What happens if the 360 falls BEHIND the PS3 in sales?

Since it's release, the 360 has done well to hold a sales lead over the PS3, even if the lead appears to be slowly shrinking. So what would happen if the PS3 were to finally overtake the 360 in total sales? I predict a number of things... not all of them bad.

1. The price of a 360 would drop: You don't think Microsoft would go down without a fight do you? Step one on stopping the bleeding (or regaining the lead) would to be to drop the price of the 360. Historically the 360 has always been estimated to cost lest to build than the PS3, so Microsoft has lots of wiggle room. Gamers and 360 fans win.

2. PS3 fanboys would rub it in GOOD and HARD: A lot of 360 fans would be silenced. N4G would probably explode in Sony joy. At the end of the day 'numbers' mean very little, but for some it would bring tears of joy, or rage.

3. MS would give LIVE subscribers more value: Either the price of LIVE would drop, or they would give LIVE users more features for less. This would be another strategy to keep 360 users hooked on the annual fees for online functionality. Either way, 360 fans would win.

4. The reputation of the 360 would drop: Some say the sales race is silly, but I think it is important in brand perception. No one wants to be known for being in "last place" this gen, because it will have an influence over customer perceptions of the brand. People will speak more highly of the 360 in 10 years if it were to finish ahead of the PS3. The winners always write the history books. (yes the Wii technically wins, but I argue it is not a factor to the core crowd that frequent gaming sites and actually care about the numbers)

5. MS would increase focus on the 'core' market: If the PS3 is winning in one area it is the core market. MS would have no choice but to increase focus on quality exclusives, timed exclusives, and timed/exclusive DLC all in attempt to keep it's user numbers, or lure back gamers jumping ship.

6. The next gen 720 would arrive sooner: We all know that as soon as Sony starts to gain any real momentum on the 360 (despite cost cuts and exclusive incentives) the next gen 360 will be released. In fact, I suspect the strategy of MS is to expand to the casual market, try to keep the core crowd "happy enough", and then pop the next gen console with built in Kinect 2.0 as soon as the 360 shows signs of faltering.

7. Less focus on exclusives for the 360 now means more AAA exclusives in the early months of the 720: I think the lower emphasis on core exclusives in 2011 is telling. Microsoft is not dumb. They are not abandoning the core crowd... they are preparing a "must-have" list of core exclusives to draw 360 and PS3 gamers into buying the next gen 720. I suspect it will be out for Fall 2012... with Halo 4 and some other heavy hitting exclusives that can't be missed.

Summary:

So in the end, if the PS3 pulls ahead of the 360 in sales, aside from a few hurt egos, I suspect gamers will only benefit. Expect price cuts from both Sony and Microsoft as they battle for dominance and your hard earned dollar. Until that day, I think both Sony and MS are enjoying the current truce, not to mention the extra profits from hardware sales. Both sides are probably still licking their wounds from the initial losses that they had to adsorb early this gen (estimated to be as high as 150$ lost per 360 sold, and 300$ for the PS3 in the early days). Expect another knife fight next gen.

[HolyOrangeCows]

"BEHIND"?
I smell a pun.

I think it's just a matter of time.

They released a new peripheral on the 360, and they're counting too hard on it to give them the boost they need to leave competition in the dust. The PS3 and 360 sold NECK AND NECK in December, despite moving Kinect units. Dance Central and Kinect Sports took two months just to break a million. That's not the launch hype numbers you're looking for, especially when you've supposedly sold 8 million of the hardware. And even more especially when you're already spending $500 million and have already gone to the top of the celebrities list (Soccer mom capital, Ms. Oprah. Young children magnet, Beiber.).

As for the PS3, they've built a solid foundation in a strong games lineup. They won't be dumped by a casual-heavy fanbase when the next weight loss game-toaster releases.

"2. PS3 fanboys would rub it in GOOD and HARD: A lot of 360 fans would be silenced"
I think the people who felt validated by a chart with a vertical arrows will rightfully get to feel stupid and ashamed. I can't say I won't enjoy it as people change their minds on both sides as to what sales numbers mean.

If #3 and #5 happen, I can't wait.

[teething]

in regards to #5... I think #7 will trump. If anything, only expect timed exclusives/DLC this gen for the 360. Triple A exclusives for the 360 are numbered... but expect a killer opening exclusive lineup for the 720.

[malandra]

also there's no doubt the PS3 will overtake the 360 on the second place

PS3 sold 47.9 million in 4 years (average 12 million a year)
360 sold 50.7 million in 5 years (average 10 million a year)

even last year with Kinect and its 500 million dollar camapaign PS3 outsold the 360 just like every other year its been on the market

so with all the exclusives PS3 has this year it might happen even faster than what the previous years averages suggest, it should be around the end of this year

[Rush]

What happens if the 360 falls behind in sales, nothing they both have a massive installer base and neither can make any real head way this generation.

[sdtarm]

your title is misleading, it should read:

What Happens WHEN the 360 falls behind the PS3 Saleswise

[DelbertGrady]

I thought it was the 360 fans who played sales and here you are writing blogs about it lol!

[Active Reload]

"What happens if the 360 falls BEHIND the PS3 in sales?"

Skynet takes over...

[darthv72]

In this day and age you dont suddenly stop playing one console when you get another. You become a multiconsole gamer. These things are not disposable and the term jumping ship implies you never go back. Chances are there are far more multiconsole gamers now than there were at the start of this gen. And more joining the middle every day/week/month/year.

Nothing wrong with that.

And to tell you the truth...if the day came when the ps3 is officially 1 unit ahead of the 360 in lifetime sales. That day will still be another day. Sun rises, sun sets. People go to work or school and people will play games on whatever system they choose.

It isnt like the loser system will all of a sudden just 'poof' disappear. MS and Sony go hand in hand. Sony can thank MS for making the corporate changes to policy and pricing in order to boost sales. MS can thank Sony for giving them something to aspire to. What better role model to try and mimic than the king of the digital age.

[teething]

Part of my articles point is that if MS does fall behind, they will just get more competitive... which will drop the price of the 360, and in turn the PS3. Gamers on both sides win.

[Hozi89]

PS3 is destined to overtake the 360. It is but only time before this takes place. The momentum for ps3 is slowly building whereas for xbox it is slowly fading.

[ugo]

many bot fan will meltdown

[malandra]

I think the best way to determine what will happen is to read what people were saying of the PS3 around 2007/2008

I remember reading that Sony was going to cancel the PS3, that Sony was going to leave gaming altogether, that no good games going to be released for the PS3 anymore, that Sega might step back to in its place to compete with the 360, that the whole company (not only the gaming division) was going to close and more stuff like that

and all that not only came from fanboys but from major websites and industry analists as well, they seemed very certain back then so maybe all that is going to happen to Microsoft and the 360

[malandra]

you're wrong abour #6, as far as Microsoft concerns Kinect is "next gen 720"

they don't need to spend millions to develope and release a new console because casuals don't care about graphics

and cosnidering how terrible MS is with hardware they are probably relieved by this

[teething]

I think they WANT you to think Kinect is next gen... no one will buy if they know something better is about to be released around the bend. Apple knows this well.

I agree that casuals care less about graphics. BUT, I think MS is too clever to let the core market slip over to Sony... they are essential to a console's success. The core market wants graphics.

I do believe Microsoft when they say that they want to get 10 years out of the 360 (developers support this idea also)... but I expect a new console as soon as the sales of the 360 start to falter. Competition will dictate when. I predict fall 2012. That being said, they will get their "10 years" through support of two consoles for a while, as sony did with the PS2 and the PS3.

[malandra]

but MS doesn't have an xbox720 on call and ready to go as soon as the sales start to falter, from the moment they to decide to go ahead with the release of a new console to the release date there has to be at least 2 years

so if 360 sales start to decline after PS3 takes over second place in early 2012, and at that point they decide to move foward with a new console it would be released no sooner than 2014

but that's not going to happen anyway, the Wii was a reworked Gamecube and sold 80 million, do you think that if there's no need to put out new hardware to sell millions MS is going to do it anyway just to keep the core audience? no way

[Raendom]

It's possible that their next console is simply Kinect 2.0.

More accurate tracking, faster onboard CPU and just general improvements could genuinely make it one step closer to Minority Report.

[Trroy]

I agree.

Microsoft having to play catch-up would be a great thing for 360 gamers everywhere. Just like Sony having to play catch-up has been a great thing for PS3 owners everywhere...

[thebudgetgamer]

the sun would rise, and gaming will continue.

[edwineverready]

No the world will end. Well for some people it will.

[SuicideShaun]

In what way would "the sun rise" I love seeing sony fanboys who say stuff like this. Either way wither xbox sells more or less it shouldnt matter to you. It's just butthurt sony fanboys who give a shit. Either way your still playing a game on a console. At the end of the day it shouldnt matter. You sony fanboys are taking it too far, I find it amusing at how insecure and how much you care about other consoles. It really makes your own look bad.

[thebudgetgamer]

what? my own? gamers? i couldn't care what place they come in. i just game.
have fun with your bitterness.

oh yea, i love it when fanboys get all bent over a perceived slight against their mighty platform.
play whatever the f you i don't give a s.

[SuicideShaun]

Xbox isn't my preferred platform. Pc is.

[thebudgetgamer]

you're the only one mentioning any platform.

yea but what platform? nes, neo geo?

you jumped on me because i don't care about console wars.

[SuicideShaun]

"oh yea, i love it when fanboys get all bent over a perceived slight against their mighty platform."

[MrBeatdown]

I disagree on #7, mainly because MS simply doesn't seem to have many internal development studios.

I don't think we will see a new Xbox in 2012 either. I think both gamers and publishers are more than happy with the current generation.

[Nike]

The same thing that would happen when the PS3 was behind the 360 in sales: Nothing.

MS is concentrating on Kinect, Sony just got Killzone 3 out with inFamous 2 to soon follow (releasing in April, right?) and...yeah, that's it. Both still making games, both still making a profit. That wouldn't change even if one is ahead of the other in terms of a few millions.

[hot111]

lol,nothing would happen,360 would still be more profitable than PS3 and that is all what MS,Sony,Nintendo care about.Nobody cares about people living in some fanboy la la land.

360 is now 10 million ahead of PS3 in US,in Europe 360 is probably still ahead(no PR from Sony tells a lot),selling on par with PS3 now(Nintendo has posted real data),that only leaves Japan...but Japan is not exactly important anymore

Also considering 360 Kinect "rebirth",outselling 360 will be an extremely hard thing to do.
Besides we would be talking about few millions at best,statistical noise at best...not to mention that those would be shipped numbers

In short nothing would change,summer is coming and girls will walk around half-naked again:)

[AssassinHD]

There will be a metric butt ton of vengeance delivered on this site the day that happens. I will not personally be partaking in it mind you, but you know it will happen.

[RyuCloudStrife]

6 years into its existence, I think when the PS3 finally passes it (this year), Microsoft will not care much and will already be focusing on the 720 (which I think they're doing now). So if at the end of the day the 360 is 2 million in sales behind the PS3 it wont matter, even with the 1 year lead... because they have already gotten as much as they where going to get from the 360 what else is there to gain?

Kinect is just milking the cow for this current gen (its an extender, or a "distraction"). And, I do consider myself a Sony person but this is how I see it. At the end of the day you can very well call it a tie, and both sides can be happy. I dont think it matters if the PS3 surpasses the Xbox 360, this current-gen is just about over...

[edgeofblade]

Let's be clear here...

Ps3 and 360 have been pretty dead even in overall numbers, if not actually, then statistically. And if not "actually statistically", then because of all the countermeasures Microsoft will deploy. The difference will be hard to see, except in the minds of the most devoted (delusional) fans of ether platform.

Until you see something on the order of a 10 million lead and most third-party devs switching to primary development on PS3 instead of 360, there won't be much of a difference except to fanboys.

[doa766]

but that's will happen, the PS3 outsold the 360 at a ratio of 2 million per year for the last four years

the next gen should arrive around 2015/2016, if she averages continue then the PS3 should be ahead for around 8 million by the time the next gen arrivs

[edgeofblade]

I posit the following: An 8 million lead for PS3 doesn't mean as much as an 8 million lead for 360.

Why? Do you think 8 million is enough of a difference for PS3 to become the development target platform? I mean, only a few multiplatform games, like FF13 and PS3 exclusives are developed with the PS3 in mind first. And look what that does to quality on PS3 multiplat games. Case in point, Black Ops.

What 360 lacks in outright exclusives, it gains in being the lead development platform and the intrinsic quality that comes with that.

I know I'm going to have a lot of disagreement, but to me, that all equates to playing the multiplats I want at their best quality on the controller I prefer.

[ZombieAssassin]

Nothing really, I mean I bet MS will have a price drop on the Arcade model for sure like you said but besides that nothing but fanboys arguing more about sales.

MS won't lower the price of LIVE though just because of that, why would they when people will still pay for it.

I can tell you though a majority of the comments in the articles will read something like "I thought ps3 fanboys didn't care about sales".

I will say that in the long run (and by that I mean well after next gen consoles are out) the ps3 will most likely be the "winner" over-all in terms of sales. I don't see Sony ever really stop selling them because once it hits a really low price they'll fly of shelves just because you get a blu-ray player, game consoles, and it has netflix/hulu plus.

[Stationfan]

They will stop funding big 3rd party exclusives, Stop investing and breaking off their own developement teams, and start focusing on Kinect.

Oh wait that has already happened even with a 3 million lead, they better livened up i will have no problem trading in my Xbox 360 250s in for an NGP, kinda hoping the trade off price isnt too low in the future

[ChronoJoe]

Nothing.

It's not like PS2 vs gamecube, or anything like that. When the PS3 surpasses the 360s lifetime sales (I say when) both consoles will have seen a great amount of success. So I can't imagine Microsoft would adjust there approach/marketing, just because the PS3 surpasses there units sold by a small amount. If anything they would have taken action based on yearly sales, to boost there platforms performance.

Sony are set to outship the 360 by the end of the 4th quarter, of this year.