Sony Computer Entertainment says it's sold in 4.1 million PlayStation Move units since the device's launch two months ago. It's a slower start than Microsoft's Kinect -- yesterday revealed to have sold through 2.5 million units in 25 days -- but Sony says it's bullish on "momentum" for Move entering the holiday season.
Against the overall install base of PlayStation 3, which Sony says now stands at over 41.6 million as of September 2010, it's a fairly small attach rate, considering that Move-supported games can use, and are in many cases aimed at, multiple players using multiple controllers. Conversely, an Xbox 360 unit requires only one Kinect device.
The Move shipment figures do not include stand-alone PlayStation Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controller shipments.
Move launched September 15 in Europe, September 17 in the U.S. and UK, and on October 21 in Japan. Sony offered several bundle options for Move consumers, tailored based on whether potential purchasers already owned a PlayStation 3 and/or the required PlayStation Eye camera or not.
The company soon revealed that the device sold 1 million units in the U.S. and Latin America in its first 30 days, and "in the area of" 1.5 million units in Europe. But as for its first 15 days, Gamasutra's Matt Matthews estimated that the device achieved an attach rate of only 1-3 percent of its addressable base.
More than 30 U.S. games now support PlayStation Move, including Sports Champions, EyePet Move and SingStar Dance. Major first-party releases like Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 are slated for Move support as well.
[UPDATE: Sony Computer Entertainment America director of corporate communications and social media Patrick Seybold told Gamasutra in an email, "The 4.1 million units are global sales for the company."
He added, "While we don't disclose our exact sell-through [to customers] number, the key is that our retailers continue to ask for more Move units and are taking every unit we can supply them with based on their sales and strong demand."]
Units shipped is still an important metric, even if it's not as important as sell through.
I think analysts/anyone actually doing real work with these numbers (i.e. not just using it as fanboy war ammo) instantly recognize the difference and interpret accordingly.
Sony clarified this. It's 4.1 million "units" shipped to stores, not actually sold to players: http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/30/sony-playstation-move-reaches-4-1-million-in-w orldwide-sales/
Does "devices" mean they counted extra Move controllers and Navigators separately?
-addendum-
Oops, I didn't read the article carefully enough, as it clearly stated, "The Move shipment figures do not include stand-alone PlayStation Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controller shipments." My bad.
"Against the overall install base of PlayStation 3, ...it's a fairly small attach rate, considering that Move-supported games can use, and are in many cases aimed at, multiple players using multiple controllers. Conversely, an Xbox 360 unit requires only one Kinect device.
The Move shipment figures do not include stand-alone PlayStation Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controller shipments."
So the sales include individual Move wands, but not the wireless nunchuck controller/PS Eye?
I realize that both the Move and Kinect are likely hot items this Christmas. However, the last time I was at a store that carried it, Target in this case, there were a ton of Kinects(Both single units and bundled) in the glass case. There were 1-2 regular Move's and a bunch of PS3's with Move bundled.
I can't help but contrast this with Christmas of 2006 where you could NOT find the Wii. I remember clearly not being able to find a Wii in the wild until sometime in spring of 2008, easily over a year after it was released.
So if the Move/Kinect are this year's tech toy, then I fear how this year will be. Its not like the Wii, and not even close to a "Tickle Me Elmo."
I went through the same debacle tracking down a Wii after its initial debut. I finally found one on the summer of 2007 in Birmingham, Alabama (driving over the road in my big rig). But as far as Sony and Microsoft goes for Move/Kinect sales I agree that Nintendo is clearly untouchable in that regard.
Now, I've tried out the Move and Kinect as well. The Move fells like the Wii and Kinect was surprisingly responsive to my movements. If I had to pick one now it would have to be Kinect. Why? I already own a Wii (as well as a 360 and Station 3) so why should I give Sony money for their variation of a Wiimote.
The supply is much different, and this time it seems that MS has been prepared for a lot of demand. When a big box retailer re-stocked the Wii, they only received a dozen or so in a drop shipment, whereas with the Kinect they are numbering in the dozens.
It may not be the Wii, but do remember that you can't gauge popularity by lack of supply.
It's a tactic SONY has used -- and plenty of other companies do the same -- long before they were in the console business. At this time of year, it's not as if retailers will be sitting on loads of back stock, and it gives business types a chance to have holiday numbers to crunch before the holiday is over.
The danger is of course if product still is sitting around after a period of expected sales. But at the moment, the early signs do not point that way.
I think analysts/anyone actually doing real work with these numbers (i.e. not just using it as fanboy war ammo) instantly recognize the difference and interpret accordingly.
orldwide-sales/
-addendum-
Oops, I didn't read the article carefully enough, as it clearly stated, "The Move shipment figures do not include stand-alone PlayStation Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controller shipments." My bad.
The Move shipment figures do not include stand-alone PlayStation Eye camera or stand-alone PlayStation Move navigation controller shipments."
So the sales include individual Move wands, but not the wireless nunchuck controller/PS Eye?
I can't help but contrast this with Christmas of 2006 where you could NOT find the Wii. I remember clearly not being able to find a Wii in the wild until sometime in spring of 2008, easily over a year after it was released.
So if the Move/Kinect are this year's tech toy, then I fear how this year will be. Its not like the Wii, and not even close to a "Tickle Me Elmo."
Now, I've tried out the Move and Kinect as well. The Move fells like the Wii and Kinect was surprisingly responsive to my movements. If I had to pick one now it would have to be Kinect. Why? I already own a Wii (as well as a 360 and Station 3) so why should I give Sony money for their variation of a Wiimote.
It may not be the Wii, but do remember that you can't gauge popularity by lack of supply.
This is just a peeve when you see "shipped" instead of sold. I guess anyone who's dealt with marketing departments probably isn't surprised.
The danger is of course if product still is sitting around after a period of expected sales. But at the moment, the early signs do not point that way.