There are two sites that estimate sales of video game consoles, VG Charts and Nex Gen Wars, fueling the fanboy feuds over which company has the better product. Perhaps the feuds will end now. Nintendo is estimated to have sold about 5 million units of the Wii compared to Sony's 2 million PlayStation 3 systems sold.
The two products were released only a few days apart in November and they were very different. Nintendo stressed creative games using motion control and a low cost of $250. Sony's emphasis was high-definition gaming and Blu-ray films. Whether it was Nintendo's innovation or Sony's high price of $600, the sales had a huge disparity.
And while Sony stresses that the PS3 sales are better than the record-setting PlayStation 2 in its first months of release, I can't help but examine these numbers and consider what I wrote in my article on the PlayStation 3 launch. I see this comparison as proof of Nintendo's concept and Sony's hubris. Will the playing field remain this way for the entirety of this console cycle into 2010? Or do you think Sony can turn things around?
Related Stories: | Topics:Technology, technology + computers, Culture and Lifestyle, Sony Corporation, Video Games, Hobbies and Pastimes, Games |
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Recent Comments | 3 Total
March 6, 2007 at 7:44am by Adam
I must say, I am pleased. Although I'm a Playstation2 owner and fan, the Wii rocks as a concept. I think it would outsell the PS3 even if the latter were substantially cheaper.
The deadly black PS3 feels all about technology-worship - long solitary nights of game immersion with your back to the world.
The Wii (we! whee!) is about PLAY. Its image is of easy fun, physical movement, and joyful sharing. Everyone wants to try. I have several low-tech grown-up friends for whom the Wii is their first console - and they are loving it.
Easy, fun, sociable AND cheaper? No contest.
March 6, 2007 at 7:47am by Adam
Oops, forgot my playful url...
http://workplayexperience.blogspot.com/
March 6, 2007 at 11:00am by Jorge Barrera
It seams Sony has made the textbook mistake of following its best customers too closely, it produced what its best customers wanted hence the highly specialized system. Also for their customers a high price is less of a issue.
Nintendo on the other hand took a step back and approach a wider audience. The design of the games and price point has attracted new users.
I believe both strategies are good since they both do very different things very well. Sony's customer will never go away and they pay more therefore the company can make a profit. Nintendo is expanding the market so it will generate its profit based on numbers. Good questions to ask are how will this play out in the long run and what are we measuring, popularity, profitability, penetration? I say Sony had a more conservative strategy it would have been hard to go wrong with the SP3 while Nintendo took more of a gamble with the Wii which has seam to pay off for them as well.