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CNNMoney wrote:NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- You weren't imagining things. Finding a PlayStation 3 in November really was a Herculean task.

Sony (Charts) sold just 195,000 PS3 units in its first 13 days on shelves, according to analysts quoting preliminary numbers from The NPD Group, which tracks video game sales. That's well short of the 400,000 the company had projected. Nintendo's Wii console, another hot holiday item, sold 476,000 units - a more than 2-1 sales advantage.

Microsoft's (Charts) Xbox 360, fueled by the critically praised new title "Gears of War," sold 511,000 units, which John Taylor of Arcadia said puts it on track for 2006 sales of roughly 4 million.

The real surprise of the month was the strong sale of handheld and legacy systems. The Nintendo DS, which was one of last year's hottest items, continues to sell extremely well. November saw sales of 920,000 for the device (Taylor's estimate for the month was just 650,000.) The Game Boy Advance, meanwhile, continues to sell well, with another 639,000 units sold.

Sony saw the PlayStation 2 continue to sell well, moving 663,000 units. And 413,000 PSPs (PlayStation Portable) were sold in November.

The NPD Group declined to provide the information, citing errors in "historical data" (which is typically used to provide comparisons to previous months and years). November 2006 data is correct, however.

Taylor said both Sony and Nintendo are actively working to get additional units on retail shelves. Sony, he said, is shipping roughly 75,000-100,000 units to the U.S. each week. He expects there to be 600,000-800,00 PS3s available in the U.S. by year's end.

Nintendo's strategy is slightly different.

"Retailers were told by Nintendo that there would be three major waves of product," said Taylor. "The first wave was at launch, then there was one immediately thereafter, which was in Nintendo's warehouse, and a final wave is due the week before Christmas. ... Retailers who had ads planned throughout the holidays, we heard, would get supply as well, but those are rifle shots instead of waves."

Game sales were stronger than expected in November. A report from Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities quotes NPD software sales figures of $804 million. Of that, $363 million was spent on 'next generation' machines (which Pachter defines as the PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, DS and PSP).

Xbox 360 and DS sales led the charge.

Before the launch of the PS3 and Wii, many speculated Microsoft would benefit from the expected shortages. The theory went that consumers, frustrated by their inability to find a new Nintendo or Sony system, would pick up an Xbox 360 for loved ones.

Now, though, analysts aren't sure that is happening.

"The kicker for Microsoft is going to be the psychology of scarcity in a seasonal environment where people need to make a decision," he said. "It appears, based on these numbers, that they might be buying handheld systems instead."

TheFeniX wrote:I had figured this would happen. Taking third place is bad enough for Sony, but losing out to a system classified as "niche" really says something about how poorly the (mis)handled this generation.

Xisiqomelir wrote:

TheFeniX wrote:I had figured this would happen. Taking third place is bad enough for Sony, but losing out to a system classified as "niche" really says something about how poorly the (mis)handled this generation.

Are you talking about the Wii? The Wii is mass-market, not niche.

TheFeniX wrote:

Xisiqomelir wrote:

TheFeniX wrote:I had figured this would happen. Taking third place is bad enough for Sony, but losing out to a system classified as "niche" really says something about how poorly the (mis)handled this generation.

Are you talking about the Wii? The Wii is mass-market, not niche.

Granted, but the Wii isn't the "OMG it will replace your entire entertainment center" device like the PS3 or 360. It's a gaming console, not a hybrid DVD player, media center, Internet browser, DVR (in the loosest sense) that just happens to also play video games.

MS and Sony want their systems to literally be at the heart of the family. Nintendo is really saying "Fuck it, we like video games."

TheFeniX wrote:Granted, but the Wii isn't the "OMG it will replace your entire entertainment center" device like the PS3 or 360. It's a gaming console, not a hybrid DVD player, media center, Internet browser, DVR (in the loosest sense) that just happens to also play video games.

MS and Sony want their systems to literally be at the heart of the family. Nintendo is really saying "Fuck it, we like video games."

General Zod wrote:Oh please. By your idiot logic DVD players are "niche" products because they're "only" designed to play DVDs.

TheFeniX wrote:

General Zod wrote:Oh please. By your idiot logic DVD players are "niche" products because they're "only" designed to play DVDs.

If every other DVD player manufacturer was packaging their DVD players with DVRs, HDDs, media players, etc and you were the only company who made a straight DVD player, then, yes, it would be a "niche" you were trying to fill: people who only want to play DVDs and pay for just a DVD player.

The Wii does have other features besides just playing games, but they aren't going to the extent of PS3 and 360 to become one huge hybrid machine.

Sam Or I wrote:About $300 is as much as I can see myself putting money down on a game console. Maybe I am getting old.

Sam Or I wrote:The problem with the new systems is the price. I mean at $400 you can purchase a low end computer which can do everything and more than the game machines.

Provided the 360 keeps up a good staple of fun titles to play, the money spent on their console is well worth it. The hardware you get for the price you pay is insane. Infact, Microsoft and Sony both take losses on hardware for every unit they sale, because they figure they'll make it back in games.

Superman wrote:and has too many bugs.

Sharp-kun wrote:

Superman wrote:and has too many bugs.

What bugs has the PS3 had? Other than not being backwardly compatible with a minority of titles I don't think I've heard of any. On the other hand I've heard of Wii's being bricked by firmware updates.

Sharp-kun wrote:On the other hand I've heard of Wii's being bricked by firmware updates.

Icehawk wrote:Actually Microsoft now currently makes a small profit on each console shipped as their hardware and manufacturing costs have dropped significantly.

Sam Or I wrote:The problem with the new systems is the price. I mean at $400 you can purchase a low end computer which can do everything and more than the game machines.

Computers have become so cheap, and game machine prices have risen.

Vyraeth wrote:

Icehawk wrote:Actually Microsoft now currently makes a small profit on each console shipped as their hardware and manufacturing costs have dropped significantly.

That's wild, missed that update. Now, if only Microsoft would be kind enough to pass the savings onto it's consumers and drop the price point for the 360.