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Analysts Talk Latest NPD Data
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox, Xbox 360,
The latest NPD data showed strong September sales growth; 38% over 2005. Nintendo and the DS showed strong growth, and the “next generation” transition doesn’t seem to have hurt the industry as much as expected. But hidden in the NPD data are some interesting points that various analysts have started to dissect. GameDaily reports on analysis from Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities, and Deutsche Bank analyst Jeetil Patel. Pachter sees the PS2 growth as a good sign, with software sales up 12 percent compared to last year. But the original Xbox has been fading fast. As one looks at the numbers, it appears that the Xbox 360 is completely cannibalizing the original Xbox user base. The Xbox 360 seems to be pushing better than expected software sales, a good thing for Microsoft.
Still, things don’t appear to be completely rosy in the Xbox 360 camp. Jeetil Patel feels like the Xbox 360 is underperforming. Tracking the Xbox 360 versus the original Xbox’s sales path seems to indicate that the Xbox 360 has moved fewer net units than the original Xbox at this point in the console life cycle; the lack of units during Microsoft’s holiday launch last year really set the company back. In addition, NPD data has the total Xbox 360 sell through at approximately 2.7 million units. Japan adds only a fraction to that number, with well under 200,000 units sold through in that territory. An optimistic projection for the Xbox 360 in the rest of the world might match the US total. At this point, it is starting to look like Microsoft’s projections of a 10 million unit head start by the time the Playstation 3 launches was extremely aggressive. With probably just over six million Xbox 360 consoles moved worldwide to date, Microsoft would have to nearly double their worldwide sales in October and November to match their goals before Sony’s November launch of the Playstation 3.
Read More 
| GameDaily BIZ
Gallery: Analysts Talk Latest NPD Data
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Nintendo Further Clarifies Wii Sensor Bar Sun Issues
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Wii,
Nintendo’s recent unclear “clarification” of the Wii’s sensitivity to sunlight to 1up left something to be desired. Kikizo pressed a little harder, and got a company representative to admit that the Wii sensor bar can be affected by head-on exposure to sunlight, causing interference. Of course, if the sensor bar is directly facing sunlight then the television that the console is connected to would likely be affected in the same manner. So, it looks like the sun will kill the Wii sensor bar, but only in situations where the sun shines directly into the IR sensors.
Read More | Kikizo
Gallery: Nintendo Further Clarifies Wii Sensor Bar Sun Issues
Wii Pre-Orders Start Friday, October 13, at GameStop/EB
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Wii,
GoNintendo has official confirmation that Nintendo Wii pre-orders will start Friday, October 13. The site has a scan of the the confirmation e-mail sent from GameStop’s corporate headquarters; while Wii console allocations aren’t given, GameStop responds to some issues reported by customers during the PS3 pre-order event (as quick as that was). First, GameStop stores are not to have reservation lists or other methods of holding pre-orders before the program starts. All pre-orders are to be allocated in a first-come, first-serve basis for customers in store. According to the e-mail, customers “must be physically present at the store at opening time… to make their reservation deposit.”
GameStop also stresses that stores are not to force bundles on customers, or otherwise give preference to gamers that had previously pre-ordered Wii games or accessories. This contradicts what some customers were told earlier by GameStop employees, and may cause some conflicts. GameStop also stressed that stores were not to have special opening times for the pre-order start; no midnight or early openings would be allowed.
While the Xbox 360 pre-order system was basically a nightmare, and the PS3 pre-orders didn’t last long enough for issues become a problem, Nintendo’s larger allocation of consoles will help alleviate some of the pre-order issues. At the very least, it looks like GameSpot is trying to eliminate some of the problems they have had in the past.
Read More | GoNintendo
Gallery: Wii Pre-Orders Start Friday, October 13, at GameStop/EB
Nintendo Of Japan Prices Wii Accessories
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Accessories, Hardware, Nintendo, Wii,
Nintendo of Japan recently added a list of accessories and prices for the Wii in Japan; this should give US gamers a general idea of what to expect for pricing here. The accessories listed include:
- Replacement Power Adapter: 3,000 Yen ($25)
- Composite Video Cable: 1,000 Yen ($8.40)
- S-Video Cable: 2,500 Yen ($21)
- D-Terminal Cable (Japan-specific video cable): 2,500 Yen ($21)
- Component Video Cable: 2,500 Yen ($21)
- 512 MB SD Memory Card: 3,800 Yen ($32)
- USB LAN Adapter: 2,800 Yen ($23)
If Nintendo prices their accessories in the US at something close to the dollar conversion rate, the cost would seem pretty reasonable. The component video cable is at least less expensive than the Gamecube cable was, assuming that one had a component capable version of the console. The USB LAN adapter is reasonably priced as well, hopefully Nintendo of America will keep this priced at under $25.
Read More | Nintendo of Japan
Gallery: Nintendo Of Japan Prices Wii Accessories
Let the PS3 Price Gouging Begin!
Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Hardware, Hot Deals, PlayStation 3, Release Dates,
We all knew it was coming eventually… with a limited supply of only 400,000 units in the States, it was only a question of when Mr. Supply would meet Mr. Demand and chaos would ensue.
Today, EB / Gamestop began taking pre-orders for the hulking, wallet-emptying console via a $100 deposit system. But with only an average of 6 consoles allocated per store, only the first few lucky customers in line will have the privelege of giving Gamestop $100 for a piece of paper that *might* get you a console at launch. Unless, of course, the store employees got there first. Thanks to EB / Gamestop’s store policies, each store employee was able to reserve themselves one PS3 console before the public even had a chance at them.
So what do we get out of all this? Well, a day of exciting blogging, some preposterous eBay listings, and a sinking feeling in our bank accounts.
Gallery: Let the PS3 Price Gouging Begin!
Nintendo Minimizes Wii Sunlight Issues
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Wii,
When a gamer reported that the Wii demonstration units at the Nintendo World store were being adversely affected by sunlight, 1up talked to Nintendo to try and clarify the situation. Nintendo’s response didn’t completely address the issue, but they did state that their own testing showed “no great risk of light interference when playing a game that relies on the pointer and sensor bar.” Now, this isn’t a specific denial of the situation at Nintendo World, so gamers may be left hoping that Nintendo’s internal test cases will encompass enough of the home lighting situations that this isn’t a huge issue.
Read More | 1up
Gallery: Nintendo Minimizes Wii Sunlight Issues
Early on when Nintendo was announcing the Wii console, they mentioned that the sensor bar might be sensitive to certain kinds of lighting, like halogen lamps. Now, according to a post in Nintendo’s forums, that lighting might also include sunlight. The post gave feedback on the user’s experience with the Wii at the Nintendo World store, and described the sunlight issue:
For about an hour or so, the sun shone right into the store, the two MP3:C kiosks had to have curtains above them, and the Wii Sports Tennis and Shooting Game kiosks were unplayable since they were “shrouded” in sunlight. Later the sun went behind a building, and everything was in working order again. So when you get your Wii, don’t play it in the sunlight.
The sunlight problems are interesting, partly because in one of the Iwata Asks interviews on Nintendo’s official site, issues with fluorescent lights and sunlight were issues that were specifically mentioned:
In the early stages of development we ran into a number of problems that we hadn’t anticipated, like the fact that the controller would react to fluorescent light, for example. Creating a mechanism that prevents the controller from responding to fluorescent light and sunlight may sound like low-profile activities, but it still gave us a lot to work on.
Clearly, Nintendo has considered various lighting schemes and issues with sensor bar placement in the design of the console, but it is somewhat unclear what steps Nintendo took to ameliorate these problems. A possibility is that the hardware at Nintendo World was an earlier version that wasn’t tuned for sunlight. It’s also hard to extrapolate how the sensor bar will react in a person’s home from the experiences at the Nintendo World store. Still, this may be a concern for consumers, particularly given the wide variety of lighting environments that are found in the home. Other than the sensor bar, issue, the feedback from the actual gameplay was favorable overall.
Read More | Nintendo Forums
Gallery: Wii Sensor Bar Knocked Out By Sunlight?
CVG Gets Hands On With the Wii Controller
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Hardware, Nintendo, Wii,
The guys at Computer and Video Games have put together an in-depth preview of the Wii controller, and so far all indications seem to be positive for the new technology. CVG wasn’t able to get their hands on a truly final controller; their version was will wired to the console, but CVG had Nintendo’s assurances that the new controllers would be close to their retail counterparts.
CVG found the controllers to be well designed, and comfortable to hold, much like most of other feedback from people lucky enough to play with the controller. They claim the controller is more weighty and solid than the E3 demo units.
In terms of response time and accuracy, CVG found that controller motion was detected nearly instantaneously; lag reported in games from others may be related to earlier versions of the controller, early versions of the games, or the environment. Accuracy of the pointer was compared to a mouse, and not as much as a light gun. Sensitivity of the controller seemed to vary with the user’s distance from the screen. CVG also gives feedback on the speaker functionality and the nunchuck controller as well. Overall, the CVG’s experience what seems to be the majority opinion on the internet; the controller works well and the games are fun.
Read More | Computer And Videogames
Gallery: CVG Gets Hands On With the Wii Controller
According to a Reuters report, Sony will not be lowering the price of the PSP in 2006. The news agency talked with John Koller, product manager for the PSP. Koller also promised 110 titles for the PSP by the end of the year, nearly doubling the amount of software available for the handheld.
IGN’s PSP release list currently shows about 70 titles due to hit before the end of the year; the additional 40 would be a huge change to that list. Koller could possibly be talking about the PSP download service, but Sony hasn’t really made any announcements about this service in the United States. Gamers have complained about the lack of compelling releases on the PSP; adding 110 titles might help in that regard. Though every title released this holiday season won’t be a winner, there are a number of high profile games scheduled to hit Sony’s handheld by the end of the year, including Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, Lumines II, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 2, and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.
Read More | Reuters
Gallery: No PSP Price Drop In 2006
Analysts: Sony To Lose $560 Million On Battery Recall, PS3
Posted by Christopher Sasaki Categories: Corporate News, Hardware, PlayStation 3,
Analysts are reporting that Sony will lose an estimated $560 million due to the massive battery recalls and the price cut for the Playstation 3. The analysts estimate that the battery recalls will run almost $340 million at the low end of estimates. Certainly, lawsuits and further recalls could lead this figure to run higher. Sony’s announced price cut in Japan would also contribute an estimated $220 million to the company’s losses this year, on top of the losses that Sony already sustains on each console sold. Sony’s forecasts for the year estimated that they would earn $1.1 billion, so these losses in effect will cut Sony’s profits in half.
Read More | ITNews
Gallery: Analysts: Sony To Lose $560 Million On Battery Recall, PS3
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