I am waiting to see the FY forecast before making that prediction. They can't really cut the price in japan with that usd:yen imo.
Funny they released a shitty slim version of the hardware and it tanked sales pretty much everywhere.
If it's like the PS4 Pro, it'll always be an enthusiast product rather than taking on the bulk of sales (which is fine).
The real issue is the mid-cycle cost cutting revisions to the base model just aren't what they used to be - the PS2 was already a sales monster but it was the insanely cheap PS2 Mini revision that caused them to appear in seemingly every home.
Likewise, the PS3's cheaper slim model and big marketing push helped it catch up to the 360 after a sluggish start.
Pricing Switch 2 is going to be an interesting tightrope for Nintendo to walk, they're in a really promising position internationally but could absolutely shoot themselves in the foot right at the start if they misjudge what people will pay for a followup, I bet they really want to avoid the mistake they made with the 3DS at the outset.
Furukawa spoke about needing to certain measures to hit their hardware target this year. I think one of those measures is a Switch price cut.
Year 4 and 5 are usually peak years, but that has a lot to do with price cuts.
People who strongly attribute console sales with exclusive games need to explain to me why should the PS5 be down in sales when 2024's first 4 months are maybe the best ever in Playstation's history.
Four well-received exclusives in four months.
I'm not an economics expert of course, but i don't have the impression that 2024 is notably worse than 2023.
Four well-received exclusives in four months.
I'm not an economics expert of course, but i don't have the impression that 2024 is notably worse than 2023.
I'm sure they want to cut the prices of these machines but with single digit margins it's a problem currently.
We already know SB did well digitally (yesterday's top downloads list), as did DD2. Maybe physical sales are just cratering further? I don't know, but the console business doesn't seem all that healthy regardless.
Well, there's no way to say that they wouldn't be down even more without the exclusive games, would be the problem. Unless your contention is that exclusives have a net 0 effect on console sales.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X are £480, £30 more expensive than the launch price.
No big blockbuster games to help boost sales. Price cuts would probably help, but there is a severe gap in the next big game to have. Gonna be a rough year.
Yeah, to me, that would indicate they simply can't cut prices. The last thing you want to do is increase the price of your product, I would assume.
Yes, they do. SB was 4th in the EU PSN Chart, so that would indicate that the UK is probably one of it's weakest performing countries.
I think PS5 sales will be more frontloaded than historical PlayStation systems. I think the console will end up with lifetime sales in between the PS1 and PS4.
The middle of the a console's lifecycle is when a more casual audience jumps in. I don't know if that audience is interested in getting a PS5 the same way they were interested in grabbing a PS4 circa 2017-18.
Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a great boost to PS5 sales when it comes out. But we still have plenty of time for that.
The middle of the a console's lifecycle is when a more casual audience jumps in. I don't know if that audience is interested in getting a PS5 the same way they were interested in grabbing a PS4 circa 2017-18.
Grand Theft Auto 6 will be a great boost to PS5 sales when it comes out. But we still have plenty of time for that.
This list includes digital.
We will know the price cuts probability next week with Sony's quarterly. If margins are terrible again, I just don't see it.
This year has plenty of good to very good games, but I don't think there's been any "great instant goty" games that would spur console buying. HD2 and DD2 are pretty much it so far (FF7R was a weird miss, but also logical as a middle entry in a trilogy) and in terms of hype/ console buying... it's kinda weak.
2023 had the Wizard game (sadly), Spider Man 2, TOTK, BG3, AC6, Diablo IV, FF16, Jedi Survivor, Starfield...
Not all these games ended up selling big, or hitting all the marks, but they generated a lot of hype which... I'm not feeling this year.
It's almost like GTA6 and Switch 2 have already sucked all the air in the room, but those won't release till 2025.
2023 had the Wizard game (sadly), Spider Man 2, TOTK, BG3, AC6, Diablo IV, FF16, Jedi Survivor, Starfield...
Not all these games ended up selling big, or hitting all the marks, but they generated a lot of hype which... I'm not feeling this year.
It's almost like GTA6 and Switch 2 have already sucked all the air in the room, but those won't release till 2025.
Him and Mat Piscatella going back and forth with people on Twitter always gets a little more info though.
Yep
Also we had a long ass cross-gen period and the PS4/Xone still getting supported from major franchises like CoD and Fortinite and GTA where almost everyone had already dropped the PS3/360 at same period.
GTAVI will definitely be interesting to see how it performs.
Fallout 3 was #11 for context, and I don't think that number is very large to be honest (for FO3). Software sales for the newer titles definitely lacking.
The framing of the console market being "horrible" is the problem here. Context matters. Without context, all that matters is "number go up", and that's exactly the sort of thing that leads to doomsaying and bad takes.
From a software standpoint, there are probably valid arguments here, but too many people get hung up on console numbers. The console situation will be more apparent by Summer if the plateau continues.
Yeah it's really odd to expect that to change things.
Price is the biggest issue, yet no mention of it in the article.
The ps5 and Switch drops are understandable given one is coming off a year where it nearly outsold the other two combined and the other is entering its sunset year, the trouble is that the market has depressed enough that even the considerable market leader in the ps5 is just doing okay.
That being said, there is clearly one console that is doing significantly worse than the other two and unfortunately its decline isn't being matched by a sudden rise in their sales but simply a loss of those sales at all. From a percentage standpoint it may look similar, but dropping a similar percentage from a significantly smaller number isn't great.
That being said, there is clearly one console that is doing significantly worse than the other two and unfortunately its decline isn't being matched by a sudden rise in their sales but simply a loss of those sales at all. From a percentage standpoint it may look similar, but dropping a similar percentage from a significantly smaller number isn't great.
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I dont think the problem is that costumers want more powerful consoles than what we have now.
Yes, there is literal context to each platform drops.
Do Sony need to cut the price of the PS5? Yes, that will help. And there is a sliver of hope that happens when the PS5 Pro launches.
2023 was probably one the of the best years for a PlayStation console.
But one platform dropping from already dropping is what should be worrying.
Still haven't bought a PS5 and probably won't until GTA6. I have a gaming PC, so I don't feel like I'm missing out yet. Hope the base model sees a price cut when the Pro comes out, because it's still a hard to justify purchase. Especially with Switch 2 coming likely within the next 12 months.
Xbox is not even on my radar at this point.The most compelling selling point for that is backwards compatibility because I know my Xbox 360 won't last forever and I'd like to have the ability to play my library. But once again the price ain't right.
Xbox is not even on my radar at this point.The most compelling selling point for that is backwards compatibility because I know my Xbox 360 won't last forever and I'd like to have the ability to play my library. But once again the price ain't right.
Yeah, ps5 is too expensive right now, and that's why I was surprised it was ahead of ps4 at all when compared to 2017 as that system was half its price and had its pro version out.
Yeah I'm with you, i don't see how PS5's numbers are bad. I'm not saying I disagree with people who think they are, only that I too felt this is normal? Is it not? Aren't they generally outperforming PS4? I'm genuinely curious what seems bad other than the fact that it's down?
It's fallen a bit behind ps4's 2017 in the uk, which is understandable given how the ps4 was a lot cheaper and had the pro out.
I think ps5's sales are fine, the main trouble is that those okay numbers are far and away the best of the 3. So it's more that when the market leader's numbers are just okay, the market itself is quite low.
Ps5 is likely half the market right now, and the entire market only got to 71k for the month.
Also that but all the Fallout games were on sale (UK charts are numbers sold, not revenue generated like US charts). I impulse bought FO4 for £4.
Interesting, i guess hardware not dropping price (partly due to costs also not going down like years ago) is limiting people that also buys consoles, but when more affordable. I wonder how that will affect ecosystems in the long term.
Leaving those customers out, even if probably only buy a few pieces of software, is not ideal.
Leaving those customers out, even if probably only buy a few pieces of software, is not ideal.
It's fun, not perfect, but you will verly likely enjoy it, if you like Fallout 3, 4 and New Vegas,
What's wrong with ps5? Economy and lack of exclusives for ps5 I'm guessing?
Gta will turn it around i assume? Isn't ps5 the default platform?
If they make helldivers and a gta bundle, i imagine playstation will be doing healthy numbers
Is a price cut not on the horizon either?
Gta will turn it around i assume? Isn't ps5 the default platform?
If they make helldivers and a gta bundle, i imagine playstation will be doing healthy numbers
Is a price cut not on the horizon either?