Update 2: According to iTWire, Microsoft has denied the Smarthouse article, which claimed that the Xbox 360 was "dead" in Australia. Mariana Cidade, PR Manager of the entertainment and devices division for Microsoft Australia, noted that over 2 million pieces of Xbox 360 software have been sold in Australia and New Zealand, which is "nearly double [the Xbox 360's] next-gen competitors combined." Also noted was the Xbox 360's attach rate of 7 games per console in Australia, hardly the kind of sales garnered by a dead console. The data comes from GFK, a market research firm, and puts something of a damper on Smarthouse's already dubious (and anonymous) claims. Find our original post after the break.
Update: Added a link to the original Smarthouse article.
According to a recent news channel survey of 10 different Australian video games retailers (with over 2000 stores spread across the continent): "The Xbox 360 is dead. We are stocking it because of our relationship with Microsoft ..." If that's not a big statement to you, just wait, we've got more. The same retailer claims that the other two consoles are succeeding due to the appeal to children/women, and Blu-ray, respectively. They think the 360 brand can't really be redeemed after the RROD, and that the value proposition offered by Microsoft did not seem equal in comparison to the competition.
Furthermore, the Australian retailers are considering dropping the console from stores entirely: "We are stocking it because of our relationship with Microsoft, however all our energy and marketing is going into the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii unless Microsoft come up with something new or additional marketing dollars,." "Halo 3 was big on the Xbox but that was about it." "They have tried discounting and value add offers and even that is not working. We are even thinking of dumping the console all together."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
4-06-2008 @ 10:28PM
Miguel said...
tell them Australians to go try out call of duty 4.
Reply
4-07-2008 @ 3:48AM
Jake said...
Yep, it's pretty cool and PS3, better and cheaper than the 360 version.
4-07-2008 @ 7:17AM
Darko said...
Yea... the 360 is dead .... *laughs* Take a look at the sales charts(AU)
Xbox360: 345,000
PS3: 200,000
cumulative sales:
http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1=Australia&cons2=PS3®2=Australia&cons3=X360®3=Australia&start=39173&end=39537&weekly=1
The non cumulative don't look as nice but it doesn't spell death for the 360. I don't think out pacing the 360 by 800 consoles for one week of one month is a defeat.
http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=Wii®1=Australia&cons2=PS3®2=Australia&cons3=X360®3=Australia&start=39173&end=39537
I say pull this shit news for inaccuracy and stupidity.
4-07-2008 @ 1:42PM
James said...
Yeah, I play late at night every once in a while and every time Aussies are playing, so it must not be doing THAT badly. It's more likely to run into someone from Australia playing xbox live than say Bulgaria or something.
4-06-2008 @ 10:29PM
Daniel said...
^ it's on PS3 :P
Wow, they make some great points but they are being a bit harsh...
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4-06-2008 @ 10:30PM
mcwattersm said...
I took me a good 10 minutes to figure out what the hell Italy was doing in Australia. Nice touch.
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4-06-2008 @ 10:33PM
SadisticHam said...
XD
Made me laugh, rough for MS. Deserve it though they rather screwed australia on a lot. :$
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4-06-2008 @ 10:37PM
SharpBlade said...
Anybody get their Dualshock 3 yet?
Since this site is PS3fanboy I thought we might as well start discussing PS3 related news..
Oh wait, this is 360fanboy you could of fooled me.
Btw - An unknown/anonymous source tells me that 360fanboy will be closing it's doors as of June 1 2008. This site is just not popular and a recent internet survey conducted by asshat TV said people just don't find anything appealing about the 360 news being delivered.
See how easy that is?
This is nothing but FUD!
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4-06-2008 @ 11:08PM
PeterF said...
Um, this article is about the 360, and this site is about 360s...
4-07-2008 @ 12:33AM
anton said...
@ PeterF:
Have you visited PS3Fanboy? Last year it's articles were almost all about how much the 360 sucked.
RE: the article.
I think we're seeing massive sales in the PS3 not because people want it more as a console, but because they want it as a BluRay player. Until recently it cost $1000 to get a PS3, and no one was buying them. Now they're a more reasonable $600 (although you'll still need around $150 more to the most out of it). Of course, we only have the 40gb, so no BC for us.
I'd be interesting at seeing connect rates / game sales.
In the words of the local Gametrader's owner when I bought my PS3 - "Why on earth are you buying /THAT/?" - to which I answered "meh? I have all the other consoles".
4-07-2008 @ 6:00AM
Roto13 said...
The title is misleading. You see, these people are journalists, not raving fanboys like you. If something happens that will make Xbots cry, they're obligated to report it.
4-07-2008 @ 12:03PM
mike said...
i know 2 friends who bought a ps3 only as a blu-ray player. If the good stand alone blu-ray players on the market where cheaper priced and didnt have changing specs all the time, the ps3 would be selling way crapier then it already is. The games just blow on the ps3, plain and simple. We as gamers have evolved, American games are now fun, unlike in the ps2 days where it was almost all about the japanese games. Unless the ps3 adopts more american/european games, its never gonna succeed outside of japan.
4-06-2008 @ 10:46PM
Bravo6 said...
ouch
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4-06-2008 @ 10:46PM
Disco Ball said...
worst news story evar?!
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4-06-2008 @ 10:49PM
Davis said...
Wait I'm retarded. What is "Italy" doing there?
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4-06-2008 @ 11:58PM
mcwattersm said...
Kicking the Xbox symbol away!
4-06-2008 @ 10:52PM
Zach said...
FUCKING KANGAROOS!!!!!!
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4-10-2008 @ 11:34AM
Dean said...
LOL smartass
4-06-2008 @ 10:57PM
Xav de Matos said...
Dammit! What will Microsoft do without Austria's support?!
Wait. What country are we talking about?
Reply
4-07-2008 @ 1:01PM
John said...
That'd be "Australia", numb nuts!