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Microsoft falls behind of console sales race due to supply shortages

To no one’s surprise, Nintendo once against stood at the top of the latest monthly console sales figures with both its portable and home console.

According to NPD Group retail sales data, the Nintendo DS sold 587,600 units, and the Wii sold 432,000 – both making up first and second place, respectively. Both Nintendo systems combined account for 47.6 percent of all hardware sold throughout February.

“Our momentum has not let up since the holidays and we expect it to continue throughout the year,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing. “We have the industry's strongest lineup of games for everyone from core to casual gamers.”

Sony took third and fourth spots, but surprisingly it is their oldest current product that is leading the way. The PlayStation 2 sold a surprising 351,800, while the PlayStation 3 sold 280,800. This marks the second month in a row that the PlayStation 3 has outsold the Xbox 360.

“Consumers are recognizing the tremendous value of PS3 and we believe that Blu-ray becoming the high-def format of choice was the tipping point for many consumers,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. “With monster titles like Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and Grand Theft Auto IV launching in April and Metal Gear Solid 4 in June, we're demonstrating this is the year for PS3.”

Microsoft once again finds itself below its competitors, selling 254,600 Xbox 360 consoles. Just as it did for January’s sales figures, Microsoft forewarned of lower-than-expected numbers due to shortages. “We definitely expect we will trail in February as a result of our supply constraints,” Aaron Greenberg, Xbox product manager, said to Reuters. “By April, we will be in a very healthy inventory situation.”

The Sony PSP sat in last with 243,000 units sold, though March sales might see a boost with the release of highly anticipated titles God of War: Chains of Olympus and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.

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Inventory
By BioHazardous on 3/14/2008 4:35:07 PM , Rating: 3
Last time I was at Best Buy there was a rather large stack of PS3s and XBOX360s.

I have to say the Blu-Ray player did tip the scales in Sony's favor for me when I decided on a PS3 over an XBOX360.

The only thing I find really lacking is the ability to mute people's voices when playing Call of Duty 4, add people as friends, and their internet browser doesn't seem to work with half the pages out there for media content. I even have problems watching previews on the Sony PS3 page..

I'm not sure why it's still surprising every month that people keep buying the PS2. It's not like that statistic came out of no where.. That has been the ongoing trend for quite some time now.




RE: Inventory
By michal1980 on 3/14/2008 5:03:16 PM , Rating: 1
thats because its cheap, and one of the greatest systems ever. And unlike the xbox1. it wasnt aborted when the ps3 came around.

in fact since I never played Metal gear, on tuesday i'm going to pick up the ps2 metal gear bundle, which has 1,2,3 for like 30-40 bucks.


RE: Inventory
By bill3 on 3/15/08, Rating: -1
RE: Inventory
By goku on 3/15/2008 9:05:53 AM , Rating: 2
You know what, despite the fact that I hated the Dreamcast (for no good reason no less)when it was released and that I was an early adopter of the PS2, I realize that not only after playing the Dreamcast but after the PS2 became the dominant console that the Dreamcast was the better console. Is anybody surprised as to why the graphics look better on the dreamcast over the PS2? The PS2 has 4MB of video memory while the dream cast has like what, 16MB? What the PS2 had going for it was the DVD.


RE: Inventory
By Alexvrb on 3/15/2008 2:21:59 PM , Rating: 2
The PS2 could push more polys (in the hands of a skilled developer) but even small developers could easily get lots of power out of the Dreamcast. However, polygons aren't everything, and in some games they don't make up for poor quality textures. Most Dreamcast games look good, some look great. Only a few PS2 games looked truly great, unless you count loads of FMVs.

In God of War (since it was mentioned, though its not the only great looking PS2 game) they were able to really push the PS2, and even though the textures weren't as detailed as some DC games, they were very close and they had really good poly counts and spent their textures really wisely. If the PS2 had a better GPU, it would have been able to keep up with the Xbox no problem. Although the CPU still required a steep learning curve... much like the Cell...

Honestly, if Sega had the marketing muscle and developer support Sony did, they would have done even better, DVD or not. That doesn't even count rampant piracy on completely unmodified consoles due to a software exploit. Nor does it count pushing console online gameplay before XBL and PSN made it all the rage. But even so, they actually sold a decent number of console and produced a number of outstanding games. I wish Sega had the free time to convert some more of their old games for download off PSN or XBLA.


RE: Inventory
By robinthakur on 4/3/2008 7:33:21 AM , Rating: 2
At least you can admit it. Dreamcast was a fun ride while it lasted though, waiting for the next arcade perfect port...! And yer to me the graphics always looked better. Maybe something to do with it outputting over VGA made it crisper. The texturing was stronger as well versus PS2's many shaded polygons. Wonder what it could have achieved if it had gone toe to toe with PS2 the whole way? Sad thoughts...


RE: Inventory
By Shlong on 3/15/2008 11:06:50 AM , Rating: 3
I loved the Dreamcast, but the PS2 was capable graphically. Just go play God of War and you can see it was more than capable against the other systems of it's generation.


RE: Inventory
By daftrok on 3/15/2008 3:28:34 PM , Rating: 4
If we've learned anything from the PS1 and PS2, its that size isn't everything...just the most important. The PS1 graphically wasn't as great as the N64 but the amount of data that could be held by its disc opened the world to games like Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, Ratchet and Clank, etc. Realize that Final Fantasy 7 took 4 CDs...thats nearly 2.4 GBs of data. In other words, thats 40 N64 cartridges.

I believe if Dreamcast was in the times of the PS1 and N64 things would have been different but alas it came out with the PS2 because they came out a year early (a move that changed everything). The PS2 in the beginning had a maximum data storage of 4.7 GB whereas Dreamcast was 1.2GB. On top of that, PS2 played DVDs. And had better sound. And a better controller. And better games. And was able to run games at 60 FPS.

And no console game of that generation holds a candle to Metal Gear Solid 2 (not even God of War 2); if you can show me any game that outclasses it I'll be impressed.


RE: Inventory
By Tanclearas on 3/16/2008 12:39:06 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The PS2 in the beginning had a maximum data storage of 4.7 GB whereas Dreamcast was 1.2GB.

Very few games required more than 1GB at the time. I'm not going to say "none", but it was rare. You might be able to name four or five titles, but even the DC had well over 100 titles released in its short life span.
quote:
On top of that, PS2 played DVDs.

Without a remote, unless you spent even more to get a DVD remote accessory. You could have purchased a Dreamcast and a separate DVD player for the same price as a PS2 with the DVD remote accessory. How many people actually used their PS2 as their DVD player for more than a year? I'd be surprised if many people used it as their DVD player for more than a few months.
quote:
And had better sound.

Can't really speak to this beyond the fact that my DC sounded great at the time, and I never noticed that my PS2 sounded any better.
quote:
And a better controller.

I couldn't disagree more. The DC controller was comfortable to hold, and when combined with a VMU, it actually enhanced gameplay. The analog triggers were a nice touch too.
quote:
And better games.

That is your opinion, not fact. Once again, in its short lifespan, the Dreamcast was home to some absolutely amazing games of many genres.
quote:
And was able to run games at 60 FPS.

There were some games that ran below 60 FPS on DC, yes, but the frame rate never dropped below a level of playability. Many of the games that didn't stay above 60 FPS were WinCE-based, and it wasn't the hardware that was at fault. WinCE was a mixed blessing. It allowed for rapid development/ports, but it would never allow for full use of the DC hardware.


RE: Inventory
By daftrok on 3/16/2008 8:15:52 PM , Rating: 4
You don't need the remote to play DVDs on the PS2 you're confusing it with the Xbox. Of course in the beginning games don't utilize the space boost (with the exception of Resistance for PS3). In fact, there were a few games for PS2 that were CDs, but it paved the way for games like Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy games, etc.

I said better sound because it had 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound out (and of course was not utilized until a year into development).

And don't tell me that using this controller:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://uplo...

was more comfortable to use than this controller:
http://www.toysnjoys.com/access_ps2/ps2_controller...

Granted the Dreamcast had great games, but none that reached the caliber of Playstation 2. They had amazing exclusive titles that simply wiped the floor on any of the other consoles in its time (hence the reason it sold over 100 million units).

Granted the PS2 is not the most graphically awesome console out there, but it had many other positive aspects that made it the best console of its time. Of course in time the PS1 would not be considered as a primary CD player just like the PS2 would not be considered as a primary DVD player and also the PS3 in time will not be considered as a primary Blu ray player, but these consoles pioneered how far games can go because of their storage and using the power of people's love for movies to give it a push. If the Dreamcast had DVD capabilities it would have been an interesting match between the two companies.


RE: Inventory
By Tanclearas on 3/17/2008 1:58:18 PM , Rating: 2
I did not say it could not play DVD's without the remote. That is simply what you read into the comment. You could play DVD's, but without a remote (unless you count a wired game controller as a remote).

5.1 audio is still not a reality for many people today, let alone eight years ago. A game supporting it is far different from the mass market having a 5.1 setup for videogaming, and is far different from it being used effectively in a game.

The Dreamcast controller was comfortable to use, and I did not find that using the PS2 controller was more comfortable. Neither one was uncomfortable. Once again, you are reading your own interpretations into my comment. However, the Dreamcast controller/VMU implementation was far more innovative than the PS2 controller.

The PS2 eventually had a library of games that matched what the Dreamcast had, and the PS2 eventually had games that surpassed the "caliber" of the games in the Dreamcast library, but it definitely sounds like you didn't bother playing most of the games that were available for the Dreamcast.

quote:
[The PS2] had many other positive aspects that made it the best console of its time.

It was that kind of sheep-minded thinking that killed the Dreamcast. The PS2 won out because people were "waiting for Playstation 2", not because it was better than the Dreamcast. Sony could have called it PS POS edition, and people would have still bought it. Sony could have delivered a machine half as powerful as the Dreamcast, at the price they launched the PS2 at (which was twice the price of the DC), and people would have still bought it. The PS2 had some positive aspects, but not compared to the positive aspects of the Dreamcast. The only positive aspect Sony had going for it that truly mattered was the name "Playstation".


RE: Inventory
By daftrok on 3/17/2008 4:57:23 PM , Rating: 2
Right in part. The name Playstation did divert attention away from Sega. This is because when people think Playstation, people immediately think:
-Final Fantasy
-Gran Turismo
-Metal Gear Solid
-Grand Theft Auto
-Twisted Metal
-Ridge Racer
-Ratchet and Clank
-Warhawk
-Tekken

People think of the brand because of how awesome the games were on it (and its numerous sequels to the awesome games). The Dreamcast was a solid console, but it was plagued by its past failure. Even when they tried to get rid of the Saturn they still pissed off people. Even when they were 1/2 price it still failed.

So call the 100 million people sheep-minded. Just accept the fact that the Dreamcast is gone. You can still play the games and enjoy them but don't be singing that sad song just like those damn Betamax vs VHS fanatics. The past is as it should be: the past.


RE: Inventory
By robinthakur on 4/3/2008 7:29:12 AM , Rating: 2
Oh dear daftrok, even you should know better than to slag off the Dreamcast lol This console's games got me really excited like nothing else as it was really pushing the limits and having pure fun. Samba De Amigo with the Maracas, Fishing Rod games, Virtual On OT with Twinsticks, HOTD2, Seaman, Capcom and SNK 2d fighters, DOA 2, Soul Calibre, Ikaruga and Shen Mue to name but a few. All output pretty much at 60fps over vga(unlike some modern consoles even ...cough 360...cough) It was a purists machine which catered to hardcore gamers pretty much forgotten about by the PS2 and its overly generic catalogue and who wanted pure arcade perfect bliss. What other games company would have such a sense of humour to make a game (Segagaga) which poked fun at their own position in the video games industry? The whole dreamcast ride was hilarity, even the excellent accessories and the logo were great fun. Sega you were once great...

I was genuinely really upset when the machine failed and Sega pulled the plug because of the wasted potential more than anything and the fact that developers were so blinkered and didn't care that Sega's emphasis was on gameplay and impressive graphics and Sony's emphasis was on marketing a "super computer" to the ignorant masses with exaggerated specs. There was nothing intrinsically wrong with the Dreamcast, I think people just got burnt a bit too often before by Sega and weren't willing to support them. For those true gamers that loved the Dreamcast, Sony and especially the PS2 will always be an aching wound that refuses to heal. Yer...Just like Kenshin! I'd like to think that Sony are still hurting in karmic terms for what they did to Sega and Liksang :)

Looking back at the PS2 there's only a few titles which graphically show off what it can really do still: FF12, GT4, GOW, Shadow of the Collosus which seems to be the general criteria which most people gave up on the Dreamcast for, shallow gullible whores that they were. PS2 games for a pretty long time after launch looked really muddy and blurry with very dodgy framerates yet nobody seemed to care. Twisted Metal, Ratchet and Clank, Warhawk. What AAA innovative classic franchises wow! Give me a break, what's next, Driver?. I own all consoles from this generation and the last but the dreamcast is still the one which brings a tear to my eye on how it all ended and the magic which it held at the time. ^_^*


RE: Inventory
By mushi799 on 3/16/08, Rating: -1
RE: Inventory
By Malhavoc on 3/16/2008 5:30:54 PM , Rating: 3
That is possibly the stupidest response I have ever heard. Next thing you'll be complaining about is your home phone not playing mp3s.

Tokyo Extreme Racer 2!!!


Subtitle
By Squibby on 3/14/2008 5:02:21 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Microsoft falls behind of console sales race due to supply shortages


In order to fall behind, don't you have to be in a position other than first? I'm not saying it's currently doing the best (it isn't by any means), but 360 is still the leader in overall world-wide sales. I guess "Microsoft slows down in the console sales race due to supply shortages" doesn't have the same effect...




RE: Subtitle
By Alexstarfire on 3/14/2008 5:21:16 PM , Rating: 3
They haven't lead the console sales in months, what are you talking about?


RE: Subtitle
By Squibby on 3/14/2008 5:32:04 PM , Rating: 3
Total consoles sold. Not monthly sales.

The consoles sales race isn't a series of races. It's one, long race.