If online shopping behavior is any indicator, it looks like the Wii is going to be the big winner in the videogame console wars this Christmas. That is, if people can actually buy the damn things, which are out of stock at many physical retail outlets. Data compiled by Compete about online shopping in the U.S. shows interest in the Wii soaring in November, well past the interest levels last year when the Wii launched. In November, nearly 3 million people shopped for a Nintendo Wii online in the U.S., compared to about 2.3 million last year. The Xbox 360 attracted only half as many shoppers this November (1.5 million), and the PS3 struggled to break a million. But at least online demand for the Xbox is above what it was last year, which cannot be said for the PS3. Demand has steadied for all three brands in December (on a weekly basis), so it doesn’t look like there be any last-minute breakouts by the Xbox or PS3.
Has Sony decided to completely drop their efforts to create games for the PS3? Other than the new GT5 what else is their in the pipeline?
It’s amazing how a console from last year will sell even more units now. Hell, it could be even higher but the shortage from Nintendo will really put a limit on their stats.
Everett,
It seems that creating for the PS3 is harder because of the cell processor. Apperantely it takes more development money, and 3rd party developers dont want to shell out the extra dough either. So, i expect limited releases this upcoming year on the PS3.
Many seniors will be playing with Wiis this Christmas, which I found surprising.
wiipeddler.com has them in stcock with xmas delivery no tax too
They’ve got to actually come up with product to capitalize on that, have Nintendo been able to produce them more quickly than they were?
Searches are not equal to sales.
@1 - Everett - It’s not just Sony who makes the games for the PS3. The GTA games are not made by Sony, they’re made by TakeTwo/Rock Star Games.
There are plenty of games coming out for PS3 in the coming year, though not as many as for X360 or Wii. This is, yes, because it’s harder to make the games for it.
@6 - Morgan - Nintendo and its third party developers have not been able to produce as many games for the Wii that really utilize the cool stuff it can do… but for a lot of reasons, they don’t have to. Nintendo has always sold its systems based on the strength of a few breakout games - Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Megaman for NES, the same franchises plus Square RPG’s for SNES, the same franchises again plus Smash Brothers and GoldenEye for N64, and all the same stuff again for Gamecube. Just as Halo sells the XBox, Nintendo’s franchises sell their systems. Considering people will still buy the system JUST for Wii Sports, plus the fact that Super Mario Galaxy (which has received phenomenal reviews) just came out, I think Nintendo’s doing fine.
Though unfortunately they pushed back what will surely be one of their best party games, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, back to February.
Our numbers are actually higher percentage wise. We launched a social shopping site earlier this month and here is the breakdown for people wanting each console:
18 - Wii
http://kazowie.com/products_result.php?txtTag=wii
0 - Playstation (results include games)
http://kazowie.com/products_re.....laystation
0 - Xbox (results include games)
http://kazowie.com/products_result.php?txtTag=xbox
I wouldn’t take this as a scientific survey due to how few people are on the site, however, 18-0 is pretty impressive no matter the size of the sample pool.
The Wii is killing everyone and it’s still in limited stock everywhere!
Wii has done such a great marketing, hype job and with all the “movement” based activities, it’s not just for kids and thats a HUGE selling point!
Good job Wii!
Anyone still looking for a Wii, check out WiiTracker.com. We’ve had a ton of Wii shoppers monitor WiiTracker via ZapTXT to get in-stock notifications at retailers such as Walmart, Target, Buy.com, Costco.
WiiTracker lists ZapTXT on its site and we have a post on how to get started here:
http://blogs.zaptxt.com/sameer.....nd-zaptxt/
The biggest challenge for the Wii is getting folk to buy games. It has the lowest 1-year attach rate for any major console in history. Thankfully Nintendo’s making money on the hardware!
Biggest challenge for PS3 is getting the darn things sold and getting great (exclusive) games on the shelf. Things this year are about 5x better than last year (5 great games to buy now vs 1 last year), but this still needs improvement. And with Home seeing continual delays, 2008 will be the year Sony really needs to step it up or lose this generation completely.
The 360s biggest challenge will be the same as the original Xbox, namely: breaking out of the hardcore gaming crowd. A lot of this year’s games help, as does the XBLA and video rentals, but it is still very much a hardcore gamer’s console. If they can’t break out of that mould, they won’t sell much more than 50-60M consoles this year. Above the PS3, but nowhere near the 100MM+ they could sell if only they were able to hit the mainstream.
Disclaimer: I own a 360 and am very happy with it, so take all comments with the standard Joystiq-sized grain of salt
The problem is Sony actually took making a next gen console seriously and created one with the PS3. The problem is that development times and project times are pushed out another 8 to 9 months depending on the team you have developing a game. That means that crappy resolution and “fun” games galore come out for other systems while Sony struggles to get publishers to get quality games to market for the PS3.
Hopefully by the end on 2008 publishers will have figured out how to make games more cost effective and turn around times down to what they can produce on other game systems.
Hopefully the huge Wii installed user base will get more 3rd party devs and publishers onboard with making games for it. It took some time for them to get their heads round the DS but once they did the results were fantastic!
http://www.buysportsvideogames.....o_wii.html has them? what is teh big deal?
http://www.wesellit.ca has them in stock as a bundle. Shipping across Canada/US
The problem with the Wii is that it’s a piece of crap and everyone (those that were lucky enough to find one) will be bored with 2 days after Xmas.
Isn’t it something like 15-20% of children in America are now considered obese, very overweight, or whatever the current buzzword is? Get those little fatties a basketball or take em for a walk while they wait for the Wii.
This very good, thanks for sharing!
@15 - Jing - Look at the chart again. Either everyones duped or you’re wrong. I think it’s the latter.
Jing @15 is just ticked off that he can’t find one.
I got one on in November, and it’s been a BLAST! I love that darn thing… It’s such a visceral experience on a Wii. You’re totally IN the game, in an active (I’ve even lost a few lbs playing the Boxing game), rather than passive (joystick, chip-munching, booty-growing couch potato) way.
And Wii has now took over Gamecube’s lifetime of sales… Jeesh.
I expect a Wii to be kinda household now, like a T.V or something. It is kinda cool to visit someone and they’ve got a Wii set up.
best thing about the wii so far, in my opinion, is Wii sports and the Internet Channel.
Sites like moowee.tv provide the ability to watch YouTube, Daily Motion, etc. videos through the Internet Channel on your TV.
After a full day on the computer it is a relief to sit on the couch and search.
Don’t worry, Microsoft sholud have a Vii aiailable just after Christmas!
fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com
I wonder if the shortage of Wiis is causing more people to spend more time online at more retailers trying to find them, which could cause inflated “number of people shopping for Wiis.”
Compete says “console demand based on the number of U.S. consumers who shopped for the respective consoles at leading online retailers.”
Max @ compete says the users are uniqued, but how reliably can you unique a user across several web properties and/or several days? Unless the sites are all using the same cookie-based activity tracker (or you track by IP, which is dynamic for most people), I don’t see how the shortage isn’t skewing the numbers to some extent.
@Ben - our measurements aren’t cookie based. We collect data from ISPs, ASPs, opt-in panels and toolbars, and are able to look across ANY site to unique a user. As a result we don’t need to worry about things such as cookie deletion, or dynamic IPs.
Here’s some more detailed info: http://blog.compete.com/where-.....come-from/
Fewer articles like this, please.
Thanks,
TC Reader
Nintendo hit a home run with the Wii and the DS. I have both and have to say that we are not finding too much to play on the Wii. Our DS’s have been keeping us busy with lots of cheap fun games. I am hoping the Wii will get some good games this year. The DS took quite a while to get the big first party releases out too. The Wii has had a few big titles but nothing has really captured our attention. The Wii should end up being great if it is anything like the DS.
i like what Nintendo has done with the Wii and their marketing.
everybody else is continuing to do what they do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. they cater to the traditional, young male, video game demographic.
but with Wii, Nintendo is bringing it/appealing it to the masses…hence their sharper demand curve
The PS3 and XBOX 360 are way over-priced.
how does complete get these data?
Finding a Wii isn’t hard if you know where to look:
http://www.buyawiionline.com
well,
you can use WiiAlerts.com , it will TXT you when Wii in amazon, bestbuy, etc. avail.
BTW, http://wiioffers.com/nintendo-.....m-1-dollar
g/l
Yes, at local shopping search site yokel, the Wii is the #1 searched for item this month by a long shot. Also in high demand - iCoaster, iPhone, Ugg boots and for those that can’t find a Wii, the Nintendo DS.
I’ve never owned a console in my life, but now I have a decent-sized TV I’m thinking of getting one. And it’ll probably be a Wii. Thing is, why would I want a system like the PS3 that can deliver superior graphics etc, or the Xbox for its multiplayer capabilities? That’s what I spent hundreds of pounds building and rebuilding a PC for.
The PS3 and to an only slightly lesser extent the Xbox are dangerously close to falling between two stools. Wiis for casual gaming on the one side, computers for ‘hardcore’ gaming on the other. The price advantage consoles have is being eroded by better technology, higher disposable incomes and increased use of computers in the home. In the West, most households except the very poorest are going to have a computer, and if you’re going to have a computer and you’ve got gamers in the house, you might as well spend the extra few hundred quid to have one that can play games.
And then there’s the developer issue… As I’ve read elsewhere (on Mashable last week, I think), the gamer demographic is changing (thanks to the Wii)…
In the US alone, you’re looking at:
52 million households ready for the Wii
vs.
About 8 million for the PS3 and XBox
Now, if you owned a game company, which one would you develop for?
When a game can take up to 10 million bucks to build…which market is more likely to give you a return on that?
You’d be developing for the Wii, the PS2, and the XBox (in that order) — the ones with the biggest install base. The PS3 is too high of a risk — dev is too expensive, and it has clearly lost the console wars, so it’s “Game Over” there. Don’t tie your raft to a sinking ship, as they say.
everyone that i know that is getting a console this year wants a Wii. it looks like they have hit a sweet spot for user interaction and price point.
I had an xbox 360. Sold it 2 months later. I am an old gamer since the atari 2600/intellivision days. I don’t like games where you spend hours just trying to read the manual and figuring out the games.
PS3 is way over priced. They’d sell more if another 150 gets dropped off the price. Hard drives can be had for less than a dollar a gig.
Sure you can find a wii….however those who have them to sell want 400 for the base model. Come on, the things are 250. I will not buy one off of these people out to make a buck.
We I had a heck of a time finding a wii in the local brick and mortar stores. My wife had added to her christmas list at the last moment so I did’n want to wait to have it shipped if ordered online.
Well never got it but there are plenty being offered on ebay and other online sites. These guys must have bought them right off of the truck.
Peace
I am happy for Nintendo, they finally got it back. I also support more physically interactive games, anything that gets people moving more is good.