advance / 16,040 / 158,516
7 Xbox / 9,045 / 18,239

And of the people that visited the tokyo game show 2005 35.7% planned to by a PSP to 13.7% for the NDS.

Now we cant exactly say that the PSP is being massacred because it looks like it is doing very well.

And as far as the NDS being completely sold out some suspect it is because Nintendo is keeping the channels deliberatly dry for the NDS rehash.

 

[Terpfen]

Thank you, Michael.R, for an informed post.

Adding on, I wish I could find this article again, but the PSP managed to edge out the DS in US sales for 2005, but only by 20,000 or so. That isn't bad when you consider that the PSP hadn't launched until March or April last year.

 

[steviep]

Actually, I can find you statistics that paint the opposite picture, and they are valid statistics (and more recent). Right now, worldwide the PSP has sold around 8 million (or was that 9 million shipped - not sold?) and the DS has sold almost 14 million, putting it on track to outsell even the famed GBA, which has outsold every console ever made by a huge margin from what I remember. Not to mention that the DS really IS sold out in Japan (so much so that Nintendo issued an apology). But either way, both systems are doing respectably, and Michael did make a very adult post, which is nothing to be scoffed at in this forum - very respectable. In reality, the DS is still doing much better than the PSP, but there's still a market for Sony's portable, even if it is aimed more toward the multimedia stuff. This market may not be as big, but it's still there.

 

[steviep]

BTW, a site called "Media Create" keeps statistics for Japan - google that if you'd like.