Xbox Outselling The PS2!

[X-Fan]

(at least in singapore)

SINGAPORE--Microsoft's XBox could succeed in grabbing the lion's share of the local game console hardware market by November this year, sources told CNETAsia.

Sony's Playstation 2 (PS2) and the XBox are currently embroiled in a two-way fight for market dominance in the republic, with the PS2 traditionally holding its edge over the newer rival. However, it appears that Sony's edge is being eroded fast. According to an industry source, the XBox is actually outselling the PS2, garnering 65 percent of the monthly console shipments in Singapore.

The PS2, launched in February 2000, has been well-received worldwide. The XBox, first launched in the United States in November 2001, only made its Singapore debut a year later. Despite the lag, it appears Microsoft's unrelenting sales and marketing push in the island-state is starting to produce results.

Microsoft Singapore will not comment on local sales figures, but claimed 1.3 million units of the XBox have been sold in Asia. Sources close to the company indicate that since its launch here, 60,000 of those XBox units have been sold through official distributors, while parallel imports accounted for another 12,000 units.

By June this year, he said Sony's lead in the local console market is likely to be reduced to 54 percent and Microsoft is set to take the lead by November.

Broadening their installed base is crucial for console makers like Sony and Microsoft. With greater user support, game developers are inclined to invest in new titles for the platforms and in turn, Sony and Microsoft stand to gain from the software license fees.

Sony's PS2 software sales have been dented in the region due to rampant piracy. Microsoft did not confirm local figures for its console games but sources estimate that 120,000 XBox titles have been sold in Singapore over the last 11 months.

Game developer Electronic Arts told CNETAsia that XBox games makes up 32 percent of its sales in contrast to PS2 titles which accounts for a mere 2 percent of its revenue. In addition, Loo Leong Thye, chief executive of Singapore-based IT superstore Challenger Technologies, said XBox software currently makes 30 percent of the its games sales, although the company does not stock PS2 games at the moment. He added that the launch of the XBox Live online gaming service is expected to drive this up to 50 percent in the near future.

Despite Microsoft's insistence that XBox Live was not introduced as an anti-piracy measure, it will undoubtedly persuade serious gamers to avoid counterfeit games and ensure stable software sales. The service currently bans modified XBox consoles from logging on.

While XBox appears to be threatening dominance in the island-state, the real test will come next year when Sony launches the PS3 game console. In turn, Microsoft is expected to counterpunch with the release of the XBox 2.

Source

[CMX Jedi]

at least its outselling PS2 somewhere.

[thrAsher]

By this time next year, the Xbox is going to have one heck of a lineup to beat: Halo 2, Fable, B.C. (hopefully), Doom 3, Sudeki, Kotor 2....I mean, come on. What's the PS2 gonna have, Final Fantasy XV? The only thing that makes me even consider picking up a PS2 is their huge library of RPGs.

[AlBoogy]

I would be shocked if PS2 outsold XBox last month in the U.S. The limited ed. XBox's are flying off shelves.

[GreenWeenie]

All the local stores here are sold out of the Halo LE Xbox's...this should be a good month for MS.

[SoundX]

Yup, after a damn good 3 years of ruling, the PS2 is finally loosing grip.

Now.. bring out a limited edition diamond Xbox and watch PS2 burn!!!!!

[Unreal]

By this time next year, the Xbox is going to have one heck of a lineup to beat: Halo 2, Fable, B.C. (hopefully), Doom 3, Sudeki, Kotor 2....I mean, come on. What's the PS2 gonna have, Final Fantasy XV? The only thing that makes me even consider picking up a PS2 is their huge library of RPGs.

Rid****, Thief 3, Full Spectrum Warrior, Jade Empire, PainKiller, Unreal Championship 2, Rainbow Six Black Arrow. Thats just listing the exclusive I can think of on the top of my head. So yeah, your right. The Xbox does have a killer lineup for 2004

[Shadow20002]

By this time next year, the Xbox is going to have one heck of a lineup to beat: Halo 2, Fable, B.C. (hopefully), Doom 3, Sudeki, Kotor 2....I mean, come on. What's the PS2 gonna have, Final Fantasy XV? The only thing that makes me even consider picking up a PS2 is their huge library of RPGs.

hmm...huge library of RPGs..... Fable will replace all RPGs....IMO.

[Unreal]

hmm...huge library of RPGs..... Fable will replace all RPGs....IMO.

IMO thats only if they can pull off at least half of what they are promising

[bostwick202]

hate to break it to you guys, but with >20M units sold, anybody who is gonna buy a ps2 already has. But anyways...Go Xbox! I wonder how big the market in singapore is relative to everywhere else?

[AlBoogy]

hate to break it to you guys, but with >20M units sold, anybody who is gonna buy a ps2 already has. But anyways...Go Xbox! I wonder how big the market in singapore is relative to everywhere else?

Hate to break it to you but the only reason why XBox is going to outsell ps2 is because of the price drop. Whenever ps2 lowers it price it will go back to the way it was unfortunately.

[kOrNfReAk2k4]

I AM GETTIN' ME AND XBOX I LIKE ITS GAME LINE UP AND HALO2 WILL BE AND AWSOME GAME CAN'T WAIT

[Trento52]

yeah ps2 soon to see price cut so epect alot of annoying commercials and raised sales.

[Servo]

I am not suprised that it is outselling the PS2. I got five of my friends to ditch their PS2 for an Xbox when I introduced them to a little game I like to call Halo.

[Ninjermy]

ya i sure no that the limited edition green xbox in canada is gonna do very well for canada. i no my friend already picked one up!!!

[Servo]

If you are going to speak please sound like you atleast have a 5th grade education.

[blackiee2002]

This all great and all, but the real issue here is piracy, no matter how safe proof a console is, it will be eventually hacked. the good thing is that Ms is has introduced something known as LIVE yep that is right boys and gals LIVE. IMO this will limit piracy to certain degree.

they both should be working hard on things like LIVE that would force people to buy the games and not pirated ones. that would be the true challenge come next GEN

[AlBoogy]

All Live does is force people to purchase a second XBox.

[blackiee2002]

^^ exactly and that is in order to buy legit games win win situation

[mattgame]

By this time next year, the Xbox is going to have one heck of a lineup to beat: Halo 2, Fable, B.C. (hopefully), Doom 3, Sudeki, Kotor 2....I mean, come on. What's the PS2 gonna have, Final Fantasy XV? The only thing that makes me even consider picking up a PS2 is their huge library of RPGs.

Thus my comment from last year when I boldly predicted that the Xbox will takeover as the worlds' greatest console. The Takeover has begun people, it's already happened in Singapore, next Japan.