Sales/Supply and Demand Discussion

I'd like to discuss the sales and supply and demand between the PS4 and Xbox One. I currently own a Wii U and Xbox One and owned all last gen consoles a handful of times each so no, I'm not a fanboy for either system. I just feel there are discrepancies that should be looked at.

According to vgchartz.com, the PS4 has 4.6M global hardware sales and the Xbox One has 3.2M. This is a 1.4M gap between the two consoles. Let's take a closer look at some details though. The PS4 was released a week prior to the Xbox One. The PS4 also launched in 32 countries before December, whereas the Xbox One only launched in 13 countries by the end of 2013. That gives Sony quite the advantage between being available in more countries and releasing earlier. People talk about the PS4 being sold out in the US and Xbox One's being available means that the Xbox One isn't selling. I don't buy that. I believe the PS4's resources have been stretched thin by having a wider release in other countries that they can't satisfy orders all around. If Sony had committed to fulfilling a smaller amount of countries first before widening their launches, the US and other countries would have more of a PS4 stock. Also, what would the numbers be if we took away the PS4's first week sales or if you limited PS4 sales data to the same markets the Xbox One is being sold in? I don't have a lot of time to do all the research but it gives you something to think about More sales doesn't mean everything once you start peeling the layers back.

Please keep this a serious discussion and provide some good feedback, theories and ideas.

http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/08/20/sony-confirms-all-countries-ps4-will-be-available-in-on-november-15thnovember-29th/

http://news.xbox.com/2014/01/xbox-one-january-thank-you

http://www.vgchartz.com/

PS4 was released earlier than the Xbone in 1 country only - the US.

For all the other countries, the PS4 was released 1 week after the Xbone. In fact, the Xbone benefitted from releasing world-wide on the 22nd because the console market internationally is BIGGER than the US, so SONY was the one who was at a release date disadvantage.

Also, if you're so interested in sales given equal amount of weeks, you should remove the last week of PS4 sales in the US, not the first week. But again, the PS4 was released 1 week AFTER the Xbone, so you should actually remove 100,000 from the Xbone's total while keeping the PS4's sales the same.

Going by insider's numbers from NeoGAF, MS lied and the real number sold was 2.8 million. Accounting for the 1 week sales advantage that the Xbone had, we remove 100k from the Xbone sales number and we get 2.7 million vs. 4.2 million for the PS4.

What would happen if we limited numbers to the same countries as the ones Xbone is selling in? Take away 50,000 - 100,000 units from the PS4 total and then re-add 50,000 - 100,000 that SONY would have sold if they were sold in the bigger markets. PS4 is still in massive demand compared to the puny demand of the Xbone. Those units still would have been sold-out within hours.

Furthermore, you're overestimating the impact most of those countries have in the grand scheme of things. The overall impact of those countries in regards to sales is negligible, which is why Microsoft chose to overship 1,000,000 consoles in the US instead of allocating them in the markets the PS4 was at. Despite that, the PS4 and Xbone are selling neck-and-neck in the US. In the US, estimates place the PS4 weekly sales at 74,500 and the Xbone at 75,000. Microsoft should be VERY worried about this. Had there not been a dearth of PS4s in the US, PS4 weekly sales would have trumped the Xbone weekly sales.

Considering you linked vgchartz,all your OP is moot.

VGChartz have shown themselves to be accurate. I trust them.

PS4 at 4.6 million. VGChartz says Xbone is at 3.2 million, but Thuway confirmed MS lied and real number was 2.8 million by the end of 2013. Xbone's real number right now is 3 million.

SONY has 4.6/7.6 = .657 or 65.7% marketshare (Wii U doesn't count). Cry more, xboners.

lol calling me an xboner

lol VGcharts

It's been proven numerous time unreliable

It's only unreliable with Xbone reporting because owners are asshurt lemrats.

MS lied. 2.8 million. They changed it to 3 million after MS reported the 3 million sales figure lie. At that time, it was 2.8 million. Xbone sold 2 million since that date, so Xbone real sales is at 3 million.

PS4 at 66% marketshare. Xry more, xboners.

You're one special fakeboy

At the week ending Dec 28th, VGChartz had the Xbone sales figure at 2.7 million (3 days of sales probably boosted that figure up to 2.8 million), which is right in line with what Thuway reported. It's not a coincidence. Keep chugging that Ballmer chode.

Funny how I say anything and you come back with a bunch of bullsh*t

It ain't bullshit.

VGChartz had Xbone sales at 2.7 million on the week ending Dec. 28th - FACT

Thuway said MS lied and real sell-through figure was 2.8 million - FACT

You can look these up for yourself. The truth is, VGChartz is pretty darn reliable with a very low margin of error. You're just pissed that VGChartz is showing a big sales gap between the PS4 and your console of choice.

We all know PS4 is selling better.

And again.

VGChartz is unreliable - FACT

Because of what? Because you said so? Sorry, little boy, but that doesn't hold in the real world.

We have VGChartz's estimated numbers. We have official sales data from SONY and insiders like Thuway. The numbers from SONY and NeoGAF vindicate VGC's estimations. The margin of error is extremely low (Lower than 50k in the most recent sales estimation). I think most people would say that <50k MOE when you're estimating sales data for consoles that sell in the hundreds of millions is pretty darn good.

How about you give us a specific margin-of-error that tells us when you think something is close or isn't close? How big is "not good enough" for you?

Sony is going about it all wrong though and skews their sales. They released their system on the 15th of November in NA, sold a million in 24 hours, stock piled the system and had another release in EU 2 weeks later and sold another million in 24-48 hours and are back to stock piling the system again for Japan release so they can sell another million in a hurry. So Sony has sold a little over 2 million if you exclude the 2 separate launch days. They should of just did something like MS's release to get the system out there. The only thing Sony is doing now is letting the hype train die down, and let people see the competitions system is out there and available has the same game, and more features. People will buy what's available, people will wait for the system seller game for PS4 to come out and the hype train gets going again.

MouisnerX is so butthurt, jeez

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/06/why-we-dont-ref/

http://www.examiner.com/article/why-vgchartz-isn-t-considered-reliable

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18919

No wonder VGchartz is laughed at across all boards

What Microsoft did was a very risky gamble that DIDN'T pay off. They've dedicating most of their consoles in the US, hoping that they'd sell out and start a snow-ball effect. Unfortunately, the snow-ball effect isn't happening like MS planned, so there is no need for SONY to allocate more than 75,000 units to the US weekly, especially since that's how many the Xbone sells even if MS sent 5 billion units to the US.

With that now settled, SONY knows that they have won this generation. MS lost their gamble and the consequences will hurt MS for the duration of this gen. Aside from the US, MS lost the UK, which was once a heavily pro-360 nation. Because they didn't release in the other nations, they're leaning even more towards the playstation platform than ever. Right now, MS is selling 100,000 units weekly and there is absolutely NOTHING they can do to increase that number. Absolutely nothing. They'll get a grand total of 0 sales in the countries they have yet to release their console in. That's it. Xbone will only sell in the 13 countries that MS started with and will have 0 potential for future growth. In reality, the Xbone will probably drop-off like the Wii U once SONY allocates more units to the US. I expect Xbone weekly sales to drop markedly down to 50k, giving MS annueal sales of 2.6 million per year. In a few more months from now, SONY will have their market in Japan, giving the PS4 a boost from 180,000 sales per week to 250,000 sales per week. Getting their manufacturing improved will bump the number to 300,000 per week, giving the PS4 annual sales of 15.6 million.

This is checkmate. Hopefully, MS leaves the industry.

Ok so a lot of back and forth and I seen one person say Xbox was the one with the launch advantage, not the PS4, although it has launched in more countries than the Xbox and launched a week earlier. In reality, I don't think we will see some solid data until the first year is complete, once the consoles really get going, more exclusives and consoles are stocked all around the world and so on. How big of an impact do you think Microsoft's failed E3/DRM Policies/Always Online/Kinect Included = Higher Price has had on their sales? Do you think the general audience cares that the PS4 is only sightly more powerful? They didn't last gen with the PS3 and 360. I for one would not have gotten an Xbox if they stuck with their DRM and always online policies. I don't mind paying the higher price for Kinect, MS is committing to voice and motion for the long haul. If it pays off that's another discussion.

I have to agree with you. I do think they are stockpiling for other countries, which is why there is a low supply in the US. There is a smoke screen that people are thinking it's in such high demand that Sony can't make them fast enough, but I really think they are saving their production for the next launches, not focusing on current markets.

I just told you, The PS4 launched ahead of the Xbone in only 1 country. Everywhere else, the Xbone launched ahead of the PS4.

Whatever sales advantage the 1-week headstart PS4 had in the US is negated by the sales of the 1-week headstart that the Xbone had in the rest of the world.

Also, how much effect did Microsoft's backtracking had on sales? Let's see. They lost the US and they lost the UK. Every other country is leaning even more towards to PS platform than last-gen. I'd say MS is screwed.

And you think MS completely ignoring every other market except for the few they're currently servicing is a better idea? Those countries were 55-45 split in PS3's favor last-gen. They're now 100-0 in PS4's favor. In the EU countries that both are selling, it's now 4-1 in PS4's favor vs. 3-2 from last-gen.

Ok thanks for clarifying that for me. What do you think might have happened if MS never brought those policies out to begin with and had a great E3? Do you think Xbox loyalists are jumping ship or no? What do you think are the driving factors in the current sales differences? Is it because the PS4 is slightly more powerful or because of MS mistakes we discussed?

1) If MS never brought those policies out, they would probably have a 2-1 sales advantage in the US like last-gen vs. 1-1 like they have right now.

2) I doubt Xbox loyalists are jumping ship. Very few people are diehard fanboys. Most people buy whichever machine suits their needs regardless of the branding. Most likely, the people that moved from the PS2 to the 360 are moving back to the PS platform.

3) Probably price and power. Most people, even the casuals, know the PS4 is stronger and cheaper than the Xbone.

There's also the lack of differentiating features between the 2. The Xbone has snap and that's about it. The PS4 can do everything else better.

Do you think MS will take notice and make adjustments to OS, Kinect features, XBL offerings, etc? I did read an article where MS said they are listening to feedback from consumers for future updates on the console.

I don't understand why people think gamers are so loyal between generations. Since the 80's we've seen the masses jump from Atari to Nintendo to Sega to Sony to Microsoft back to Nintendo and now back again to Sony. People just buy whatever system their friends have. The Xbox brand is lackluster, always have been. Microsoft has no studios to set the console apart. The 360 was able to do okay for itself being cheaper and coming out a year before PS3. But the original Xbox came out a year after PS2 and got spanked. Xbone is releasing at the same time as PS4 but it doesn't matter. For the first time the more powerful console is $100 cheaper, with better first party studios and better games. Microsoft trying to chase casuals with a $500 inferior cablebox is not impressing anyone most especially the early adopters who are tech savy and can see that the Xbone is too week to even play Call of Duty in 1080P. The casuals don't give a shit, they'll just stick with their last gen consoles for another year or 2 and when they finally do pick up a new system they'll just get the ones their friends have, which will be PS4.

Launching in many countries can hurt you in the end. In the PS4's case believe it or not, people were not kidding when they said that people that didn't find a PS4 bought an Xbox one. Because many of them did. This was due to the fact that PS4 was released in so many countries at the same time and caused shortages on the bigger markets. In which the Xbox one was available.

It's also very simple as to why the PS4 is winning. It's cheaper, they have the for gamers slogan, and the Ps3 is was still releasing good games while M$ had already dropped support on the xbox 360. So in other words by their behavior we can assume that the PS4 will receive longer support from it's parent company than the Xbox one. Also the xbox one has a silly name, playstation in it's way it's a bit silly too but nothing beats being called Wii U.

Rummors that the PS4 is stronger than the Xbox one doesn't help it either.

Yawn the ps4 is cheaper and more powerful so it's going to sell more.