It would appear that the extended PlayStation Network downtime has started to hit the console at retail, with increased reports of PS3 owners trading in their black box o' Blu-ray to get an Xbox 360. Apparently, paying for online play is better than no online play at all.
"In the first week of downtime we did not really see any major change in sales or trades," said one store manager. "However from the second week onwards we have seen an increase of over 200% on PS3 consoles being traded in, split almost 50/50 between those trading for cash and those taking a 360 instead.”
One Belgian retailer said he'd noticed a dramatic change in the way consoles are being traded: "At the end of each month people come to sell their consoles. People that need money [to pay bills]. What’s different this time around is that that they are bringing in PS3s together with all their games and they don’t want money, they want an Xbox 360. In every case it is because of Black Ops and/or Modern Warfare 2."
As much as one could write off the traders as frag-heads who just want to play Call of Duty, one cannot really deny that the COD-playing frag-head is a crucial demographic that no platform holder needs to lose. Of course, Sony loyalists will stick with the PS3 through thick and thin, but it seems that the larger demographic may not seem so forgiving.
PSN Outage Begins To Hit Retail [Edge]
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Contest:
1:20 PM on 05.12.2011
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wooooaahhhhhhoooooooo
"And nothing of value was lost."
Seriously. The PS3 has the best exclusives. I'm not about to say that I forgive Sony and love them regardless. But I love gaming and so I'm holding onto the console that presents actual value in gaming beyond playing with other people which I will be able to do again within a month and I have doubts that Sony will not let things get this bad again...
Even if this is in those particular consumers best interests (because God forbid they read a book or do something other than play games online) it really just confirms why the mainstream market is losing me with every passing year.
Right about now MS thankful that people couldn't just trade in their RROD XBoxs.
The Japanese sales have been the PS3's saving grace since launch. I don't think the Japanese are as rabid about online gaming as the rest of the world is.
In short, Japanese gamers have kept the PS3 in the fight, and they probably don't care that PSN is down.
It's possible that Sony could turn this around, but I'm betting they lose even more market share next gen.
someone please, EXPLAIN!
I suppose if you play COD all the time it makes sense.
IT HATH BEGUNETH!
If there's been a new release I absolutely need online for, I just buy it for my PC.