One analyst claims lack of supply hurt the PS4 on Black Friday.
Black Friday, one of the biggest dates in a North American retailer’s calendar, was very good to Microsoft this year. The Xbox One outsold all its competition in the States, taking a 31% share of the market, and its Xbox 360 also did well. In total, the two devices accounted for 61% of all consoles sold.
Most buyers – about 80% – were purchasing as gifts for Christmas, and those same buyers also bought about two titles each, on average. “It’s the only system that has the game my kids want,” one purchaser is quoted as saying. “I’m not happy about it.” The Xbox One retails at $499, but the 360 was heavily discounted, a factor that probably helped it achieve such great sales ratings.
The PS3 and PS4 accounted for roughly 30% of sales. “Microsoft’s success can be largely attributed to limited availability of the PS4,” claims analyst Jon Brelig, “in addition to Walmart discounting the Xbox 360 down to $99 for Black Friday.” That may be true, but then the PS4 launched a week earlier in the States and enjoyed excellent sales. It could just be that the people who wanted a PS4 picked theirs up before Black Friday.
Source: CVG
