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November 2014 NPD (U.S. Hardware) Predictions - Closes December 9th

stryke

Member
I don't think the silence means anything from both camps.

Sony doesn't often do them and I think MS is just preferring to wait it out for exact numbers; not necessarily to give out but maybe in the form of ratios and selling rate to be more comprehensive in their PR statement rather than the vague "best selling" like earlier this month.
 
Ive missed most of this thread but have we gotten any info on COD? I see lots of system war stuff but wasnt sure if we saw anything on it.

No, but we're going to get an update tomorrow.

Call of Duty: Ghosts sold 6.1 million copies in November 2013. I'll give a relative YOY update when the numbers come in.

Keep a look out for a random figure with no other context in the NPD thread.
 

Mikey Jr.

Member
X1 won people. Get yourselves ready.

Everyone and their mom knows X1 won.

They won the first 2 weeks of November, they have been at the top of the charts on Amazon for nearly all of November, and just all the anecdotal evidence points to X1 winning.

The question is just how much at this point. Enough to make a real dent in PS4's lead? If its less than 200k with all those crazy fucking deals, then I would say MS failed in that regard. Anything more, and its been a success.
 

Superman00

Liverpool01
I'm wondering if the sales didn't meet MS expectations. Pretty much all the deals are back to normal for the PS4, however, there is still some crazy deals for Xbox One. Especially by MS themselves. MS in-store deal for today is pretty crazy too. Xbox One bundle + 2 games for $350.
 

chithanh

Banned
Random question, but how did the companies know in the past what the competing consoles' sales were before NPD released their numbers to them when they released their PR prior to NPD release day?
The theory is that companies know exactly how much their systems sold, but have only rough ideas on how much the competition sold.
 

Ethelwulf

Member
I think things will go like this: if Microsoft wins, they will wait until Thursday evening with a press release. Everything cool. If they loose, we will see a sooner PR press release with something like "xb one was the best selling next gen console during black friday week" or something. Honestly, I'm expecting quite boring results. Microsoft should win. Gaf will explode if Sony wins though.
 

RE_Player

Member
Everyone with common sense would have known Xbox One would win November.

The only thing I'm curious about it how hilariously long their PR statement will be after several months of short or no statements at all.
 

Sharpeye

Member
Even if MS wins Sony will just close the gap right back up when the Order and Bloodborne release. It will be a minor victory in a war they can't win. That's not even counting worldwide were the Ps4 is slaughtering the Xbox. MS needs to focus on the world and not just America, though I think it's too late for that.
 

Bgamer90

Banned
Even if MS wins Sony will just close the gap right back up when the Order and Bloodborne release.

We don't know this yet. Really think it will depend on the price of the consoles when 2015 starts. I honestly can't see MS going back to having every SKU over $400 after this but we'll see.

It will be a minor victory in a war they can't win. That's not even counting worldwide were the Ps4 is slaughtering the Xbox. MS needs to focus on the world and not just America, though I think it's too late for that.

That's the thing, it's already too late to compete worldwide pretty much. Might as well go all in on the territories that the brand is still doing decent in. It's all about PR at this point -- winning in territories where they actually have a chance to do so to make the Xbox One look like it's doing better than it actually is.
 
We don't know is yet. Really think it will depend on the price of the consoles when 2015 starts. I honestly can't see MS going back to having every SKU over $400 after this but we'll see.

Not going back to 399 is one thing. Still having their current type of bundle is another.

Will they still have a 2-game bundle at 349 post-December?
 

Duxxy3

Member
Not going back to 399 is one thing. Still having their current type of bundle.

Will they still have a 2-game bundle at 349 post-December?

If I was making the decision I would refresh the bundle with MCC and Minecraft as the replacement games. Keep the price at $349, but at least you're not paying a third party for the bundled games.
 

Abdiel

Member
I haven't seen him around.
It's weird..

Yo~

Sorry guys. Things have certainly still been busy at work, but honestly, the reason I didn't make a 'final month retail check' is because I don't really have a clear picture. We sold a ton of both consoles. I haven't had time to try to find an exact breakdown on a larger scale than my own district, and here, we sold more PS4s for the month, by a nose. Sony sent us a ridiculous amount of systems, fully refreshing us after we sold out of the initial (big) black friday shipment, and the sales we did on the white units saw really good velocity there. But the only other district I had a chance to try and look at saw slightly higher XB1 numbers, from what I could tell.

I just... don't have numbers I would say are a good depiction, like I usually do, so I didn't want to paint a broad impression.
 

Bgamer90

Banned
Not going back to 399 is one thing. Still having their current type of bundle is another.

Will they still have a 2-game bundle at 349 post-December?

I don't know -- don't think it will be two games. Maybe just one.

I could see there being an Evolve bundle at $350. Then a Quantum Break bundle a few months later at the same price. I also expect a Halo 5 bundle and a Tomb Raider bundle next Holiday -- could see them both being $300.
 
Hey, predicting a PS4 win is a no-lose situation.

If Xbox wins, just act nonplussed just like everyone else.

If PS4 wins, bragging rights and Kaz gifs will flow freeform.

Or May be it is actually because we feel it is very possible. End of the days gamers win !!!
 
I expect a repeat of this year's bundle strategy for next year, but shuffling SSO with Blops3, AC with TR and COD with Halo.

- Special Custom Halo 5 bundle at a slightly higher premium. ( it's Halo, doesn't need to be a loss leader SKU)

- Double Tomb Raider bundle with TR1 and Rise at the base price.

- White SKU with Blackops 3.
 
Yo~

Sorry guys. Things have certainly still been busy at work, but honestly, the reason I didn't make a 'final month retail check' is because I don't really have a clear picture. We sold a ton of both consoles. I haven't had time to try to find an exact breakdown on a larger scale than my own district, and here, we sold more PS4s for the month, by a nose. Sony sent us a ridiculous amount of systems, fully refreshing us after we sold out of the initial (big) black friday shipment, and the sales we did on the white units saw really good velocity there. But the only other district I had a chance to try and look at saw slightly higher XB1 numbers, from what I could tell.

I just... don't have numbers I would say are a good depiction, like I usually do, so I didn't want to paint a broad impression.

Thanks, Abdiel. Glad you're ok! I was actually starting to worry about you. I was like "uh oh, I hope he didn't get trampled :("
 

blakep267

Member
I don't know -- don't think it will be two games. Maybe just one.

I could see there being an Evolve bundle at $350. Then a Quantum Break bundle a few months later at the same price. I also expect a Halo 5 bundle and a Tomb Raider bundle next Holiday -- could see them both being $300.
Pretty much. I'm expecting a 350 evolve bundle in February. Evolve is a game that needs to have a healthy player base and since Witcher got pushed back, it's the only game that MS is marketing for those first few months so I expect them to go all in with evolve

Imagine the return of the white console bundled with a game. Instant sell out( well not instant but you know what I mean)
 
Yea dropping 3/5ths of your cost in under a year has to be some sort of record. That's just absolutely insane.

If Ms doesn't win US sales selling the console at a value of $200 with bundled software that's pretty much all she wrote at that point. I mean what else could you possibly do?

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/18/40gb-ps3-coming-nov-2-price-reduced-for-80gb-model/

Sony dropped from $599 to $399 in less than in a year in 2007. That's a bigger percentage drop and has to be some sort of record.
 

Bgamer90

Banned
Imagine the return of the white console bundled with a game. Instant sell out( well not instant but you know what I mean)

The white console did very well and I would be surprised if MS never brought it back. It would be nice if they made a Forza Horizon 2 bundle with it seeing that the game didn't do that well in sales; First party exclusive so it would be easy to bundle it.
 
Yo~

Sorry guys. Things have certainly still been busy at work, but honestly, the reason I didn't make a 'final month retail check' is because I don't really have a clear picture. We sold a ton of both consoles. I haven't had time to try to find an exact breakdown on a larger scale than my own district, and here, we sold more PS4s for the month, by a nose. Sony sent us a ridiculous amount of systems, fully refreshing us after we sold out of the initial (big) black friday shipment, and the sales we did on the white units saw really good velocity there. But the only other district I had a chance to try and look at saw slightly higher XB1 numbers, from what I could tell.

I just... don't have numbers I would say are a good depiction, like I usually do, so I didn't want to paint a broad impression.

Your input is still greatly appreciated^^
 

RexNovis

Banned
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2007/10/18/40gb-ps3-coming-nov-2-price-reduced-for-80gb-model/

Sony dropped from $599 to $399 in less than in a year in 2007. That's a bigger percentage drop and has to be some sort of record.

PS3: $600-----> $400 = 4/6 = 2/3 = 66% so thats a 34% drop in price

XB1: $500 -----> $200 = 2/5 = 40% so thats a 60% drop in price.

Yea no the XB1 dropoff has been way more steep when calculating the additional value of bundled games, accessories and subscriptions in many of the deals this season. It is absolutely unprecedented to see a product shed 60% of its cost in the span of a year.

I don't think anyone would argue that the deals MS have put out this season aren't unprecedented and anyone who does is kidding themselves. MS went for broke and threw all their chips in on the holiday season hand hoping to buy the pot. Time will tell if they succeeded but if they didn't they are pretty much completely fucked as there are basically no other play for them to make for the foreseeable future.
 

Rymuth

Member
Yo~

Sorry guys. Things have certainly still been busy at work, but honestly, the reason I didn't make a 'final month retail check' is because I don't really have a clear picture. We sold a ton of both consoles. I haven't had time to try to find an exact breakdown on a larger scale than my own district, and here, we sold more PS4s for the month, by a nose. Sony sent us a ridiculous amount of systems, fully refreshing us after we sold out of the initial (big) black friday shipment, and the sales we did on the white units saw really good velocity there. But the only other district I had a chance to try and look at saw slightly higher XB1 numbers, from what I could tell.

I just... don't have numbers I would say are a good depiction, like I usually do, so I didn't want to paint a broad impression.
*waves* Welcome back man, you had us worried.
 

Lace

Member
PS3: $600-----> $400 = 4/6 = 2/3 = 66% so thats a 34% drop in price

XB1: $500 -----> $200 = 2/5 = 40% so thats a 60% drop in price.

Yea no the XB1 dropoff has been way more steep when calculating the additional value of bundled games, accessories and subscriptions in many of the deals this season. It is absolutely unprecedented to see a product shed 60% of its cost in the span of a year.

I don't think anyone would argue that the deals MS have put out this season aren't unprecedented and anyone who does is kidding themselves. MS went for broke and threw all their chips in on the holiday season hand hoping to buy the pot. Time will tell if they succeeded but if they didn't they are pretty much completely fucked as there are basically no other play for them to make for the foreseeable future.
Dropping the price so drastically is risky since it devalues the product in the eyes of the consumer. If they go back up to the $399 price point after the holiday season its extremely likely people will hold off based on the belief it isn't worth the retail asking price.
 

RexNovis

Banned
Dropping the price so drastically is risky since it devalues the product in the eyes of the consumer. If they go back up to the $399 price point after the holiday season its extremely likely people will hold off based on the belief it isn't worth the retail asking price.

Definitely. I really doubt they are stupid enough to do that though. They'll probably just do a price drop on the console to $350 and remove the bundling incentives (games, sunscriptions etc). I really don't see it being feasible for them to keep these bundles going though.
 

le-seb

Member
XB1: $500 -----> $200 = 2/5 = 40% so thats a 60% drop in price.
Wait, what?
Where was the XB1 available for $200?

Edit : I'm dumb, had to read $200 off, right?
Edit 2 : But in this case, it would mean 40% off, not 60%...
Edit 3 : No, your PS3 numbers do not compute in this case, my initial remark is still valid!
 

Lace

Member
Wait, what?
Where was the XB1 available for $200?

Edit : I'm dumb, had to read $200 off, right?
Edit 2 : But in this case, it would mean 40% off, not 60%...
I assume he's including bundled items to decrease the cost of the core console in the calculation.
 

RexNovis

Banned
Wait, what?
Where was the XB1 available for $200?

Edit : I'm dumb, had to read $200 off, right?
Edit 2 : But in this case, it would mean 40% off, not 60%...
Edit 3 : No, your PS3 numbers do not compute in this case, my initial remark is still valid!

Read further it was valued at $200 given the costs of all the bundled merchandise. For a breakdown of that See the post below:

He is probably confused with target...

X1 +ACU + AC4 + $50GC = $329

ACU = $60 value
AC4 = ~$20 value

So $329 - $60 - $20 - $50GC = $199 for the console itself.
 

hwateber

Member
Since it's pretty obvious that Xbox is going to take hardware NPDs, I'm really curious about the software. There were just so many heavy hitters this month
 

QaaQer

Member
But wasn't Target eating a good part of the loss on these $130?

No way Target was eating the cost, absolutely no way. Companies like MS have to pay stores like Target to feature their products and give them shelf space. At best, MS was paying < the face value of the GC. And as for the pack-in software, again that is MS.
 
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