Why is the PS3 so much more popular in Europe?...

[ataridave]

I don't understand why it's selling so much better over there, then it is here-better marketing??

[liveinabin]

There have always been a few patterns in the buying habits of different nations. Japanese generally buy Japanese (and small), Americans usually (where possible) buy American and Europeans, ourselves (UK) included, are gadget whores and have to have the flashest newest tech. I think the raw power of it, along with the blu-ray drive is the reason it's pulling away. We've only really recently gone crazy for Hi-def, and the only 1080p console is looking a no-brainer for our shiny new TV's.

Added to which, although the first person shooter (the province of the 360) is very popular here as in US, there is perhaps more diversity towards other game styles.

[Seob]

Well i think us, european customers want to buy quality. Since the xbox 360 is a console with a high failure rate people are more willing to pay some more for a ps3 what a more stable console is.

Furthermore i think us europeans want to buy a console that has a long life cycle. After the xbox 360 came on the market the where almost no games available for the normal xbox. The ps2 has a long life cycle, there are still games made for it. So people will sooner buy a ps3 that most likely will have a longer life span when it comes to games.

A further reason may be the fact that playing online is free on the ps3. Here in europe we don't want to pay for being able to play a game online. Regardless the fact that playing online on the xbox360 is more stable.

And maybe the fact that it is a product from microsoft may also play a part in it. Since microsoft windows on pc is a system that is buggy, targeted a lot by virus. maybe the xbox360 suffers from this.

[JamesD]

I don't understand why it's selling so much better over there, then it is here-better marketing??

European web sites and news media bit on the hype that it was the most powerful system.

Microsoft is a US company and a lot of Europeans despise the US and it's companies throwing their weight around.

Take your pick.

 

Quality? I guess SONY is perceived as making quality products but they have had their share of issues with quality.

Various releases of the PS2 haven't exactly been stellar for long life and a friend of mine bought a SONY receiver at BestBuy that was DOA on the surround sound. When he returned it they told him the entire shipment had been bad.

[liveinabin]

Well, I'm no fan of Windows, but it's still the most popular OS by a mile, bugs and all.

There is a preference for the Playstation brand here, it has to be said, possibly (and I can only speak for the UK in this) that a lot of the mid 90s 'Playstation cool' emanates from our little land - ie. Wipeout and the Designer's Republic chic that went in it's wake. Even though it's obviously a Japanese brand, it feels very British because of that. Added to the fact that the PS1 and 2 have played primary host to the bulk of soccer games, the Playstation brand is the choice for the 'lowest common denominator gamer' (or scummy thieving prole).

I think the only reason it's taken this long to pull ahead was the relative sparcity of key PS3 games and the lack of backwards compatibility (on all but the ridiculously expensive launch model, equivalent to $850 US!!). But now that the titles are appearing and PS2 games are too old to be relevant, it's pulling away.

 

The 360's reliability issues have been a factor though. I loved the original Xbox and I really wanted the 360 since launch, but with the failure rate being so astronomically high, my 360 money stayed unspent and, I'm afraid to say, eventually went to Sony (even though I detested the PS2).

[ataridave]

Yeah, although I'm sure that the cooler motherboards are in some 360's, which 360's there in is a different matter-it's still a guessing game, AFIK. It wouldn't kill Microsoft to make an announcement concerning durability-if 360's are getting more durable, then why the need for a 3-year warranty on the new one's arriving on store shelves?

 

I like the PS3's durability, but I'm really disappointed in the relative lack of exclusives, especially when it comes to RPG's. But even aside from that genre, there were some games, like Ace Combat 6, that they really should have secured as exclusives.

[JamesD]

I'm not sure we know how reliable any of these systems will be long term.

<edit>

See this discussion on the PS2:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/archive/in...hp/t-18874.html

Edited July 27, 2008 by JamesD

[Noelio]

I'm in Eastern North America but I think I can see why this trend is solid right now.

 

Europeans are well documented AUDIOPHILES as well as having a yearning for slick looking devices. (Think the disproportional success of ST / Falcon computers over there!)

The PS3 with its piano black case & chrome like accents max out the slick factor.

The out of the box optical connection built into the case & not a sloppy dongle of some sort helps too. Same goes for all along hdmi support 1080p!

 

If I was to pick the #1 reason? Smart buyers that waited to see who won the format wars.

Blue Ray certainly wins this battle and provides for ridiculous audio/music potential, less discs to worry about.

 

Those that have not owned a ps1 or ps2, like myself, also have the 2 generation backward compatibility! LOTS of cheap games out there, plenty of them a great laugh to play.

 

I've got all systems and handhelds and I've come to really love the PS3 & PSP(pandora-ized) more than the others. For emulation the PSP blows my GP2X out of the water.

360 certainly got more games but the ps3 experience has been by far better. I've recently started buying used ps3 titles to replace my 360 titles when available. Just playing a game on the ps3 after owning it for 360 feels better and the motion far more fluid and natural to my eye. I'm not your typical fanboy as I have no allegiance to any other brand besides Atari & Apple.

 

A fatal blow to the 360 is Microsoft's need to protect their PC interests by not allowing a simple browser on their machine. Just those tactics alone feel like a good jailhouse shagging and I'm not particularly fond of it! PS3 is a half step ahead for now but if Microsoft do the right thing and create a mind blowing experience in the next console, the ps3 tree could be truly pruned before it blossoms fully. Microsoft are HEAVILY self limited by their PC interests. This is certainly going to neuter the next offering from them right off the start line. The PS3 already blurs the lines between media center, pc and console in ways the APPLE TV fans cream their drawers imagining. If they dropped the supervisor cell and opened up the graphics pipe for linux etc? There will not be another Linux PC produced in a viable manner, nor an Apple TV or Microsoft system(again, in a viable manner)!

Edited July 28, 2008 by Noelio

[liveinabin]

Totally agree with all that.

[cimerians]

PS3 is my favorite system because of the quality and video\audio playback. Its just an awesome machine and its my main DVD\Blu Ray player.

 

I tend to play the 360 more because I like the game selection. But lately I've been playing the PS3 a little more and more.

 

The Wii is great too because of the fantastic twilight hack.

[JamesD]

Yeah, although I'm sure that the cooler motherboards are in some 360's, which 360's there in is a different matter-it's still a guessing game, AFIK. It wouldn't kill Microsoft to make an announcement concerning durability-if 360's are getting more durable, then why the need for a 3-year warranty on the new one's arriving on store shelves?

What exactly are you implying? That Microsoft is still manufacturing the older chipset and boards as well as the new one???

Come on... the only way you could find the older/hotter chipset is if a system has been sitting on the shelf or a warehouse since fall of last year.

 

The 3 year warranty on the new ones is for piece of mind for people that keep hearing the FUD some people are spreading about the possibility of getting an older model that will die. Gee... where would that be coming from?

 

When I bought my brother a 360 for Christmas I had to have the store call all over the place to find a branch with one in stock. His was a Falcon with a power supply labeled for the older board and it wasn't from the first Falcon production run.

 

I bought mine in February and I could barely find one in stock then. Microsoft had under estimated demand and I just happened to get one at a Target right after a shipment arrived. Mine is a Falcon... and if I remember right... 4 production runs later on the box than my brothers. FOUR. It's now August.

 

Yeah, there are probably a few old ones somewhere but not a major retailers. (I *would* avoid GameStop's used ones)

[ataridave]

Yeah, although I'm sure that the cooler motherboards are in some 360's, which 360's there in is a different matter-it's still a guessing game, AFIK. It wouldn't kill Microsoft to make an announcement concerning durability-if 360's are getting more durable, then why the need for a 3-year warranty on the new one's arriving on store shelves?

What exactly are you implying? That Microsoft is still manufacturing the older chipset and boards as well as the new one???

Come on... the only way you could find the older/hotter chipset is if a system has been sitting on the shelf or a warehouse since fall of last year.

 

The 3 year warranty on the new ones is for piece of mind for people that keep hearing the FUD some people are spreading about the possibility of getting an older model that will die. Gee... where would that be coming from?

 

When I bought my brother a 360 for Christmas I had to have the store call all over the place to find a branch with one in stock. His was a Falcon with a power supply labeled for the older board and it wasn't from the first Falcon production run.

 

I bought mine in February and I could barely find one in stock then. Microsoft had under estimated demand and I just happened to get one at a Target right after a shipment arrived. Mine is a Falcon... and if I remember right... 4 production runs later on the box than my brothers. FOUR. It's now August.

 

Yeah, there are probably a few old ones somewhere but not a major retailers. (I *would* avoid GameStop's used ones)

 

 

Well that's good news. I'm just really disappointed with the lack of exclusives on the PS3, compared to the 360, particularly with regards to RPG's-they aren't even getting Star Ocean 4!! And how in the world did they not manage to keep FF XIII as an exclusive??

 

And there are still some who just don't want to work with the cell processor, John Carmak being one of them-so the PS3 won't get Rage, either.

 

I'm not saying that there aren't great games out for it, I love Ridge Racer 7, for example, but at this point I really question whether or not they can make it 10 years in this country.

Edited August 14, 2008 by dave4shmups

[AtticGamer]

At least where I live, Sony does a good job marketing their systems. They make an effort to put the game's manuals and sometimes the games themselves (like Buzz) in the national language.

 

Nintendo doesn't have much of an image, apart from the DS and GBA, even though Wii is seen sometimes. MS....well I don't know, I think this time around they're worse than last gen in terms of publicity.

 

Still, this doesn't matter as I live in one of the ass ends of the continent.

[Steril707]

Yeah, although I'm sure that the cooler motherboards are in some 360's, which 360's there in is a different matter-it's still a guessing game, AFIK. It wouldn't kill Microsoft to make an announcement concerning durability-if 360's are getting more durable, then why the need for a 3-year warranty on the new one's arriving on store shelves?

What exactly are you implying? That Microsoft is still manufacturing the older chipset and boards as well as the new one???

Come on... the only way you could find the older/hotter chipset is if a system has been sitting on the shelf or a warehouse since fall of last year.

 

The 3 year warranty on the new ones is for piece of mind for people that keep hearing the FUD some people are spreading about the possibility of getting an older model that will die. Gee... where would that be coming from?

 

When I bought my brother a 360 for Christmas I had to have the store call all over the place to find a branch with one in stock. His was a Falcon with a power supply labeled for the older board and it wasn't from the first Falcon production run.

 

I bought mine in February and I could barely find one in stock then. Microsoft had under estimated demand and I just happened to get one at a Target right after a shipment arrived. Mine is a Falcon... and if I remember right... 4 production runs later on the box than my brothers. FOUR. It's now August.

 

Yeah, there are probably a few old ones somewhere but not a major retailers. (I *would* avoid GameStop's used ones)

 

 

Well that's good news. I'm just really disappointed with the lack of exclusives on the PS3, compared to the 360, particularly with regards to RPG's-they aren't even getting Star Ocean 4!! And how in the world did they not manage to keep FF XIII as an exclusive??

 

And there are still some who just don't want to work with the cell processor, John Carmak being one of them-so the PS3 won't get Rage, either.

 

I'm not saying that there aren't great games out for it, I love Ridge Racer 7, for example, but at this point I really question whether or not they can make it 10 years in this country.

 

Where have you been living hte last weeks? Off course the PS3 gets Rage.

[liveinabin]

I find it interesting how unpopular in US the PS3 still is. I mean, this is pretty much the only active thread on the system. Still, can't begrudge the 360s popularity. Microsoft have really gone balls out for the last few years to make it the most successful American system since the 2600.

[dreamcastrip]

Whilst the PS3 is now doing much better in Europe, generally speaking, that isn't the case in the UK where the 360 has done significantly better.

[liveinabin]

Well, while it's true that in UK, 360 did pick up a big early lead, it seems that sales of PS3 have been accelerating rapidly since the start of 2008 while 360 sales are regularly behind.

[dreamcastrip]

Well, while it's true that in UK, 360 did pick up a big early lead, it seems that sales of PS3 have been accelerating rapidly since the start of 2008 while 360 sales are regularly behind.

That's news to me. Do you have a source/link to substantiate PS3 has been outselling 360 in the UK?

[atarian63]

I find it interesting how unpopular in US the PS3 still is. I mean, this is pretty much the only active thread on the system. Still, can't begrudge the 360s popularity. Microsoft have really gone balls out for the last few years to make it the most successful American system since the 2600.

Wii is #1 here in the states

[liveinabin]

Well, while it's true that in UK, 360 did pick up a big early lead, it seems that sales of PS3 have been accelerating rapidly since the start of 2008 while 360 sales are regularly behind.

That's news to me. Do you have a source/link to substantiate PS3 has been outselling 360 in the UK?

 

Oh, haha. Just checked that up. PS3 was ahead, then GTA4 came out and 360 pulled ahead. They seem about neck and neck at the moment.

[liveinabin]

I find it interesting how unpopular in US the PS3 still is. I mean, this is pretty much the only active thread on the system. Still, can't begrudge the 360s popularity. Microsoft have really gone balls out for the last few years to make it the most successful American system since the 2600.

Wii is #1 here in the states

 

I think they make them in Japan

[dreamcastrip]

Well, while it's true that in UK, 360 did pick up a big early lead, it seems that sales of PS3 have been accelerating rapidly since the start of 2008 while 360 sales are regularly behind.

That's news to me. Do you have a source/link to substantiate PS3 has been outselling 360 in the UK?

 

Oh, haha. Just checked that up. PS3 was ahead, then GTA4 came out and 360 pulled ahead. They seem about neck and neck at the moment.

Thanks. Is that neck and neck in current sales or in lifetime sales?

[liveinabin]

Oh, just current sales. 360 still has quite a lead over PS3 in UK. It is closing but not at the same rate as the rest of Europe. That's what I've read from various reports around the web, though current figures aren't posted.

[dalton4life]

Xbox 360 does 1080p too. PS3 isn't the only 1080p console.

[dreamcastrip]

Oh, just current sales. 360 still has quite a lead over PS3 in UK. It is closing but not at the same rate as the rest of Europe. That's what I've read from various reports around the web, though current figures aren't posted.

Yep, that was my understanding too.