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Sony Has Sold 50 Million PlayStation 4 Units (gamespot.com)

Posted by msmash on from the sales-figures dept.

Sony today shared sales figures of the PlayStation 4, saying the gaming console surpassed 50 million units as of this week. The console was launched in November 2013, and hit 40 million sales mark in May this year. In a statement, the company said, via GameSpot: "We're truly delighted that the PS4 community continues to flourish since launch three years ago," Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Andrew House said in a statement. "With tremendous support from our fans and partners across the globe, this year we were able to deliver an unprecedented lineup of hardware, including the new slimmer PS4, PS4 Pro, and PlayStation VR. We will continue to provide the best gaming experiences available through our ground-breaking software lineup and network services, as we focus on accelerating our business and expanding the PS4 ecosystem."According to an estimate Nvidia provided in August, Microsoft's Xbox One has an install base of 29 million.

73 comments

  1. I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 0

    I bought one last week and I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm still trying to find games to play for it as it doesn't seem to have the wealth of games I enjoy like the Wii U does, but next year looks like a really good year for PS4 gaming. I'm also excited to see what they do with VR. Hopefully the Scorpio comes out and blows us away with that too.

    1. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I bought one last week and I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm still trying to find games to play for it as it doesn't seem to have the wealth of games I enjoy like the Wii U does, but next year looks like a really good year for PS4 gaming. I'm also excited to see what they do with VR. Hopefully the Scorpio comes out and blows us away with that too.

      Some titles you may have missed:

      • The Last of Us (Remastered)
      • Bloodborne
      • Arkham Knight (best version being on the PS4)
      • Infamous: Second Son
      • Ratchet and Clank
      • The Uncharted series (including Uncharted 4)
      • Until Dawn
    2. Re:I just bought one last week by WinkyN · · Score: 2

      I too bought one last week, and I am very happy with it so far. Uncharted 4 is fantastic. If you've played Assassin's Creed before, the controls and game play are somewhat similar. FIFA 17 is outstanding, as well. I'm also looking forward to trying out the PS Vue to see if it's a good replacement for DirecTV.

    3. Re:I just bought one last week by Luthair · · Score: 2

      I've found this console generation to be a colossal disappointment in terms of games. The previous generation had quite a few interesting games but this one seems like a wasteland.

    4. Re:I just bought one last week by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 1

      Oh god, does anyone else remember that cringe-worthy petition to get Bloodborne released on PC?

      https://www.change.org/p/from-...

      I'm still not sure if the submitter was being serious when they created the petition.

      --
      Summation 2
    5. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...I'm still trying to find games to play for it as it doesn't seem to have the wealth of games I enjoy like the Wii U does...

      I hope you understand this statement is akin to hearing the new Corvette owner state "I'm still trying to find more space, as this sports car doesn't seem to have the wealth of room I enjoy like my minivan does."

      One is not like the other. At all.

    6. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      as it doesn't seem to have the wealth of games I enjoy like the Wii U does

      There's a wealth of games' on Wii U?
      Mine's collecting dust after I finished Xenoblade X and Fatal Frame 5.

    7. Re:I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      I subscribed to PlayStation Vue on and off last year. It's great because it's only $30/month and one only has to subscribe when there is something worth watching on Cable TV. It works really great over my Google Fiber connection.

    8. Re:I just bought one last week by tepples · · Score: 1

      Super Smash Bros. For is itself a wealth to some.

    9. Re:I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      I guess that's the problem. Most of these are M rated one player games. I'm more of a colorful blue skies gameplay focused kinda gamer. So far, I've enjoyed the demos to Dragon Quest Builders and Tearaway. I'm looking forward to Ni No Kuni II and Valkyria Chronicles IV.

    10. Re:I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      So what you're saying is that the PS4 is a powerful console without games? ie games == space in your analogy?

      I don't think that's entirely true or fair. There are some really fun games that I'm thinking of picking up such as Dragon Quest Builders. Also I'm going to try out PSVR as I hear they have some asynchronous games similar to Nintendo Land.

    11. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I also just bought one and I have been extremely disappointed. The UI is a trainwreck, the store is a mess, the deals are non-existant, as is the game selection, and lets not discuss constant, mandatory downloads. I got a PS4 and the only games worth having are 4 year old PC indie games (like Bastion). I really dont understand what people are using this console for. Im playing PS3 games on it, I guess that is something. Oh, dont worry you have to rebuy them! This will be my last console.

    12. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I prefer Same Old Crap 6 myself. Super Regurgitated Tripe 3 also wasn't half bad.

    13. Re:I just bought one last week by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      So what you're saying is that the PS4 is a powerful console without games?

      I think it may just be poorly phrased shock that you'd make such a comment, as for most people the PS4 lineup seems patently superior to Wii-U.

      I've got both systems (and XBOne), and though the kids enjoy a few more games on the Wii-U, I'm basically stuck waiting on Zelda Breath of the Wild.

      On PS4 I've got Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3, Witcher 3, Dragon Age 3, Uncharted 4, Until Dawn, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and quite a few more - with more on the way too (Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us 2, etc).

      Granted, I'm sure it's subjective and based on what types of games you enjoy, but it's just hard to imagine anyone looking at the current console gen's library and thinking WiiU is the one with the good games.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    14. Re:I just bought one last week by David_Hart · · Score: 2

      Oh god, does anyone else remember that cringe-worthy petition to get Bloodborne released on PC?

      https://www.change.org/p/from-...

      I'm still not sure if the submitter was being serious when they created the petition.

      Nope... but I do remember the petition to release the DLCs for Skyrim for the PS3. Bethesda, at the time, said that the PS3 wasn't powerful enough. I ended up having to buy the PC version of Skyrim and migrate my save games to the PC. Of course, going from the PS3 to a PC with a GTX 970 made a big difference in graphics and load times.

      This experience reminded me of the limitations of consoles. It didn't stop me from upgrading to a PS4, but it did remind me why I use my desktop as my main gaming rig.

    15. Re: I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you've had it a week and you've determine that there are no good games for it. Yea we believe you. More like you just like bitching and moaning just to hear yourself bitch and moan.

    16. Re:I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      If we ignore the awesome remakes and amazing multiplatform indie games, the Wii U had: Splatoon, Pikmin 3, Nintendoland, Wonderful 101, Smash Bros., Toad's Treasure Tracker, Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Maker, and Mario Kart 8. These are all high quality games that are fun to play. Many of the games above are probably quality games, but not anything I'd want to play personally. I'll probably pick up Little Big Planet 3, Tearaway, Dragon Quest Builders, Ni No Kuni 2, and Valkyria Chronicles 4 for the PS4. Perhaps even the Kingdom Hearts games if I have time.

      I'm more of a game play first kinda gamer than a "watch a 'movie' about killing things that requires mashing the 'x' button a whole lot" kinda gamer. But there's nothing wrong if someone likes that sorta thing.

    17. Re:I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      By games above, I meant the list you gave, not the Wii U list I gave. :D

    18. Re:I just bought one last week by deek · · Score: 1

      To add to the list:

      The Last Guardian (released this week)
      Gravity Rush
      Little Big Planet 3 (oh c'mon! It's fun!)
      The Witness
      Journey
      Valkyria Chronicles

    19. Re:I just bought one last week by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      I think you underestimate the gameplay of the above games. PARTICULARLY Dark Souls or Bloodborne. If you think those are even remotely similar to "mashing the X button a lot" you're very mistaken. They're some of the most challenging AAA titles on the market.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    20. Re:I just bought one last week by gameboyhippo · · Score: 1

      Maybe you can help me a bit. With Mario, the gameplay element is jumping. When you jump on different objects or enemy types they react differently. Jumping on a Koopa is different than jumping on a Goomba and so on. These reactions are arranged into an amazing and creative game. With Splatoon, the gameplay element is team based ink coverage. Each weapon has a different take on such a task. Different modes provide additional twists on this idea of covering the world with ink. It is this varied, yet easy to understand concepts by what I mean by gameplay first.

      Bloodborne, and I know I'm judging a game by its title, sounds like something where you get weapons and kill things. Sometimes there are things that are harder to kill. But the concept is the same. Get weapon, kill things, move. Get weapon, kill things. move. Just like Space Invaders. Kill thing and move isn't something that interest me. Perhaps you can help me understand how Bloodborne should be in my library. I just don't see me bringing it home and saying, "Hey kids! Let's sit around the PS4 and play Bloodborne!" or "Guys, want to come over to my house after work?" "To play Smash!?" "No to 'Bloodborne' it up!" Please convince me on what I'm missing.

      You get what I'm saying? I'm sure Bloodborne and games like it are challenging and entertaining to a certain group of gamers, but not for me. So if I don't get excited about the next "mash 'x' and kill things" games, don't worry. I'll still support the PS4 by buying games like 'Dragon Quest Builders'.

    21. Re:I just bought one last week by vuffi_raa · · Score: 1

      I got one on black friday because at target it was $200 for a slim model (with cartwheel). One of the big things for me outside of the games mentioned above is xcom2 which is a pain to play on PC just because of the size of the download and the space it would take up on my laptop (45gb)

    22. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      wut r u a casul?

    23. Re:I just bought one last week by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      Bloodborne isn't exactly a social game if you're looking to play with a group, but most of its gameplay is revolved around timing. Boss fights in the game effectively go through a sequence of attacks - you have to understand the pattern of the boss. One boss may attack in a pattern when he's going to swing 3 times - when you have to dodge his attacks before even thinking about attacking back. Sometimes whether you dodge left, right, or backwards makes a difference (ie, a boss may have 6 telegraphed attack sequences - one one specific one you may need to dodge left for the first two attacks in the sequence and then right for the third).

      Some sequences may not even have a counter-attack afterwards - you dodge until he telegraphs a new sequence and then give it a try another time. Sometimes they hit certain phases where their library of attacks or patterns change at a certain health level.

      It becomes a game of dodging and counterattacking with extreme precision. While a few of the boss fights I won within 2-3 tries, certain ones took DOZENS of attempts over several days to complete.

      I can completely understand if you say that you don't like that type of game - but I can't reasonably comprehend you saying that the reason for you not liking it is due it basically being a movie with no gameplay. Heck the story in those games is so subtle and nearly non-existent that you have to basically watch Youtube videos to even explain what's going on. It's nearly all gameplay and no story.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    24. Re:I just bought one last week by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...certain ones took DOZENS of attempts...

      git gud

  2. Re:fp by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

    There's too many people outside, it's quieter at the Inn.

    Maybe I'll go at the auction house later though.

  3. Welly welly welly well. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sony haters lose once again. What with that rootkit thing then? Nobody cares, I see. Too bad nerds, your boycott failed. Just like everything you do.

    1. Re:Welly welly welly well. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's always cute when the console peasants get uppity.

    2. Re: Welly welly welly well. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It always makes me smile when nerdinhos get shit upon.

  4. XBox One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The XBox One is better in all respects. Better graphics, better price, better selection. Plus you don't need to suffer through those awful Japanese on-rails games like Final Fantasy XXXIVVIIX.

    1. Re:XBox One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      western games confuse and frighten
      how to have same experience as all peers when characters can be created?!
      no thank you!

    2. Re:XBox One by Higaran · · Score: 2

      I think Microsoft killed some sales of the xbox by announcing the Scorpio too early, I know quite a few people that are waiting off just to get the Scorpio.

    3. Re:XBox One by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Possible replies:
      1. Scorpio? Isn't that the name of a Bond-style vilain in the Simpsons?
      2. Scorpio? I was waiting for the Xbox Two!
      3. Scorpio? I guess all they can do is switch to animal-sounding names since they messed up their naming order with Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

    4. Re:XBox One by Higaran · · Score: 1

      Scorpio is the codename for the supposedly fully 4K Xbox one that is supposed to come out next fall.

    5. Re:XBox One by tepples · · Score: 1

      Or because buying four months early will give you Cancer instead of Scorpio.

    6. Re:XBox One by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      Xbox One does have better price. Other than that there are a precious few exclusive titles but for the most part they're basically the same with most titles being available for both platforms - you can play a game on either and have mostly the same experience.

      Honestly any serious gamer can just buy whichever one they feel like at first - for many that's already been PS4 because it INITIALLY had the price advantage, and then play all the cross platform games on that. After a few years when they've both gotten cheaper buy the other system to catch up on the back catalog of exclusives.

      Loyalty to any single console is stupid.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    7. Re:XBox One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to mention that, since I'm a developer in my day job with a more than passing familiarity with UWP development, I can easily tinker with writing software for the XBone and without forking out a metric shit-ton of cash (or any at all, really).

      Sony can get stuffed unless they give me a free dev kit that I can install on my PC. Because that's what Microsoft is doing. Nintendo can still scrape by on just being Nintendo, like they have for the better part of 3 decades now, but Sony doesn't get that "first party boost" (a.k.a., the 1-Up).

    8. Re:XBox One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I think Microsoft killed some sales of the xbox by announcing the Scorpio too early, I know quite a few people that are waiting off just to get the Scorpio.

      I'm pretty sure that the announcement of the Scorpio was intentional. Many years ago, when I used to still play games avidly, I owned a 3DO, one of the first 32-bit consoles on the market. Shortly afterward, the Sega Saturn and the original Sony PlayStation came out. The 3DO never did develop a very large market partly due to its price, partly due to its lack of great software, and also in part due to it not being significantly more powerful to convince people to buy the console which would compel developers to create games for the console. The Saturn and PlayStation were quite a bit better than the 3DO and many people were starting to buy those consoles. Those who did not buy were either still wringing out the last bit of value out of their 16-bit or 32-bit (3DO and Atari Jaguar) consoles and watching taking a wait-and-see approach to which 32-bit console to buy.

      3DO didn't really have anything close to being ready for market and knew that the Saturn and PlayStation would be the end of them. It also knew that once people bought a console, 3DO would not have another opportunity to make gains again until the next generation of game console (Sega Dreamcast and Sony PlayStation 2), which was years away and the company probably would not have the financial wherewithal to survive that long.

      So 3DO floated out teasers about their M2 product, which was supposed to blow away anything on the market and anything coming to the market, to cause buyers still on the fence to postpone purchases of the Saturn and PlayStation and wait to see what the M2 had to offer. The time 3DO bought for itself with this ploy allowed it to try to broker an agreement with one of the major game companies (I seem to recall it was Sony) that would allow it to survive. The deal never materialized and 3DO ultimately went bankrupt.

      Meanwhile, the people who waited for the M2 were tricked into waiting for something that never had a realistic chance of coming to market. They were duped into not buying a next-generation console by 3DO so that 3DO could try to bail itself out.

      The truth behind 3DO and its M2 and the negotiations with Sony were ultimately publicized so if anyone doubts this story, they can look it up.

      I bring up this anecdote because that was the day that I "grew up" and stopped being a pawn in the console wars. Companies in a losing position will intentionally put out lies to prevent customers from buying competitors' products. (Obviously but I was extremely stupid and naive back then.) Unless Microsoft actually shows real hardware, published specs, and demonstrates actual games on the hardware and not some souped-up $3,000 PC, it's likely a ruse a la 3DO to manipulate people into not buying PlayStation 4s or Nintendo's new console (Switch?)

      From what I gather (I don't follow the gaming industry very much anymore), the Xbox One has not sold very well and can be considered a failure. Microsoft's situation meshes fairly well with that of 3DO's (with the exception that Microsoft has a tremendous amount of cash and is in no danger of going bankrupt) and would have similar motive to make misleading statements about their next gaming console.

      The point of my post, then is this: If you're looking to buy a console, select one that is available *now* or is practically guaranteed to be available very soon (Nintendo Switch?). Do not postpone a purchase just because of one company offering vague promises of something that will be much better. Of course it will be better: time will elapse. I'm sure consoles 10 years from now will be far better than anything today for that matter. But waiting for vapor is taking the risk of sitting out a generation.

      If you don't mind sitting out a generation, by all means, wait. However, if you're interesting in playing some games, don't accept vapor promises from companies that are lagging and perhaps desperate to gain market share.

    9. Re:XBox One by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A difference of course is Microsoft has so many zillions to waste it doesn't matter if their future (or present) console fails or not.
      The original Xbox was a money pit, I played with it just a little bit and it was a great console (although I didn't play Halo). It likely was the best console simply because it had the faster CPU and the most RAM, although perhaps it failed at having the best or most games and a low price. My parents got us a Game Cube which was really great too but we had like 10 games including a Mario one I didn't give two shits about, fuck there was no Street Fighter or Castlevania or TMNT or whatever and a shitty Zelda, but mostly there was Metroid and Star Fox : the unrelated game with Star Fox characters thrown in at the last minute (good game with about the right levels of impressive graphics). So Nintendo went into funds wasting mode too, being that they made zillions on crappy Pokémon (even just the animated series, meaning a generation grew up watching this teletubbies crap instead of something like City Hunter or whatever). 3DO M2 could have been on the market if vanity funds wasting on consoles had been a thing in 96 or 97. Well, there was fund wasting afterall, how do you explain the Apple Bandai Pippin (an unaccelerated console! not that bad an idea since the 486 DX2/66 with dumb framebuffer ruled, except they were asking 3DO prices while facing the Sony and Saturn and didn't have one good game, so, terrible idea.)

    10. Re:XBox One by man_the_king · · Score: 1

      Better graphics

      Not according to Digital Foundry. Compared to XB1/XB1S, PS4/Pro has consistently better graphics.

      ..better price..

      I'll give you that, if only because MS is discounting their console a lot on a lot of different occasions, seemingly due to their comparative lack of success against the PS4.

      ..better selection

      Entirely subjective.

  5. If this were a phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It'd be a failure. Not even 10 million a year. And near-zero margins.

    1. Re:If this were a phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But it's not a phone, dumbass. It's a games console that's the clear leader in the current field despite Sony being complete and utter bastards. Sony also make a profit from the hardware, and they make around $10 platform fee per game, and around $1,600,000,000/year from PS+ subscriptions. (that's billion, thicko). But don't let the enormous financial success this games unit makes Sony upset your xboner - go on, fap one off, you know you want to.

      And if we continue your moronic assessment, phones are huge failures compared to burgers.

    2. Re:If this were a phone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple would be in there if there were money to be made any more. Consoles are dead.

  6. Re:fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, and so much for the boycott... bunch of pansies...

  7. Congratulations Sony! by GrumpySteen · · Score: 1

    You've managed to reach 12th place!

    1. Re:Congratulations Sony! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your sarcasm is a bit disingenuous given that they have the top spot and three others above the PS4 on that list.

      Even with Sony being a shit company it will never not be entertaining to see Microsoft get BTFO.

    2. Re:Congratulations Sony! by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 1

      You've managed to reach 12th place!

      The same link shows it to be number 7 among home consoles. It's slightly less then 12 million units behind number six and Sony holds the number 1 and 2 spot with the PS1 and 2 and the PS3 is at number 5.

    3. Re:Congratulations Sony! by RogueyWon · · Score: 1

      Most of the consoles on that list reached end-of-life some time ago. The PS4 is still in the middle of its lifespan and, with the PS4 Pro just launched, is likely to remain live for quite some time.

      In terms of sales trajectory, which makes for better comparisons, the PS4 was tracking broadly equal with the Wii (the previous record holder at the 3-year point, though it also flatlined not long after that) until Sony announced the PS4 Pro earlier in the year. That dropped their trajectory a bit, as people who had been planning to buy a PS4 over the summer deferred their purchase until the Pro was available.

      There's still every chance that the PS4 will eventually hold the number 1 spot. Cheaper hardware and a larger (and cheaper) games library means that console sales traditionally hold strong through the mid and late parts of the cycle. At the 3 year point, the PS2 was still at 70 million sales and, as recorded by your own link, it would eventually go on to sell around 155 million.

  8. If you want something done, do it yourself! by Kamamura · · Score: 1

    Their own management probably bought majority of those units to boost sales stats. The bonuses that will be awarded for PS4 performance will cover the costs and there will be plenty left for personal yachts, jet planes and spacecrafts.

    Capitalism is soft of a perpetuum mobile... for the select few.

    1. Re:If you want something done, do it yourself! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you really don't understand basic economics, do you?

      I really hope you don't live in the US so I don't have to pay for your sedentary, unproductive and unambitious so-called life

  9. Imagine these numbers if it had Linux! by shess · · Score: 2

    Surely there would have been hundreds of millions sold if it only supported Linux. Short-sighted at best.

    1. Re:Imagine these numbers if it had Linux! by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      The year of the Linux Game Console is coming.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    2. Re:Imagine these numbers if it had Linux! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The PS4 uses a modified version of FreeBSD with a GTK based UI. There is a scene already doing homebrew (if you know where to look), and no, it does not run copied games.

  10. Re:fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, but once the fake new story hits the street about removal of support for PS3 games...

    CAP === 'critics'

  11. PS4, Xbox... bleh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'll wait to see what the Switch has to offer. The Sony and Microsoft consoles are for specifications nerds. What matter is the games.

  12. Not flame bait by nasch · · Score: 2

    So serious question - why is the PS4 so drastically outselling the XBox One? Performance? Games? Price? Because PSN is free? Are people still gun shy from the red ring of death? Windows 10 hate carrying over? A combination of many factors?

    1. Re:Not flame bait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Games, and console cost, just like every other one.

    2. Re:Not flame bait by ausekilis · · Score: 2
      I think there are many reasons:
      • Performance - The PS4 has slightly more throughput and reports show it runs at a higher resolution
      • Marketing - XB1 was initially marketed as a one-box-fits-all media center that plays games. PS4 was marketed as a game console that handles a few other things
      • DRM - XB1's first press release had some convoluted solution for sharing games with friends and trying to kneecap second-hand sales. PS4 had a demonstration for sharing games, handing a box to your friend
      • Accessories - XB1 had the mandatory kinect with an always-on microphone. PS4 had an optional PS Move accessory pack. I'm pretty sure folks didn't like the idea of an always-on microphone and camera staring back at them when they aren't playing.
      • Cost - PS4 started off as a better bang-for-the-buck, partially due to it being slightly faster (DDR5 vs DDR4 RAM, among other specs), partially because it didn't have a $100 spybot sucking away potential consumer dollars.

      It isn't that PSN is free and XBL is not. True you can browse stuff on the PSN, but in order to play games with friends and get the free monthly games, you need a Plus account, which is like the XBL gold account. It also isn't (necessarily) games, their starting libraries were very similar without many exclusives to either console. That's still pretty true, barring some of the established franchises like Gears of War and Uncharted.

      Now with PS4 being the winner of this generation, developer focus is primarily on them.

    3. Re:Not flame bait by FFOMelchior · · Score: 1

      More and (arguably) better exclusives. Check out this list: http://www.ign.com/wikis/xbox-... It seems even at first, until you scroll down more and realize the Xbox One list doesn't even make it halfway. (29 for XBone, 70 for PS4)

    4. Re:Not flame bait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Because PSN is free?"

      Huh? That's not correct anymore actually.

    5. Re:Not flame bait by hal2814 · · Score: 1

      Can't speak for everyone but an exclusive is what got me. This is my first Playstation console. I owned an xbox 360 and had no intention of ever buying a Playstation until Street Fighter V was announced as a PS4 exclusive. Not everyone is going to go out and buy a new console (and mod their fight sticks) just to play Street Fighter V. I have no illusions V is why PS4 is outselling xbox one. But the more exclusives a console can carry, the more chance their is for this sort of thing to happen.

    6. Re:Not flame bait by MBGMorden · · Score: 1

      I may be wrong, but I don't think it really is anymore. It came out of the gate with a lower price point due to XB One originally bundling Kinect. After they've ditched that though and MS has gotten XB One's price down below PS4's it seems to be picking up. I remember seeing several articles stating that XB One's outsold PS4 over Black Friday, and it may continue to do so over the rest of the holiday season.

      At this point PS4 just has a fairly significant lead overall and any ground Microsoft has gained has been minimal - probably not enough get back into the lead in installed base for the remainder of the lifecycle.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    7. Re:Not flame bait by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Now with PS4 being the winner of this generation, developer focus is primarily on them.

      Problem is, Sony is reverting back to their previous ways.

      Sony "lost" the previous generation which turned them into a leaner, meaner competitor this time around. Just like how Microsoft "won" and became complacent. Now that the roles have switched, Microsoft's offering has gotten better, while Sony's starting to rest on their laurels. (In fact, The xbone has begun outselling the ps4).

      One of the biggest things was the incremental improvement called the PS4 Pro - yes 4K is a thing, but they then omit a 4K UHD drive (present in the much cheaper Xbone S units). Given how aggressive the movie studios are about pushing UHD, it's got really strong sales. (And the Zbone S is considered to be the reason why the standalone UHD players have plummeted from $500 on release early this year to $200 or so now given Microsoft's aggressive pricing).

      Hell, PS Plus games have gotten pretty shitty the past year, while Xbox Games with Gold have tended to be fairly decent. PS Plus is really becoming a joke - it used to offer really good stuff, now it's really more of an afterthought. Heck, the PS Plus section has gone down the tubes.

      That, and the fact the price has gone up ...

    8. Re:Not flame bait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except Microsoft never 'won'. They certainly act like they did, and 'support' their claims by cherry-picking data [it was the highest selling console in the US], but they came in dead last in global sales last time out, being beaten by both Wii and PS3. Still, the fanboys live in their echo chambers and hear what they want to hear, so...

      You're dead on that they're yet another victim of the "We are gaming" mentality, though...it set Nintendo up to get clobbered in 5th gen, set Sony up to get clobbered (and somehow make a decent recovery) in 7th gen, and Microsoft is getting clobbered now.

    9. Re:Not flame bait by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      I'll tell you what I think the major factors are. One, because basic PSN is free, yes. Two, because Microsoft so badly bungled the launch, and inertia is so very important. Inertia is the only reason we're still stuck with Windows; they got up a head of steam and managed to use it to build themselves a relatively unassailable position. Their stranglehold is only now failing on the desktop, and only because they went full spyware.

      When Microsoft first launched their console in this generation, they said all kinds of idiotic things and had to backpedal on them even while the launch was occurring, and that cost them dearly. They have simply never recovered due to network effects. If your friends have the PS4, you're more likely to buy the PS4 so that you can play the same exclusives, share controllers, etc etc.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    10. Re:Not flame bait by Xest · · Score: 1

      I have both consoles (and a Wii U in fact) and whilst the PS4 can list more exclusives, the vast majority of them are just really shit indie titles.

      The PS4's exclusive lineup is definitely looking up, but until now I feel the Xbox One has had far better exclusives. Things like Dead Rising 3 and Ryse at launch were far more fun than anything Sony had on offer, and since then they've had titles like Halo 5, Quantum Break, Gears of War 4, Sunset Overdrive.

      I'm looking forward to The Last Guardian, and I did enjoy games like The Order 1886, not gotten around to Uncharted 4 yet though. LBP3 was just a bit boring, more of the same. I thought Street Fighter V was just fucking awful, Mortal Kombat was way better, as is Killer Instinct on the Xbox One.

      But although the PS4 exclusive lineup is definitely improving, so is the Xbox One lineup also. Things like Halo Wars 2 and Crackdown 3 are likely to be box shifters.

      All in all I definitely prefer the Xbox One's exclusive list regardless of it's relative size - like the PS4, 90% of the exclusive lists are just utter shit, so factoring out the utter shit closes the gap regardless by shrinking both console's lists drastically.

      But really, if exclusives matter at all it begs the question as to why the Wii U isn't the top selling console of this generation, frankly it has far, more, far higher quality, far more fun exclusives than the other two combined - Mario 3D World, Pikmin 3, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Splatoon, Star Fox Zero, Mario Kart 8, Paper Mario: Color Splash. All these titles are far higher quality, and focus far more on being simply enjoyable than many exclusives on other consoles.

      So I don't think you can realistically just relative merits and success by exclusives as an overriding factor anyway otherwise Nintendo would likely win hands down.

      I think Sony simply have a powerful brand, and Microsoft ultimately fucked up early on above all else. Nintendo has struggled because it released an underpowered console in the face of last gen, when it should really have waited a few years and released a console with far more competitive specs. Specs shouldn't matter, but ultimately they are used to define or shame a brand, and unless you can pull off an upset as Nintendo did with the Wii where you have a differentiator that genuinely makes the specs irrelevant then low specs will get you fucked.

      I think therefore it's really a combination of things that overall define the brand that matters - Sony has a reasonable set of excellent exclusives, it didn't have the DRM/spying rumours of the Xbox One, it has a massive general library, and it was a marginally more powerful device than the Xbox One at a lower price point. Those things combined are what have won things so far for Sony. It's worth noting that the Xbox One has made ground over the last year, I suspect this is because the tarnish of it's own brand from it's pre-release mis-steps are finally fading coupled with the good will it's gaining with new dashboard functionality and support for things like backwards compatibility. One shouldn't forget that last generation we had the exact reverse scenario - Sony started off behind due to a late release coupled with a tarnished brand from the past rootkit fiasco and so on and so forth, but eventually towards the end of the generation pretty much pulled things level with the 360 as the tarnish faded and it regained some good will with some of it's later releases (i.e. The Last of Us).

    11. Re:Not flame bait by ausekilis · · Score: 1

      Sony "lost" the previous generation which turned them into a leaner, meaner competitor this time around. Just like how Microsoft "won" and became complacent.

      Sony "lost" the previous generation in the beginning in part due to their following the same path of the PS2. Sony went for a powerful custom chip (that 8 'core' cell processor) in the PS3 that no developer really understood while the XB360 ran a custom x86 chip. It wasn't for a few years that developers finally caught up and were able to do a lot with the PS3, and some of those awesome games starting coming around. Uncharted, Last of Us, etc... The XB360 was in the lead for many years, then Sony snuck up behind them and took the lead.

      Now that the roles have switched, Microsoft's offering has gotten better, while Sony's starting to rest on their laurels. (In fact, The xbone has begun outselling the ps4).

      Yes, Sony does have a habit of becoming complacent. They've reported something like 50Mil+ PS4's sold. Microsoft hasn't truly reported how many XB1's have been sold (XB includes XB1 and XB360, which has only recently been phased out). If you look at the best-selling console lists, the top is only listed at something like 60Mil, which hints that Sony is getting close to market saturation (okay, that's a big assumption). Of course the rate of sales is going down, everybody already has one. Microsoft is trying to catch up by listening to the customer base (imagine that!) and they removed the kinect, they've lowered prices, "project scorpio" is supposed to be much more powerful than the PS4 Pro for a comparable price. Only time will tell who really wins this round.

  13. Still waiting ... by Martin+S. · · Score: 1

    And I'm still waiting for the release of Gran Turismo

  14. Backdoors by Archfeld · · Score: 1

    I wonder if the play station has as many backdoors as Sony video cameras apparently do ?

    --
    errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
    1. Re:Backdoors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i see that you're a backdoor man. turn it around, there may be a port small enough for you to penetrate it with, nobody is judging you here.... we're all nerds, just very few of us are in to backdooring a home console instead of our wife. but as you stated, they have cameras that can accomodate you.