Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Tuesday, 08 April 2008 14:21
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 5
Smarthouse then quoted Cidade’s quote to me, saying: “What Cidade is reported to have told iTWire is "We are happy with where we are in the market right now. We're significantly ahead of where we planned to be this financial year, and selling well both on the software and hardware side."
Smarthouse says: “In other words Microsoft have lowered their expectations for the Australian market and are now happy to chuff along in third spot behind Sony and Nintendo.”
That may or may not be so, but if Microsoft says they are “significantly ahead of where we planned to be”, surely that is a success.
Smarthouse then broke down the sales figures, taking the 320,000 units Cidade says Microsoft has sold in Australia alone, comparing this with the 240,000 PS3 units Smarthouse says Sony has sold, while saying that Nintendo has ‘blitzed them all’ selling 350,000 units.
When you look at these sales on a next-gen console only basis, Microsoft is in number 2 spot. But Smarthouse rightly looks at sales of other consoles as well, saying Sony has sold 250,000 PS2 units, 100,000 PSP units and Nintendo has sold 600,000 DS consoles.
This puts, as Smarthouse claims, Nintendo in the top spot, Sony in no.2 spot and Microsoft in the number 3 spot.
But would Microsoft care? Xbox is only one part of their business, just as PS3 is only one part of Sony’s business – Nintendo is the only one here who only makes consoles and nothing else.
So, what magical event is very likely behind a softening of retail sales at the moment, and what else happens in this incredible story of sales, Xboxes, PS3s, PS2s, PSPs, Wiis and DSes? Read on to page 3. You’ll love it.
