Japan PS3 launched 88,000 PS3 (1 Viewer)

[Austan]

Japanese sold out of 88,000 PS3.

US planned launch has 400,000 units on Nov 17. I guess its safe to say that in 1 weeks time, the number Blu-Ray playback devices would equal the number of HD DVD devices. And by the end of the year, the numbers will heavily favor Blu-Ray.

 

[ppltd]

Completly depends on how well the MS HD-DVD add-on sells, and if supply can keep up with current high demand. It could very easily be a draw.

 

[Austan]

With XBOX360 external HD DVD players selling so well, is it also safe to assume that Gamers will have an impact on the "Format War"?

 

[Chuck Mayer]

This is an industry that counts MILLIONS in installed base. I don't see how these numbers are going to drive much either way. So gamers will certainly be a large part of the early adopters...but that's it.

 

[ppltd]

Considering it took almost two years for DVD player sales in the US to hit a million, and three years to hit 5 Million, I think, with both HD and BD likly to be near 1 Million + after only 9 months is pretty darn good. It is certainly numbers in boths camps that the exclusive studios will be looking at very carefully.

DVD Hardware Sales Chart

 

[Chuck Mayer]

There is some overlap in numbers...and DVD was a niche format until well after the two year mark. Remember waiting for Fox, Paramount, and Disney to START releasing DVDs? I do

 

[ppltd]

Seems to be no different with HD or BD.

 

[Jason Seaver]

The big question is how the numbers will shake out in terms of devices actually used as BD playback devices. Everyone who buys an XBox 360 HD-DVD drive is presumably using it for that purpose; how many will use their PS3 for that beyond the included Talledega Nights disc is a pretty big wild card.

 

[Ed B]

What remains to be seen is how many of the PS3 owners will be putting out money for BD movies, I'm sure a good number of the people with the system dont have HD sets and others are going to save all their money for games vs movies.

It appears that the external 360s HD-DVD player has been setup successfully on a PC (see thread I posted in the HD-DVD section). This could be the be the new hot item for HTPC users. 2007 is definitely going to be an interesting year.

 

[MarekM]

what was last know numbers of HD-DVDs ? 50.000 ? 80.000?
somewhere I read that they want to be close to 100.000 before end of the year, can they do that ? Do Toshiba have enough power to produce them ?

at the end yes, it could be draw..........., depend how many more PS3s will SONY ship before the end of year. Last estimate from them was about 1mil.

Marek

 

[Nathan A]

This is true, but I don't understand why it's true. How is the PS3 worth $5/600 if you're not using the BR drive and/or don't have an HDTV? C'mon, people! Don't be foolish; that's why it's so expensive!

The director (or was it just a Capcom executive?) of Dead Rising (an XBOX360 game), in response to people complaining that the text of the game was hard to read on SDTVs, said that you probably shouldn't have a 360 if you don't have an HDTV.

I think that he's probably right, and I think that it's certainly right for the PS3.

 

[ppltd]

And depends on how many add-on's MS will ship for the 360. As it stands, they have not been able to keep them in stock.

Numbers I have seen for the Toshiba and RCA has been between 100,000 and 400,000. I am not sure any one knows for sure. But one thing is certain, it does not look like the stand alone players are going to be the determining factor here.

I believe that once we hit the 1,000,000 player point, the war will no longer be an issue. It will just be normal competition. I look at Sat. TV and Sat radio. Both have two competing formats, with both doing quite well. The additional profits that Warner and Paramount are generating now by supporting both formats will only increase as these players (PS3 and MS) get installed, and the studios are going to have to make some serious financial decisions. Their pocket books will win out, as they have no vested interest in hardware.

 

[Cory S.]

Nathan,

Some, like me, see buying one of these things now as an investment. Sure, I don't have a HDTV, but by Christmas of next year or Summer of '08, that won't be an issue any longer. Why wait and continue buying DVDs? (Sure, nobody's making me buying DVDs but the impulse to do so never goes away.)

To me, it make sense to buy a HD player now. It makes my decision on purchases much easier because these machines play DVDs as well.

And being a casual gamer, I want a game system as well. I hadn't had one in a few years. The PS3 just seems like the right buy. I'm sure in a few years I'll get a standalone player but I don't want to continue buying DVDs knowing that I want to go HD.

 

[Harminder]

I really believe that this format war might end up in a stalemate. If I don't see either format breaking out from the gate for the win in the next year or two, I'm going to invest in a blu-ray (love that Panasonic) or dual-format player.

 

[Jason Seaver]

I'm sure there's a good chunk of people who are looking at it and deciding that access to the next group of games, the gyro-controllers, online play, etc., are worth it. I don't get it, but aside from my DS, I haven't bought a current system since the 2600.

 

[Austan]

Just throwing out numbers or do you have any links?

 

[Andrew Bunk]

I don't doubt this sentiment, but at the same I will never play video games on my HDTV (it's an RPTV), because of obvious burn-in dangers.

I know LCD's are supposed to be relatively burn-proof, but what about DLP?

DLP seems to be gaining ground as the most affordable type of large HDTV. Just curious how people are going to feel if they burn video game stuff into their displays. This is why using a game console to view movies is basically worthless to me-I won't own the system for games, since I'll never feel comfortable playing them on a TV that will do the justice.

 

[ToEhrIsHuman]

DLPs are game-safe. No image burn-in concerns here.

 

[MarekM]

Thomas, in different thread there was a link that there are in stocks (addons)..........

and btw. I don't saw SINGLE NEWS or MESSAGE to confirm that HD-DVD player are over 100.000 !!! just few weeks ago they were just above 60.000 !

Marek

 

[ppltd]

I have read three different accounts of HD-DVD deliveries, but am unsure it that included all HD-DVD units, including PC and Laptop units, writers, or what.

Again, I stress, I don't think any real numbers have been released, so it is all guess work. And I can't say if what I read was written by someone who was biased one way or the other.