Greenberg: PS3 hemorrhaging money – Lost & Damned beat Killzone 2
You know the drill by now. First we get the NPD sales figures, then we get the companies involved trying to put a positive spin on them. We’ll ignore Nintendo this month, mainly because it’s winning on all fronts and doesn’t need to get involved. Instead, it’s up to Sony and Microsoft to do battle – step forward Mr. Aaron Greenberg.
Greenberg, the Xbox 360 product management director, is no stranger to controversy. Basically, the guy opens his mouth, a load of bile comes out, usually directed Sony’s way, and then he goes and eats a second lunch. Probably.
This month, in response to the February NPD sales data, Greenberg made a few comments clearly intended to generate headlines around the Web. As you can see above, he succeeded in his mission. The comments came in an interview with Gamasutra.
Firstly, Greenberg goes on the defensive about how well, or otherwise, the Xbox 360 did last month. Citing the 53 percent year-on-year sales boost, Greenberg states:
That exceeds even the high end of what analysts projected we would do for the month. I think the highest I saw was roughly 30 percent. We’ve had multiple months now of sustained year over year growth, which is fantastic.
So far, so good. These are figures that can’t be disputed, and Greenberg is merely talking up his format the way any loyal executive would. But then he seems to start pushing, wanting to make little digs in Sony’s direction. Killzone 2 received a massive amount of attention last month, and that obviously rankled Greenberg. He states:
[The Lost and Damned is] the most successful game add-on content we’ve ever launched. If that content was sold at retail, it would be one of the best sellers across all platforms. It would have outsold Killzone 2.
Two things to note. Firstly, there have been no officially released figures to back Greenberg’s statement up, and secondly, Killzone 2 achieved those impressive sales despite only being on sales for two days of February. That’s against the two weeks that GTA IV: The Lost and Damned was available for.
At this point, Greenberg is clearly on a roll and goes in for the kill. Talking about the Playstation brand and how the PS3 is doing at retail level, he states:
You can’t underestimate that we’re half the price of the PS3 at a time when consumers were looking for great value. The PS3 was down in February two percent even with the launch of Killzone 2 — that’s months of year-over-year declines. Xbox continues to head north while the PS3 is heading south. We’re gaining share.
But what we hear from our partners is that it’s not just PS3, it’s also PS2 down 62 percent year over year. With that business declining, and with the PS3 business declining, it’s been described to me as hemorrhaging at retail right now, and it just keeps getting worse.
What we’re finding in our research is that a large portion of the volume we’re driving with Xbox 360 purchasers is actually PS2 owners choosing Xbox for the next generation. We’re switching people from the PlayStation brand over to the Xbox brand.
Wow, don’t hold back Aaron, say what you think why don’t you. The PS3 didn’t actually have a bad month, recovering from the poor sales over Christmas to post the highest increase of any of the consoles. But year-on-year, Greenberg’s assessment is quite correct, and it’s not looking good for Sony.
Greenberg’s willingness to lay into the Xbox’s competitors never ceases to amaze me. As Nintendo calmly wins the war, and Sony sticks to its guns in the hopes everything will turn out OK, Greenberg shows how Microsoft is pushing the other two, both in words and actions. If Greenberg were a console himself, he’d probably even give The Chuck Norris a run for its money.
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40 Responses to “Greenberg: PS3 hemorrhaging money – Lost & Damned beat Killzone 2”
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March 20th, 2009
Right on cue Dave…
March 20th, 2009
I try my best…
March 20th, 2009
bravo… BRAVO!
March 20th, 2009
I like how Greenberg and Mattrick talk up the fact that Sony is losing games like Resident Evil; Sony lost Resident Evil nine years ago when Code: Veronica went to the Dreamcast; and then Zero and Resident Evil 4 going to the GameCube.
Basically, if Sony can lose software after having 2 of the most successful consoles ever made, there is zero guarantee that third party games will form the basis of Xbox consoles going forward.
It’s clear though that both Sony and Microsoft enjoy slagging each other off like this, so carry on. Who’s going to respond to this from Sony though I wonder?
Umm, I’ll go with David Reeves. We haven’t heard from him for about 5 minutes, after all.
March 20th, 2009
Dave in your past stories you at least pretended to be unbiased with maybe a slight undertone of sony bias.
But looking at your last few stories you don’t even try anymore.
March 21st, 2009
I love Aaron Greenberg. Tells it like it is, and shakes a hornets nest full of PS3 devotees in the process.
God bless him!
March 21st, 2009
Aaron Greenburg is nothing but a troll. His credibility is damaged severely whenever he takes a bash like this at the competition. Sure all companies (bar Nintendo) take a dig at the competition, but nobody does it like Greenburg. He gives gaming a bad name, makes the industry sound like it’s run by 11 year olds who sling mud at each other. You can always count on Greenburgs delusional rantings after NPD figures, just shows how insecure Microsoft/Greenburg is about the competition.
I look forward to the next installment of Greenburgs rantings to get my daily lol.
March 21st, 2009
see… I expect this kinda things from Sony… because being Japanese their PR is probably different… I expect this from Nintendo… because they are selling the most games and the most units
I dont expect this from Microsoft… they are educated people that know how their words can be twisted in the media… they know they are not the market leaders… and they still act as if they are the biggest boys in town…
I am deeply disappointed Greenburg… you may be a flamers wet dream… youre a nightmare for people who want to discuss gaming properly…
Fuck you bourne… buy Killzone 2… or else Im gonna send you red rings and e74 errors via PSN…
March 21st, 2009
Like you’re a complete stranger to having “little digs” in the name of making “news”, Dave.
Where’s that black kettle? The lady doth protest too much methinks.
March 21st, 2009
Microsoft is just talk. E74 is the new Red Light of Death. Xbox is know for many bad things like not having many studios by having the worst console quality ever made. By having just two exclusives. By stealing from customers. By having a laggy server full 12 year old cheaters. by saying they making profit when they losing everything on all things Microsoft. By being half hd 720p. by needing to upgrade everything, by having a small hard drive. by being stupid and childish. by buying timed exclusives that end up on ps3 with better things. by milking the boring halo and gears of crap franchise.
March 21st, 2009
Lol DWH i enjoy your virus’s
March 21st, 2009
Does anyone even respond to Ivan anymore? There are so many points with that I’m not even gonna try. I know us pro xbox people cringe at kev but ivan is just on another level for you PS3rd fans
lol
March 21st, 2009
I’m still waiting for kev’s APOLOOOOOOOOOOOGY.
We know your there Kev…. lurking on the sidelines ??!!
March 21st, 2009
CON:
No one cares what you ask because you an idiot.
March 21st, 2009
What’s kev got to apologise for spidey?
March 21st, 2009
Yeah, you an idiot….. wait…what?
March 21st, 2009
lock down: LOL – It’s a few threads ago now…… but he is hiding and I’m not gonna let him get away with it so easily.
He made a remark many moons ago that the ps3 was technically NOT capable of running split screen UT3. Recently when this implemented, he went on to say that ps3 owners were still waiting for this feature and that I owe him an apology for having a dig at him about it.
The funny thing is that when he made that comment, split screen and patch 2.0 was already implemented and as such we weren’t waiting for that feature, hence him actually owing me a apology…… on two fronts, I might add
I’m having good fun with this
Showing up Kev is always good fun. “THE MAN THAT KNOWS THE BUSINESS” LOL
March 22nd, 2009
Heh. You care too much, sweetcheeks.
March 22nd, 2009
I’m just having fun !!?? Do you really think that I thought I would get an apology….Not a chance in hell. I will just milk it for all it’s worth baby, Yeah.
March 22nd, 2009
If you say so.
My mistake…
March 23rd, 2009
*wipes tear from eye*…oh..spidey..i’m so, so, so sorry….please…give us a hug, sport…
..there, there…don’t you feel better now?
uh congrats on your splitscreen. it’s funny watching you celebrate being late with features…
March 23rd, 2009
back on topic; i think ms has every right to talk smack after the years of flaming kuturagi, hirai, and harrison did at the xbox’s cost last gen.
karma sucks…
March 23rd, 2009
It’s funny how Mr. Greenberg blabs on and on about Sony, but makes no mention of E74. It’s almost as if he wasn’t aware of the huge rise in failures, but I’m sure he is. Maybe he just “forgot” to mention it.
March 23rd, 2009
wow…more bad news for sony game makers…
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/03/someone-pays-sony-charges-publishers-for-ps3-bandwidth.ars
bummer…..
March 23rd, 2009
Greenburg very rarely has anything positive to say about his own company.
Speaking of hemorrhaging, how close is M$ to recouping their losses on the GTA4 DLC? Are they even close? And how much have they lost buying out 3rd party games/content from the likes of Square Enix and Bethesda? Since Kev is, in actuality, an Xbox-defending computer program written and controlled by Mr. Greenburg, I’ll await his answer…
-Arvis
March 24th, 2009
Kev….. my I am breathless ….. lol
But you are right….it is a joke ps3 ut3 owners had to wait so long.
Group hug everyone
March 24th, 2009
arvis – first yoiu need to find out how much ms spent on the content. so far, xbox live has generated over $100 million in d/l sales, so there’s a very good chance they lost no money buying the content. unless you have hard numbers to prove a point….
a program? that’s the best insult you could come up with…geez..you’re slipping…
March 24th, 2009
Once again… E74 and the rising amount of massive failures gets over looked….
March 24th, 2009
I am skeptical about this E-74 thing. What percentage of these ‘complaints’ are coming from PS3 fanboys who don’t even own a 360? With the way this console war is going, I wouldn’t mind betting that it’s rather high.
March 24th, 2009
Yes, I bet they send back there PS3s just to get the “new” refurbished 360s.
March 24th, 2009
Kev,
It wasn’t meant to be insulting, I don’t want to insult you. It was a playful jab at the nature of your posts here on The Blorge. You pretty much never talk about actually LIKING video games, you just come here to argue and defend the Xbox brand… much like Aaron Greenburg.
Anyways, can you give a source for how much money MS has made from DLC on XBL? Because $100 million seems low. They paid HALF that amount JUST for the GTA4 DLC:
thegtaplace.com/news/11604/microsoft-paid-50-million-for-gta-iv-dlc
-Arvis
March 24th, 2009
Actually they didn’t release the sales data. That was what was so shady about his statement in the first place. My guess is the GTA DLC may have just inched past KZ2, but it was also available for 10 times as long. Greenburg also forgot to mention Halo Wars taking a beating from KZ2, but I’m sure it must have just slipped his mind at the time.
March 24th, 2009
You know what I mean Barny. There are lots of people out there (and quite a few in here) from both sides who would go to a forum and say that they own the other machine and there’s lots wrong with it. Hell someone here even took the time to create a petition about a machine he doesn’t even own!
March 24th, 2009
Last I saw, Halo Wars was actually outselling KZ2. But let’s not let fact get in the way of a good story.
March 25th, 2009
arvis – can’t find the link. it may have been in OXM. it shouldn’t be hard to find. actually, i think i’m low in the estimate, but i’ll look when i get time.
since you asked, i’m “liking” Tiger Woods 09 and HAWX right now.
I give Tiger Woods a 9 and HAWX an 8. um…anything else you want to know?
March 25th, 2009
the closest i could find is
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Xbox-Live-Generates-More-Money-Than-PlayStation-Network-15732.html
xbox live has generated over $1 BILLION dollars (man, i was waaaaaay off) for ms.
altho, this doesn’t breakdown subscriptions and content either, so the math is fuzzy….
ms did release a statement that the GTA d/l content set xbox live sales records….altho i don’t have time to research..
gotta find some coffee….
March 25th, 2009
blog.wired.com/games/2009/03/halo-wars-sales.html
The “power of the Halo series” is truly amazing. It took over two weeks to hit a million units while KZ2 had well over a million preorders in Europe alone….
March 25th, 2009
*laughs*
Thanks Kev, but I didn’t ask.
Seriously, though, HAWX? I don’t think I would be playing that if I had Ace Combat on my system…
-Arvis
March 26th, 2009
arvis – yeah..give it a rental. the graphics are better than AC and the cities (for the most part) look pretty accurate since they’re using sat-data.
the story line is better and more plausible than AC games and the collection of aircraft puts AC’s to shame. I won’t even address the various weapons packages per plane.
voice acting could use some work, and a carrier landing wouldn’t have hurt, but all around a good game. then again, it helps to be a flight game buff….
March 26th, 2009
Kev,
Huh…. You give me pause. I’ll recommend this to my pilot friend. He’s the one who got me into Ace Combat in the first place, so he should like this one.
-Arvis