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Sony’s PlayStation 5 outspent Microsoft’s Xbox Series X three to one In Launch Ads

Bo_Hazem

Banned
didnt ms launched in more countries than Sony?

Xbox didn't even launch here, like never since original xbox. Only the grey market is selling it or small shops. Seems like for the first time it's being launched in KSA and UAE, our neighbors, but most of the globe has no xbox reach nor demand. When asked managers here in a big shop, a French one (Carrefour), they said they don't really care about it nor there is any demand for it. Only one guy I know got one from a scalper here for 250 OMR ($650) because he couldn't secure a PS5. There were some very few shops selling it for 215 OMR like PS5 though.
 
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Bo_Hazem

Banned
Because sony are more reliant on hardware sales than microsoft. Its not really surprising. Good for them. Would love to see their financials for the launch window.

Money lost in advertising
Money lost on each console sold
Money lost on the funding of lets be honest, too many launch exclusives (didnt need as many)
Money lost on share price at the announcement of cross gen games.
Im sure they’ll make it up as gen goes on.

Can't be worse than wasting $7.5B with other added debts above that and have no launch exclusives.
 

-Arcadia-

Banned
Sony did not take their PS4 success for granted, if you look at this, and everything they did. Temporary exclusives, content, and marketing everywhere too.

I get the impression they spent a small fortune launching the thing, and shutting out any chance that PS3 could happen again. Same on the hardware and exclusives side.

They stayed hungry, instead of getting complacent, and that’s how you win.
 

waquzy

Member
Sony did not take their PS4 success for granted, if you look at this, and everything they did. Temporary exclusives, content, and marketing everywhere too.

I get the impression they spent a small fortune launching the thing, and shutting out any chance that PS3 could happen again. Same on the hardware and exclusives side.

They stayed hungry, instead of getting complacent, and that’s how you win.

Of course Sony stayed hungry, after all the PlayStation brand is their biggest earner, most of other Sony businesses are going under, I expect their mobile division to be next...
 

oldergamer

Member
MS won't be doing the full market push until they have Halo out I'd wager. aligns with what spencer said about having more units available when they have more first party games to advertise with it.

both consoles are selling out of everything and don't a lot of need advertising when they are supply constrained.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
It feels like MS spent put more dollars into influencer marketing, which might have have gotten then a larger ROI.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
It feels like MS spent put more dollars into influencer marketing, which might have have gotten then a larger ROI.
I can't possibly understand how anyone could come away feeling that. The hype for the XSX has basically become non-existent since almost nobody can buy one due to MS having far fewer consoles than Sony. It's still very tough to get one, but Sony consoles are being put back in stock and selling out quickly almost regularly.
 

Rentahamster

Rodent Whores
I can't possibly understand how anyone could come away feeling that. The hype for the XSX has basically become non-existent since almost nobody can buy one due to MS having far fewer consoles than Sony. It's still very tough to get one, but Sony consoles are being put back in stock and selling out quickly almost regularly.
Because influencers are cheap relative to traditional marketing pushes.
 

Schrade

Member
Microsoft's Thought Process: "Why buy ads when we can just put them on the Xbox dashboard! Free Money!"
 

CobraXT

Banned
I am getting 10s of Ads for Demon Souls and COD Cold War on Playstation
everyday, still bought the XSX and sold my PS4
 

Tiptop10

Neo Member
Don't wanna rag on Xbox any more than everyone already has but... what exactly can they advertise that would be worthwhile use of ad space? I know they have ad rights for Valhalla so there's that at least. But they can't just run countless ad's of just the console saying "hey we have new hardware". that wouldn't draw attention and urge people to go out and hunt for one to buy. Sony on the other hand have their spiderman trailer doing numbers, they have fifa 21, COD:CW, and I believe nba2k21 all promoting the PS5. Sony went out their way to dominate the ad space this season and it helps when you have your own exclusives compounded by big 3rd party deals.
 

Arkam

Member
Not surprising at all. Outside of THIS forum (and my friends at MS) I might not have known there was a new Xbox. Maybe they are playing it quiet until they have a true killer app to push. Feels so weird to have a new console with so little buzz at launch.

PS5 on the other hand has been everywhere. Saw family at thanksgiving and all my younger relatives were talking about it and how they are still trying to get one. Guess it was money well spent.

And I laugh at the Nintendo spend. They almost dont need to ever advertise. They just put out games and (about) every 4th one becomes a massive success by word of mouth.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
No matter how much they will spend on ads, my mom will still call both "Nintendo".

God bless her! Parents used to call Nintendo, SEGA and even PS1 "Ataris". Well, NES was known as Family Computer here and that didn't make Nintendo's name loud and clear. They usually lag behind with names. Now even our government and companies seem to generalize gaming as "PlayStation". And of course, very few people know what xbox even means because it's extremely rare, although available by some few shops. :messenger_sunglasses:
 
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bxrz

Member
So what is MS gaming division reliant on?... Game pass? i got news for you..

People baffle me when they try to dismiss hardware. You do realize xbox hardware is still the single most relative entry point to using game pass right? Just because they offer other ways to gain access doesnt dismiss the primary method. Keep in mind if hardware was not important they would have moved on from it by now, but they realize if they do that its essentially suicide at this point. Stop drinking the kool aid so much.

If you think Microsoft cares about hardware sales as much as Sony does than you clearly have not been paying attention.... to anything really
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
Because sony are more reliant on hardware sales than microsoft. Its not really surprising. Good for them. Would love to see their financials for the launch window.

Money lost in advertising
Money lost on each console sold
Money lost on the funding of lets be honest, too many launch exclusives (didnt need as many)
Money lost on share price at the announcement of cross gen games.
Im sure they’ll make it up as gen goes on.
🤔 I see a bit of cynicism that they could have spent less and “still get the same amount of suckers to buy in at launch” kind of argument, but that kind of tone would have set them up badly for the rest of the generation. Taking their customers for granted could be a costly mistake.

On your points:

* You spend money to advertise, but sure let’s call it a loss instead of an investment

* Exclusives... Again, PS tries strongly to provide a varied offer to gamers that pick a console up and some of these games will have long legs and one of them for sure was a must to show off the console and its new controller (and it does its job greatly). Investing money to setup strong foundations is a smart bet worth making.

* Cross generation and share price: I was not too happy about the chest beating around believing in generations and seeing so many cross generation games, but I am unsure how a share fluctuation is influencing the profits and losses for the company itself. We have also seen a decent amount of true PS5 exclusives and it was normal before to see new games released by Sony for the current generation as the new one was on the horizon and even after. It is actually a strength of the PlyStation ecosystem: not giving up on current generation owners as they launch the new one.
 

Kagey K

Banned
Isn’t this the same story every year?

Without looking I Know this is the same story every year.

I don’t think you can find a year where Xbox bought more advertising than Playstation.
 
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