Xbox 360 sales fall 2.3% as 'Halo Effect' fizzles out

[Zeus]

MS shipped 2.3% fewer 360 consoles during the holiday shopping season than it did the previous year, despite the fact that Halo 3 was available. Xbox 360 sales have now sunk to below pre-Halo 3 levels. MS said the gaming divisions increase in game sales for windows and 360, was partly offset by declining Xbox 360 console sales.

<center><img src="http://www.maxconsole.net/content_img/savhalme.jpg"></center></a>


But Microsoft's second-quarter report, released Thursday, indicates that Xbox 360 sales have sunk to below pre-Halo 3 levels. The company's Entertainment and Devices Division -- which houses the Xbox and related products and the Zune digital music player -- squeaked out a modest 3% revenue increase to $3.1 billion in the second quarter.

Microsoft said the group's sales of games for Windows and the Xbox 360 increased 5%, but noted that the gain was partly offset by declining Xbox 360 console sales.


News Source: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205918713&subSection=News" target=_blank">informationweek</a>

[poisonousjuice]

I'm confused with this. headline is : Xbox 360 sales fall 2.3% as 'Halo Effect' fizzles out

but the amount shipped out to stores for the holidays 07 was less then the holidays 06 because halo effect fizzling? was the halo effect a year ago?

probably less 360s shipped during the 07 holidays because there were already plenty of 360s in stock... we're talking 3% difference :p

but maybe i'm missing the whole point.

[Skyline34]

It was crap, people are just realising that, hence the sales fall.

[danight]

Halo 3 was great, of course it cant last forever though. but sony will likely never have a game that outsells it. personally i think sci-fi fps are on the decline. War shooters seem to be the "in thing" now.

look at ut3. Had all the potential and fell right on its face. UT is like halos step brother. Both very simulair games. But we see games like battlefield2, half life, cod4 cash in big time on a modern war theme.

I also think its part to do with the writers strike also. No real cool sci fi shows on TV like star trek or movies like star wars. But there is movies like rambo :confused:

halo3 hit at a great time. Timing is everything.... as ut3 saw.

[pwntendo]

Read the original article carefully...

Microsoft shipped 4.3 million Xbox 360 systems in the three months ended Dec. 31, compared with 4.4 million systems during the same period in 2006.

Note the word "shipped" in that sentence. Microsoft SHIPPED less consoles this year than last year, that's why they sold less.

[Skyline34]

It'll be MGS4's time soon enough!

[sigma8]

War shooters seem to be the "in thing" now.

look at ut3. Had all the potential and fell right on its face. UT is like halos step brother. Both very simulair games. But we see games like battlefield2, half life, cod4 cash in big time on a modern war theme.

I also think its part to do with the writers strike also. No real cool sci fi shows on TV like star trek or movies like star wars. But there is movies like rambo :confused:

halo3 hit at a great time. Timing is everything.... as ut3 saw.

War shooters are "in"? How is UT3 not a war shooter? There's a war going on. You shoot. Oh, you mean "realistic" war shooters? Then please disregard Half Life. UT3 was not promoted nearly as heavily as Halo3. Remember all those Master Chiefs showing up at promotional events? Like cutting ribbons, presenting awards, etc.. He was showing up on cereal boxes, tv shows, etc.. that was funded by MS.

And why bother mentioning "no cool sci fi shows" I thought you said sci-fi was out, war was in. Unreal Tournament has never been a huge mover on the consoles. Halo is an established console franchise. Unreal Tournament doesn't even have a single player game. It may be an excellent game on its own, but does it really offer more on the PS3 platform that Warhawk doesn't already provide?

[danight]

ut3 is a pc shooter than got screwed coming to the ps3. Epic lost its hardcore pc fans over that. Then the ps3, dont even get me started. Sony did next to advertising of ut3 before xmas but sony was advertising mgs4 every night (lets see sony.. timed exclusive vs a game not even out?...hummmmm)

My point being in a matter of months we saw halo 3 vs ut3. 1 set records the other flopped on its face and left gamers feeling like they wasted 50-60 dollars.
Epic screwed up, no doubt. They should have released on the 360 since microsoft does do a great job at marketing. But halo didnt have cod4 or hl2 ob to compete with either. But thats a hole different story since halo 3 and cod4 both sold great on the xbox 360, while ut3 and cod4 on ps3 did ummm, not so great :)

But the lack of sp in ut3 was just lazy. The commercials made the game look like gears of war 2 while the real game is more like ut2k4 with graphic update and worse gameplay. But when you consider sony sent a swat team to epic to make sure ut3 was great. What ever happened to that swat team? haven't heard much about them lately :rolleyes:

[fanatic]

Skyline34 I had to log in just so that I wouldn't have to see your posts anymore

Also Danight, war shooters have been coming out by the bucketload for about two years now, it's not really something new.

[wigsplitta]

ut3 is a pc shooter than got screwed coming to the ps3. Epic lost its hardcore pc fans over that. Then the ps3, dont even get me started. Sony did next to advertising of ut3 before xmas but sony was advertising mgs4 every night (lets see sony.. timed exclusive vs a game not even out?...hummmmm)

My point being in a matter of months we saw halo 3 vs ut3. 1 set records the other flopped on its face and left gamers feeling like they wasted 50-60 dollars.
Epic screwed up, no doubt. They should have released on the 360 since microsoft does do a great job at marketing. But halo didnt have cod4 or hl2 ob to compete with either. But thats a hole different story since halo 3 and cod4 both sold great on the xbox 360, while ut3 and cod4 on ps3 did ummm, not so great :)

But the lack of sp in ut3 was just lazy. The commercials made the game look like gears of war 2 while the real game is more like ut2k4 with graphic update and worse gameplay. But when you consider sony sent a swat team to epic to make sure ut3 was great. What ever happened to that swat team? haven't heard much about them lately :rolleyes:


It's a damn shame because UT3 is awesome. It's missing a true single player campaign though. In my opinion it's still better that Halo but is not similar in any way. It's a very fast paced adrenaline packed game. Halo is slooooooowww. You would think that PS3 owners would actually embrace one of the only good exclusive games that has come out. I heard a bunch of fanboy b1tch talk like, "PS3 is better and were getting UT3 first with kb and mouse support and the ability to import pc maps/mods." However, when this great game launched nobody ran out and bought it. I don't think 360 users would snatch this game up though . There are too many good shooters already out there.

Anyways, I don't think the decline in sales is a bad sign. It's sure no a "Halo Effect" as proven by other. I just think that there isn't really that much going on with any console at this point. It's slow after Christmas. Once Black Friday rolls around I'm sure MS will have something up their sleeves to boost sales. Other than that I think GTA will sell consoles on both fronts.

[(V)ega]

It's a damn shame because UT3 is awesome. It's missing a true single player campaign though. In my opinion it's still better that Halo but is not similar in any way. It's a very fast paced adrenaline packed game. Halo is slooooooowww. You would think that PS3 owners would actually embrace one of the only good exclusive games that has come out. I heard a bunch of fanboy b1tch talk like, "PS3 is better and were getting UT3 first with kb and mouse support and the ability to import pc maps/mods." However, when this great game launched nobody ran out and bought it. I don't think 360 users would snatch this game up though . There are too many good shooters already out there.

Anyways, I don't think the decline in sales is a bad sign. It's sure no a "Halo Effect" as proven by other. I just think that there isn't really that much going on with any console at this point. It's slow after Christmas. Once Black Friday rolls around I'm sure MS will have something up their sleeves to boost sales. Other than that I think GTA will sell consoles on both fronts.

That was a good post. I couldn't of put it better myself. :D

[sigma8]

ut3 is a pc shooter than got screwed coming to the ps3. Epic lost its hardcore pc fans over that. Then the ps3, dont even get me started. Sony did next to advertising of ut3 before xmas but sony was advertising mgs4 every night (lets see sony.. timed exclusive vs a game not even out?...hummmmm)

My point being in a matter of months we saw halo 3 vs ut3. 1 set records the other flopped on its face and left gamers feeling like they wasted 50-60 dollars.
Epic screwed up, no doubt. They should have released on the 360 since microsoft does do a great job at marketing. But halo didnt have cod4 or hl2 ob to compete with either. But thats a hole different story since halo 3 and cod4 both sold great on the xbox 360, while ut3 and cod4 on ps3 did ummm, not so great :)

But the lack of sp in ut3 was just lazy. The commercials made the game look like gears of war 2 while the real game is more like ut2k4 with graphic update and worse gameplay. But when you consider sony sent a swat team to epic to make sure ut3 was great. What ever happened to that swat team? haven't heard much about them lately :rolleyes:
Sony isn't responsible for marketing UT3. MS isn't going to bankroll every third party. They'll market heavily for properties they own, they do NOT own the UT property.

CoD4 did perfectly fine on the PS3.
attach rates are as follows:

.29 copies of CoD4 for every Xbox360
.28 copies of CoD4 for every PS3

.05 copies of Orange Box for every Xbox360
.02 copies of Orange Box for every PS3
note: Orange box has been out twice as long for the Xbox360

So, really, the PS3 is doing about equally well on a per-unit basis. I feel that UT3 failed because it's simply not that strong of a game. It wouldn't have done any better on the 360. It would have sold twice as many copies perhaps, thanks to the installed base, but twice feeble is generally still feeble.

Comparing Halo3 to anything at all is ridiculous. Halo3 is promoted more than the Xbox360 itself.

[faceless]

the article makes several mistakes.

1) Microsoft *shipped* more consoles in the 4th quarter of last year, but *sold* less consoles in the 4th quarter of last year.

in order to meet sales goals, last year MS "stuffed the channel" by shipping many more consoles than would be sold in the time period.

2) as people mentioned, their "Halo Effect" line makes no sense in the context of the article.

Halo 3 still kept selling, so where is the fizzle? *Sales* were higher despite lower shipment numbers, so where is the fizzle?

[benny32]

I think word of the RROD problem is finally starting to reach the sheeple. Viva 360 Slim!:)

[grapeape]

The lack of reading comprehension skills by the fanboy brigade is baffling.

[Skyline34]

I think word of the RROD problem is finally starting to reach the sheeple. Viva 360 Slim!:)
Don't be an idiot... none of them would work then.

[Raist3d]

A very plausible reason is simply that people had "360 Xmas early" when Halo 3 came out, thus those who would have bought it at Xmas, already did. Granted, the 360 sales could still go down a bit but given the chances of this happening without the Halo 3 sales context, I discard this possibility.

I would say that the fact they dipped so little after the Halo 3 craze points to that they probably even increased sales a tiny bit.

- Raist