SCEE President states PS3 will overtake Xbox 360 by Summer
The Playstation 3 is currently in a definitive third place, way behind the phenomenally successful Wii, and quite a bit behind the Xbox 360. Good Christmas sales figures have increased confidence at Sony however, and there’s a feeling that good things are around the corner.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe President and CEO David Reeves has given an interview to industry trade paper MCV, in which he gives his thoughts on general state of the games market, as well as makes some very confident predictions over the future of sales for the PS3.
On the gaming industry as a whole, he states:
“I don’t think there are many industries that have had that sustained growth for so many years. We’re very happy about it, and I’m sure most others are, too.”
“I think there’s been a revolution in gaming, particularly on the demographic split that has taken place over the last couple of years. The industry seems to be on a roll.
It’s true that the latest sales figures show that across all territories, sales, and the popularity of video games are up all across the board. It seems to be one of the entertainment mediums benefiting from the recent implosion within the music industry.
The most interesting part of the interview by far, was when Reeves was asked how he felt the PS3 stood in terms of catching up with its rivals. He responded very confidently:
“We don’t often mention competition but I will give you some interesting data. In terms of installed base in some of our major markets, such as France, Spain, Germany, Italy, plus some distributor territories in smaller markets like Switzerland, our current cumulative installed base is now higher than that of Xbox 360.”
“It has not quite yet reached that in the UK. But the team here expect to overtake installed base of Xbox 360 across PAL territories in late summer. I would say before, but that is when we think we will overtake Xbox 360. It’s worth mentioning that last week we outsold Xbox 360 in PAL territories by a ratio of 3:1.”
PS3 sales have definitely been improving gradually over the past few months, and the holiday season certainly helped upped the figures substantially, especially with the sought after Wii so hard to come by.
I do wonder if there’s enough momentum building to see the PS3 glide past the Xbox 360 during 2008. I think in PAL territories at least, Reeves could have backed a winner, and the PS3 will gain the coveted second place over the next twelve months.
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21 Responses to “SCEE President states PS3 will overtake Xbox 360 by Summer”
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January 27th, 2008
Its sold something like 3.8m units in Pal regions in 9 months compared to 5.4m 360’s in 25 months so it is selling far quicker than the 360 there. It has obviously already greatly surpassed the 360 in japan and will probably overtake it in Pal regions during the summer and that will leave just the US. IMO it will overtake the 360s total worldwide sales by mid 2008.
January 27th, 2008
Sorry, that should have said mid 2009 not 2008 lol
January 27th, 2008
Yeah, those Spanish are world leaders in video game sales. Fact of the matter is that the PS3 is getting smashed in the US, the world’s biggest market. How can it ‘catch up’ to the 360 when it is constantly being outsold every month?
January 27th, 2008
Short answer: It cant, but it will still do ok.
January 27th, 2008
thats going to change when the ecslusives come in
January 27th, 2008
bigfella, you’ve just disregarded the whole of Europe in your dismissal of PAL territories.
Granted, the US and Japan are probably more important, but as a UK resident, I know how big gaming is here.
January 27th, 2008
Price cut, she just needs a price cut, the games will speak for themselves, get the price cut in and yes the PS3 can overtake the 360.
Either way, it seems there is enough room for all three consoles.
January 27th, 2008
This is more fanboy ignorance. With the PS2, over _half_ of its total sales were in PAL territories.. hrm.. making the US the SECOND largest market for Sony.
For PS3, and PSP Europe and PAL terrirtories outsell US markets by up to double the rates. The US market cannot, by Sony’s measure be considered the largest buying market anymore. With over 800 million buyers.. Europe, Im afraid, is where its at as far as future of new game console buyers go.
Japan and US are key markets for gaming, but they are also _old_ and _saturated_ markets for consoles. And they are comparitively small in population and general sales. The sale _rates_ in Europe for Sony are much higher.. overall, as many analysts have been saying, that Europe and Asia is fast becoming the core selling regions for consoles.. if you are not selling many there, then you are not going to sell many overall.
As a point of example. X360 market saturation (ie where the X360 sales slow due to having maximised their sales audience) is not far away. Most in the business expect the X360 to peak at around 15-20 million. And similar for the Wii as the Nintendo fans dry up. There is still a large PS2 audience that has yet to change over.. and this is only happening at a fairly slow rate (mainly due to the fact many new games are still being released on PS2).
So its almost impossible to play the stupid fanboy game of “who is winning” or “who will pass who”.. until it _actually_ happens. And I would definitely not treat the PAL market as some third rate audience. In terms of sales, they outrank US by a substantial margin.
January 27th, 2008
words are cheap.
January 27th, 2008
GroverFD, that’s really interesting, even I didn’t realise how big the PAL market was now.
January 28th, 2008
Well gaming may be big in the UK, but it’s drop in the ocean compared to the US market.
Let’s just see what happens by summer. I’ll be expecting everyone here who disagrees with me to apologise to me if PS3 sales are still below 360.
January 28th, 2008
only problem i have is this remark:
With over 800 million buyers.. Europe, Im afraid, is where its at as far as future of new game console buyers go.
Did everyone else die? Is there no more christmas, bdays, anniversary gifts being given out? Are the rrod people just not gonna buy anything? Its not really the future just a added market whos always been there since long ago.
January 28th, 2008
“Most in the business expect the X360 to peak at around 15-20 million. And similar for the Wii as the Nintendo fans dry up.”
I can buy your argument about demand for the 360 drying up if it can’t break out of North America, but what does that have to do with Wii? Even subject to its supply constraints, Wii is still kicking butt in every market.
So, who are these “most in the business”? Any objective sources? Sony and Microsoft execs, and bitter third-party developers who have hitched their wagons exclusively to their consoles, do not count.
January 28th, 2008
“I think there’s been a revolution in gaming, particularly on the demographic split that has taken place over the last couple of years. The industry seems to be on a roll”…
That revolution had a change of name since more than a year ago… it’s now called Wii.
And before that was the DS. Both of those systems have helped make the gaming industry grow beyond the dedicated gamer arena. Or “hardcore” base, as some 400 pound nerds like to call themselves.
And GroverFD, if you think the Wii is currently kicking next-gen console’s butt because of it’s “Nintendo fans”, then you don’t know your shit and practically lost any credibility on what else you have to say on this current system war. Because everybody with a brain knows that the Wii has become succesful not because of Nintendo nerds that support it (they also supported the GameCube didn’t they? See how big that console turn up, eh?) but because of the gazillion casuals and normal people who are picking up the console.
Anywhoo, like they say the PS3 might be out of the woods (like I’m going to believe Sony on that one, yeah)… but it comes out from the woods with head to toe covered in bear shit.
January 29th, 2008
“the PS3 is getting smashed in the US, the world’s biggest market.”
Haha made me chuckle when i read that.
I got this from Wikipedia, took me about 40 seconds.
US Population 303,260,872 (Jan 08)
Europe Population 728,000,000 (2005)
Europe’s is 3 years old there, how can the US possibly be considered the largest market? Maybe how you define Europe and which countrys are included in it?! My eyes aren’t too good, but thats looking like double there mate?
January 31st, 2008
Hey Chappas, whenever they talk about the “US market” that actually includes all of Canada and Latin America.
Look at the back of ANY box from most American videogames and you read something like “for sale, rent or use in the USA, Canada and Mexico and Latin America”.
That’s because software sales in those parts of the world are registered as “US sales”. A game someone buys in Argentina, Brazil or Mexico is always registered as a US sale. It really doesn’t matter where the game sales in America as long as it sells. And the US gets all the benefit from those sales.
Don’t like it? Tough. That’s how the ball bounces. And that’s why the US is still considered the largest market. I mean, you could fit western Europe inside one of many Latin American countries. So Europe is no match against America in that arena…. now, if the Asian market got their act together they would take the lead.
February 2nd, 2008
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/ea-ps3-to-trounce-xbox-360-in-europe-this-year/19289/?biz=1
Another point to how big the europe market is.
February 2nd, 2008
http://news.punchjump.com/article.php?id=5497
This article is about 360. But I do want to state wii is so overpowering in sales because they have a good gimmick. Look at every post and argument about 360 and ps3 its always my processor, my controllers, my fps, my game list, my online, ect ect ect. You never see wii in this argument, why? Because their market is beyond trying to being a home entertainment medi center. All these companys think we need a media center. Its a money making scam. Wii however skips the bullcrap and appeals to kids like the rest and adults in a way the other two cant. Excercise, family time, wiifit with yoga and a whole array of games that people have a good time playing. My nephew has all 3 he hardly plays the wii. however its the type of market wii has stood for, not trying to outdo anyone, not trying to give you 20 different configurations, just them being what they always been, Nintendo. So in reality all the bickering arguing means crap. Halo wars are useless, console wars are useless, none of these things affect us as a whole. Its not like the media war where one is definetly going under. These things are meaningless and we should just enjoy the games we like to play. Im not a fan of anything, but i hate bickering and will always put in my two cents to remind those they dont always know everything just because they sit in front of a tv like a zombie playing a game and says to themselves this rocks and is the best, if I bought it it must be number one. We all drive different cars have different obs eat different foods and live in different houses, deal with it, its life.
February 8th, 2008
the nintendo wii is a fad, and because im a wii owner i know. nobody wants people at there house all the time or should i say a lot of people dont. wii is doing well now because a lot of old people and kids are playing it but these people dont buy more than two games. xbox 360 is a failure and everyday more and more people will see that. ive been through 6 xbox 360s and im in constant fear of rrod. ps3 will win in the end cause it has a superior hardware which will lead to better games, online features and movies. ps3 is the future.
February 13th, 2008
Mike, the European market means shit compared to the American market, so just grow a pair and deal with it. I already explained why the American market is so large. It consists of Canada, USA and all the Latin American nations. Europe simply is no match against such a huge market.
You can continue to post some more links from sites that claim otherwise but it means nothing, and you know it. And that’s why gaming companies cater to the American market and give to Europe their table scraps.
February 20th, 2008
Albania – Tirana
Andorra – Andorra la Vella
Austria – Vienna
Belarus – Minsk
Belgium – Brussels
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo
Bulgaria – Sofia
Croatia – Zagreb
Czech Republic – Prague
Denmark – Copenhagen
Estonia – Tallinn
Faroe Islands (overseas territory of Denmark) – Tórshavn
Finland – Helsinki
France – Paris
Germany – Berlin
Gibraltar (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Gibraltar[5]
Greece – Athens
Guernsey (British crown dependency) – Saint Peter Port
Hungary – Budapest
Iceland – Reykjavík
Ireland – Dublin
Isle of Man (British crown dependency) – Douglas
Italy – Rome
Jersey (British crown dependency) – Saint Helier
Latvia – Riga
Liechtenstein – Vaduz
Lithuania – Vilnius
Luxembourg – Luxembourg
Macedonia – Skopje
Malta – Valletta
Moldova – Chişinău
Monaco – Monaco[5]
Montenegro – Podgorica
Netherlands – Amsterdam (seat of government at The Hague)
Norway – Oslo
Poland – Warsaw
Portugal – Lisbon
Romania – Bucharest
Russia[6] – Moscow
San Marino – San Marino
Serbia – Belgrade
Slovakia – Bratislava
Slovenia – Ljubljana
Spain – Madrid
Sweden – Stockholm
Switzerland – Berne
Ukraine – Kiev
United Kingdom – London
Vatican City – Vatican City[5]
laura your telling me this market means nothing? you are deluded