IF PS3 Sells TONS of consoles but no games.. Is it a win or loss?!

I was thinking about something, what if for example sony picked up sales big time on the PS3 and it sold a few hundred thousand consoles a month just in the US, but the software sales still remained very very low but the console sales are extremely good.. What then happens?! Lets take it a step further and say hypothetically speaking the PS3 was the #1 selling console month after month even beating out the Wii, but the 360 and Wii was dominating it in software sales.. Is the PS3 a win or loss?!

But Metal Gear Solid 4: GoTP sold well :(

1.3 million first day (supposedly)

And 467k copies in Japan, moving 77K systems (which is the equivalent of around 7 months sales in Japan, considering the PS3 sells 9-10 thousand)

http://kotaku.com/5017070/mgs4-japanese-sales-476k-sold-%252B77k-ps3s

On most multiplats the Playstation 3: Xbox 360 software sales ratio tend to match their hardware ratios.

I was thinking about something, what if for example sony picked up sales big time on the PS3 and it sold a few hundred thousand consoles a month just in the US, but the software sales still remained very very low but the console sales are extremely good.. What then happens?! Lets take it a step further and say hypothetically speaking the PS3 was the #1 selling console month after month even beating out the Wii, but the 360 and Wii was dominating it in software sales.. Is the PS3 a win or loss?!

HaloJim79

Thats not the case howerver. The PS3s software sales are very healthy and has the same attach ratio as the Wii and 360 at the same time.

I dont think I have seen a console sell well and the games stay very low. Another thing to think about what kind of games sell well. Are they all simliar Genres?

I WOULD like to point out that the PS3 currently has an attach rate of 5 games per console sold. That is the exact same attach rate the 360 had after its first year...and people couldn't stop talking about how awesome the game sales were and how everyone is buying a TON of games. Yet when the PS3 has the exact same attach rate it suddenly sucks.

My own theory is that people THINK it has bad game sales because with the 360, everyone rushes out and buys the exact same games. So games either sells a lot, or nothing. There are peaks and valleys. However, PS3 owners buy a more broad array of games, and not all the exact same titles. This means that titles are less likely to sell huge numbers...but also means that games also don't sell abysmally if they aren't seen as one of the "cool" games.

Answering your question, if ANY console sells tons but doesn't move software it is a massive lose because consoles generally make all their money off of game sales. Lately, consoles launch at a sizeable loss (sold below cost) in order to get them into homes right away and then hope that people buy software to avoid massive losses.

I would also point out that if software doesn't sell, it will anger developers who will leave the console and make games where they DO sell. That results in circular behaviour where people will buy the console with the games, which attracts console sales, which then attracts developers who go where the market it...which attracts consumers, and around and around we go.

But Metal Gear Solid 4: GoTP sold well :(

1.3 million first day (supposedly)

And 467k copies in Japan, moving 77K systems (which is the equivalent of around 7 months sales in Japan, considering the PS3 sells 9-10 thousand)

http://kotaku.com/5017070/mgs4-japanese-sales-476k-sold-%252B77k-ps3s

On most multiplats the Playstation 3: Xbox 360 software sales ratio tend to match their hardware ratios.

thrones

I seem to recall a number of lemmings bashing the PS3 and saying how impossible it is for MGS4 to sell a million in one day...which was the rumour that Konami needed to see to call the game a success.

1.3 million? Pretty impressive for a MG title.

Hermits say PC is a win for selling lots of hardware but comparatively hardly any software ....Vaan7

It sells Software, you have to consider that the core gamer audience is much more diverse. And 100 million + sims sales > You.

Hermits say PC is a win for selling lots of hardware but comparatively hardly any software ....Vaan7

Nice one. It's a little true though, I own a lot less PS3 games than Wii/360.

IF PS3 Sells TONS of consoles but no games.. Is it a win or loss?! HaloJim79