PS3 beaten in sales even by the PS2!

Rico · May 19, 2009, 07:00:04 AM

This is kind of amazing....

According to official April figures released by the NPD Group, the Playstation 3 found itself beaten out for fifth place by an unusual competitor: its predecessor, the Playstation 2.

Still the boss

A 50% leap in Playstation 2 sales accounts for the surprising change, an increase likely prompted by the system's price cut on April 1, a move which apparently electrified interest in the nine-year old platform.

The PS2's success was probably the only nugget of April sales news to put smiles on the faces of Sony execs. Nintendo platforms continued their lockdown of the top spots, with the Wii coming second and the DS coming both first and third, courtesy of the just-launched DSi: the DS's two hardware variations accounted for an astonishing million sales during April.Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 was down slightly over last April, but still managed a solid fourth place and remains on course for a record-breaking year.

But both the Playstation 3 and PSP posted disappointing results, with the PS3 placing sixth with its worst performance in over 18 months, and the PSP limping in seventh with a total of 116,000 sales -- down over 30% on March's numbers.

The news has revitalized persistent rumors of price cuts for Sony's PS3. The system's base model is between $150 and $200 more expensive than its competitors, the Wii and Xbox 360. Industry news site Gamasutra predicts we'll see a $100 cut in the $400 Playstation 3 announced at the E3 video games trade show in Los Angeles in early June.

So if you're contemplating taking the Playstation plunge -- and with top exclusive superhero thriller Infamous just a week away, we're betting some of you are -- you might well want to hold off and wait to see what June has in store.

source:
http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/ps3-bested-by-older-brother/1315218

KingIsaacLinksr · May 19, 2009, 04:25:47 PM

Well, to be honest, there just aren't that many good games for the PS3. Also, the expense is rather high-too. Besides the Blue-Ray feature (which seems to be its only saving grace) the console over-all is unimpressive. (I'm talking in comparison to the other two consoles.) I see more PS2s than I ever have of PS3s. I don't think I actually know anyone (outside this forum) that owns one.

*shrugs*

King

Rico · May 19, 2009, 04:28:42 PM

It really needs to drop about $100 in price. $400 is too much these days.

Geekyfanboy · May 19, 2009, 05:01:34 PM

Yeah it was suppose to drop in April.. but never did.. I wonder what happened.

Rico · May 19, 2009, 07:15:16 PM

Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on May 19, 2009, 05:01:34 PM
Yeah it was suppose to drop in April.. but never did.. I wonder what happened.

That was never confirmed Kenny. Keep in mind much of what you hear on the Net (especially with regard to price drops) is just rumor until it either happens or is officially announced by the actual company.

Dangelus · May 19, 2009, 11:48:43 PM

Sony just can't really afford to drop the price to much but if they don't then the sales just won't happen. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

They are relying on 'extra value packages' to sell the PS3. Usually you get a free game (or two) and and accessory pack (we have a blu-ray remote, hdmi cable and Casino Royale package at work) also free with the console selling for RRP.

We must sell 1 PS3 for every 10 360's every week...

Geekyfanboy · May 20, 2009, 07:01:40 AM

Quote from: Rico on May 19, 2009, 07:15:16 PM
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on May 19, 2009, 05:01:34 PM
Yeah it was suppose to drop in April.. but never did.. I wonder what happened.

That was never confirmed Kenny. Keep in mind much of what you hear on the Net (especially with regard to price drops) is just rumor until it either happens or is officially announced by the actual company.

I have a friend "manager" of a Best Buy. He is the one who told me that the price was going to drop.. wasn't a rumor.. guess I should ask him.

Rico · May 20, 2009, 08:34:31 AM

Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on May 20, 2009, 07:01:40 AM
Quote from: Rico on May 19, 2009, 07:15:16 PM
Quote from: StarTrekFanatic5 on May 19, 2009, 05:01:34 PM
Yeah it was suppose to drop in April.. but never did.. I wonder what happened.

That was never confirmed Kenny. Keep in mind much of what you hear on the Net (especially with regard to price drops) is just rumor until it either happens or is officially announced by the actual company.

I have a friend "manager" of a Best Buy. He is the one who told me that the price was going to drop.. wasn't a rumor.. guess I should ask him.

He seems to have been misinformed. Stores many times do not have accurate info and tend to base these things off internet stories. Gamestop is terrible at this too. Bad info on pricing, release dates, etc.

Jobydrone · May 20, 2009, 11:04:53 AM

This whole console cycle has been a total disaster for Sony, and anything you see that suggests otherwise is just PR spin. Third party support for PSP has vanished due to low sales and piracy, and PS3 is so far behind Wii and Xbox that they can't ever hope to catch up. The only way they can get the installed base of the PS3 where they need it to be is to drop the price almost 200 hundred dollars and they will never be able to afford to do that.

Dangelus · May 20, 2009, 11:07:46 AM

The trade mags I have read have indicated that Sony was under tremendous pressure from games publishers to drop the price of the PS3 with the threat that they would stop producing games for it if it didn't....

X · May 20, 2009, 11:29:39 AM

I honestly think that Sony only created the PS3 to push Bluray onto the public. From the word go, they were using sells of the PS3 to say that Bluray was doing better than HDDVD. They had no intention of making money off the console but to make money off of having everyone else using their Bluray format.

Now that Bluray is king, they are making more money off that and no longer need to push the PS3.

KingIsaacLinksr · May 20, 2009, 12:42:48 PM

Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on May 20, 2009, 11:04:53 AM
This whole console cycle has been a total disaster for Sony, and anything you see that suggests otherwise is just PR spin. Third party support for PSP has vanished due to low sales and piracy, and PS3 is so far behind Wii and Xbox that they can't ever hope to catch up. The only way they can get the installed base of the PS3 where they need it to be is to drop the price almost 200 hundred dollars and they will never be able to afford to do that.

Pretty much this. They can never hope to catch up, they've lost this round and pretty badly I might add. They took forever releasing the console, which allowed the Wii and XBox360 no competition. There is little to no appeal to buy the PS3 short of the Blue-Ray feature.

How can they recover? release a lot of popular games....oh wait, they can't because no one can afford the console. Its a very sticky situation for Sony.

King