back to article World+Dog to get keen on consoles next year

Consumer spending on games consoles and software will begin to bounce back next year - after a slide of a few percentage points between 2010 and 2011 - thanks, in part, to the Wii U. So says market watcher IDC, which reckons that developed markets, seemingly sated appetite for gaming, will soon be hungry for next-gen consoles …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Errmmm

    "And one final fact for the fanboys: the PS3 will have the largest active installed base of any game console worldwide by 2015"

    The PS3 already has already easilly overtaken the Xbox360 installbase (as in XboxLand very few owners are on their original console due to out of warranty RROD, and many have re bought quieter and slightly more working slims) , so I'm guessing that statement is referring to the installed base of consoles of all time (i.e. PS3 global installbase will exceed the PS2 global installbase at it's peak)

    1. Chris Harrison
      FAIL

      By guessing ...

      you mean interpretting the statistics in whichever ways allows you (the sad Sony Fanboy) to feel superior about your purchase.

      What are you? Twelve or something?

    2. MikeyD85

      Errrmmm...

      What about PS3 owners upgrading to slim versions? Of those with YLOD? Or disc read error...?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Because

        Even 2006 launch units are quiet and reliable, and YLOD is extremely rate (<1%), so the liklihood of PS3 owners upgrading to slim units is remote, as there is no real benefit to do so....

        1. MJI Silver badge

          YLOD more than 1%

          Is more common than that but is still less common than RROD. More like 5%.

          2 YLODs, 2nd was 3 months after a repair for the 1st.

          2nd I Reflowed with a plastic welder then transferred data to a 320GB Slim.

          40GB will probably get a leaded reball at some point.

          YLODs are scarey - screen freezes then PS3 shuts down, I blame Naughty Dog - their game their fault.

    3. Dave's Jubblies
      Facepalm

      you know what...

      I was going to say something here, but I grow so tired of rebutting ranting fanboi troll noises that I just can't be arsed anymore....

      Go play in your bedroom... mummy will be along soon with some soup.

  2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge
    WTF?

    Consoles are part of Discretionary Spending

    I'd really like to know how high up the list of Discretionary Spending PlayStations, XBoxen or WII's come in these financially constrained times

    With experts predicting that the foreclosure rate in the US expected to double and economies all over the developed world suffering near zero growth, who can afford to buy a new toy for playing games on?

    IMHO (and I don't have a console or play computer games since I got a bought a house) not that many.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      well

      I had this discussion with a large group of friends and work colleagues a few months back when I was writing a little feature on cost-cutting for the works magazine, and it actually turns out that they're quite high up the list of discretionary spending for various reasons;

      lots of ladies are shelling out on wii's & wii fit / dance / zumba games etc in order to get fit / lose weight (delete as appropriate), some of those same people are likewise shelling out on xboxen and kinects in addition to the wii for "variety". Others are simply going down the xbox route instead of the wii route. either way the argument goes along the lines of "by the time i've shelled out on gym fees for a few months, travelling expenses, clothing and equipment, i've saved a fortune by getting the wii/xbox and exercising at home". I should point out that these people have achieved real, measurable results with their chosen exercise regime in the 4-6 months since I wrote this feature.

      Another argument is that they are being used for home entertainment (duh) as in a night out at the cinema typically costs around £100 for four people around here, whereas a four player console game can easily be had in tesco's for £25-40 - and is not then a one off experience. Certainly a "night in with the boys playing Halo / COD" is a much more regular feature than a night on the town these days.

      When I wrote the feature I did a facebook poll of my friends list and the results were quite startling- Every single parent(s) who replied to the poll had at least one of wii/PS3/xbox, and over 3/4's of the singles had a console of some sort. we're talking about a 700+ person friends list here of a 31 year old male who is in the second year of a degree and works full time.

  3. Giles Jones Gold badge

    Blu-ray effect?

    PS3 having blu-ray playback and easily upgradable firmware has surely helped its sales over the years.

    Why on earth didn't Microsoft add this as a feature when HD-DVD died off?

    1. Chris Harrison
      WTF?

      Maybe they didn't add it because ...

      1) Changing specs would piss off current customers,

      2) Blu-Ray happens to belong to Sony. I may be wrong, but do you think sony would licence the tech to microsoft to compete directly with the PS3?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Stop

      clearly

      several reasons.

      1/ It would be another admission that their premature launch and to go with least-gen DVD was a unmitigated disaster.

      2/ it would give money to Sony

      3/ it would never be able to use it for games without cutting off 30m consoles and forcing them to rebuy...

    3. alexh2o
      Paris Hilton

      True!

      Personally, I own a PS3 and an XB360. The PS3 is solely a Blu-ray player/media centre. I no longer own or play any games on it. The Xbox on the other hand, is solely a games machine to me.

      I wonder how many PS3's are used like that? Sony make absolutely zero money (they probably lost money selling me the console) from me owning their console...

      1. MJI Silver badge

        Not many

        Too many good games, but ours still gets used for BD and IPlayer as well. Just that games are more entertaining.

  4. LPF

    LOL

    Look at the PS3 fanbois trying to justify there purchase , its been years children , you still have not passed the xbo360 and by the time you do , it will only be becuase Microsoft has tsopped selling the sucker. But hey if it allows you to sleep at night, WTH :)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Oh dear!

      Maybe you should get some sleep because your sleep deprivation is clearly affecting your mind.

      The installed base of the Sony PS3 surpassed the installed base of the Xbox 360 about a year ago. You might not understand this but it means there are more working PS3's out there being used than there are Xbox 360's. The reason for this is simple: a lot of people were bitten by the RRoD and had their machines replaced under warranty. As Microsoft were just refurbishing broken machines these customers received a machine that broke again, and again, and finally again when not under warranty. Because they had already invested in a lot of games they would discard their old one and buy a new one to replace the broken one.

      The PS3 is a sturdy little fella. There are some that break, but the percentage is well in the acceptable range of hardware failures. Because it is sturdy it means that the majority of PS3's sold are new installs, and not replacement machines.

      You will hear of the Yellow Light of Death (YLoD). I am not saying it is a myth, because I do believe it happens and all evidence points to 1st gen PS3's, but I know of no one who has had it happen to them. I know of one person who's PS3 broke, and that was due to their son. The YLoD is proudly proclaimed by people who try to justify their XBox purchase, and is generally a sign of someone who secretly wishes that they had purchased a 3D capable Blu-Ray Player & 3D capable games machine.

      Finally, for at least 2 years now the PS3 has been outselling the XBox 360. It is 3.5 million shipments behind and catching up to it. Now that they have reduced the price a lot of people I know think that £200 is acceptable for what you get and this only means that they will probably surpass the XBox next year. :oP

      So, hopefully I have fed you, LPF, and stunted your trolling. It was a pathetic troll and easily answered. Now go to bed little boy, your father will be up shortly.

      1. Chris Harrison
        Facepalm

        At the risk of feeding the troll -

        not according to VGChartz.

        But in all honesty, who gives a shit?

        I guess you'd like to see sony wipe out microsoft and nintendo which is about the worst thing that could possibly happen from a consumers point of view. Or hadn't you thought of that?

      2. Dave's Jubblies
        WTF?

        wow...

        I'm impressed that something so trivial bothered you sooooo much that you had to go to such lengths to reply...

        just....

        wow....

      3. MJI Silver badge

        YLODs

        Do happen, just not as much as RRODs

        But YLODs are fixable normally but I need to sort out reballing with leaded solder.

        Yes it is solder which causes YLODs that horrid lead free stuff is too brittle.

        Slims seem to be YLOD proof.

    2. MJI Silver badge

      Don't need to justify

      We have a PS2, we have a quantity of small people, more games for small people on PS3 than Xbox360.

      Now small people are older they prefer to play bigger games, also I like the games available so I play them.

      Do not make out that people choose PS3 over XBox360 needs justifying.

  5. Chris Harrison
    Stop

    Seems unlikely to me

    Surely both PS3 and XBox360 sales will stay fairly flat or decline as rumours of the next generation begin to take hold. As to the new wii, that looks like a real gamble with that strange controller and I wouldn't be surprised if its own sales are low due to people waiting to see what sony and microsoft do this time around.

    1. MJI Silver badge

      Actually it is possible

      XBox is starting to flag a little, mainly going after the Wii market, I am sure MS are planning a new console soon, as are Sony.

      PS3 will be kept on similar to the PS2, but the wider choice of games for the PS3 (not necesary more games, more game types) will make it a better choice when you have £200 to spend.

      Wii U I feel will be a flop.

  6. CheesyTheClown
    Go

    When are games on Apple TV coming?

    Seriously... sell me some controllers and sell me some games

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