GameStop: GTA IV on Xbox 360 has two to one sales advantage over PS3
By Dave Parrack
The release of Grand Theft Auto 4 was always going to be huge, and so it turned out, with gamers on both sides of the true current gen divide (excusing the Wii for now) buying the game in droves. However, being a multi-format release it was also going to be a clear test as to which console was currently dominant.
While we are waiting on the official NPD software sales figures from April to be released, hopefully later this week, Level Up claims to have got hold of exclusive figures from GameStop, the biggest videogame retailer in the US.
These figures show that during its first week on sale, two copies of GTA IV were sold on the Xbox 360 for every one sold n the Playstation 3. That’s 64% to the Microsoft machine, and only 34% on the Sony machine.
However, before all you Microsoft fanboys go off on a rant about how this proves the Xbox is owning the PS3, the figures aren’t really that much of a surprise when looked at in comparison to current hardware install bases.
Barring April’s as yet unpublished figures (though I’m sure Pachter has had a go at predicting them using his ever so reliable crystal ball) there have been 9.9 million Xbox 360s and 4.1 million PS3s sold in the States since their respective releases. Which roughly translates to two Xbox 360 owners for every one PS3 owner.
So what does this prove? Absolutely nothing, except maybe that Grand Theft Auto 4 has achieved a remarkable level of purchase amongst all the different gaming groups, transcending consoles et al.
I’ve no doubt that once NPD reveals the official figures a clearer picture will become clearer as to who won the GTA IV sales battle, and which console sold better as a result of the game being released (we may have to wait until May’s results for this) but for now, it’s pretty even.
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Tips N4G
May 13th, 2008
again… congratulations 360… a well deserved victory…
May 13th, 2008
KA-CHING!!! mo’money…mo’money…mo’money…
that 360 is a money making machine!!
May 13th, 2008
yes… money making machine… pfft…
none of which you get
May 13th, 2008
dwh - it means they’re in better position for next gen. more money = more developers
easy equation.
May 13th, 2008
yeaaaaaaah….
mo’money = hidden meaning about world domination XD
May 13th, 2008
Preach Kevin Preach.
May 13th, 2008
Didn’t Microsoft lose upwards of 1 billion dollars, repeat: one BILLION dollars, fixing and dealing with the RRoD?
I think their money-making machine isn’t working properly.
-Arvis
May 13th, 2008
Nah, just means that the PS3’s owners want GTAIV just as much as the 360’s owners. Even more important…that the DLC on the 360 really isn’t causing that much of a blip in the sales either.
@ Kevin - And MS needs more developers, 1st party devs are something MS is sorely sorely lacking. Sony’s got 3-4x the amount of 1st party devs that MS does. Besides, if your equation was true…MS would have all the developers given the amount of profit MS makes (even after the RROD payouts).
Regardless, this argument would’ve meant something a year ago…and if it could’ve stopped 1 system from gaining enough market penetration as to effectively kill it’s existence, then it may have been a benefit. Now it just keeps gamers at each others throats over who’s better than who (Cause I bet my brother could kick your brothers a$$! lol). Bottom line, the 360 and PS3 aren’t going anywhere…the only difference will be the direction that their software library goes. And that folks will continue to pick up the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player and media center, rather than a primary gaming console.
Either way, the innovation used to create games for both machines, will benefit all console owners. So, that’s a good thing at least.
Morne
May 13th, 2008
GTA4 is the only good game for the xbox 360 in 2008 big DUH!
May 13th, 2008
To set aside one billion dollars for repairs and a three year warrantee and still makes a profit. Now that telling you something. Microsoft backs up their product better then Sony.
I was lucky my Playstation 3 broke with-in the year mark or I would have been SOL.
And three years from now I’ll doubt I’ll even be playing on either unit because something new and better will be out.
It’s just a matter of time before the full true 3-D game machines sync up with the 3-D tv’s.
May 14th, 2008
I love how they like to preach that the 3 yr warranty is such a good thing…. It was offered (ever so reluctantly) because if you bouhgt a 360, you had a 1 in 3 chance of having to send it away for repairs, again and again …. and again.
Sounds like a sweeet deal to me..lol
May 14th, 2008
A 3 year warranty is a great thing actually. If a PS3 breaks down after one year, who foots the bill for repairs? I doubt it would be Sony. At least we have the peace of mind that if anything does go wrong (I have a launch 360 and have not had a single problem) that it’s covered.
May 14th, 2008
yes but winner, the point is that ps3’s dont have nearly the same failure rate as the 360. Sony know how to make decent hardware which lasts. 33% failure rate for 360 compared with 1% for ps3. thats why sony doesnt give a longer warranty.
http://www.ripten.com/2007/07/03/failure-rate-xbox-360-high-as-33-sony-ps3-less-than-1/
May 14th, 2008
too bad sony cant get decent software made for their machine… haha
May 14th, 2008
Bourne -”Sony know how to make decent hardware which lasts.”
i guess you missed the part where sony was sued for shoddy ps2. they forced millions to buy a second ps2, while ms did not force those to buy new 360.
it’s called integrity. yes, i know, lost concept on you.
May 14th, 2008
arvis - the profits that ms is reporting is even WITH the $1 billion earmarked for repairs. yes, my little nooblet, “money making machine”..
the machine is working nicely apparently, given the sales of the 360 over the ps3, the higher attach ratio than the ps3, and more online users than the “free” psn. ALL money making avenues.
dwh - did you think sony meant world domination when they were rolling in money with the ps2? bah..of course not.. your ignorance stops with ms.
May 14th, 2008
forced those to buy a ps2? no-one can force someone to do something, they didnt have a gun to their head. Kevin you love to hyperbole things dont you.
May 14th, 2008
also kevin, good to have your microsoft verbal diarrhea back on board, its been too long. Im guessing the pay checks are coming back now?
May 14th, 2008
Arvis first of all Microsoft makes Billions. So 1 Billion is nothing. Your talking about a company that gave Africa 1 Billion Dollars in aid because they could. Why people bring up these spending issues is beyond me.
May 14th, 2008
Bourn
Even if the PS3 does not have the issues of breaking down as much. at least I can get another 360 with the 3 year warrenty but if you PS3 breaks down get ready to spend big buck on a new one. if my 360 dies after 3 years by that time the price would have come down and I’ll just go buy an Arcade 360 because I have all the othr components and it won’t cast me PS3 prices.
May 14th, 2008
Bourne - when the ps2’s started to die due to DDE and DRE, it was sony who REFUSED to acknowledge the ps2 even had a problem, thus NOT honoring any type of extended warranty (unlike ms). So, that leaves the consumer with the option of 1. buying a new one or 2. having wasted money on ps2 games that can’t be played.
there is more than one way to force someone to do something and not all have to do with guns. the left eh consumer NO option. that’s another way of forcing. ie; the old leadership saying says, “if you want someone to go thru door A, you don’t push them; you simply close doors B and C”.
when you refuse to see the truth and instead flame the messenger, you KNOW you got nothing.
someday when you get to big-kids school, you may learn about such things.
May 14th, 2008
kevin, you could always decide to not play games, or chose a different console. But please continue with this bias information. infact i bet youre going to link hitler to sony somehow. as long as you get paid eh?
May 14th, 2008
I meant “they left the consumer NO option”. fat fingers…sorry.
May 14th, 2008
bourne - i’m geting paid? how much…and more importantly…WHERE’S MY CHECK?!!!
bottom line is; you, like other ps3 zealouts, refuse to see the truth. thankfully the courts didn’t see it your way.
May 14th, 2008
Kevin,
No one here believes a word you say, you know that right?
There are these things called “sources.” Cite them.
-Arvis
May 14th, 2008
arvis - you and the other ps3 zealouts really need to learn the history of gaming to put up any type of logical debate. your excuse of “in my opinion” is junk. my “opinion” is based in fact. so; here you go..
http://forevergeek.com/news/sony_settles_ps2_lawsuit.php
sony refused to even acknowledge the problem existed for years forcing most ps2 owners to buy more than one.
for the love of gawd, go learn something before you post again. google is a great tool.
May 14th, 2008
Refuse to see the truth?!!! what truth?!! im very very happy with my playstation 1,2 and 3. Ive never had any problems with any of them. This beaurocratic crap that you keep coming up with doesnt affect me in the slightest and im an avid gamer!! I play brilliant games on a brilliant machine and im very happy with how sony have delivered a fine range of consoles. They continue to deliver fine software and i look forward to what the future holds with sony. They havent let me down yet so i stay loyal to them.
May 14th, 2008
Kevin,
That’s what you’ve been harping on all this time? Sony denied a relatively small technical issue on the PS2 and then, when pressed with legal action, acknowledged the problem and compensated their customers accordingly.
Sound familiar?
http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1532&Itemid=39
Microsoft has done the exact same thing, the only difference being that the “technical issue” in question is huge and is an immediate risk upon purchase of their product. They didn’t offer a simple solution until they were pressed with legal action.
And I’m still waiting on a source that says Microsoft’s profits include the billion dollar hit from the RRoD.
-Arvis
May 15th, 2008
no Arvis… YOU ARE WRONG!!!
see MS is a money making machine.. and unlike Sony… they are American… so they are Cool… so you have been “ownaged” “nooblet”… CHUCK NORRIS!!
bought my PS2 (modded) in 2003… no problem… yet… bought my 360(modded) 1 year ago… RROD… TWICE…]
Im waiting for a specific statistic… which states how many out of the 20+ mil 360s sold had RROD and had to be replaced…
so we can get an accurate result of how many 360s there are in peoples living room… not in the garbage with Coleicovision and the old Commodore…
May 15th, 2008
http://www.xboxer.tv/
check out the “Xbox 360 to have 7-year lifespan” article…
May 15th, 2008
Bourne,
Regardless, I feel safer with a 3 year warranty.
http://www.ihavereallybigtesticles.com
May 15th, 2008
ARVIS - PLEASE read more. i’m tired of finding links for you. that’s the last “source” i google for you. do it yourself. MS stated the 360 is currently in the black with the 1 billion hit factored in. sorry you don’t believe it, but i’m too lazy to look for ANOTHER link for you.
the fact is; ms addressed the issue in under a year, sony ignored their problems for 3 years forcing ps2 customers to buy another one out of their own pocket. 1 year and 3 are not the same, but in your sony-tinged mind, it is. Even then, sony never owned up to the problem.
you conveniently left out the part that the number of reported RROD at first was extremely low, due to the low userbase. as more were sold, the problem was reported more widely and ms did something about it. prolly why ms didn’t move on it sooner.
sony was threatened with legal action for years and did nothing. the fact sony NEVER even ackwoledged the problems just throws your theory of a small number being problematic. the numbers were large enough for them to settle the case.
really? “fudzilla”? you can’t find a more credible news report?
May 15th, 2008
winner, get off this side you uneducated 10 year old
May 15th, 2008
Kevin,
*laughs*
Yeah, somehow I knew you were going to say something about my pulling from Fudzilla.
When I found the source I was like, “Yeah, not the best… but I’m lazy!” So I just went with it.
Either way, as a source, it’s still more reliable than the sources you just used to back up your statements. OH SNAP!
Either way, I’ll just stay skeptical about Microsoft’s “profits” for now. And since I know you’re making up the “Sony ignored the problem for 3 years” thing, I won’t bother to ask for a source. And it’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just I have no reason to think you’re correct. My first PS2 lived for 5 years of nearly non-stop use in a humid, dusty, back-woods house before it crapped out. Then my dad and I each bought a slim and both still work. So my personal experience with the console tells me a different story about PS2 reliability than you do. And since you won’t offer any proof, then… *yawn*
Wow, I seriously just bored myself. I apologize.
-Arvis
May 15th, 2008
arvis - the facts are old, and really common knowledge to anyone paying attention to the gaming industry.
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/04/microsofts-game.html
that took me .13 seconds to find on google.
i’m done finding links for you. everything i’ve said is based in fact, yet i have to provide links to common sense items. getting old. believe what you want.
May 15th, 2008
ps..you’re truly luck. i’ve had 3 ps2…my kid’s had 3. using sony’s math, there are actually 6 ps2 gamers. nice math, huh? compliments of sony.
May 15th, 2008
Kevin,
Ah, I see. The billion-dollar loss was a write up that affected only last year’s earnings. Interesting, and thanks for the link.
Something tells me this doesn’t qualify as “common knowledge” though. Still, I would expect a decent post from you to still contain your traditionally ascerbic tone. Seriously though, thanks for the info.
-Arvis
May 15th, 2008
‘ ‘ http://www.xboxer.tv/
check out the “Xbox 360 to have 7-year lifespan” article… ‘ ‘
7 years LMAO, the xbox 360 cant even last 3 weeks without overheating.
May 16th, 2008
Xbot, that’s great, that means I’ll have next-gen gameplay 3 years before the PS3 comes out.
Hmm, mine lasted two years and then I got it back for free in two weeks with new parts… how about you?
May 16th, 2008
sorry, PS4 that is.
May 16th, 2008
arvis - no prob. i’m just confused. you are OBVIOUSLY an intelligent person, so how can you lack such insight into gaming’s history.
bah..don’t answer that. it’s none of my business.
May 16th, 2008
maybe the reason it’s selling so well on the 360 vs. the ps3.
interesting read..
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/digitaljoystick/archives/138345.asp
May 16th, 2008
Kevin,
Nah, I don’t mind admitting ignorance. While I’ve been gaming for 21 years, I never really paid much attention to all this “console war” crap until this generation (if you don’t count my days in middle-high school on the bus arguing why the N64 was way better than the PS1). And during the PS2 era, I just had tons of games, no issues, a subscription to OPM, and no internet connection whatsoever.
Nowadays, the Playstation console is still the only console I can allow myself to fully support and still maintain a clean conscience. Nintendo refuses to take gaming anywhere other than the toilet, and I refuse to give Microsoft any more money, period. But good games are good games, so I’m still open to playing them, regardless of the console.
-Arvis
May 18th, 2008
Go get em Arvis. Here, here. Couldn’t agree more.