Activision: PS3 to have another bad year in US

[Darth Daver]

TVG: Activision Predicts Another Slow Year For PS3 News

Activision has suggested that Sony's PS3 could have another disappointing year in North America...


In Activision's conference call to investors following their Q3 financial results, the publisher has suggested that the PlayStation 3 will sell 3-4 million consoles in North America. This compares unfavourably to their other predictions of 4-5 million Xbox 360 sales, and more than 6 million sales of Wii units.

Activision's President and CEO, Mike Griffiths, announced the company's console sales predictions for 2008, which differ significantly (where PS3 sales are concerned) from similar figures that EA recently compiled as predictions for 2008.

EA gave a top-end estimate that both the PS3 and Xbox 360 will sell 5.5 million units in North America. Not only does this show that Activision's estimates are more conservative than EA's, but also that the publisher believes the PS3 won't lift itself from 2007's disappointing performance.

EA's estimates were not only positive for the PS3 in North America but Europe as well, where 6 million unit sales were predicted. This left the PS3 outselling Microsoft's Xbox 360 by as much as 3.5 million units in the Western Hemisphere during 2008.

A little different to what EA has predicted. I think this is more likely though...

[Fyrus]

Interesting?


















Not really.

[Leonidas]

LOLZATON.


No seriously, I think uh... Activision might make some crappy games, but they call a spade a spade.

EA are much more likely to be paid by Sony to hype them um. Plus they'd have more incentive, follow the money, find the clues, etc.

[Azt3k]

I liek activision moar.

[boffo]

I never realized that game companies had such a desire to be sales analysts.

[Leonidas]

Hmm, there's something going on here, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it!







Leonidas is on the case!©

[rounds1]

Originally Posted by boffo

I never realized that game companies had such a desire to be sales analysts.

Well, nobody said they were good at it, but of course it helps them to predict their sales if they have some kind of knowledge of how many consoles will sell.

[boffo]

Originally Posted by rounds1

Well, nobody said they were good at it, but of course it helps them to predict their sales if they have some kind of knowledge of how many consoles will sell.

Unless they have all sorts of inside information from the console makers than their guesses are just that.

Although the title of the thread is somewhat deceiving saying they think the PS3 will have a bad year. If the PS3 sells to the high end of their estimate and the 360 sells to the low end of their estmate, both console's will be selling the same. Does that mean that both would be considered as having a bad year?

[Sim88]

if the MGS4 released is pushed back again, this time until after the 360 release the PS3 won't do any good this ear either.
/troll

I can see it go either way, mainly depending on the PS3's games, since the 360 owners eat games like Japaneses people eat DS'. Moar games = Moar consoles sold, roughly. Imo. I think.

[rounds1]

Originally Posted by boffo

Unless they have all sorts of inside information from the console makers than their guesses are just that.

Although the title of the thread is somewhat deceiving saying they think the PS3 will have a bad year. If the PS3 sells to the high end of their estimate and the 360 sells to the low end of their estmate, both console's will be selling the same. Does that mean that both would be considered as having a bad year?

It's a matter of opinion whether or not both selling the same would be considered "bad" for either. They probably say it's "bad" for the PS3 because of pre-launch expectations. I mean, let's face it - sales wise in the US, the PS3 probably isn't doing what Sony thought or hoped it would. Can't necessarily say it's "bad," but lower-than-expected sales can have all kinds of different affects on a corporation.

My guess is that they based these estimates on current trends plus a few curve ball scenarios to drum up a final #.

While these predictions are fairly important to them, they aren't nearly as important to their stock holders - not as much as the outlook for their own sales are. Maybe they had a bad outlook and are trying to justify it by saying consoles wouldn't sell as well as they expected. I dunno...