July NPD Figures

[Misguided]

I can imagine an office in Japan for Microsoft where the phone never rings and then, out of nowhere, there is a call and they all sit and stare at the phone in amazement.  They then pick it up and someone lets them know they sold out.

Remember the UPS commercial where the people launch the website
and are huddled around the computer as the orders start flying in?

[jblank]

Actually, I think the 360 will have a permanent increase in sales in Japan, if only because RPGs will be coming steadily to the system.  It won't be dramatic, but it will be a significant number.

Meanwhile, with the PS3 focusing on action games and shooters here in America and Europe, it'll probably grab more gamers here.  So, it's a pretty interesting reversal that should happen towards the end of the year.

No kidding.  So far, I find it very amusing that the "big 2" are having to duke it out over 2nd place.  I also hope that they realize that games and gameplay are what should take priority with a game console.  That might be too much to hope for, though.

If "games and gameplay" are what should take priority, then explain the success of that friggin' Wii. It damn sure doesn't have anything remotely close to the quality of the PS3 and 360 library, and the gameplay itself is so bastardized in some games that it's a joke.

[Turtle]

The Wii is literally in a market of its own right now.  As people keep saying, it's looked as more of a toy, rather than a gaming machine.  Since Nintendo makes money on the hardware itself, selling all that hardware with newer game sales.  But, even then those casual gamers don't really know what's a good game so they'll often buy poor ones.

[Space Herpes]

Actually, I think the 360 will have a permanent increase in sales in Japan, if only because RPGs will be coming steadily to the system.  It won't be dramatic, but it will be a significant number.

Meanwhile, with the PS3 focusing on action games and shooters here in America and Europe, it'll probably grab more gamers here.  So, it's a pretty interesting reversal that should happen towards the end of the year.

No kidding.  So far, I find it very amusing that the "big 2" are having to duke it out over 2nd place.  I also hope that they realize that games and gameplay are what should take priority with a game console.  That might be too much to hope for, though.

If "games and gameplay" are what should take priority, then explain the success of that friggin' Wii. It damn sure doesn't have anything remotely close to the quality of the PS3 and 360 library, and the gameplay itself is so bastardized in some games that it's a joke.

The Wii is cheap and the only thing going for it is gameplay.  It's not a multimedia center or even a DVD player.  It has some great games on it and some really awful games on it.  Of course, I'd can't think of a successful console that didn't have crap games on it.  The interface is very new and I think devs are still coming to grips with it.  So far it seems people are buying games and having fun.  Isn't that the point of a gaming console?

[HankRaptor]

Holy CRAP when will they lower the 360 Price man.

[Laner]

Actually, I think the 360 will have a permanent increase in sales in Japan, if only because RPGs will be coming steadily to the system.  It won't be dramatic, but it will be a significant number.

Meanwhile, with the PS3 focusing on action games and shooters here in America and Europe, it'll probably grab more gamers here.  So, it's a pretty interesting reversal that should happen towards the end of the year.

No kidding.  So far, I find it very amusing that the "big 2" are having to duke it out over 2nd place.  I also hope that they realize that games and gameplay are what should take priority with a game console.  That might be too much to hope for, though.

If "games and gameplay" are what should take priority, then explain the success of that friggin' Wii. It damn sure doesn't have anything remotely close to the quality of the PS3 and 360 library, and the gameplay itself is so bastardized in some games that it's a joke.

The Wii is cheap and the only thing going for it is gameplay. 

Which isn't saying a whole lot.  I've gotten far more "gameplay" out of my 360 than my Wii - by orders of magnitude.

[Destructor]

The Wii is cheap and the only thing going for it is gameplay.  It's not a multimedia center or even a DVD player. 

Actually, thanks to the hacking community, you too (with a copy of Zelda) can install a DVD player on your Wii. Costs absolutely nothing, as basically all it needed was the codec to decode DVDs and a player to output them.

But yes, you make a very good point. However, I look at it this way - how often do you use the 'extra' features of the other consoles? How often do you load music onto your 360, and how often do you watch movies you've gotten from who knows where via the PS3? Using your consoles as a DVD/Blu-Ray player, I can see. But do you use any other features of the consoles short of playing games?

Short of playing DVD/Blu-Ray discs, and obviously playing games, I don't use my 360 or PS3 for anything else.

[metallicorphan]

Holy CRAP when will they lower the 360 Price man.

maybe soon

[Laner]

The Wii is cheap and the only thing going for it is gameplay.  It's not a multimedia center or even a DVD player. 

Actually, thanks to the hacking community, you too (with a copy of Zelda) can install a DVD player on your Wii. Costs absolutely nothing, as basically all it needed was the codec to decode DVDs and a player to output them.

But yes, you make a very good point. However, I look at it this way - how often do you use the 'extra' features of the other consoles? How often do you load music onto your 360, and how often do you watch movies you've gotten from who knows where via the PS3? Using your consoles as a DVD/Blu-Ray player, I can see. But do you use any other features of the consoles short of playing games?

Short of playing DVD/Blu-Ray discs, and obviously playing games, I don't use my 360 or PS3 for anything else.

I use my 360 as a media center extender and gaming console in equal amounts - the wife and I watch most of our movies and tv shows via the 360.

[metallicorphan]

Holy CRAP when will they lower the 360 Price man.

maybe soon

like September 7th soon