Even Sony doesn

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Grand Master

Ironman273

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Even Sony doesn?t know why PS4 is selling so well
Tuesday, 19th August 2014 12:39 GMT By Dave Owen

At gamescom last week Sony announced that over 10 million PS4 consoles have been sold in the 9 months since launch. It?s a bigger number than anyone anticipated, and even president of Sony?s Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida doesn?t know why it?s doing so well.
 

Shuhei-Yoshida1.jpg

 

?It?s just beyond our imagination. We are so happy. But I for one am a bit nervous because we do not completely understand what?s happening,? said Yoshida in an interview with Eurogamer.

 

He goes on to say that Sony has had marketing people look into this early success, and have found that a lot of PS4 owners did not own a PS3, or any last-gen console at all.

 

?As soon as we see a great sales number, our instinct tells us we should be concerned about future sales, right? Are we exhausting all the core gamers? If we sell this number of units, there are no more consumers we can sell to. That?s a really terrifying prospect,? said Yoshida. ?So we want to understand who are these consumers who we do not necessarily consider core gamers, who are purchasing PS4 and why they are doing it and what they are doing with PS4, so we can create a bit more of a positive future, rather than saying, wow, we have sold to every single core gamer. So that?s what we are doing.?

 

In the same interview Yoshida said that although EA Access will not be coming to PS4 now, he will not rule it out for the future. ?It?s more a business matter. I?m not directly involved as it?s a third-party relations matter. But I?m sure our third-party guys are talking with EA closely. And also we are listening to consumers as well.?
 

Source: VG24/7

 

Lol.  This article is funny.  Could it be as simple as you gave the right message and released a great console?  Yes, it could be that simple.

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Grand Master

+Majesticmerc MVC

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  • MVC
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I think it's easy to see a combination of factors:

 

  1. Decent hardware
  2. A very good PR campaign prior and and after the console launch.
  3. Microsoft's PR incompetence.
  4. Lower priced console than the XB1
  5. Sold as a "traditional console" rather than a do-everything entertainment box.
  6. Lack of interest in the WiiU.

Generally I just think that Sony played all their cards right.

Veteran

GotBored

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I suppose that's why the Wii outsold everyone... :rolleyes:

 

The innovative new controls and opening the console market to new genres also helped the Wii.

 

Nothing innovative came from this generation.. (Well at-least until PS4 releases the Virtual reality headset) so all we are left with is which has better specs.

Grand Master

spenser.d

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The innovative new controls and opening the console market to new genres also helped the Wii.

 

Nothing innovative came from this generation.. (Well at-least until PS4 releases the Virtual reality headset) so all we are left with is which has better specs.

 

Or, and much more likely, left to who marketed it better and, more importantly, which one was cheaper. There's also a loyalty factor. To think specs has anything to do with it is to ignore plenty of history in the console race.

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jasondefaoite

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I think it's easy to see a combination of factors:

 

  1. Decent hardware
  2. A very good PR campaign prior and and after the console launch.
  3. Microsoft's PR incompetence.
  4. Lower priced console than the XB1
  5. Sold as a "traditional console" rather than a do-everything entertainment box.
  6. Lack of interest in the WiiU.

Generally I just think that Sony played all their cards right.

 

Exactly.

Grand Master

compl3x

Posted
Posted

I think it's easy to see a combination of factors:

 

  1. Decent hardware
  2. A very good PR campaign prior and and after the console launch.
  3. Microsoft's PR incompetence.
  4. Lower priced console than the XB1
  5. Sold as a "traditional console" rather than a do-everything entertainment box.
  6. Lack of interest in the WiiU.

Generally I just think that Sony played all their cards right.

 

 

All seem to be likely reasons.

Community Regular

selphj

Posted
Posted

I think it's easy to see a combination of factors:

 

  1. Decent hardware
  2. A very good PR campaign prior and and after the console launch.
  3. Microsoft's PR incompetence.
  4. Lower priced console than the XB1
  5. Sold as a "traditional console" rather than a do-everything entertainment box.
  6. Lack of interest in the WiiU.

Generally I just think that Sony played all their cards right.

That's it.  They beat Microsoft in their message, price and console.  Nintendo sold millions of Wii's with a gimmick, but users aren't going for gimmicks this gen.  Sony nailed it with the best core console and price.  And granted, I'm generally an MS fan.  I have never owned a Sony console.  But I think it's clear to see what's happening.

Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

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Because MS fudged their launch by coming across as anti-consumer with poorly thought out DRM, a higher price for a weaker box, and the mandatory bundling of Kinect.

 

Times have changed now but it's going to be hard to catch up.

Grand Master

+Eternal Tempest MVC

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  • MVC
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The innovative new controls and opening the console market to new genres also helped the Wii.

 

Nothing innovative came from this generation.. (Well at-least until PS4 releases the Virtual reality headset) so all we are left with is which has better specs.

 

Wii U is a bit innovated, however it did not catch fire like the Wii did. 

 

Lack of game choices, which is just NOW starting to be fixed.

Confusing Wii / Wii U branding advertising (I still don't believe they fixed / learned there lesson). 

It was a gamble but sticking to last generation graphics (however fun game player > poor game with shiny graphics) is a factor for some. 

Grand Master

trooper11

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Yeah, I would say its a combo of very smart marketing, a cheaper price at launch, and very good specs.

Out of those three, I think the marketing was a the biggest chunk. Price was huge, but the value of the pr bump Sony got from the gaming media and the online community was even bigger. It created so much positive buzz even before launch. Sony chose the best message and stuck to to it. That pr win has stuck to this day, even as MS made changes people wanted. Sony will still come out ahead because the perception remains and could remain for a long time.

Grand Master

LaP

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I think the price was a big factor. Both are now the same price in USA but people started to buy the PS4 and will probably continue to do so until something big happens on the XBox side.

 

Let's be honest while the PS4 library is weaker than the One library there's not really any system sellers on the XBox One side either. Dead Rising 3, Ryse, Forza 5, KI and Titanfall are all good to great games but none of them is really a system seller like Halo or Gears of War.

 

Good games are coming to the PS4 so people still buy it. Honestly The Order looks better and better everytime i see it.

 

Will Halo 5 changes all that? I'm a big Halo fan but honestly i sort of need a break from the serie for a while and i would not be surprised if lot of people feel like me about it.

Grand Master

dead.cell

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I think it's easy to see a combination of factors:

 

  1. Decent hardware
  2. A very good PR campaign prior and and after the console launch.
  3. Microsoft's PR incompetence.
  4. Lower priced console than the XB1
  5. Sold as a "traditional console" rather than a do-everything entertainment box.
  6. Lack of interest in the WiiU.

Generally I just think that Sony played all their cards right.

7. Did their homework on release schedules. They knew they were going to dominate in Japan; released to the US and EU first to bolster sales.

 

Definitely paid off, I'd say.

Veteran

GotBored

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Or, and much more likely, left to who marketed it better and, more importantly, which one was cheaper. There's also a loyalty factor. To think specs has anything to do with it is to ignore plenty of history in the console race.

 

Xbox One was cheaper than the PS4 with a camera, its the same price now with the camera unbundled but the PS4 is still outselling the Xbox One even in markets where the Xbox dominated last gen like in the US hence the loyalty factor kinda goes out the door. I don't watch much TV so I don't know who had better ads on TV but I do know that Microsoft has spent much more than Sony in regards to advertisements. I think you were referring to the PR blunders from the Microsoft camp pre-launch but realistically most PS4 and Xbox One owners know nothing about these, they don't go on the web looking at the latest news on consoles and games they just go in a store and purchase the console they want after maybe consulting with a friend or two and maybe trying out a game and the controller in-store.

Grand Master

LaP

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Posted

I think people are forgetting maybe another reason.

 

I can't speak for everyone i can just speak for myself but i used to be a big Xbox fan. I was the proud owner of a PSOne but like many i did not like the Dual Shock. I was disappointed with the PS2 lack of power and the fact it was still using mostly the same Dual Shock so I did not buy the PS2 and instead waited for the Cube. Was disappointed with the Cube too and then bought an XBox and loved it. I really had great time with the XBox.

 

Bought the 360 day one and loved the system in the first year or so. Then all went downhill. It started around 1 year and an half after the system launch when my 360 went RRoD. Was really frustrated with MS not admitting the problem even if lot of RRoD 360 were sold on eBay (there was like 10 pages of them at one point). Luckly for me MS extended the warranty couple of weeks after my RRoD and i still had the broken system. Got it repaired and shortly after the DVD drive broke two of my DVDs (Halo 3 and Forza 2). I sold the console as broken for a few bucks and vowed to never buy one again.

 

Then something like 2 years after i bought the Modern Warfare 2 edition because of my friends. It was a "super" elite model and those were supposed to be better. I had it for about 1 month when the HDMI port broke and was not outputing any video signal. Console was still working with RCA cables. Got it repaired and sold it. Vowed to never buy any XBox again.

 

Then later i bought the new smaller model to play Halo 4. Was not too much impressed with Halo 4 multiplayer (single player was fine) and i also felt like there was nothing coming out for the system save for shooters and such. MS tried at first with Crackdown, Lost Odyssey, Dead Rising, Viva Pinata ans such but in the last 2 years since i bought the s model (around the end of 2012) most of the interesting exclusive games (anyway for me) came out on the PS3. It's almost like MS forfeited the non COD/GOW market.

 

Things look a little bit better on the XBox One for now with Dead Rising 3, Ryse, Sunset Overdrive and Killer Inctinct but i'm affraid MS will revert to the COD, COD, COD strategy like it did at the end of the 360. Right now i'm waiting but i'm definately leaning toward the ps4 mostly just to play Journey and The Last of Us in HD. I know things wont probably be perfect but this can't be worse than my experience with the 360 and i'm willing to give the competitor a chance.

 

I might be wrong but my feeling is i'm not the only one in this boat. After all there was thousands if not millions of RRoD 360 and the broken discs problem while not as bad i've seen people talk about it more often than all the PS4/One problems combined so far.

  • trooper11 and GotBored
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Experienced

Am_I_Evil

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7. Did their homework on release schedules. They knew they were going to dominate in Japan; released to the US and EU first to bolster sales.

 

Definitely paid off, I'd say.

 

but they're not dominating in Japan...sales are terrible...the Wii U is selling more and those numbers are terrible as well (in japan)

Grand Master

+InsaneNutter MVC

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  • MVC
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Sony looked at what Microsoft did with the Xbox 360 and essentially did the same with the PS4

Microsoft made every mistake Sony did with the PS3 launch with the Xbox One

Sony used the massive amounts of bad PR the Xbox One was getting to their advantage

 

Credit where credit is due, Sony played it well this time and most importantly told gamers what they wanted to hear. This is coming from an Xbox One owner too.

  • Showan, trooper11 and DrunknMunky
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GotBored

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Im getting both, there are games on both that i wanna play. Only problem now is for games that come out, which system do i get it on, (guess it will come down to what mates are playing on)

 

I'd get the multiplats for the PS4 because of better graphics fidelity, resolution and/or fps compared to the Xbox One. Check the resolution gate thread for differences between the games.

Rising Star

DeltaXray

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It was basically synergy. Sony were doing the right things anyway, but then what Microsoft did at the reveal and then the following months meant that even if Sony didn't do anything (especially the 'mic drop') Microsoft were doing an immense job of burying Xbox themselves and elevating Sony even higher on that ever increasing tidal wave of consumer goodwill that they are still riding today and will be imbedded in the minds of the general consumer for most if not all of this generation.

 

2013 couldn't have gone much worse for Xbox, basically. And it was their own doing.  Fortunately they were able to eat some humble pie and start reversing it.

  • DrunknMunky
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Grand Master

+Audioboxer Subscriber²

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Okay... The real reason is I won the lottery and bought a couple of warehouses worth. I was trying to keep it secret, but my conscious told me I better tell Neowin.

  • soniqstylz and DrunknMunky
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