EA predicts 360 sales to lag behind PS3's in '08
by Dustin Burg 
{ Feb 4th 2008 at 11:00AM }
For whatever reason, the analysts over at EA decided to put their betting chips on the PS3 as the predict its sales to eclipse the 360's in 2008. For reals.EA released their 2008 hardware sales estimates saying that the Wii (not surprisingly) is predicted to outsell all consoles, but EA's second place prediction is what has our heads confused. In Europe alone EA believes the PS3 will move 5-6 million consoles while the 360 only sells a measly 1.5-2.5 million units. EA goes on to predict that North American sales of the two consoles should be equal and, after the dust settles, worldwide sales in 2008 should put the PS3 at 9.5-11.5 million while the Xbox 360 will only manage 6-8 million. Either EA is smoking a lot of illegal drugs, simply decided to agree with Sony or they've gone off the deep end, because we do not see the 360's 2008 hardware sales to be that bleak. Eesh, eesh, eesh.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brucie B @ Feb 4th 2008 11:06AM
*EA Knows All*
So I Assume they know they make Garbage Games.
prometh3rus @ Feb 4th 2008 12:10PM
That is awesome...!! Laughed pretty hard over that one! :)
bigciafan @ Feb 4th 2008 11:09AM
I wonder how much Sony paid ea to say that?
Trekster_Gamer @ Feb 4th 2008 11:14AM
They are all wrong. the C64 will make a comeback and sell more by far in 08 ;P
Michael Paul @ Feb 4th 2008 11:12AM
They are following the Blu-Ray Hype: the PS3 is the one Blu-Ray player already matching the 2.0 Profile specs, and everyone hyping that point expects a PS3 to be sold strictly as a Blu-Ray player with game playing thrown in for free. When someone wants to play a game instead, there's the PS3 ready to go.
Frankly, I want a PS3, but the lack of a IR interface for controlling it makes me think people who know what they are doing will NOT flock to it to play videos. But I thought the Patriots were a lock, too...
Mark @ Feb 4th 2008 12:18PM
There are ways to get an IR port on the PS3 if you really need it for a universal remote. It won't have the full function of the PS3 Bluetooth remote, but you can get play, pause, FF, REW, and anything else mapped to the controller buttons.
ZEBRA NINER @ Feb 4th 2008 11:18AM
Meh... as long as I keep buying tons of games for my 360 and the rest of us do the same(like the numbers say we do), we'll be fine.
emaxximus @ Feb 4th 2008 11:19AM
Where are you knight marquise? Defend the 360's honor!
Tony @ Feb 4th 2008 11:23AM
I'm not so sure about the US considering absolutely NOTHING has pointed to Sony doing better... Certainly not sales after multiple price cuts or the system finally getting games of note. I just don't see that changing... At this stage I would be surprised if Killzone 2 or MGS4 (given MGS3's sales and a FAR smaller userbase) will make any major difference in console sales either.
However, overall it's a hell of a lot harder to say. It's becoming very clear that Europe overall seems to prefer the PS3 and obviously the same is true of Japan. It might be enough to make up the difference over time.
xtremesniper @ Feb 4th 2008 11:23AM
In the end, because Sony still loses money on every PS3 sold, this means nothing. If people are buying PS3s because of the blu-ray functionality, then what are the chances they are going to own nearly as many games as 360 owners do?
If nobody buys games, the console is barely a success. Let them predict all they want, they left out an important piece of the puzzle in their predictions though. Software sales.
Justin @ Feb 4th 2008 11:52AM
I buy PS3 games :P
xtremesniper @ Feb 4th 2008 12:03PM
Liar! Hah I joke... No but seriously I know people obviously buy PS3 games. If anything, they'll look at their blu-ray player and think "hmm this thing is supposed to play games too" and go to the store and pick something up only because they already own the console...
But overall I can't see those types of PS3 owners to still buy more games than actual gamers with a 360 would. As it stands now I have 13 Xbox 360 games. I can't even count 5 for the PS3 that I would be interested in even renting... *sigh* and yet I know that one day I'll still consider one solely for the Blu-ray functionality, just like everyone else.
SadisticHam @ Feb 4th 2008 11:43AM
Don't really care. The 360 has a bunch of games i want this year, the PS3 doesn't. 2009 who knows, maybe but I'm guessing gears of war 2 and a few other big hitters will be out then, so yeah, not to bothered who out sells who as long as i keep getting the games i want.
ogvor @ Feb 4th 2008 12:00PM
The news about Europe isn't suprising. Save for Britain, the 360 has never done their as well as it has in the US, and the PS3 (and PS2 and PSP) have always done well there.
Milly @ Feb 4th 2008 12:03PM
I had the opportunity to basically get a PS3 for free. Problem is there is only 2 games I want to play on it (Uncharted and Ratchet/Clank). For xbox 360, I own 31 games (i just traded in 4 and this doesn't included xbox live games). So instead of getting a PS3, I decided to get a backup xbox 360 for free that I can use in my bedroom. Choice really wasn't that tough.
dude305 @ Feb 4th 2008 1:55PM
a back up 360? that really shows that you think your primary one is gonna give up on you soon. unlike owning a 360, you dont have to worry about your console turning on every time you want to play a game if you got a ps3.
Premo @ Feb 4th 2008 7:08PM
@16
Why would i be worried about my console turning ON when i WANT to play a game?
Think before you type, psfag.
fidgetwidget @ Feb 4th 2008 12:05PM
The predictions for Europe I don't wholly agree with, but I do believe that world wide, the 360 doesn't have the marketing to sell as well as the PS3.
Xbox may be a known quantity in North America, but to the rest of the world, the one they know and want is Playstation. Regardless of what one has better games, its about what they know, and Xbox hasn't been doing a very good job marketing itself (not just its games) world wide.
Its going to be a tough battle in Europe, and in Japan, they already lost... so world wide, I can see Playstation doing better.
And I own a 360, not a PS3. I don't say this as a fanboy of the PS, but rather as an informed fan of the 360.
expandedflame @ Feb 4th 2008 12:21PM
EA is like that little kid at school who thinks he's so tough and cool but really has bigger balls than dick. The kind of kid you just wanna beat the crap out of to make him cry.
So shut the hell up EA, everyone hates you and nobody cares about your opinion, just give us your sports games and dont even try to advertise your highway-robbery marketplace content cause nobody's interested.
pkilla @ Feb 4th 2008 1:12PM
No they can keep their crappy sports games. NBA 2k8!
Robert Aitchison @ Feb 4th 2008 12:20PM
Not sure I agree with their numbers but I still would expect PS3 sales to increase more than 360 sales because a lot of people have been holding off of the PS3 will buy one this year as a blu-ray player and a whole lot of people who wanted a 360 already have one.
I actually expect that Wii sales to plummet this year to the point where it's doubtful it will be the #1 seller at the end of 2008, the shortage has already started to disappear and already most of the people who really wanted a Wii have one.
ExpandedFlame @ Feb 4th 2008 12:23PM
I respect the fact the PS3 may do better considering it's bargain Blu-ray feature and PS2 userbase, but the Xbox 360 owns North America and has enough foot in the door in Europe...
PerfectStrategy @ Feb 4th 2008 12:26PM
Well let's just prove them wrong. The xbox 360 has exceeded every expectation this year, while the PS3 hasn't met a single expectation. Let's just keep that trend going, keep up the good work 360 fanboys. :p
Tell your friends all about the games of 360 and xbox live. Xbox 360 is the most dominant console in the US atm (even over wii) so the momentum can be kept going through word of mouth and friends and family.
Oorang @ Feb 4th 2008 12:43PM
Its a prediction chaps! Everytime EA release a game they predict it will be good and 9 times out of 10 theyre wrong (Who will actually buy Fifa Street 3?)...who wants to bet theyre wrong this time, eh?
ccc @ Feb 4th 2008 1:10PM
We will see how true those figures are if GOW2 hits this year. If it dosn't, ea might just be right. If it happens well then, I think those analist will be fired.
ccc @ Feb 4th 2008 1:13PM
On another note however, MS is digging this whole themselves and in alot of ways are giving up the over all goal here because they thought they had it locked down, kinda like the PATS. This is unfortunete but nothing is decided yet.
David Goltry @ Feb 4th 2008 1:18PM
I realize that the PS3 has some major titles coming out this year and also "Home", but the 360 isn't a slouch this year with great third party titles and some pretty big first party ones too. The 360 still has the best on-line community and it seems like the console problems are going away (Sorry to anyone currently experiencing some). I wouldn't be so fast to think the PS3 will be a dominator in the Blu-Ray department either. You can get great BDR players on PC's and Notebooks not to mention a sure flood of standalones. The PS3 may pick up the pace but I don't think it can pass 360.
Gameblows @ Feb 4th 2008 1:31PM
LOL -- " I think those analist will be fired"
Analist - one who specializes in Teh Anal.
dunnypop @ Feb 4th 2008 2:10PM
I can see the ps3 outselling the 360 console wise, but not game wise, mainly since the ps3 has dropped their price and most of my friends who don't game much are going to get a ps3 (mainly for blu ray).
all my friends that own a 360 are not going to get another next gen system though.
DownwardMonkey @ Feb 4th 2008 2:20PM
Considering the changes to the Unreal engine and the fact that Epic own GOW and not MS (as far as I know?) using GOW2 as the 360s PS3 beater game might not be a good idea.
The-E-HD @ Feb 4th 2008 3:04PM
is all you fanboys can ever say is "the ps3 is a glorified blu ray player!!"..........hmmm......well honestly i could say something like the only reason people but 360's is cause they want a good heater!!!which isn't true!!i like the 360 its got good games and all but so does the ps3 so stop your ridicioulous comments!!can't we all get along??!!?!?:-P
Pixelantes Anonymous @ Feb 4th 2008 3:45PM
There are numbers that already suggest XBox 360 sales are slowing down and that Sony is just about hit its stride.
Just take a look at the last quarterly earnings report from Microsoft and Sony.
Microsoft's entertainment division revenue grew only 3% in the last quarter compared to last year. Sony's grew by roughly 30%. Nintendo's grew by about 80%.
The video gaming industry had a record year last year. Everyone should've sold a record number of hw and games. It wouldn't even have been that hard given the overall industry growth. However, Microsoft only had 3% more in sales than last year compared to its competitors who had double-digit (and in Nintendo's case almost triple-digit) growth from last year.
That is a concrete indication on slowing sales on XBox 360s and growing sales on PS3s (and Nintendo's consoles).
AJ @ Feb 4th 2008 3:51PM
I'll tel you this much - If MS can't get some consoles in the channel SOON, the whole first quarter will be lost to them for sure. I'll be shocked if the PS3 does not sell more than the 360 for January. Stores around here have not had any Pro's or Elites since Xmas!
MS continues to do their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
Phil @ Feb 4th 2008 4:07PM
Maybe PS3 will sell more because everyone already has a 360... MUHAHAHA!
Deck @ Feb 4th 2008 4:18PM
This is... surprising. Maybe not so much in Europe though. 360 is popular in the UK but everywhere else the PS3 has been dominant I believe.
Though as for taking over the US, EA is smoking something. What, n00bs.
Killer @ Feb 4th 2008 4:23PM
"is all you fanboys can ever say is "the ps3 is a glorified blu ray player!!".........."
It is a glorified Blu-ray player! Sony has made it that way and they promote it that way. So if the maker says it is and the retailers say it is (Ex: sign in england saying PS3 Blu-ray Player Small text: Also plays games.) It is a glorified Blu-ray player, that can't do DTS-HD. So sad. Also can you work on your grammar, please.
"Microsoft's entertainment division revenue grew only 3% in the last quarter compared to last year. Sony's grew by roughly 30%. Nintendo's grew by about 80%."
So let me get this straight, this is where Stats can be twisted to argue any point. You have percents, but why not the profit numbers? The %s don't mean anything. Last quarter Microsoft could have made larger revenue then Sony, since microsoft is already at the high point then 3% is normal (because if it raised 80% like nintendo did they would be making a half a billion in revenue). Sony has been taking a lost and still are slightly so that makes the 30% make since that they are lower cost which in turn makes more revenue. On nintendo, you have 2 factors, I'll say the DS is the reason for most of the 80% then the wii, since supply is still horrible for the console.
Post amounts instead of %s, then you can figure it out. You CANNOT base an idea off percents, show the raw data, then its proof. Right now, "That is a concrete indication on slowing sales on XBox 360s and growing sales on PS3s (and Nintendo's consoles)." isn't backed by anything relevent and it sure isn't concrete, if you took a stats class you would know.
Pixelantes Anonymous @ Feb 4th 2008 5:26PM
"You have percents, but why not the profit numbers?"
Because REVENUE is sales, i.e. units sold. If Sony's revenue is growing faster than Microsoft's, then, by golly, they ARE growing their sales faster than Microsoft.
Profits mean nothing in terms of potentially increasing marketshare, which is what this article by xbox360fanboy was talking about.
Both Sony and Microsoft made a profit in their video games divisions, btw. Microsoft's profit was larger in dollars and by percentage of revenue.
Maybe it's you who needs to take a lesson in stats.
Biohazard @ Feb 4th 2008 8:05PM
why dont you lamers quit bickering over shit you really dont know about and look at the numbers yourself? here is a nice chart for you to pick apart yourselves.
http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=X360®1=Europe&cons2=PS3®2=Europe&cons3=Wii®3=Europe&start=39138&end=39481&weekly=1
Biohazard @ Feb 4th 2008 8:10PM
correction..
http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=X360®1=All&cons2=PS3®2=All&cons3=Wii®3=All&start=38781&end=39481&weekly=1
jojo29 @ Feb 4th 2008 8:17PM
"But overall I can't see those types of PS3 owners to still buy more games than actual gamers with a 360 would. As it stands now I have 13 Xbox 360 games. I can't even count 5 for the PS3 that I would be interested in even renting... *sigh* and yet I know that one day I'll still consider one solely for the Blu-ray functionality, just like everyone else."
I find this very funny. My bro has both a PS3 and Xbox360, myself a PS3/Wii.
Heres his games list for his 360:
Gears of War
Halo 3
DOA3(4? correct me which one we are on)
Forza 2
PGR 3
PGR 4
Lost Planet
Thats about 7 games. Lets see his PS3 list:
Warhawk
CoD 4 ( he got it so he can play me )
Uncharted
Ratchet
Unreal 3
Heavenly Sword
Motorstorm (came with the system)
Heres a very key difference: 6 games on the ps3 list are exclusive, 4/7 of the 360 are exclusive.
Also, the system has been out longer than the ps3 yet he has the same number of titles, roughly, on both systems, and those are the 'killer' games to get on 360....where are all these 31 games that are must haves on the 360?! i dont see em on that list( remember Gears of War i can get on my Crysis running computer )
Anywhoo the only game i dig on the 360, in true honesty, not being fanboyish, is PGR, its no Gran Tursimo, but then again its not trying to be, PGR is an awesome series i do love that game, dont justfiy spending 400+ bucks just for that one tho...
jojo29 @ Feb 8th 2008 1:16AM
oops like i saw 13 into 31 sorry about that but also i do see 5 games that you should have if you are a gamer
PerfectStrategy @ Feb 4th 2008 9:23PM
Ever heard of Mass Effect, BioShock, or The Orange Box?
Other notables include Geometry Wars, Rez HD, Dead Rising, Viva Pinata, Crackdown, C&C3, Castlevania, Perfect Dark Zero, Ace Combat 6, etc.
Just stick to ps3fanboy.com and don't troll here.
Biohazard @ Feb 5th 2008 2:13PM
Perfectstrategy. The tool of microsoft.
cant you see that both systems have good shit on them.
COME ON 360 FANBOYS LETS BAN TOGETHER!!!11 :p >:) TELL ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD WHO TO FOLLOW. this aint religion son, its playing video games.
jojo29 @ Feb 8th 2008 1:24AM
Sorry Bioshock, Orange Box have been available on the PC, no need to purchase a 360...Orange Box is available on PS3 as well.Mass Effect will most likely also appear on PC..
Geometry Wars...meh..Rez..had it before..Dead Rising, not that great a game imo..Viva Pinata, tell me your joking right!?...Crackdown, another poor example..C&C3 available on PC...Castlevania available on other consoles...Perfect Dark Zero, Rare has seen better days...Ace Combat 6, DAMN ill give you that one, i love that series..but most likely will return to PS3..hoping anyways.
Please oh please tell me thats not all you got, cuz if i what i listed on my previous list is all MS has got...indeed 08 will belong to PS3...
warlock7 @ Feb 6th 2008 8:16AM
I guess you missed the memo. They're already profitable and it took under 15 months.
http://playstation.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/sony-game-division-actually-makes-profit/
360 rules @ Feb 9th 2008 8:40PM
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha wow ea really showed me how stupid they are ps3 hasnt had a good game in awhile and well i havent seen a game thats coming out this year for it that i actually want to play and 360 has a bunch coming out, ea is just ignorant, and the kid who commented about buying another 360 to back up the other one SMART CHOICE, the kid who commented back and said you should buy a ps3 because it wont go out on you, haha not true ive heard of alot of ps3s burning up in peoples houses and developers are even having trouble developing games for the ps3 and they blame it on none other than the ps3 hardware with that said, well who do you think is going to eat their words, ahahaha cheers ea and sony you both SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!
SIC TR4NSIT @ Feb 11th 2008 2:47PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! ZOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!ROTFL!!!!!!!!!LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, that was a good joke EA made...
Lets just forget about Largly anticipated games, IPTV in the UK, XBLMarkeplace...
Ill give em' Skate or Die (so bad it rocked), Definately Crysis and need for speed. But w/out the sales from the 360, they wouldnt make anywhere as much money as they do IMO.
Halwende @ Feb 12th 2008 7:43PM
If Final Fantasy XIII and Gran Turismo 5 hits the market in '08 I can see this happening, would be interesting to see if Microsoft play a trump card to directly compete in that time frame - Gears of War 2 perhaps...
FG @ Feb 25th 2008 11:54AM
EA had to be paid BIG bucks for them to say this . This will probably be the largest income for EA in 08 . They cant make games for crap , even ncaa 08 has game crashing bugs.
This is more wishful thinking than a actual prediction I do believe . Bestbuys in my area cant move a ps3 to save a life . I do believe once the public starts realizing just how frail blu-ray disc are and how easily damaged they can get., we will see a back step to dvd. who wants to buy the same game over and over or movie 2 dozen times from low quality disc .