Holiday Console Sales Fact Checking

The amazing things people do by picking up the phone:

When I saw the reports yesterday, I was intrigued, but decided to contact NPD in hopes of getting some firsthand information about their figures. My query was quickly answered by an analyst at NPD who gave me some suprising news: NPD hadn't released any numbers. In fact, the information cited by the outlets reporting the story was "simply incorrect," according to NPD.

-- Holiday console sales figure stories miss the mark

It goes on to quote that to date, the December numbers from NPD haven't left the calculator just yet. There was a lot of crowing about how Microsoft won holdiay 2006. I'm not sure if that's just fanboy journalism, grossly simplifying the situation or a little of both.

For one thing - I don't expect the estimations to be very off. I think the order will be Microsoft, Nintendo and then Sony. I also think this has the most to with that being the same order of supply potential for the three companies. And of course - we're ignoring the "other" sales like the PS2 and the NDS - which I think decidedly makes it Nintendo, Sony and then Microsoft.

So declaring anyone a "winner" is as needless as it is futile. Nintendo probably came out the most sparkly with big sales, a great Wii launch and plent of positive PR. Course, they are still behind the overall demographics of the other two and a couple of black eyes. Like the legal troubles the black eyes they've given players (literally) they've earned. Microsoft can tout an early lead which isn't exactly small but nor is it likely to hit the figures they've been wanting. Sony has a Safety Blanket +3 in the PlayStation 2 but more than a fair share of problems to shake out with the PlayStation 3 - including backwards compatibility bugs, price gap and not having any PlayStation 3's to sell.

I think the term "next generation" is really confusing people - especially the media. Consoles aren't like cars. At least - not anymore. Just because one model hits doesn't mean people stop using the rest. If journalists aren't willing to examine the entire picture - I don't know what will divide them from the forum fodder that I used to read.




tagged: game, gaming