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Today's topics:
* Hope Fades for PS3 as a Comeback Player -- In Battle of the Game Consoles,
Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen Leads Over Sony's PlayStation - 3
messages, 3 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video.nintendo.wii/t/6d4e97988b9b361a
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TOPIC: Hope Fades for PS3 as a Comeback Player -- In Battle of the Game
Consoles, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen Leads Over Sony's PlayStation
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.video.nintendo.wii/t/6d4e97988b9b361a
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Mon 29 Dec 2008 18:39
From: AirRaid
http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-AT648_SONY_NS_20081228215134.gif
In Battle of the Game Consoles, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen
Leads Over Sony's PlayStation
TOKYO -- For most of this year, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 videogame
console seemed finally to be taking off after a slow start. The PS3,
trailing Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 consoles,
was closing in on the No. 2 Xbox 360, with new games and quarterly
sales growth at twice the speed of last year.
But early results from this holiday season aren't promising. U.S.
sales of the PS3 fell 19% last month from a year earlier, while sales
doubled for the Wii console and rose 8% for the Xbox 360, according to
research firm NPD. Analysts say they expect PS3 sales for this month
to be flat or lower than last year, while sales for its rivals are
likely to rise. And Sony may not reach its goal of selling 10 million
PS3 consoles in the fiscal year through March, analysts say.
The sales decline is a heavy blow to Sony, which was banking on the
videogame division to provide a bright spot as its core electronics
business is hit by the global economic downturn. Sony in May forecast
that its games division would turn a profit this fiscal year after two
years of losses since launching the PS3 in 2006. Meanwhile, poor sales
of television sets and digital cameras are forcing the company to lay
off thousands of staff and close factories.
Sony's strategy of selling a pricey game machine with advanced
features and cutting-edge components appears to be backfiring as a
deepening recession has U.S. consumers more price sensitive than ever.
If Sony doesn't close the gap with its rivals, it could risk making
the PS3 an afterthought to game publishers, who focus most of their
resources on the machines with the most users. At the end of
September, the Wii had a wide lead with nearly 35 million units sold
since its launch in 2006 compared with about 22 million Xbox 360
consoles and 17 million PS3 machines. Nintendo last month sold 2
million Wii machines in the U.S., while Microsoft sold 836,000 Xbox
360s and Sony sold 378,000 PS3s, according to NPD.
Sony said earlier this month that it was happy with the "strong
momentum" of the PS3 and focused on the machine's 60% rise in the year-
to-date sales. A spokesman at Sony's game division declined to comment
further, saying it is working hard to close the quarter strong.
A key factor behind the decline in sales may be the PS3's high price.
At $399, the entry-level PS3 model costs at least $150 more than the
Wii or the least expensive Xbox 360. Sony emphasizes that the PS3
comes with a Blu-ray high-definition video player and an 80-gigabyte
hard drive, features not available with the Wii or Xbox 360.
Microsoft cut Xbox 360 prices in early September and started bundling
games with the most basic console for $199. Nintendo has maintained
the Wii's initial $249 price, but sales are rising now that it has
overcome an early supply shortage.
Part of Sony's strategy hinged on selling the PS3 as a relatively
inexpensive Blu-ray player. But prices of Blu-ray players have fallen
so sharply recently -- new players are available for less than $200 --
that it's possible to buy a Blu-ray player and an Xbox 360 for less
than a PS3. Meanwhile, the economic downturn has cooled sales of flat-
screen TV sets and Blu-ray players this holiday season.
Industry watchers say they were surprised Sony didn't cut PS3 prices
to boost sales before the holidays. One reason may be Sony Chief
Executive Howard Stringer's commitment to making the games division
profitable after heavy investment in the PS3 machine. Console makers
hope to eventually recoup development investment with game sales and
production cost reductions. Sony is still losing money on every PS3 it
sells at $399, so a price cut could push the games division back into
the red, analysts say.
"With Stringer saying, 'We will be profitable,' you can't cut price,"
says Michael Pachter, a research analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities
in Los Angeles. He expects Sony to cut prices at the start of its new
fiscal year in April, which could help boost sales.
Sony also is suffering from a lack of attractive titles that are
exclusive to the PS3. Microsoft has hit the jackpot with two action-
adventure game franchises, Halo and Gears of War, which are available
only on the Xbox 360. Most of Nintendo's top games are made in house
and playable only on the Wii.
Sony used to have a stable of exclusive games. But in recent years,
Microsoft has persuaded most game publishers to release highly
anticipated games to it and Sony at the same time.
Last month, four of the five best-selling U.S. games were exclusive to
either the Wii or Xbox 360, according to NPD. Sony's best-selling game
during the month was an action shooter game, Call of Duty: World at
War from Activision Blizzard Inc. But twice as many people bought the
Xbox 360 version.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123050978162738293.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Tues 30 Dec 2008 09:41
From: "Jonah Falcon"
You're 24 hours late. Already posted.
"AirRaid" <airraid22@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:a76cb0b9-e47e-4e08-b946-aa9872af1614@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
> http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-AT648_SONY_NS_20081228215134.gif
>
> In Battle of the Game Consoles, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen
> Leads Over Sony's PlayStation
>
> TOKYO -- For most of this year, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 videogame
> console seemed finally to be taking off after a slow start. The PS3,
> trailing Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 consoles,
> was closing in on the No. 2 Xbox 360, with new games and quarterly
> sales growth at twice the speed of last year.
>
> But early results from this holiday season aren't promising. U.S.
> sales of the PS3 fell 19% last month from a year earlier, while sales
> doubled for the Wii console and rose 8% for the Xbox 360, according to
> research firm NPD. Analysts say they expect PS3 sales for this month
> to be flat or lower than last year, while sales for its rivals are
> likely to rise. And Sony may not reach its goal of selling 10 million
> PS3 consoles in the fiscal year through March, analysts say.
>
> The sales decline is a heavy blow to Sony, which was banking on the
> videogame division to provide a bright spot as its core electronics
> business is hit by the global economic downturn. Sony in May forecast
> that its games division would turn a profit this fiscal year after two
> years of losses since launching the PS3 in 2006. Meanwhile, poor sales
> of television sets and digital cameras are forcing the company to lay
> off thousands of staff and close factories.
>
> Sony's strategy of selling a pricey game machine with advanced
> features and cutting-edge components appears to be backfiring as a
> deepening recession has U.S. consumers more price sensitive than ever.
>
> If Sony doesn't close the gap with its rivals, it could risk making
> the PS3 an afterthought to game publishers, who focus most of their
> resources on the machines with the most users. At the end of
> September, the Wii had a wide lead with nearly 35 million units sold
> since its launch in 2006 compared with about 22 million Xbox 360
> consoles and 17 million PS3 machines. Nintendo last month sold 2
> million Wii machines in the U.S., while Microsoft sold 836,000 Xbox
> 360s and Sony sold 378,000 PS3s, according to NPD.
>
> Sony said earlier this month that it was happy with the "strong
> momentum" of the PS3 and focused on the machine's 60% rise in the year-
> to-date sales. A spokesman at Sony's game division declined to comment
> further, saying it is working hard to close the quarter strong.
>
> A key factor behind the decline in sales may be the PS3's high price.
> At $399, the entry-level PS3 model costs at least $150 more than the
> Wii or the least expensive Xbox 360. Sony emphasizes that the PS3
> comes with a Blu-ray high-definition video player and an 80-gigabyte
> hard drive, features not available with the Wii or Xbox 360.
>
> Microsoft cut Xbox 360 prices in early September and started bundling
> games with the most basic console for $199. Nintendo has maintained
> the Wii's initial $249 price, but sales are rising now that it has
> overcome an early supply shortage.
>
> Part of Sony's strategy hinged on selling the PS3 as a relatively
> inexpensive Blu-ray player. But prices of Blu-ray players have fallen
> so sharply recently -- new players are available for less than $200 --
> that it's possible to buy a Blu-ray player and an Xbox 360 for less
> than a PS3. Meanwhile, the economic downturn has cooled sales of flat-
> screen TV sets and Blu-ray players this holiday season.
>
> Industry watchers say they were surprised Sony didn't cut PS3 prices
> to boost sales before the holidays. One reason may be Sony Chief
> Executive Howard Stringer's commitment to making the games division
> profitable after heavy investment in the PS3 machine. Console makers
> hope to eventually recoup development investment with game sales and
> production cost reductions. Sony is still losing money on every PS3 it
> sells at $399, so a price cut could push the games division back into
> the red, analysts say.
>
> "With Stringer saying, 'We will be profitable,' you can't cut price,"
> says Michael Pachter, a research analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities
> in Los Angeles. He expects Sony to cut prices at the start of its new
> fiscal year in April, which could help boost sales.
>
> Sony also is suffering from a lack of attractive titles that are
> exclusive to the PS3. Microsoft has hit the jackpot with two action-
> adventure game franchises, Halo and Gears of War, which are available
> only on the Xbox 360. Most of Nintendo's top games are made in house
> and playable only on the Wii.
>
> Sony used to have a stable of exclusive games. But in recent years,
> Microsoft has persuaded most game publishers to release highly
> anticipated games to it and Sony at the same time.
>
> Last month, four of the five best-selling U.S. games were exclusive to
> either the Wii or Xbox 360, according to NPD. Sony's best-selling game
> during the month was an action shooter game, Call of Duty: World at
> War from Activision Blizzard Inc. But twice as many people bought the
> Xbox 360 version.
>
> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123050978162738293.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Tues 30 Dec 2008 19:03
From: The alMIGHTY N
On Dec 29, 9:39 pm, AirRaid <airrai...@gmail.com> wrote:
> http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MK-AT648_SONY_NS_20081228215...
>
> In Battle of the Game Consoles, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen
> Leads Over Sony's PlayStation
<snip>
I find the new articles about how the PSP is on the brink of death
more interesting since those death knells are much more believable.
PSP software has been pretty crappy for the most part over the past
year or two and there are already talks of a drastic change to the
system sometime in 2009 (even more of a change than the Nintendo DSi).
While I don't think Sony will pull out of the console business anytime
soon, they have to be at least reconsidering this whole portable thing.
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