Microsoft Corp’s Japanese unit aims to achieve its domestic sales target of one million units for the Xbox 360 video game console as quickly as possible, a senior official said on Friday. Microsoft Co, the U.S. software giant’s unit, hopes to boost sales by leveraging new games and boosting sales promotion efforts, Takashi Sensui, executive officer and chief of the home and entertainment division of the Tokyo-based firm, said.Analysis & Opinion
Can they do it? At roughly seven hundred thousand units sold in Japan, they need three hundred to reach that magical mark of one million units. If we start with the base assumption that the 360 will be around for exactly three more years before being replaced by its successor (the 720?), then we can extrapolate that it needs to sell one hundred thousand per year to do so.
Breaking it down further, that's 3 years at 52 weeks for a total of 156 weeks. Dividing 300,000 by 156 leaves us with 1,923 units per week for three full years to be able to reach one million.
Based on our previous assumption, this should be extremely easy, especially since at 360's lowest point ever it was still averaging 1k+. With a few bumps during big holiday periods and a few big title releases, this should absolutely be possible. What could prevent this? Clearly, the 360 being replaced early in Japan would be the biggest cause for concern.
What does it mean? What does a million units in the land of Nintendo's Wii and DS soaring into the stratosphere and Sony's PS2 having already broke every record for console sales in history? Not much, honestly. But what Microsoft has successfully done is leverage the audience of hardcore gamers unsatisfied by Nintendo's and Sony's offerings into a palpable base that can impact the market. Most importantly, they successfully dictated to Sony the schedule at which "next gen" would begin. One million units is a good launch pad from which to try that again.
PL
No comments:
Post a Comment