Analyst: PS4 will be number one system of generation, but won't beat PS2

DFC's report concludes that PS4 will be the best-selling system of this new generation. However, even if Sony manages to win this new generation, it's unlikely to match sales of PS2 or Wii, the report adds.

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With PS4 selling 2.1 million consoles since launch, it's officially the "world's biggest console launch," according to analysts at DFC Intelligence. The next biggest launch is Xbox One, which managed to sell 2 million consoles in the same time frame.

Of course, Sony's eager to toot its horn, sending us highlights from DFC's report, which concludes that PS4 will be the best-selling system of this new generation. However, even if Sony manages to win this new generation, it's unlikely to match sales of PS2 or Wii, the report adds.

"The initial success of the PlayStation 4 bodes well for its future," DFC says. "The PlayStation 2 and Wii went on to be the best selling console systems ever. DFC Intelligence does not believe that the PlayStation 4 will surpass those systems but reiterates its forecast that the PS4 will be the number one system of this generation." Although PS4 may not reach the heights that PS2 did, DFC says that it "could" outsell PS3.

Ironically, although Microsoft has positioned Xbox One as the "all-in-one" device, DFC says that its appeal "is limited more to a core demographic." Unsurprisingly, Titanfall is expected to spur sales of Microsoft's console.

Nintendo doesn't get too much of a shake in DFC's report, with the firm expecting the system to be "mainly a system for Nintendo first-party software," with sales expected to be "only about a quarter of the Wii."

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • reply
    December 11, 2013 5:15 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Analyst: PS4 will be number one system of generation, but won't beat PS2.

    DFC's report concludes that PS4 will be the best-selling system of this new generation. However, even if Sony manages to win this new generation, it's unlikely to match sales of PS2 or Wii, the report adds.

    • reply
      December 11, 2013 7:53 PM

      Michael Pachter didn't make this prediction so I don't know if it's safe to not believe it or not.

    • reply
      December 11, 2013 7:56 PM

      nothing could beat the PS2

    • reply
      December 11, 2013 7:56 PM

      good to know their predictive accuracy extends a full 7-10 years. amazing science.

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 6:46 AM

        Agreed. Not that it matters to me, but we have absolutely no idea what kind of games that we could be looking forward to on PS4 in the future. The price for PS4 won't be $399 even 5 years from now. And you never know, the Japanese market could make a resurgence in the West, which would strongly turn things in Sony's favour, as Microsoft has pretty much conceded Japan to Sony and Nintendo. Just seems a bit premature to start predicting how popular PS4 will be when it's just gotten out of the starting gate.

    • reply
      December 11, 2013 9:46 PM

      this is the safe bet but so much can happen between now and then. Amazon's box could be #1.

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 6:19 AM

        As a non-console gamer. It is not as safe bet, it is a sure bet.

    • reply
      December 11, 2013 9:58 PM

      look at these ps2 sales
      look AT IT

      http://picpar.com/atv/

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 5:09 AM

        that thing was so crazy good (selling wise)

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 5:53 AM

        that's pretty cool. is there a version that includes any of the other major systems like the Wii?

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 5:53 AM

        Goodness gracious. It looks like M.U.L.E.

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 6:48 AM

        So, only 153 million more to go! You can do it, PS4!!! ;-)

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 8:08 AM

        Poor Dreamcast :(

        • reply
          December 12, 2013 8:11 AM

          I know... it deserved so much more. I would like to see an alternate universe where nobody bought into Sony's bullshit hype and the Dreamcast caught on and became the leading console.

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 8:22 AM

        i want to see PS3 and XBOX360 numbers along side those

    • reply
      December 12, 2013 5:55 AM

      making shit up is fun

      • Ziz legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        December 12, 2013 6:20 AM

        it'll cure cancer too!

      • reply
        December 12, 2013 8:13 AM

        *Ahem* It's called analyzing. It's done by analysts. Of course they're wrong way more often then they're right, but that sure doesn't seem to matter

    • reply
      December 12, 2013 7:43 AM

      How did they come up with the notion that the Xbox One will be more for the hardcore crowd? Sony has been pushing the PS4 as a hardcore gaming machine from the get go while Microsoft has had to defend itself many times over when asked if they forgot about the hardcore crowd in their quest to dominate the living room.

      What did these same analysts say about the PS3? In 2006, if you told me that the PS3 would go on to sell over 70 million consoles, I would laugh in you face because we could barely move the ones we had in stock back then. And based on how hard it was to keep the 360 in stock back then, I would've guessed that it would go on to sell over 100 million units, but it's just barely leading the PS3 as it is.

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        December 12, 2013 7:48 AM

        The Xbox has always been the underdog in Europe. In the US the Xbox 360 did indeed win easily.

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        December 12, 2013 8:13 AM

        Not only for the hardcore crowd (gaming wise) but also not attractive to many countries outside of the US where many of these integrated TV features do not work or there is no access to Hulu, Netflix etc.

    • reply
      December 12, 2013 8:06 AM

      What does it take to become an analyst, aka professional guesser?

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