How many saturns were actually sold?

[slinga]

How many sega saturn units were actually sold to consumers? I've heard numbers as high as 10 million and as low as 1.5 million. How does this compare to the other systems (gen, snes, etc)?

Some Random Questions:

Whatever happened to the Majesco saturn? Will I ever have enough saved for a Hitachi Saturn? What was I thinking when I bought that stupid Sbomb multitap. The friggin cord is about 3 inches long!!! Argh.

Bonus question (answer at your own risk) - Which new console has sold the most units and has the largest user base. I'm assuming PS2 since it's been out nearly a year. And what's with all these crap numbers Microsoft and Nintendo have been throwing out? Oh well. Thanks.

(Edited by slinga at 4:27 pm on Dec. 17, 2001)

 

[Pearl Jammzz]

Well, I can answer a couple of questions.

First, the reson you bought the multi-tap with the short cord is because you're dumb. hehe.

Second, PS2 has sold the most and has largest user base BUT, Nintendo has the fastest selling consol ever and the #'s they gave are true. They have been backed up by some independent company that counts that stuff. All the stuff about Microsoft selling tons of xbox thingys is crap. They say they have sold out everywhere, well, not here. Even on launch day ppl had extras. If you want to know where it all stands now here is something for you to look at below.

User base:

1. PS2

2. GCN

3. xbox

Fastest growing user base.

1. GCN

2. PS2

3. xbox

# of quality games out now.

1. PS2

2. GCN

3. xbox

# of quality games comming out within next year.

1. GCN

2. PS2

3. xbox

On that last one it was close between PS2 and GCN but GCN won cause they are getting some cool rpgs, Sonic, PSOv2, Zelda, Mario, Eternal Darkness, Courtside, and are getting A LOT of support from sega. Sonic team and a couple of other branches (can't rember their names) of sega say that GCN is their fav system now. But then again PS2 is getting new FF game hard to top that.

 

[Cloud121]

Please, why the #### are you people calling it GCN?!! it's fucking called GC (or NGC) the console isn't called GameCube Nintendo. It's called Nintendo GameCube, or just GameCube for short. That whole GCN thing is getting on my nerves!

 

[Shaneus]

Quote: from BJammzz on 9:34 am on Dec. 18, 2001

# of quality games comming out within next year.

1. GCN

2. PS2

3. xbox

On that last one it was close between PS2 and GCN but GCN won cause they are getting some cool rpgs, Sonic, PSOv2, Zelda, Mario, Eternal Darkness, Courtside, and are getting A LOT of support from sega. Sonic team and a couple of other branches (can't rember their names) of sega say that GCN is their fav system now. But then again PS2 is getting new FF game hard to top that.

i would strongly doubt ur decision to put xbox last on that list... afaik no other console is having SegaGT 2002, Panzer Dragoon 4/X, Jet Set Radio Future, Shenmue 2 or TJ&E (not 100% on the last one) coming to it...

its all a matter of opinion though... but of course, everyones opinion is wrong except mine

 

[megametalgreymon]

ngc is seen as being too close to ngpc (neo geo pocket colour) thats why it isnt used

 

[herrgafgarion]

i agree with you shaneus that those will be pretty #### good games

but most of them dont even have more than 5 screenshots out now and most have a long time until completion(plenty of time for them to be cancelled, be fucked up by microsoft, or switch to a different system)

 

[Snyderman]

I read a VERY good history on the saturn, and it's quite sad to see things the way they really happened... They sold about 10 million consoles, but PSX had approximately 30million at the same time, and the PSX number kept rising, while the sat died . It's really sad to see that a system that really WASNT inferior died to a system that all it's good for is cracking out crappy games faster than an NES

 

[lancastoor]

the user base stuff is all speculation..

whereas the 'quality title' stuff is completely subjective..

nintendo's always held back when it comes to releasing accurate numbers to the masses, or even its own developers, as has microsoft. the best you can get is an approximation of the number of units shipped to retailers.. which might make GC look higher.. then subtract the amount of defective/damaged units, then subtract the amount that are sitting in toys r us/best buy waiting to be sold (i dont see xboxes on the shelves anywhere).. microsoft is just as twitchy when it comes to giving out solid numbers.. the numbers i hear though (shipped to retailers) is slightly less than the numbers i hear for GameCube.. yet I can go to a dozen local stores and see gamecubes, but no x-boxes..

in short, anyone who claims to know for a fact is full of shit..

its probably a safe assumption that there are more PS2's out there, but I've seen in a few industry tabloids (thats what game informer/ign/etc are) that sales for the PS2 have been dissapointing overall.. alot of people are leery about buying another dreamcast (a console thats gonna be obsolete and abandoned in a year).. Sony announcing plans for the PS3 already doesnt help sooth any nerves..

so far as the quality of games.. people need to learn to make up their own minds..

personally, i dont consider 'luigis mansion' and 'pikmin' of a higher calibur than halo or doa3.. nor am i all that excited to see the next mario, zelda, or other tired old nintendo characters revamped for yet another lackluster console game.. so far the 'killer game' for GC has to be rogue leader, though after a day of play its just another star wars space fighter game..

and theres yet to be a PS2 title that would make me run out to buy one... my opinion though.. everyone's welcome to theirs.. just because someone says on a forum that GameCube is the greatest ever, doesn't mean I have to agree.. and just because i think 99% of the PS2 titles I've seen look like PSX games with crisper textures, doesnt mean you have to agree..

(btw, I own GameCube and XBox, and look forward to titles for both, so I'm not speaking as some fanboy who refuses to admit that the console he didnt ask santa for could be as good or better than the one he did)

 

[lancastoor]

oh yeah, btw..

there were 11 saturns sold. i saw that in game enformer plus pro magazine so it must be true. it also says in the mag. that panzer dragoon series is dumb.. so everyone is wrong..

(im just being sarcastic because I so hate 'gamer' magazines with their biased crappy reviews for kids who cant decide whats fun unless they're told so... bah.. im cranky)

 

[3rdman]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-...ines%2Dbusiness

Man...I hate fanboys. Here's the facts.

Sony sold 962,000 PlayStation 2 consoles between Nov. 11 and Dec. 8, according to CSFB estimates based on figures compiled by research firm NPDFunworld. Microsoft, which launched Xbox on Nov. 15, sold 934,000 consoles. The GameCube, introduced Nov. 18, sold 602,000.

The PS2 is holding first place for now (not surprising) but the Xbox is already a real contender. The NGC has sold the least. By this time next year the Xbox will eclipse PS2 US sales easily...mark my words.

If these facts bother you, feel free to ignore my post and any facts you may come across and continue to live in fantasy land.

BTW, how can ANYONE think that Luigi's Mansion is better than Halo. We all have our tastes, but come on there are some things that are too #### obvious!

 

[Pearl Jammzz]

Who said Luigi's Mansion was better than Halo? Halo I think is really the only game that even makes me think of xbox. xbox will be good, but, I don't think it will be great. The one reson that the games it has are boring is because of the remote. I don't mind the size or anything but the sucker is just awkward (and I have big hands) and the control stick sucks as much as the PS2 one. Lets just all hope that SEGA comes out with a better system next time around and kicks everyones ass! Ya know they will....

 

[MasterAkumaMatata]

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-...ines%2Dbusiness

Here is the full link.

 

[lancastoor]

Man...I hate fanboys. Here's the facts.

Sony sold 962,000 PlayStation 2 consoles between Nov. 11 and Dec. 8, according to CSFB estimates based on figures compiled by research firm NPDFunworld

estimates aren't facts... they're guesses..

my guess is, that both GC and XBOX have had tremendously successful launches, compared to the PS2's production fiasco last year..

I also think each of the three has found a 'niche' of gamers that its specifically trying to appeal to.

i think thats kinda reflected in the way sega is supporting each of the 3... Sonic Adventure 2 for GC, Shenmue 2 and (i hope the rumours are true) a new Panzer Dragoon for XBOX, arcade ports and sports titles like crazy taxi and NFL2k2 for all 3..

the general trend seems to be xbox for speciality, hardcore gamer titles, gamecube for the younger crowd (smell the coffee nintendo fanboys, its true and you know it), ps2 as the mainstream 'rent a new game at blockbuster every weekend and play it for 10 minutes' machine..

personally i think all 3 have their advantages and shortfalls.. i like renting games at blockbuster and playing em all weekend then forgetting em... i like obscure, in depth titles like shenmue or halo.. i like a game thats fun to play with my kids..

course that ain't carved in stone, but it seems to me thats how it all breaks down

I also think competition is *gooood*... i wanna see what comes out when they pull out all the stops in developing their exclusive titles.. my recommendation is buy all 3...

PS.. if ya really truly hate the xbox controller so much, buy a 3rd party one myself I have no problem with it.. i hate dinky ass lil teeny controllers that slip outta my fingers when the rumble kicks in..

 

[ExCyber]

gamecube for the younger crowd (smell the coffee nintendo fanboys, its true and you know it)

Yeah, it is true - true that GC has *ANY* really good "kiddie" games. I've seen nothing on XBox in that department except Shrek (which, by all accounts I've read, is essentially a crappy game built around a fantastic graphics demo), and none of PS2's big titles is particularly "kid-friendly" as far as I've seen.

However, as I've said before, there seems to be this idea that Nintendo platforms are good for *nothing* but kiddie games, which is bullshit. Is Rogue Leader a kiddie game? Are the Biohazard games kiddie games? Soul Calibur 2? Eternal Darkness? Bloody Roar? Sin and Punishment? Goldeneye? Perfect Dark? Duke Nukem? The fact is, Nintendo threw out the "family friendly rule" (which they used to brag about on store displays) with Mortal Kombat 2 on SNES, and "non-kiddie" subject matter on Nintendo platforms goes back as far as games like Metal Gear and Contra.

 

[Supergrom]

I would have to agree with landcastoor about just about everything he has said so far. Every system has ups and downs; pick the one you like, buy it, play it, enjoy it. Or buy them all.

Now on to MY opinion:

As for my preference, i would have to go with Nintendo, becuase there first and second party games are FUN. Especially Mario, Zelda, and almost any Rare game. I dont see why people say mario and zelda are "tired old nintendo characters revamped for yet another lackluster console game..." I dont remember the last time i have seen a lackluster mario or zelda game. And the only thing that appeals to me on the Xbox is Halo and Transworld Surf, and i can live without transworld surf and get halo when it comes out on PC. Sure DOA3 looks REAL nice, but i cant play it for more than one round without getting bored. I can import shenmue 2 easily, so im not worried about that, and ill worry about Panzer dragoon when i see a release date. As for PS2, Metal gear solid 2, and internet play one Tony Hawk 3 are appealing, but yet again not worth the money ($50 more for a USB ethernet card? no thanks), in my opinion.

well, thats my 2 sense

 

[lancastoor]

i never said gamecube has 'only' kiddy games.. nor did i ever even imply it..

but that stigma isnt going away.. and nintendo doesnt want any kind of big shock value porn-meats-murder bloodfest titty titles, they know the younger set are their bread and butter.. no light gun for n64? the blood in snes' mk2 was only readded after sega was going to use the blood to market it for the genesis..

now im not against nintendo, personally i can admire em for believing you can create great games that aren't about 'shock factor gore'.. its usually the 15-18 year olds who completely abhor any game thats not all blood and gore.. ya know, that phase where you want to dissassosciate yourself with anything you used to like as a child to feign a sense of maturity?

but the fact remains that a good chunk of gamecubes sold this christmas are presents for lil kids to replace their n64.. so while mebbe nintendo wants to broaden its userbase, they sure dont want to alienate who they have.. they make good coin on them pokemon games..

i mean, if you had a friend (imagine realll hard).. and they had an 8 year old son, and they asked you which console would be best for him... tell me with a straight face you'd tell him to get ps2 and gta3 or xbox and max payne...

anyways..

buy em all like me, then you can be the ultimate fanboy and flame everyone

 

[ExCyber]

"i never said gamecube has 'only' kiddy games.. nor did i ever even imply it.."

If you weren't implying anything, then what was the point of the "smell the coffee" jab? I have yet to hear from a Nintendo fanboy who doesn't see any kiddie aspect to N64 or GC, and those are the only ones who would need to "smell the coffee".

Incidentally, I never claimed that you said it, only that the idea is out there.

"but that stigma isnt going away.."

But it shouldn't really be a stigma, since they do, in fact, have a non-trivial library of titles that don't fall into that category. It's people who have something against Nintendo who keep this image going.

"no light gun for n64?"

There was no light gun for Jaguar either, and one was only recently released specifically for PS2. Pretty much the only thing that they get used for is ports of arcade gun games - if not for Sega's offerings in the arcade, Dreamcast and Saturn might not have gotten light guns either. There's also another console lacking a light gun - it's made by some huge software company or something. Obviously they don't want to scare the kiddies.

"nintendo doesnt want any kind of big shock value porn-meats-murder bloodfest titty titles"

Who does? Now that the initial "Oh wow! Blood and decapitation!" wave of MK and Primal Rage has passed, developers can't rely on that sort of thing anymore. In addition, since many retailers completely refuse to carry any title with an ESRB rating of "Adults Only", it's in developers' and publishers' best interests to not make games that would get that rating.

"the blood in snes' mk2 was only readded after sega was going to use the blood to market it for the genesis.."

Right, but it didn't stop there. Even after the videogame violence scandal had quieted, they continued allowing it. It was a point of transition, not a temporary measure.

"i mean, if you had a friend (imagine realll hard).."

Oh dear. Now you've gone and hurt my feelings.

"and they had an 8 year old son, and they asked you which console would be best for him... tell me with a straight face you'd tell him to get ps2 and gta3 or xbox and max payne"

Why mention Max Payne and GTA3? Oh right: because you're constructing an "all or nothing" argument that I'm supposed to be dumb enough to take at face value. All that effort, and you could have just made me look like an idiot by mentioning a couple important things I completely forgot about in my post (hint: one is a critically acclaimed "artistic masterpiece", the other is a launch title that's generated as much news about the developer as about the game).

 

[lancastoor]

as long as nintendo is going to base its library on the likes of mario, yoshi, pikachu, zelda, donkey kong and star fox, its always going to have that kid appeal..

and that doesn't mean only a kid could play or even enjoy those titles, it just means that nintendo is a little timid when it comes to straying from its roots..

and they should be, because the kid-friendly stigma sold enough n64s to keep em outta debtors prison during the psx years.. gameboy cant keep em afloat..

its not even so much the number of younger titles, its the quality of em.. sure, theres a ton of barbie/nicktoons/scooby doo type stuff for psx, but its always poorly produced garbage.. nintendo puts alot of production into one of its pokemon or mario titles, and it pays off..

i mean perfect dark, conkers, goldeneye, turok, tony hawk ports, wrestlin games, etc etc, yeah i know about em..

but wheres the 'perfect dark special edition n64'? i see a pikachu with light up cheeks, and a jungle green donkey kong and a star wars episode 1 unit (a little kid movie if there ever was one, but thats another argument) ..

i dont blame em one bit, either.. it sells more consoles than segas 'super sports pack' or ps2's 'gran turismo' bundle.. and it keeps that 'my kids want a nintendo' flame alive in the minds of parents, who are really the focus of the marketing..

fact is, if ya have kids, you probably spend alot more money on toys for them than ya do for yourself.. nintendo knows and counts on this..

if it wasnt for the kids, i doubt thered be a gamecube under my tree next tuesday.. (not that i'd never want one, just wouldnt need one right now)

not that its even worth fighting about.. sure nintendo has a great list of games announced.. but the mario and pokemon stuff sure isnt missing.. sure its not as skewed as the n64 was, but its still a lil more than i can say for the xbox or ps2..

in the end, you say nintendo to someone and they think of mario, pikachu, or maybe zelda.. one in a million thinks of joanna dark.. i doubt nintendo wants to change that.. thats really my only point..

and it doesnt mean i have anything against nintendo.. i'm an old time mario and zelda fan.. they're smart not to use the 'family friendly' angle in their marketing, but its still there to some extent.. fact is i hope nintendo stays the course, because i dont much care for tired old 'kill the terrorist' type fare..

(btw the gun thing was actually to point out how nintendo caved to the anti-violence lobby.. i remember when point blank and time crisis were possible n64 titles.. of course the same thing applies to capcom's crippled US RE: Survivor release.. i doubt xbox will have a light gun either.. which is a shame cuz i kinda have a soft spot for house of the dead and its ilk)

and i still stand by my philosophy of owning everything

 

[ExCyber]

Now that I've gotten some sleep, I guess I'm ready to stop bitching at you . Seriously, I do think my last post was a bit much. BTW, I should have addressed the "own everything" sentiment, since I do agree with it, even if I can't live by it at the moment. In any case, this argument was horribly off-topic for the thread, and I apologize for carrying on with it.

As for sales numbers, everyone will apply a bit of spin to the numbers, but one thing is clear - Sony *is* on top. I agree with 3rdman that XBox sales will probably top PS2 sales soon, but only because they're in different situations - PS2 has already sold millions of units and has a somewhat saturated customer base for the console, while XBox has only launched recently. Until MS drops the price substantially (something Sony is likely to do in 2002), repositions the XBox so that it will sell to non-gamers, or manages to pull together some killer exclusivity deals (XBox is still suffering from Graphically-Enhanced Port Syndrome at the moment; MS needs to start lighting some fires to get this changed), XBox sales *will* slow down; it's only a matter of time.

 

[Pearl Jammzz]

Why does Mario always get called a kiddie game? Just cause he doesn't chop off Bowser's head and rape Peach doesn't mean it's a kiddie game. Mario isn't suppost to be about blood and gore, almost any game that is based around that sux. As for the new Zelda look. Miyamoto said that char model of Link isn't going to be final. he isn't gonna look a homo. If you are really a gamer then you know that all but th 64 titles seemed a little cartoony. Look at the trees and stuff in the Gameboy ones, and the snes and nes ones. They are cartoony but WHO CARES? Zelda is suppost to be played for its good gameplay and puzzles, not its real-like graphics. I agree with the buy all 3 thing. Right now there is really no reason to buy a xbox, except for Halo. The only reason to get a GCN is Starwars, SSB:M, and Pikmin. Now I admit Pikmin looks dumb but OMFG! it's addicting. Any gamer who has played a lot of video games will love it cause it makes you use your head and its just different. Well, lets just hope Sega comes back and beats everyone. I think we can all agree that sega is the best ever and any other game company can kiss its ass.