Video Game Market Analysis Thread

[Fiendflag]

@Mort

I think it’s probably a bad idea to not be able to supply the NA market for Xbox. Series S is a cute little console, but noone will choose that over a PS5 if the price isn’t an issue, there’s no loyalties and you want to get into current gen.

I think the Series S has its own target audiences, but competing with the PS5 is not one of them.

A good friend of mine who works in the most well known videogame store here in Athens told me that they actually sold a lot of SX consoles to people who wanted a PS5 but didn’t manage to find one in the holiday season. Apparently the SX consoles were sold almost immediately after they reached their store in that period before the shortage hit in January (roughly from the middle of November till the end of December) so it’s not that SX is an unwanted product or something (which is the narrative many want to push)…and as I said before we always were and still are Sonyland here.

Also it’s good to have SX consoles available in shelves here because the price difference is huge (we are talking about 150-240e depending on the SX bundle…) between the two systems and it may sway some people to get a SX instead.

[Zappy5]

@MasterChief

Someone at Microsoft probably thought sacrificing the Series X for the S would be a good idea, clearly it wasn’t and it shows how out of touch they are, most people this early on aren’t looking for the best deal but the best system and the PS5 is the one widely available while the Series X is way harder to get, Xbox needs new leadership because this current leadership just can’t stop taking Ls.

And when Microsoft through the Series S spent 18 months gaining market share as they could actually produce them unlike other consoles was that a bad idea still?

Some of these reactions are utterly ridiculous. The S is probably saturated now in major markets until more big games hit. But still they had a strategy that got them out of the gate and gaining market share. The game delays obviously weren’t the plan but that’s how it goes sometimes.

[Mort]

@Fiendflag

…nd of mine who works in the most well known videogame store here in Athens told me that they actually sold a lot of SX consoles to people who wanted a PS5 but didn’t manage to find one in the holiday season. Apparently the SX consoles were sold almost immediately after they reached their store in that period before the shortage hit in January (roughly from the middle of November till the end of December) so it’s not that SX is an unwanted product or something (which is the narrative many want to push)…and as I said before we always were and still are Sonyland here. Also it’s good to have SX consoles available in shelves here because the price difference is huge (we are talking about 150-240e depending on the SX bundle…) between the two systems and it may sway some people to get a SX instead.

Yeah, if there are no PS5’s available I can see how you can buy a Series S due to the price, whilst you wait for PS5 to become available. (My scenario was more related to the choice being between buying a PS5 and a Series S, with no X available, which seems to be the problem in the US)

I think Xbox has sold better than usual here in my part of Sonyland too, not at 360-levels or anything close to that but considering last gen which was a disaster, they are doing much better. I now encounter more people who have Xbox’s than in a loooong time even if we are still talking small numbers. It’s still firmly in third place though.

[Vivir]

Benji-Sales

Benji-Sales

[ShinMegamiTenseiX]

Wheres the Na market share? That was much closer even last gen

[saintsflow20]

@Vivir

With that Japan number we can safely call Famitsu’s Xbox counter overestimated. The weekly sales numbers seem to be course corrected by now but due to wild overtracking last year the total has ballooned past reality. The number they are using seems to be end of 2022 and that would make Famitsu PS vs Xbox something around 86:14.

[Kals_Els]

@saintsflow20

With that Japan number we can safely call Famitsu’s Xbox counter overestimated. The weekly sales numbers seem to be course corrected by now but due to wild overtracking last year the total has ballooned past reality.

But it’s not talking about series consoles only right? This could be lumping in PS4/5 and Xb1/Series consoles together.

[Hix]

@saintsflow20

With that Japan number we can safely call Famitsu’s Xbox counter overestimated. The weekly sales numbers seem to be course corrected by now but due to wild overtracking last year the total has ballooned past reality. The number they are using seems to be end of 2022 and that would make Famitsu PS vs Xbox something around 86:14.

Numbers from MS are including PS4 and Xbox One though, so I’m inclined to believe the Famitsu numbers too

[Sparda3g]

@Kals_Els

But it’s not talking about series consoles only right? This could be lumping in PS4/5 and Xb1/Series consoles together.

It’s previous generations. Basically all generations in a sense, so yeah, believable numbers.

[BRiT]

@saintsflow20

With that Japan number we can safely call Famitsu’s Xbox counter overestimated. The weekly sales numbers seem to be course corrected by now but due to wild overtracking last year the total has ballooned past reality. The number they are using seems to be end of 2022 and that would make Famitsu PS vs Xbox something around 86:14.

Those numbers are for things beyond just console hardware, I believe. They would include total market spend, so software and accessories act as a multiplier to make the gap larger.

[MasterChief]

@Vivir

First half I agree with you but 2nd half of your post ? Cmon now lol. That’s an overreaction.

Nor really, they’ve had access to Microsoft’s deep pockets for years now and still incompetent as hell, Xbox leadership needs a 343i style shakeup.

@Kals_Els

New leadership can always improve things, in Xbox’s case it undoubtedly would.

[Kals_Els]

@MasterChief

New leadership can always improve things, in Xbox’s case it undoubtedly would.

It actually won’t because any of the people replacing leadership wouldn’t have been trusted enough to be considered for buying ABK. Phil Spencer and his team have built a reputation in the industry that is solid and, has won them recognition and awards for their work. Anyone coming in now that doesn’t even remotely have this teams background will run the business to the ground like the people that where in charge when Xbox 1 launched almost did.

[Zip]

@Kals_Els

It actually won’t because any of the people replacing leadership wouldn’t have been trusted enough to be considered for buying ABK. Phil Spencer and his team have built a reputation in the industry that is solid and, has won them recognition and awards for their work. Anyone coming in now that doesn’t even remotely have this teams background will run the business to the ground like the people that where in charge when Xbox 1 launched almost did.

Yup, Tim Schafer said it was talking with Matt Booty that convinced him to go with Microsoft. Xbox has a super capable management lineup and they’ve got the experience to know not to step in all the time too. While I agree that they could do better in marketing at times, they really have it together better than they ever have.

[Whistler]

@FacelessSamurai

Wouldn’t you want it to be in people’s hands before the games arrive though? The longer they wait, the more chances Sony has to convert those gamers over imo.

Maybe, but not just Starfield. They could have some other major release coming soon. That and maybe a bit of sandbagging due to the ABK acquisition.

[GamepadX]

@Mort

I think it’s probably a bad idea to not be able to supply the NA market for Xbox. Series S is a cute little console, but noone will choose that over a PS5 if the price isn’t an issue, there’s no loyalties and you want to get into current gen.

I think the Series S has its own target audiences, but competing with the PS5 is not one of them.

I can walk into my local (Minnesota) Walmart and the only option is PS5s and Series S that are in stock. Series X is m.i.a. / super rare to find a Series X in store. PS5 is really the only in store option for many gamers that don’t want the underpowered Series S (no offense to series S,I own both an X and an S… but in truth the S is only because when I needed a bedroom Xbox the Series X was out of stock).

At this point Xbox needs a soft relaunch of Series X. 1tb model phased out. 2tb model the new standard. Package that into a desirable special edition and then Xbox will again be “boxing clever” with the American market.

[Mort]

@GamepadX

I can walk into my local (Minnesota) Walmart and the only option is PS5s and Series S that are in stock. Series X is m.i.a. / super rare to find a Series X in store. PS5 is really the only in store option for many gamers that don’t want the underpowered Series S (no offense to series S,I own both an X and an S… but in truth the S is only because when I needed a bedroom Xbox the Series X was out of stock).

At this point Xbox needs a soft relaunch of Series X. 1tb model phased out. 2tb model the new standard. Package that into a desirable special edition and then Xbox will again be “boxing clever” with the American market.

I hope they sort it out fast in the US.

Over here there has been a bit of a shortage too, but the Series X Forza bundle shows up from time to time. PS5 is everywhere though, I even saw the digital version for the first time in the wild. They have definitely sorted out their supply issues.

[saintsflow20]

Weekly Famitsu

Software Sales (physical only)

1. [PS5] Hogwarts Legacy – 39,958 / 104,154
2. [PS5] Wild Hearts – 26,905 / NEW
3. [NSW] Pokemon Scarlet / Violet – 23,593 / 4,860,103
4. [NSW] Tales of Symphonia Remastered – 21,860 / NEW
5. [NSW] Splatoon 3 – 12,958 / 3,889,142
6. [NSW] Theatrhythm Final Bar Line – 11,565 / NEW
7. [NSW] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 9,227 / 5,163,206
8. [PS4] Tales of Symphonia Remastered – 7,503 / NEW
9. [NSW] Minecraft – 6,573 / 3,046,881
10. [NSW] Nintendo Switch Sports – 5,773 / 1,007,103

Hardware Sales

PlayStation 5 – 88.653 (2.886.971)

Switch – 48.896 (28.311.807)

Xbox Series X|S – 6.600 (428.575)

PlayStation 4 – 1.581 (9.426.599)

3DS – 79 (24.598.566)

Hogwarts is continuing to impress, for a next gen/PS5 title in Japan that’s actually higher than what most PS5 SKUs have accomplished. I’d even wager this game is a reason why Xbox’s hardware sales are up.

Wild Hearts ain’t pretty. I always felt this game will be an underperformer. Next gen exclusivity also isn’t helping it in Japan lol. It released fairly silently. Compare it to Koei’s last attempt at the hunting genre:

[PSV] Toukiden 2, 07/28/16) – 59,032

[PS4] Toukiden 2 (Koei Tecmo, 07/28/16) – 43,334

[PS3] Toukiden 2 (Koei Tecmo, 07/28/16) – 6,222

Tales of Symphonia is telling an extremely interesting story. Despite the Switch version being the most broken port, basically unacceptable tier, the Switch version completely pounded the PS version. I mean it almost sold as much as the brand new Wild Hearts.

[NSW] Tales of Symphonia Remastered – 21,860 / NEW

[PS4] Tales of Symphonia Remastered – 7,503 / NEW

Edit: Just saw the console model breakdown. mS sent a bigger shipment than usual for Series X. Naturally they sold. Even in Japan, people want Series X

Xbox Series X – 4,015

Xbox Series S – 2,585

[Vivir]

Dexerto Gaming 🎮

[saintsflow20]

Mat Piscatella

ESACanada

We will be getting Canadian sales data now

[Vivir]

@saintsflow20

We will be getting Canadian sales data now

Nice