U.S. and European console install base

[zerocool84]

Citing figures obtained by the NPD Group and International Data Group, GameStop included gaming hardware install base statistics for the U.S. and Europe in its latest annual report.

According to the data, the U.S. hardware market stood at over 249 million units as of December 2010, with current-generation consoles ranked as follows:

Nintendo DS - 47.3 million
Nintendo Wii - 34.2 million
Xbox 360 - 25.4 million
PSP - 19 million
PS3 - 15.4 million

In Europe, the total gaming hardware install base is roughly 153 million, according to IDG data from December 2010. The report breaks down that number, too:

Nintendo DS - 46 million
Nintendo Wii - 24.9 million
PSP - 14.8 million
PS3 - 14.7 million
Xbox 360 - 13.7 million

You guys can probably digest those numbers for yourself, but here's our preliminary take on the data: Man, the Nintendo DS is ballin'.

I'm surprised to see there's been more PSP's sold than PS3's. Also obviously more people in the US play more games than in the whole European continent which I didn't know either.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/gamestop-details-u-s-and-european-console-install-base/

 

[DaveSimmons]

> I'm surprised to see there's been more PSP's sold than PS3's.

Compare DS to Wii, it's similar. Also the PSP was released 20 months before the PS3.

FYI, here are numbers for Japan, taken from Media Create via ArsTechnica G.E.S.C.:

DS - 32.5 m
Wii - 11.5 m
PSP - 17.2 m
PS3 - 6.4 m
360 - 1.5 m

 

[Sadaiyappan]

How could it be 249 million units in the US? There are only 100 million households in the US. Explain. And why do games sell more in Europe? AFAIK Europe is a bigger gaming market now than the US? Or is just Sony that sells more in Europe?

 

[Sadaiyappan]

I see, I didn't read your post fully the first time. They don't say what they include in the 249 million units.

 

[herkulease]

How could it be 249 million units in the US? There are only 100 million households in the US. Explain. And why do games sell more in Europe? AFAIK Europe is a bigger gaming market now than the US? Or is just Sony that sells more in Europe?

They are including the last generation. if you go the joystiq article then the original article is suggests it that. Its the only possibility to get those numbers.

as the math for both is so off.

 

[Fingolfin269]

How could it be 249 million units in the US? There are only 100 million households in the US. Explain. And why do games sell more in Europe? AFAIK Europe is a bigger gaming market now than the US? Or is just Sony that sells more in Europe?

I know this doesn't 'explain' but you have certain outliers like me who have a PS3, 2 360's, a PSP and a DS. Granted I sold the PSP because it was covered in a pile of dust but still.

 

[nageov3t]

I'm surprised to see there's been more PSP's sold than PS3's. Also obviously more people in the US play more games than in the whole European continent which I didn't know either.

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/31/gamestop-details-u-s-and-european-console-install-base/

is it a language thing?

I know games are typically translated into Japanese and English, but are they also translated into dutch, polish, swedish, greek, etc?