Since their debuts more than a week ago, two new game systems earn good grades from consumers — but the underdog Nintendo Wii is the early favorite over the pricier, sexier Sony PlayStation3.
Both sold out on Day 1: Nov. 19 for the $500-$600 PS3 and Nov. 21 for the $250 Wii. But Nintendo seems to be reaping the benefits of a better supply.
Overall, Sony is estimated to have shipped between 125,000 and 175,000 PS3s to stores, says American Technology Research analyst P.J. McNealy; the target had been about 400,000. Nintendo shipped between 425,000 and 475,000, he says.
“If you have to rank on who won this holiday so far, Microsoft is first, Nintendo a close second and Sony a distant third, which is a rare statement.”
About 49% of online discussions were favorable to Wii, compared with 27% for PS3. Says the firm’s Sam Huxley: “The hype machine went too far.”
In a related story, various drops in production costs means that Microsoft is almost making a profit on each 360 sold. Compared to the $300 loss Sony is facing on each PS3, that’s great news for Gates and Co.
It would be nice if the Wii came out with about 10 more pieces of software before the end of the year.
I hope the Wii, doesnt go with Online Control of the product and games, as MS has.
Link
Activision: Call of Duty 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Rapala Tournament Fishing, Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions
Atari: Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
Atlus: Trauma Center: Second Opinion
EA: Madden NFL ’07, Need for Speed: Carbon
Konami: Elebits
Midway: Happy Feet, Rampage: Total Destruction, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, The Ant Bully
Sega: Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
SNK: Metal Slug Anthology
Tecmo: Super Swing Golf
THQ: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Barnyard, Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Creature from the Krusty Krab
Ubisoft: Far Cry: Vengeance, GT Pro Series, Monster 4X4 World Circuit, Open Season, Rayman Raving Rabbids, Red Steel, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent
Vivendi: Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
AND////////////////////////////////////////////////////
NES: Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Ice Hockey, Pinball, Soccer, Tennis, Urban Champion, Wario’s Woods, Baseball, Solomon’s Key
SNES: F-Zero, SimCity
N64: Super Mario 64
Sega Genesis: Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Golden Axe, Columns, Ecco the Dolphin, Gunstar Heroes, Space Harrier II, Toe Jam & Earl, Ristar, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
TurboGrafx16: Bonk’s Adventure, Super Star Soldier, Victory Run, Bomberman ’93, Dungeon Explorer
It looks like Wii points are about $1 per 100
I still can’t get past the name. What was wrong with Revolution?
MS and Nintendo are based in Washington.. right?
The PS3 shipped 200,000 units. The PS3 sold 200,000 units. There have been lines and muggings, and they’re going on EBay for a hefty premium. Exactly what is the failure here?
I recall the same type of failure report when the Xbox360 was launched. Slashdot was atwitter about XBox360 supply issues, ebay scams, line up’s, missed opportunity, overheating / failing systems… But, fanboi’s can be finicky. Nintendo will always have the young child trapped in a man’s body audience cause of the sheer number of geeks, nerds, and other misfits who, instead of feeling a pair of breasts, and God Willing get a little oral sex or full on beast with two backs, spent their youth pressing AA BB UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT in the hopes of unlocking Super Power Mario!
Anyhoo, give it a year. The nerds will forget the Sony Rootkit, Nintendo will go back to fucking over game suppliers and XBox 720 will be out in 6 months. All will be well in the world…
Now that I see my mark with a PS3, I’m gonna do some mugging!
OK guys, next year by this same time I hope Dvorak reposts this article and we’ll have a laugh…
the PS3 is going to kick the pants out of Wii and xBox, just give it time.
In a year look at the numbers and tiles available…
#7 “Exactly what is the failure here?”
Well, I see two failures. First, is the failure to sell more than either the 360 (which has already been out a year for godsakes!) and the lowly Wii.
Second is Sony’s failure to produce sufficient quantities of the PS3. Exactly how is that not a failure?!
What I find amusing is that the PS3 was supposed to be released a year ago and then 6 months ago. Exactly what has Sony been doing all this time? Coming up with more root kits for its CDs?!
#8 “I recall the same type of failure report when the Xbox360 was launched.”
But this is different. The 360 did not have any next generation competition. Any sales the 360 got in the last year were pure gravy. Let’s imagine a race with three racers. All three cars are late out of the gate. But the first car still gets a year head start. Who would possibly mull over the late start of the first car with that fricken lead?!
Now Sony is up against not only the cheaper and more fun Wii, it’s up against a cheaper, more profitable, and readily available 360!
As the Wii is the only current console that is profitable, I think Nintendo will be the real winner. While Sony and Microsoft are battling over technological bragging rights, Nintendo will just keep making money.
11,
WHo says the Wii is more fun? Have you played them all? I honestly am not too impressed with the Wii. I like the XBox360 and the PS3 for reasons other than games too. Especially the PS3’s potential to be a PVR that will stream your video though the net. Yes, that is a feature… Anyhoo, once the reports of people getting Wii controllers stuck up their ass after too much swinging, the hype may die out…
Your argument was pretty weak BTW. Seriously, what does the 360 not having any competition have to do with anything? The PS3 is having a slow launch, but the only people getting immediate launches are losers (like this guy! – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAhR1N5oJNA) and brat’s. A launch doesn’t make a platform… just headlines.
“WHo says the Wii is more fun?”
Everyone who has every played it or watched it being played? Now I’ll admit that “fun’ is purely subjective. If you find memorizing complex series of button sequences to be fun, that’s great. That’s your right. But most people just want to jump in and play. And that’s their right.
“Seriously, what does the 360 not having any competition have to do with anything?”
Ummm… I thought I explained that. The whole thing about a race and one racer getting a one year head start. That was an metaphor. You see, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo all represents racers. Microsoft started the race a year ago, thus it got a one year head start. Do you understand now?
13,
Fun is subjective. There are people that like getting their balls clamped and it’s fun. But not for me. I really take other people experiences with a grain of salt… Or lots.
My point about your poor analogy is that opionions change over a year… XBox was a failed launch a year ago to the points I made earlier. Now, it’s teh leet for some people. Just cause Nintendo and Sony released their hardware in the same time frame does not mean the success or failure of one or the other. It’s just a hype machine from the media. Have YOU played any of the systems? Which did you like? Which offer YOU the most? That’s what counts. And in one year, we can come back and revisit your post.
Now, when the iPod came out, Slashdot made a famous statement. Less space than a Nomad. no Wireless. Lame. Well, try and get an anti iPod or Apple statement in on Slashdot now and you’ll be hounded forever by fanbois. Sony used to be the darling because they were trouncing MS. After the Sony rootkit fiasco, the alliances have re-formed.
My original point about Nintendo still stands. Its king for kids in grownup bodies. And children.
Do YOU understand now? Race or no race, a LAUNCH does not a platform make.
NES = Wii
PS2 = 360
PS3 = Dreamcast
13,
You know what’s really sad? We’re debating about this! I’m a grown man for godssake!
Anyhoo, for my youth… PS3 is teh best!
“My point about your poor analogy is that opionions change over a year…”
I’m not talking about opinions. I’m talking about facts. It’s a fact that the Sony PS3 is getting trounced by the 360 and the Wii. It’s a fact that Sony is unable to produce sufficient quantities despite having a year to get its act together. It’s a fact that the 360 is nearly profitable and the Wii is profitable, while the PS3 loses 300 bucks for every console sold. It’s a fact that Microsoft’s year start and current dominating sales will make it nearly impossible for Sony to beat.
“Its king for kids in grownup bodies.”
Because only adults have the time to memorize complex series of button sequences?! Gee, do you even have a job? The only people who have time to learn to play most games well are teenagers or the unemployed. Both of which are neither children nor kids.
“You know what’s really sad? We’re debating about this!”
I agree, I lay out the facts, you fail to contradict the facts, and yet you continue to argue anyway.
17,
LAUNCH DOES NOT MAKE A PLATFORM! You seem to miss that point.
Numbers at launch are just that. Frankly I don’t really care who wins… I just want the system that matches my needs best. And, being a human I CAN memorize key strokes. It’s really not difficult. It takes time, sure, but that’s what late night is for after the wife and kid are sleeping. Maybe button presses are too complicated for some, but not me. I have a very complicated career, so I guess it works in tandem.
Anyhoo, enjoy your Wii, or PS3 or 360, or watching the number grow…
WOOHOO!!!!
With luck this will kill sony’s console dept.
Get back to making tv’s, betamax & minidisk & other useful but outmoded products – i freakin hate sony
I’m not sure what all of you old, bitter men are fighting about, but my Wii is so much fun, its ridiculous. I absolutely love it and anything Sony or PS3 related is the furthest thing from my mind.
#20
Yep. Walkman was a killer.
#21
Hey, that’s what I’m sayin’ Tot 😉
Personally, I’m a hard core gamer… Started on Pong, and went through multiple computer/console iterations too many to note. I can pick up any game on the PC/Consoles and shortly pwn all the noobs… HOWEVER, if I want to include my family in my gaming fun (who wasn’t genetically adapted to analog controllers from birth)…it’s got to be intuitive. So when I want to play complicated games, I use my desktops. But the wii cannot be beat for it’s innovation, making gaming acessible to the general public (as opposed to noobs that compare owning a PS3 to getting laid (i.e. Named seems to think that CPU speed equates to masculinity…odd, that)), and for just generally being fun and making gaming an experience that gets you off your duff and moving around.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I introduced my 70+ year old parents/in-laws to the wii sports. After one shaky game each, they were beating my 12 year old stepdaughter in bowling and golf. That would NEVER happen on a typical console. It was a blast, everyone got to play…which made it a lot more fun for everyone. Personally, I figure that a lot of “hard core” gamers will most likely buy EITHER a PS3 or XBox360 (but not both)…in addition to the Wii. You’re not really getting much by getting both the PS3 and 360, but the wii provides a gaming experience that neither has. ‘ nuff said
Just a business note:
According to Reuters, Nintendo sold 600,000 units of the Wii in 1st 8 days in the U.S..
The PS3 shipped 200,000 units. The PS3 sold 200,000 units. There have been lines and muggings, and they’re going on EBay for a hefty premium. Exactly what is the failure here?
———-
Well, David, once the box is opened and the product is used then that is the failure. If you think ripping people off is a sign of a successful product then you are delusional.
Well, the Wii is definetly going to kick butt when it comes to launch, with 475,000 units waiting to be sold! But it’s probably going to have a hard competition with the PS3 once it clears launch. I’d say that overall the Wii seems very promising
DOWN WITH PS3!!!
#26
“475,000 units waiting to be sold! “ Where?
Last I saw here in the US is that 600,000 is already sold 😀
that really seems to be very much. are you sure?