In what's becoming an all too familiar tale, the PlayStation 4 has topped the NPD hardware charts yet again. Sony's system was on top in the United States for the month of December, completing a clean sweep for the all-important Christmas period. This means that the Xbox One only managed to triumph over the Japanese giant's box twice in its home territory in 2015: April and October.
The platform holder, as it's wont to do these days, thanked its "fans and partners" for putting the PS4 on top in December, but was all too happy to turn the knife on its competitors, pointing out that its console was also the best-selling box in the USA across 2015 as a whole. Considering that America is widely regarded as Microsoft's one remaining stronghold, it's not exactly good news for the Redmond firm.
Irrespective, the industry as a whole continued to chug along, remaining flat compared to the previous year. Retail sales this December totalled $3.22 billion for the month, down one per cent from 2014's slightly more impressive $3.26 billion. That's likely due to the continued decline in PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sales, which are really starting to tail off now around the world.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III was, perhaps unsurprisingly, the best-selling game of the month, with Star Wars Battlefront and Fallout 4 rounding out the top three spots. NBA 2K16, Grand Theft Auto V, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, Minecraft, and FIFA 16 rounded out the top ten. Surprisingly, there was no room at all for Just Cause 3, which launched in early December to some critical acclaim.
Many predicted mid-way through 2015 that Microsoft's roster of exclusives would give it the edge over the Christmas period, but once again it's been proven that first-party releases don't move the needle quite as much as enthusiasts think. Sony, however, will be hoping that games like Uncharted 4: A Thief's End at least add to its momentum in 2016, as it no doubt assembles another third-party onslaught for the holiday season.
Top Ten Physical Retail Releases: December 2015
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III (Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, PC)
- Star Wars: Battlefront (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
- Fallout 4 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- Madden NFL 16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
- NBA 2K16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
- Grand Theft Auto V (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3, PC)
- Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
- Minecraft (360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3)
- Minecraft: Story Mode: A Telltale Game Series (360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3)
- FIFA 16 (PS4, Xbox One, 360, PS3)
[source venturebeat.com, via uk.ign.com]
Comments 42
Is all of the back-patting really necessary? Is gaming just about what fanbase has the biggest sales figures?
@Jayvir No, but you're reading a sales charts article, so of course it's going to be about sales numbers.
http://mynintendonews.com/2016/01/14/npd-heres-the-best-selling-games-in-december-in-the-us/
Top games too. Not a single first party game made the list. Guess this all kills the exclusives argument.
@Jayvir Of course not, otherwise you wouldn't have a Nintendo-based avatar.
But it is interesting to see PlayStation do so well in the US considering the 360 was so dominant there just a few years ago. The tides have truly turned.
@WebHead Yeah, I'm about to do this now. Thanks for link.
I feel like I'm the only one on earth that hasn't bought Minecraft.
@ShogunRok Really gotta hand it to Kaz Hirai. He really turned Sony's fortunes around. Let's just hope PSVR doesn't ruin it..
@ShogunRok @get2sammyb I wasn't implying specifically to this site, but was meaning as a whole in the industry. There is such a focus on sales numbers and the mention that Sony has to thank fans and pat everyone's back seems like the worst kind of pandering.
Not sure what my avatar has to do with anything. So I like the Xeno series (which has a huge catalog on Sony platforms). I still own a Ps4, ps3, ps2, ps1, psp and a pstv. I also own Nintendo consoles also. So I ask once again, what does my avatar have to do with anything. If it was Kos-mos, would that instantly validate my opinion. If I wanted to play your game, I could easily point out terrible Vita numbers and tout the 3DS, but it doesn't matter regardless.
I am just wondering why everyone seems to care about week to week and monthly sales when it really doesn't directly impact us in any way. Its puzzling to me, but obviously I'm not allowed to think that. Sorry.
@WebHead To be honest, for as much as we all like to have a laugh about Kaz Hirai, he's clearly an exceptional businessman. Not only did he resurrect the PS3 from sure failure, but he's also helped return stability to Sony as a whole.
Pretty impressive stuff, really.
@Jayvir its a video game site. They kinda have to report on this stuff. And I think it's fun to read about.
@Jayvir You asked if gaming (generally speaking) is all about which console sells best. I said obviously it doesn't, because your avatar is based upon Nintendo characters. In other words, if sales did determine people's enjoyment of gaming, you would have a PlayStation based avatar, because it's selling best right now. It was just an observation.
And personally I think with stuff like this, Sony is worthy of a pat on the back - it proves the company's doing something right and that's good for all interested parties. Although having said that, I do agree that there are those who often take it a bit too personally, which is baffling.
@Jayvir I find the fan thanking a bit cringe as well to be honest; I understand it makes them look humble so I get why they do it, but these are billion dollar companies so... Eh.
As for the sales thing, a lot of people really enjoy the mechanics of the industry and the business side of things. It's pretty easy to ignore if you're not into that sort of thing - and there's nothing wrong with ignoring it at all.
Good to see Battlefront selling well. I personally think it's really good game.
This year though is excellent for games coming (touch wood for not many delays into next year) so can only see these sales rocketing this year. If this year doesn't make people jump to next gen I don't know what will..
@TheMightyPunram Yeah, he was packing a few pounds in his earlier days.
@WebHead
Which leads to the question. Why do we all play on consoles still? I can't figure it out myself. Most of what we're buying is multiplats and the truth is a gaming PC is going to play these games much better than the crappy hardware that is inside the PS4 and Xbox One.
@Gamer83 Simple . ease of use and cool platform specific features. And some people simply don't want to play games on laptops or at a desk . The truth is Sony was straightened with its communication and aggressive with its marketing, as well as aligning itself with the right third parties. PS4 is that speedy, cool looking box that's easy and fun to use.
@Jayvir
Lets be honest. You just don't like the backslapping because it's the PlayStation. The Nintendo fans and Xbox fans were having a ton of fun kicking dirt at the PS3 last gen. Shoe is now on the other foot and now that the Sony fanboys get to sling some mud this gen, none of you who got your laughs at Sony's expense can handle it. The problem would be solved by not being a fanboy but people for whatever reason always want to cheer lead for giant corporations who in the end, really don't give a sh*t about the consumer.
@WebHead
Simplicity and maybe cheapness on my part, is why I stick with consoles too. But looking at my library, and looking at the buying habits of consumers this gen, we should all really be gaming on PC. Outside of a few franchises there is nothing Sony and MS offer that can't be bought there.
@Gamer83 I just don't like playing games at the desk. And I don't think I could ever abandon PS.
Plus tbh at this rate there's no way MS is waiting until 2020 to launch the next Xbox. I could easily see the successor on store shelves come December 2018.
@WebHead
I think both Sony and MS will have some kind of new PlayStation and Xbox on the market by 2019, but I'm pretty sure they won't be traditional consoles. Hell if VR takes off I could see Sony going exclusively in that direction.
@Gamer83 kinda thought halo 5 would chart. The whole master chief collection problems fiasco sure did a number on the halo brand.
@WebHead
Yup, that fiasco coupled with the fact that Halo 5 just isn't that good. Halo is my favorite franchise but I can't pretend a game in the series is good when it isn't.
@KratosMD
Bungie's Halo games are so much better than 343's, it's not even close.
a lot of fanboys on here with the old it does not really matter who is winning the console race ,of course it does now and now Sony are totally dominant the shoe is on the other foot this time around people seem to forget that the ps3 in the end won the last generation anyway ,i did not buy a xbox one purely because of Microsoft trying to rip me off at that awful e3 reveal which was like a train wreck in slow motion eff you Microsoft pull the other one its got bells on .
@shadowman Mind your language, please - TheMightyPunram
Kazamania is running wild brother!
When I saw the new generation of consoles I never even considered buying the Xbox console. I have always bought Sony consoles and and they have performed well for me apart from the PS3 and its death lights but xbox also had the same sort of issues. The only other console I would have bought is the wii u because they try and do something in a different way and have a lot of fun game. But glad I held off on that.
I think the question @Gamer83 raised about why don't we all just play on the PC is a potent one. For me, I get three hours at absolute most per day to play games, and I just don't want to spend even 10 minutes of that fiddling with drivers and graphics settings.
Consoles aren't necessarily the best place to play, but at least they just work.
@ShogunRok I think a lot of Americans actually think the Xbox One is the dominant console there this gen as well. A few weeks ago me and my friend were watching his American fiancé and her friend stream Fallout 4 on the Xbone. I made some kind of comment that revealed I was playing it on the PS4 (I think it was to do with the save screens being different) and her friend said "You have a PS4!?!? WHY???" Yes, you could actually hear all those question and exclamation marks. Then the fiancé said "He's from Europe, they all do weird things there like prefer tea to coffee and prefer the PS4 to Xbox". She was just joking and I took it as a joke too, it was just interesting to see they assumed it as US = Xbox, EU = PS4.
@dryrain
Well the funny thing is that I had an Xbox 360 for all of last gen, only got a PS3 right at the end because my friend gave me his broken one and I fixed it. I still had no intention whatsoever of getting the Xbone - all because of how the 360 really petered out as it went on and had so many annoying things like flooding the dashboard with ads even when you were subscribed. In previous gens I always had every main console (other than the Saturn) but I definitely preferred the PS1 and PS2 in their gens. I'm not the only one that felt that way, going off my other friends as well as international sales figures.
@get2sammyb Also you need to upgrade far more often and spend more each year on average. Could a £300 PC from 2006 (even without taking into account the £40 controller) run The Last of US in 2013? The PS4 has 8GB of GDDR5 RAM. The same amount of DDR4 RAM costs £90 for a PC. The recommended CPU for MGSV is £250. You haven't even got a case, a controller, a HDD, a motherboard, a keyboard or a mouse and you've already paid for a PS4 and 2+ games.
Then you have all sorts of things like games coming out on PC years after consoles, whether it be smaller games or major ones like GTAV. Games that do find their way to PC often have annoying differences, like Dynasty Warriors having online modes removed. Or just laughably bad ports like the atrocious Arkham Knight one. TW3 threads I'd be in every day in the weeks after release were initially flooded with PC gamers complaining of terrible framerates with their £600 Titan X GPUs and frequent crashes to desktop.
I game on the PC as well, in fact for the last week I've basically ignored my PS4 in favour of Baldur's Gate and Diablo 3. I see the PC as secondary, though, for the aforementioned reasons.
@get2sammyb
Time and convenience factors in for me as well and I also think being a long-time gamer there is that comfort level. I do enjoy getting home from work, sitting down on the couch, turning the console on and playing, where as PC I would have to sit at the desk. There's advantages and disadvantages to both but with exclusives clearly not a factor (at least in regards to the competition between Sony and MS), I have to wonder if down the road, more people won't consider switching to PCs, especially if it continues to out-perform consoles by as much as it does.
@Splat No no no, I haven't bought Minecraft either! Yay for us!
@shadowman1 "ps3 in the end won the last generation anyway"
So the Wii wasn't a thing? Who knew?
Even though PS3 eventually sold in excess of 80 million, it was still a bittersweet achievement, considering the absurd amount of money Sony lost because of it.
The PS4 is doing tremendously, though I'm reminded of Phil Spencer's comments regarding the misconception of console sales - shifting millions is pointless if the money isn't being made (though PS4 does make a profit for Sony).
@ShogunRok "In other words, if sales did determine people's enjoyment of gaming, you would have a PlayStation based avatar, because it's selling best right now."
Playstation is selling the fastest - but it hasn't sold the most. The brand is roughly equal to Nintendo in terms of units shifted (40 million PS4s + 8 million or so Vitas vs. 12 million Wii Us + 56 million 3DSes).
Nevertheless, it IS pretty silly to use sales as a barometer for enjoyment. What's the point of obsessing over a multibillion dollar company's finances, when there are a multitude of suits who get paid the big bucks to do so?
Funnily enough, I think this OCD behaviour has risen because of the internet. So much information is available to us 24/7, we now know every single little thing that happens with Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft et al... Things that have ALWAYS happened, yet weren't public knowledge in the old days, because all we had for information were magazines - and magazines were all about fun. I remember loving the Gamecube, Xbox and Dreamcast - and only having a vague idea of how well they were selling. Sure, numbers would occasionally get reported, but it mattered so little back then...
EDIT: Oh, and like @get2sammyb has said, I also prefer to play on consoles - I always have, and probably always will. I simply cannot stand PC gaming; having to worry about parts and compatibility issues constantly, spending stupid amounts of money for slightly nicer-looking games, and the other annoying computer-related issues that give me massive headaches. It doesn't help that I generally don't care about the latest tech, and that I prefer easy, painless systems that focus on fun and immersion instead of banal resolutions and framerates.
Regarding PC gaming. I would like to game on a PC the only thing stopping me is the initial investment in the computer system. I think the games are generally good value on the PC and you can also get early access to a lot of games. There are so many more open world titles on the PC and the modding community also do a great job.
@Matroska I couldn't have said it better myself.
I would like to add though, that its not always about the cost. I only know a few people that game on console because its cheaper. I game on my console because it offers me an experience that its not possible to get on the PC, for any price.
1. A small box that looks good (or reasonable) in my entertainment center. I could get a Mac Mini, or some other Micro PC, but those cannot hold the graphics card, memory, and power supply that a PS4 quality system would require.
2. The majority of the titles available on physical media, and not requiring some online only DRM.
3. All non unique games can fully utilize the controller (and doesn't give me Xbox button logos on screen, when I am not using an Xbox controller).
4. An operating system that is fast and boots directly to a controller enabled interface for game selection. (SteamOS does this, but then the game selection is very limited) And one that I don't have to worry about hardware compatibility, or driver versions, or any other such nonsense. Gaming is supposed to be fun, not a chore.
5. A static target that developers can have time to get familiar with, and actually use its full capacity before a replacement is needed.
A PC cannot do any of those in a reasonable fashion, and notice price was never once a factor.
PC's where not built solely to be playing games on, where as console's where built specifically for games.
I don't think there is anything wrong that Sony recognises they've got where they are because of there customers & loyal customers, I would rather a company thank us instead of telling us to #DealWithIt.
@thedevilsjester Totally agree. I do think it's worth mentioning price, though, because while I agree that I've never once heard anyone say "I really wanted to get a PC but I'm poor so I got a console instead," I think it just adds another off-putting element to the mix.
I guess it's like how the average guy won't get a sports car instead of a normal car because it's horribly fuel inefficient (okay, this is cost-related but it's also effort-related since you have to fill up more often), there's not enough space for his family, there's not enough space for various equipment like bicycles, there's not enough space for the weekly shop, there's a greater chance of theft or vandalism. When you take all that into account AND it costs about 5x the price of a regular car, it's just the final blow. Maybe if it was cheaper you'd get one as well.
I know this is just anecdotal, but the two people I know who ONLY game on a PC are the two poorest people I know. The richest people I know either have both or just a console (or neither, they're not gamers). The funny thing is, the poorer people are largely drawn to PC because it's so easy to pirate on. But yeah, even if a top-end PC only cost about £250 and came with a great controller like the DS4, I'd still want the PS4 for the reason previously stated.
@Kage_88 If the Wii "won", why was it discontinued so early compared to the other consoles, especially given that it released later than them? It sold a lot of units to people who had no interest in buying any games. This is just the thing, usually when a console sells well, it's a success in every way. The Wii was a failure in terms of staying power, it was a failure in terms of games sold outside of Zumba Fitness, Let's Dance and all that kind of crap. I've said it before, but in the duration that the Wii sold 90 million units, Skyward Sword only sold 250,000 copies. Those same people who just bought it because Philip Schofield played Wii Sports on "This Morning" didn't go on to buy a Wii U because it was just a one-off little fad for them.
As for your sales thing, you can't combine a bunch of different things like that. Not only are the handheld and console markets totally different, with different demographics involved, the prices and ages are totally off. The 3DS has been out for 5 years and costs significantly less than a PS4 which has only been out for 2 and a bit years. People have spent more on PS4s in less than 2.5 years than they have spent on the 3DS in 5. It's also has 3 distinct models and several smaller iterations within some of those models (e.g. XL).
Like with all Nintendo stuff, the sales are about 50% just in the USA as well. Is very disproportionate and not international at all. The NES is Nintendo's best-selling console outside of the Wii, and was a legendary titan in the US, yet the PS4 outsold its lifetime sales in Europe within a few months. Talking of the US-centric nature of some of these things, the PS3 actually outsold the Wii in Europe. Sales were close in Japan. It was only really in America that the Wii streaked ahead.
@Matroska "If the Wii "won", why was it discontinued so early compared to the other consoles, especially given that it released later than them? It sold a lot of units to people who had no interest in buying any games."
Are you seriously disputing the fact that the Wii somehow DIDN’T ‘win’ in the last generation? That its early exit from the marketplace somehow invalidated its success, as did its casual audience? By that logic, then maybe the PS2 was a big fat flop as well, since it sold a lot based on its DVD playback capabilities!
"This is just the thing, usually when a console sells well, it's a success in every way. The Wii was a failure in terms of staying power, it was a failure in terms of games sold outside of Zumba Fitness, Let's Dance and all that kind of crap."
‘A success in every way’. Okay, so how do you measure the Wii’s successes and failures, then? Amount of units sold? Profit made? Software quality? Because from my recollection, it had all of these. It had a load of shovelware – but so did the PS One and PS2. ‘Staying power’? Again, what’s your scientific barometer for measuring such a thing? It’s legacy? It’s longevity? Technically, the Wii lasted for six years (emphasis on technically), but even shaving a year or two off, it still lasted the average lifespan of a console.
A cursory glance at the best-selling Wii games gives me games like Mario Kart Wii, Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess and Donkey Kong. I would also say Wii Sports and Wii Fit – but those aren’t real games, apparently.
It’s true that 3rd party games sold poorly on the system… Aside from Zumba and Just Dance, apparently – though according to Wikipedia, Just Dance 2 is only the 17th best-seller on the system… So maybe, they didn’t shift as much as you claim they did? S**t, maybe NOTHING sold on the Wii? Maybe people bought the thing just to stare at it? Then again, the same Wiki article says that Wii software sales were at 895.22 million, whilst the PS3 was at 595 million and Xbox 360 at 353.8 million. That’s a hell of a lot of imaginary purchases.
"I've said it before, but in the duration that the Wii sold 90 million units, Skyward Sword only sold 250,000 copies."
Source?
"As for your sales thing, you can't combine a bunch of different things like that."
Why not? Because you say so? Alrighty then. Apparently that doesn’t stop Sony (or Microsoft) from combining THEIR hardware sales like they’ve done so many times in the past – but hey, if you say it’s wrong, then I may have to send a sternly worded letter to Kaz.
"Not only are the handheld and console markets totally different, with different demographics involved, the prices and ages are totally off. The 3DS has been out for 5 years and costs significantly less than a PS4 which has only been out for 2 and a bit years. People have spent more on PS4s in less than 2.5 years than they have spent on the 3DS in 5. It's also has 3 distinct models and several smaller iterations within some of those models (e.g. XL)."
And? You think I don’t know that? Different consoles are different. Wow, blew my mind there. I was simply addressing the widely-held misconception that Sony has more active units out there than Nintendo. As a matter of fact, I even said that PlayStation is selling faster.
"Like with all Nintendo stuff, the sales are about 50% just in the USA as well."
Again, source?
"The NES is Nintendo's best-selling console outside the Wii."
And DS.
"...yet the PS4 outsold its lifetime sales in Europe within a few months."
Gee, maybe that has something to do with that fact that the gaming industry has gotten a wee bit bigger in the last 30 years? Just a thought.
"...the PS3 actually outsold the Wii in Europe
Again, I'd like a source for this.
@Kage_88 number of consoles sold does not make a clear winner. Overall profit makes the winner and the Wii had an over all terrible attach rate (except for a few first party titles) because so many bought it for a couple games, fitness, etc... It's safe to bet that the Wii (100 mill) did not make nearly as much profit as the 360 or ps3s 80 mill each.
@Matroska most of the people I know that are PC gamers are also low income, because of the low barrier to be a PC gamer, and piracy is easy.
@Gamer83 Lets be honest you have a beef with Sony you are crying with every article mate go play on a PC or Xbox you are making a spectacle of yourself. Its getting kinda sad now....
@Flaming_Kaiser
Yet I game more on PS4 than anything else and have made plenty of positive comments. I'm really sick of people who think different opinions that aren't always positive is crying. There was no crying here, just bringing up a point of discussion. Of course instead of partaking you decide to be that guy who makes things personal. If you don't like my comments, ignore them, that simple.
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