April gaming sales numbers released

[Zabka]

Game and console sales for April

More of the same, really, but the overall numbers for relevant consoles (relevant to us) were light. The Wii and DS continue to dominate. 360 numbers are below 200K, which is disappointing. PS3 is below 100K.

Pokemon dominates. Man, I hope that the gaming world doesn't just turn into a big land grab for the casual gamers who are the largest audience out there.

Numbers will be weak for a while until Halo3 comes out.

[Deslock]

Doesn't suprise me a bit. Most of these DS systems are being bought by parents because they're hand held, which means that the kids will behave in the car and on long trips. I talk to these parents and they tell me so. Gameboys and DS's fly off the shelves, we can't keep them in stock.

Sony's PSP is a brick. Just sits there gathering dust, even with the latest price drop. Nintendo were sheer brilliant for coming up with a design that can play both Gameboy and DS games, in a case that folds up to protect both screens. The PSP is still too expensive, has any barely good games, and a screen that's extremely easy to scratch. The person that designed the PSP for Sony should be taken out back and beaten with a stick, for coming up with such a piss poor design. Looks great, until you accidently drop it by mistake. Oops, cracked screen. Yep, I've seen it.

PS3 sales are going to continue to suck goat ass until Sony realizes to get some good games for it. Recently Boss PM'd me about trying to set up a PS3 division for the DSA. For what? The only two good games they have for it?.

Now this is just my opinion, nothing more. But the other day I decided to go and get another PS3 game. I find sports games to be a huge bore. Racing games too. *Yawn*. I like my games to be able to entertain me, and allow me to things I could probably never be able to do in real life.

So I'm looking at our PS3 games, and the only ones I could find that even remotely interested me was Marvel ultimate alliance, Blazing Angels, and CoD3.

That's it.

Really.

No shit.

That's sad. Really sad.

The PS3 is truly an awesome machine. I've already loaded pictures from my camera on it, downloaded movie trailers and new demos, and my old PS2 games look so much better on it. But in my opinion, and obviously the opinions of alot of other people out there, their games for it as of now basically suck.

Sucks alot.

Now I've read the reviews of FEAR and the new HAZE, and a few other new games for it, And I'm still unimpressed. The general public looks at the price tag, and the crappy selection of games, and determines that it's not worth it, and technically, they're not wrong. I can't disagree. Not at this point in time. I do believe that the PS3 will continue to pick up steam, and sell more over time. I may be wrong in this.

Everyone is trying ever so hard to make the next "HALO" killer. Why? Let Microsucks have HALO. Nintendo has Mario and Pokemon, Sony has Final Fantasy. Everyone has their own "niche" market. That's just the way it is.

I'd rather they put their efforts into coming up with new stuff, than rehashing the old, the same complaint I have with Hollyweird.

Except Resident Evil, that series with Final Fantasy never fails to be awesome, and continues to amaze.

Sony does have some serious, and I mean serious problems. I can only hope that they finally start listening to the gaming community and fix what's wrong.

They say they going to, but by the list of new games for the PS3, I can honestly state that I don't see a "must have" game that I just have to buy. Hell, even in the latest PS2/3 magazine I just read is concerned about the same issue. They loved "Blazing Angels" but complained that the player point with just with the allies only, and when they went online, they could barely find anyone to play against, either German or Allied. Same with CoD3.

Doesn't exactly want me to pony up $60.00 for a game I can't find anyone to play with/against anyone online.

Gah.

[Zabka]

Warhawk and the dragon game are probably going to fly off the shelves. Why? Because of the dearth of games out there, the 1.2million PS3 owners will be jonesing for a good game. Much the same way that GRAW1 was huge on the 360---while it is a very good game, it went crazy because most other 360 games pretty much sucked way back when.

I will be interested to see how Graw2 and RB6V look and play on the PS3. given the extra development time going into them, I would hope they have some added features. Those will be excellent games for DSA. GRAW2 for 3rd person, and RB6 for FPS...warhawk has all the different elements of vehicles, planes and ground troops---sounds a bit like SWBF1 which would be sweet.

But all this will take time. Which is again why I am guessing that I will get a PS3 when the library justifies it---and it will conveniently probably be cheaper by then. At the same time, my 360 will probably be broken by then (although i will definitely replace that as well if I am unfortunate enough to have that happen.)

[Gino]

I have also heard rumors that PS3 has had some bug problems. Can anyone confirm or deny these acussations?

I'm very disappointed n PS3 because of the lack of game development. It used to be their focal point of marketing.

[Deslock]

I've not yet come across any bugs within the system itself. It's an awesome machine.

Let me show you what I'm talking about:

http://videogames.yahoo.com/ongoingfeature?eid=515288&page=0

Gah. As Zabka said the only one that truly interests me is Warhawk.

As a PS3 owner, it seems to me that Sony is selling us pipe dreams and blowing smoke up our butts. But also as Zabka said, the X-box 360 opening games were dismal at the same time.

Wii's, Ds's, and gameboys are flying off our shelves, and the PS3 is selling pretty well, and we still sell a HUGE majority of PS2's. We sell a few X-Box 360's, and very few X-box elites.

In the end if you were to ask me who's basically going to be the winner overall, It's hard to say. Microsoft has a huge online gaming community in place with much to offer, but ya gotta pay for it, which turns off a few consumers. Sony's online as of now is still free, but in regards to a community or offerings, it's non-existant. Total crap. No new maps, no new anything, for anything. Which also leads people to complain.

In truth, I'm actually VERY suprised that the Wii is doing so well, with no online support. But the price is cheap in regards to the next gen systems. Never dreamed that there was such a strong customer base of Mario fans, but they're there, and voting with their wallets. It doesn't play Movies or CD's or anything else. Just games. Which tells me that Gamers are all about the games, not just all the bells and whistles that the others have. Mario has been around since the original Famicon, and that's a helluva long time. I would've figured Pokemon would've suffered a massive burnout by now ala' Power Rangers, but they keep re-inventing it, and consumers keep buying it. Now that's a hardcore fanbase!. 8O

In my opinion, if Sony truly wants to compete with Microsoft, they are going to have to, beyond a doubt, expand their online offerings. New maps, new mods, and new free demo's.

There's an old saying, "Ya get what ya pay for". And if it's "free", it seems with Sony, "Don't expect much".

Really.

I guess what bothers me so much about this whole situation is that the PS3 has soooooo damn much potential, and Sony's just sitting there daydreaming as the gaming world passes it by.

[Zabka]

I have heard from some that there are some software type bugs with the operating system, etc, but not the hardware failures that you see on the 360.

Wii's, Ds's, and gameboys are flying off our shelves, and the PS3 is selling pretty well, and we still sell a HUGE majority of PS2's. We sell a few X-Box 360's, and very few X-box elites.

What is interesting is some of your observations don't fit into how the sales numbers have played out. The 360 still sold 2x the PS3 in a month where there are no apparent supply issues. Clearly the Wii and DS are flying, but the PSP actually sold very well with the price cut. How's this for perspective, though---the PSP orig sold for like 250 if I recall. That means that the PSP and the Wii cost the same at launch. The PSP is way too fragile with a very scratchy screen--but it is a pretty awesome handheld. I have friends whose wives don't let them set up consoles on their TVs, so the PSP is how they get their gaming jones out. Unfortunately for sony, there are probably very few people who are using a handheld as a choice in lieu of a console. That can't be the target. and the UMD format for movies has been a complete bust. Blu-Ray may overtake that, but I do believe that we are already seeing that downloadable content is going to be the driver for movies as well as games in the very near future. I have read that total PSP sales are higher than gameboy advances were at the same point in launch.

[Deslock]

Could just be demographics. I know that they're saying that overall sales for the PS3 are slow, but at my store they sell quite well, and we can't keep them in stock. Wii's are moving fast, and I mean fast. But the old gamecube is just sitting there. DS's are moving quickly, especially the pink one. Go figure. Lot of girl gamers getting up to speed. Girls are a big customer base here when it comes to gaming. Guys are still the overall base, but the girls are catching up, and quick.

Sales for the PSP are so bad I even doubt I could give them away for free. The recent drop of the PS2 to $129.00 has really boosted it's sales, especially the silver one.