Just a thought about sales...

Just a question that popped into my mind randomnly, when they tell you the sales figures for each console... Do they take into account the # of returns, or the # of consoles bought by previous XBOX360 owners to replace their defective ones? (Can go for Wii/Playstation 3 as well, I'm just going with the most prominent case of defectivity) In other words, do the sales figures include consoles bought to replace existing (defective) consoles?

Just a question that popped into my mind randomnly, when they tell you the sales figures for each console... Do they take into account the # of returns, or the # of consoles bought by previous XBOX360 owners to replace their defective ones? (Can go for Wii/Playstation 3 as well, I'm just going with the most prominent case of defectivity) In other words, do the sales figures include consoles bought to replace existing (defective) consoles?

ex-paranoia

Just a question that popped into my mind randomnly, when they tell you the sales figures for each console... Do they take into account the # of returns, or the # of consoles bought by previous XBOX360 owners to replace their defective ones? (Can go for Wii/Playstation 3 as well, I'm just going with the most prominent case of defectivity) In other words, do the sales figures include consoles bought to replace existing (defective) consoles?

ex-paranoia

1) If people are returning their console then it will balance out when total sales numbers are released.  After all, total sales numbers released by console makers are based on how many they produce and then ship to retailers.  If everyone was returning their console for somebody else to buy, that means stores would order less NEW consoles and therefore the console maker wouldn't be shipping as many.   So it's pretty lame to assume returns are counted as "sales" every time somebody returns it and then rebuys it.

2) If people break their PS3 or 360 or whatever and instead of fixing it they jsut buy an all new one, then that is their problem...not the console maker.  To act like that shouldn't count is almost as ridiculous as buying an entirely new console everytime your older one breaks.  If you are buying 2 or 3 or 4 consoles then your are buying them...money is leaving your wallet and going to the company and they are shipping more to restock the shelves.

Just a question that popped into my mind randomnly, when they tell you the sales figures for each console... Do they take into account the # of returns, or the # of consoles bought by previous XBOX360 owners to replace their defective ones? (Can go for Wii/Playstation 3 as well, I'm just going with the most prominent case of defectivity) In other words, do the sales figures include consoles bought to replace existing (defective) consoles?

ex-paranoia

They don't need to. Consoles repaired do not go through the sales number counter.

Basically, MS releases figures of consoles sold to retailers. If your 360 dies, you send it to support, and they repair/replace it. These replaced units do not go through the same pipeline as the "sold to retailer" ones.

They will be counted if:

1.- The user exchanged it through an external warranty, and the warranty giver does not report this to MS. This is a likely scenario.

2.- The user thrashed his console and purchased a new one altogether.  

Hmmm, yea that's what I thought, it'd be interesting to calculate exactly how many sales have actually been made. If we calculated using the formula 1 sale = 1 customer for that platform (excluding re-purchases), I wonder what it would come up to.ex-paranoia

Numbers would be rather close, this early in the generation. In two or three years, we might see a change.