[UPDATE] It seems that SCEA is disputing Microsoft’s 2:1 Xbox 360 to PS3 ratio. Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Todd Bishop received the following e-mail from Sony rep Kimberly Otzman, who said: "It’s (Sony Computer Entertainment America) policy not to disclose our unit sales numbers until NPD numbers are officially released which will be December 13th. However, I can assure you that Microsoft’s estimates of our PS3 unit sales numbers are way off and they did not outsell PS3 2:1 during Black Friday week.
I’m inclined to take Microsoft’s word over Sony’s.
You say that as if Sony’s had a couple of years of backpeddling, half-truths, sleazy marketing, and flat-out lies.
It was probably 2 to 1.0001 and by Sony’s special math it rounds up to 2 to 2.
$10 says it turns out sony’s talking about the “playstation family of products” not just the ps3
And Microsoft hasn’t? I don’t trust either company.
No. They haven’t.
Absolutely nowhere near the same degree. In fact, I can’t think of a case of MS doing this off-hand, but I’m sure there are anecdotes to be found. In the meantime, I can name instance after memorable instance of Sony lying, backpeddling, or doing some clearly dodgy shit.
To be clear, I’m talking specifically about the gaming divisions of both companies.
If you think MS has spewed the same level of bullshit and shady rhetoric as Sony in the last year or two, you haven’t been following things at all.
year or two? I really think the sony backlash starts with the PS2 and everything it wasn’t.
MS played shady with failure rate numbers, but they haven’t really pulled any Sony levels of sales data spin.
I think they’ve been accused of “ship vs sold” spin, especially with regard to the first Zune launch. This entire argument seems a bit silly, though; the numbers will be out soon enough. How much better the PS3 is doing now at $399 will be interesting to see.
I’m not, because I believe every word Sony says. Taking their word as gospel truth, here’s what we know:
- They sold 120K PS3s in October (NPD).
- They sold “more than 100,000” PS3s the week of 11/4-11/10 (Sony press release).
- The PS3 sales for November are up 298% from October (Sony press release).
So based on Sony’s own 100% truthful numbers, we know that they will have sold about 480K PS3s in November, right? Right. And we know that what they sold in a non-special week in November was 100K, right? Right.
So if you figure that the non-Black Friday weeks saw sales the same as the week of 11/4, then that means that Black Friday week saw 180K consoles sold. And 180K is way more than half of 310K.
How DARE Microsoft say that it was a 2:1 ratio when really it was a 2:1.09 ratio? Those filthy liars at Microsoft make me sick.
I withhold comment until I read Jason’s comment.
I kid, I kid. :)
I just don’t get the interest in these horse race threads? Who cares?
Or in other words, according to Chet, who I distrust a bit less than MS or Sony, more people have a Steam account than an Xbox Live account, so, uh, nyah-nyah. PC rulez consoles. \m/,
Who cares which gaming platforms succeed and which fail? People on gaming forums, probably.
Somehow, I suspect none of the players will fail.
It’s impossible to put rumble and motion control in the same controller. Impossible.
Well, if you already have one platform and can’t afford to purchase another one, it seems rational to hope that your platform is successful so that it attracts development of the best games. I don’t think that that explains some people getting all rabid about it, however.
Fixed that for you.
They also stuffed the channel last holiday so they could announce they met their “10 million sold” goal at CES but then didn’t ship practically anything for six months because retailers were still so flush with product.