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Ampere Analysis - Games console hardware 2021: End of year shortages bite! 02/16/2022

Shmunter

Member
Readily available does not mean it does not sell.
The production of xss is easier, and they can be restocked fast, hence why its available.

People will not play Starfield on xbox one.
If someone wakes up wanting an XsS, they can have one that morning. You need to use a bit of critical thinking here, if they are selling out, the overall sales numbers would be much higher. It’s all intermingled.
 

kingfey

Banned
If someone wakes up wanting an XsS, they can have one that morning. You need to use a bit of critical thinking here, if they are selling out, the overall sales numbers would be much higher. It’s all intermingled.
They can get it.
Sometimes, I get sold out xss in my area (Bestbuy, wallmart, gamestop).

What you need to understand, is that these available stocks are new consoles. People still buy these consoles. Its just that MS is keeping up with the demand.
 
This is the undercover point that people like me and others were making 3 years ago when the Series S was just a rumor. The reason I thought MS wouldn't make a lower powered next-gen console was that it'll obviously sell more than the higher spec one if the price was right. And then you are stuck with the bolded as your ratio.
What exactly is "stuck" though? An arbitrary 3 to 1 ratio that fanboys conjured up in order to pretend it means anything?

There's a narrative at work to place more emphasis on the Series S vs X sales split for a reason. Sure it's nice to know out of curiosity, but the repeated and continual mentioning of it is for very obvious reasons. If you can get the public perception to view the S and X in two entirely separate categories. You can then favorably compare any competitor to them. If the interest were due to honest curiosity, then we'd see the same popularity discussing the PS5 vs PS5 digital split. But we don't... Not even remotely close.

It's a successful strategy, that seems to be effective to some degree, no doubt about that. I just can't understand the 'why'. The Playstation is obviously a more popular brand worldwide, so it the PS5 was always going to sell more barring some catastrophic decisions being introduced. So why the need to strategize in order to divide Xbox sales numbers up solely for the sake of downplaying their sales?
 

Shmunter

Member
They can get it.
Sometimes, I get sold out xss in my area (Bestbuy, wallmart, gamestop).

What you need to understand, is that these available stocks are new consoles. People still buy these consoles. Its just that MS is keeping up with the demand.
So here we are back to demand. If they are keeping up with demand and the total sales being what they are, then the S is not that popular with the plebs. I expected it to be extremely popular based on price and less than critical approach of the masses just as you pointed out.

We’ve come full circle.
 

kingfey

Banned
So here we are back to demand. If they are keeping up with demand and the total sales being what they are, then the S is not that popular with the plebs. I expected it to be extremely popular based on price and less than critical approach of the masses just as you pointed out.

We’ve come full circle.
Satisfying the demand, doesn't mean no one wants the XSS. People want the console, and the numbers that MS produces is enough to make them not panick.

The ps5 and xsx are facing scarcity. From low production, to scalpers, which creates huge demand. People were unable to get these 2 systems, because scalpers were buying alot of the stocks. Hence why the demand is huge.

As long as MS makes XSS and immediately puts them on the store shelves, people will buy them. The price like you pointed out would play pivotal role in clearing these consoles fast from the shelves.

The real customers are those who buy the consoles after the first 2 year. Since new games are only on new gen consoles, so they are forced to upgrade their consoles. Until then, their old system still works, and have no reason to spend money.
 
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Papacheeks

Banned
Zhuge works for Niko Partners, a market research and consultancy firm which specialises in the Asia market.

Why would Microsoft care that they have sold more S than X in the long term? They still get software and subscription money either way


Switch has been impacted by shortages since the 2nd half of last year. Things aren't too bad in Europe or Asia but Nintendo is struggling a lot in North America.

Thanks for clarification. I thought he was independent.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
Why would Microsoft care that they have sold more S than X in the long term? They still get software and subscription money either way

If they care about having the most POWERFUL CONSOLE in the world narrative, then they will care. But if it was always just PR fluff for the Xbox fanboys, then you are right......they won't care because they get money either way.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
What exactly is "stuck" though? An arbitrary 3 to 1 ratio that fanboys conjured up in order to pretend it means anything?

There's a narrative at work to place more emphasis on the Series S vs X sales split for a reason. Sure it's nice to know out of curiosity, but the repeated and continual mentioning of it is for very obvious reasons. If you can get the public perception to view the S and X in two entirely separate categories. You can then favorably compare any competitor to them. If the interest were due to honest curiosity, then we'd see the same popularity discussing the PS5 vs PS5 digital split. But we don't... Not even remotely close.

It's a successful strategy, that seems to be effective to some degree, no doubt about that. I just can't understand the 'why'. The Playstation is obviously a more popular brand worldwide, so it the PS5 was always going to sell more barring some catastrophic decisions being introduced. So why the need to strategize in order to divide Xbox sales numbers up solely for the sake of downplaying their sales?

Good question. Because the XSS and XSX are too differently powered consoles. To me it's not about downplaying the sales of the Series consoles. We have comparison threads for almost all AAA games on GAF for a reason. There's interest there. There are video game companies and many Youtubers that do comparison test for AAA games also. There's no reason to act like the XSS and XSX are providing the same experience for the end user.

Whereas, with the PS5 that is the case. It doesn't matter which version you get, because you end up playing the same game with the same results. On the XSS you can't even play Cyberpunk 2077 at 60 fps with the latest 1.5 update for example. That matters!
 

kingfey

Banned
We have comparison threads for almost all AAA games on GAF for a reason. There's interest there.
I wouldn't go there.
These comparisons are stupid, as we are in the first 2 year of this gen.
Usually these comparisons need to happen in 3rd and 4th year, since the devs can harness the true power of these consoles.
Until we have next gen games, every comparisons is stupid.

All we are doing is comparing old gen games, which was designed for the previous gen.
 

Lognor

Banned
So here we are back to demand. If they are keeping up with demand and the total sales being what they are, then the S is not that popular with the plebs. I expected it to be extremely popular based on price and less than critical approach of the masses just as you pointed out.

We’ve come full circle.
It is popular with the plebs, as you call them. Didn't the Series consoles outsell the PS5 at least one month last year, maybe more? How was that possible when Sony is making more PS5s than Microsoft is making of Series X consoles? The Series S, that's how. So yeah, it is popular.
 

Woopah

Member
If they care about having the most POWERFUL CONSOLE in the world narrative, then they will care. But if it was always just PR fluff for the Xbox fanboys, then you are right......they won't care because they get money either way.
Those that want the more powerful version can pay for that one, and the ones that want the less powerful version can get the other one. It's up to the person's personal choice (or at least it will be when both are in full supply.)
 

kingfey

Banned
If they care about having the most POWERFUL CONSOLE in the world narrative, then they will care. But if it was always just PR fluff for the Xbox fanboys, then you are right......they won't care because they get money either way.
They already have it. They made it.
Right now, its just software sales. And the cheaper one will generate those software sales.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
If they care about having the most POWERFUL CONSOLE in the world narrative, then they will care. But if it was always just PR fluff for the Xbox fanboys, then you are right......they won't care because they get money either way.

They've been pretty clear about the need, demand and goals with Series S and have been talking about expecting Series S to be the one which may sell more since the launch window.

The only narrative here is the one you've created for yourself, fam.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
They've been pretty clear about the need, demand and goals with Series S and have been talking about expecting Series S to be the one which may sell more since the launch window.

The only narrative here is the one you've created for yourself, fam.

No.....before the bolded, they were making the claim that having the most powerful console meant something to them that mattered. Things have changed since then (which is okay), so now it looks like having their core fanbase playing all 3rd party games on the best spec console "doesn't" matter to them as much anymore.

Again....this is fine for MS to change their minds on. Just something that all of us need to be made aware of and noted.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
No.....before the bolded, they were making the claim that having the most powerful console meant something to them that mattered. Things have changed since then (which is okay), so now it looks like having their core fanbase playing all 3rd party games on the best spec console "doesn't" matter to them as much anymore.

Again....this is fine for MS to change their minds on. Just something that all of us need to be made aware of and noted.

It's not an either/or situation, they made what they deem to be the strongest console, they also made a second entry level console which is cheaper and thus expected to sell more.

If they had expectations to just focus on one, they wouldn't have made the Series S, or for that matter, also discontinued One S as soon as One X launched last gen.
 

mckmas8808

Banned
It's not an either/or situation, they made what they deem to be the strongest console, they also made a second entry level console which is cheaper and thus expected to sell more.

If they had expectations to just focus on one, they wouldn't have made the Series S, or for that matter, also discontinued One S as soon as One X launched last gen.

In this specific situation I'm ONLY talking about the marketing teams within Xbox. Ultimately you're right that MS doesn't actually care which console someone buys. They've made that more than obvious since launch. It looks like 60%-62% of all Xbox Series consoles sold in Spain are the Series S variant. Which is falling inline with what some were saying is happening in America too.
 
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