PlayStation 4 outsells Xbox One 2:1 at retail in January - news discussion

hodg100

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Latest NPD figures show the PlayStation 4 is gaining a healthy lead in the next-gen console race in the US.

It is (reliably) claimed that the PS4 outsold the XB1 by nearly 2:1 in the first post holiday season analysis.

What can Microsoft do to stem the tide?

EDIT: Title amended now Valentine's is over.

PlayStation 4 massacres Xbox One at retail in January | AVForums
 
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Drop the price?

I always said I could see a bit of a problem for Microsoft once the Day One Editions had been and gone, their collectability and added value closed the pricing gap slightly between the X1 and PS4, but now they're gone you're paying the same money for a less great deal, where as the PS4 remains the same(bundles aside).

I guess they might do a similar package to the Day One with TitanFall, they surely need that game at this time(down the line who knows how the situation will stand of course). They also need to get off their backsides with the Games for Gold, as right now PS+ is giving superb value for money and must be a bit of an eye opener for those that haven't yet jumped from the previous gen.
 
Release Titanfall? :)
 
Pretty much nothing they can do.

Hardware advantage for PS4 is locked in for the generation as is the price advantage unless MS are willing to subsidise significantly.

If MS want to finish a close (rather than distant) second then they should stop being disingenuous about specs and demonstrate that the media/kinect functionality works and is worth paying a premium for. That and boosting their first party catalogue by developing the studios rather than moneyhatting.
 
They better be sure that Titanfall is a bug free experience, if it suffers (and the Xbone is still relatively unproven in comparison) from online issues then the outcry will be huge and the PS fanboy laughter will be loud.

I already know several people who have traded in their Xbox One's for PS4, just because they just don't like it.
 
What I'd love to know is how the X1 sales stack up against MS's internal projections. While it's useful to compare yourself to your competitors, the main benchmark for them will be how their system is performing against how they expected it to perform. That's likely to be a more significant factor in their decision-making than the performance of the PS4 (though of course that will be a factor). MS also have to contend with the perception aspect - given they have made some significant changes in recent months in response to the public's feedback, they will be torn between staying the course according to their vision for the console, and bending to public opinion - ideally hitting the sweet spot between the two that maximises sales.

There are a multitude of possibilities for how they proceed - they could do nothing, and remain focussed and confident in their product and remind everyone of their oft-repeated "in it for the long haul" mantra, and trust that their customers will be open to paying out $100 more for their machine. They could cut their price and take a loss on each machine sold, which could be an option given Xboxes traditionally have a high attach rate (ie aim to make their money back via software sales - but this will also require investment in first party studios, which IMO MS could do with more of). Given the recent outcry about selling off the Xbox division, cutting the price probably wouldn't go down well with shareholders and investors, given the 360 fiasco. Maybe they will take a middle of the road approach and stay with the same price but bundle some freebies in (games, gold subs, extra controller, etc). Obviously all speculation, we can't know what decisions they're taking internally, but interesting to think about anyway.

One thing's for sure, Sony must be thanking their lucky stars the PS4 is such a success, given their otherwise disastrous performance of late. In terms of how either company performs as a whole, it looks like the PS brand counts for a large number of eggs in Sony's basket. Although the Xbox brand is significant, MS would remain highly profitable even without it, so from that perspective at least, MS are in a more comfortable position. Even that's not necessarily a positive though - MS's success with the 360 and their apparent view that the One was preordained to be successful seems to have resulted in a somewhat bloated piece of hardware filled with potential but which hasn't yet found its niche, whereas Sony clearly learned from their failures with the PS3 and have come back with a streamlined offering that knows exactly what it is, and the paying public have responded accordingly.
 
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Nice post Kav.

MS need to clean up their act... or in this case their Kitchen...

MyKitchen_zps286d99a1.gif


Then buyers will have more confidence and buy in more. I'm with you in that they need to get more first party studios cuz multiplats are going to suffer on XB1 this gen imo.
 
Worryingly (from a gamer's perspective) the new CEO doesn't exactly seem like a proponent of videogames, and between that and MS's clear "one device to rule them all" route for the One, I am a bit concerned that we aren't going to see much investment in first party games. Hopefully they have someone influential who can make them see that it's one of the few ways they are going to be able to contend in the long term. Titanfall alone will not be enough. The likes of Quantum Break, Sunset Overdrive etc look decent, but not system-selling decent.

Now this, this would have been brilliant:

Conan O’Brien says he turned down offer to be Microsoft CEO - The Tell - MarketWatch :D
 
Conan would have shaken it up quite a bit and I'd actually invest in MS if he was lol.
 
That (article?) title is a bit Daily Mail / click-bait / trolly... :rolleyes: If i was 10:1, but under 2:1 is hardly a massacre.

But while it's good news for Sony, i still wonder how constrained supply is from everyone, and figures will be much more useful later this year when every console is properly worldwide.

As Kav said though: Sony must be heaving a huge of relief, as the broader company picture seems to be having issues. While Microsoft being beaten in their own backyard must be worrying - even last gen when Nintendo and Sony were outselling them elsewhere, the USA always seemed secure.

I'm just happy both consoles are selling well, as it means there's still interest in "proper" gaming, and not casual-mobile bollax.
 
That (article?) title is a bit Daily Mail / click-bait / trolly... :rolleyes: If i was 10:1, but under 2:1 is hardly a massacre.

It was a Valentine's Day reference, please forgive a bit of license to exaggerate on this beautiful day :)
 
Valentine's Day Massacre? What?

lol. What kind of love do you practice?!?!
 
What can Microsoft do to stem the tide?

- stop committing marketing suicide. Their previous marketing blunders have cost them greatly.
- reduce the price. People don't care how clever their camera box is, they see a £350 rrp console vs a £430 rrp console and it doesn't take a genius to guess which one folk will go with

Games help but strangely the reality is different from the marketing reality. Whether people prefer the Xbox games or not is fairly irrelevant. The PS4 has that image as being the gamers console. Sony has the franchises and the console has the power. Playstation has always been a 'cooler' brand than the more nerdy Xbox brand so that also appeals to the mass market more.

Personally I don't think MS can do that much other than the above and even they will only help a bit. This gen we will see the market find it's true level again after Sony tried their best to destroy their position last gen.
 
Careful CAS... you said Playstation is the "cooler" brand... can of worms has been opened. Be prepared for the backlash.
 
Games help but strangely the reality is different from the marketing reality. Whether people prefer the Xbox games or not is fairly irrelevant. The PS4 has that image as being the gamers console. Sony has the franchises and the console has the power. Playstation has always been a 'cooler' brand than the more nerdy Xbox brand so that also appeals to the mass market more.

Personally I don't think MS can do that much other than the above and even they will only help a bit. This gen we will see the market find it's true level again after Sony tried their best to destroy their position last gen.

I find it funny that you say the reality is different from the marketing reality, and then go on to support the marketing reality as being correct. :D

That image of the PS4 being "the gamer's console" is utterly cringeworthy IMO, something they would do well to leave behind now that their early dominance of this gen has been confirmed. Sony verged extremely close to backfiring with the playground tactics on a couple of occasions leading up to release, and if it weren't for MS's utter ineptitude, they'd probably have driven a lot more customers away. All that "4thegamers" and MS mockery annoyed me, and while it was not a factor in my buying decision, it certainly backfired in terms of enticing me to purchase their console.

Perhaps it's just me but I don't think you're giving people enough credit CAS. I'd contend that many gamers - in particular early adopters - are savvy enough to look past the marketing bluster to work out what's right for them. The perceived coolness (or lack of it) never entered my head when making a decision about what to purchase, and in all honesty, having owned consoles from both companies, I've never even considered whether one is cooler/nerdier than the other. I find it hilarious that anyone's buying decision would be more heavily influenced by that than the availablility of games they want to play.

That said, I always thought the general view was that the Xbox (360) was for "bro gamers" who love MP FPS, and PS(3) was for SP-focussed players who like JRPGs and the like - ie a reversal of your take on it. Obviously either scenario is a very broad stereotype, but just saying as I did arch an eyebrow at your cool/nerdy comparison.
 
Xbox gamer myself.. But i do se why Sony is this gen winner already more of a gaming console vs ms multimedia hub visions... i want the latter but if games is the only thing a Ps4 is prob better to buy.
 
We're all nerds, we play games for fun.
 
We're all nerds, we play games for fun.

Speak for yourself bro. I`m no nerd. i`m cool as they come. I have a golden eagle tattoo on my right shoulder. I dont even know why i`m rubbing shoudlers with all you geeks! :rolleyes:;)
 
Speak for yourself bro. I`m no nerd. i`m cool as they come. I have a golden eagle tattoo on my right shoulder. I dont even know why i`m rubbing shoudlers with all you geeks! :rolleyes:;)
Pfft... I put the 'cool' in 'coolestmanalive'

I sweat Bruce Springsteen albums, that's how cool I am.

As far as rubbing shoulders, just do what I do, use shoulder sanitizer afterwards... it's like hand sanitizer, but for shoulders.
 
I don't think MS will be worried at this point, however, the one box to rule them all thing is just confusing, especially outside the USA. If it got rid of other boxes you need under your TV, then the price kick is fair enough, but it doesn't does it? Well, maybe DVD and Bluray players.
 
Speak for yourself bro. I`m no nerd. i`m cool as they come. I have a golden eagle tattoo on my right shoulder. I dont even know why i`m rubbing shoudlers with all you geeks! :rolleyes:;)

Is that it? I've got a giraffe led down on my tool ;)
 
I bought my PS4 last month with Killzone. Its been okay, ironically I am still using my PS3 more. I am just mopping all the old games I want to play. Both consoles do need a few more decent games....
 

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