Analyst Michael Pachter claims that Sony’s announcement that it has sold 4.1 million Move units is wrong.
Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it had sold 2.5 million Kinects since it was released in the U.S. on November 4th. Sony countered yesterday by releasing the sales figures for its Move controllers, claiming that 4.1 million have been sold since they became available in September. But Michael Pachter, an analyst from Wedbush Securities and general videogame pundit, says that Sony’s numbers are indicative of how many Move units have been distributed to retailers, but haven’t necessarily reached customer’s hands. He puts the number of Move controllers being used in people’s homes closer to 2.5 million, which would make its actual sales in a tie with Kinect.
“I understand that they sold through around one million through the end of October (tracking NPD results and extrapolating for Europe), and it’s reasonable that with the Japanese launch they have sold through another 1.5 million in November, but I’d peg the sell through number at closer to 2.5 million, or exactly on par with Kinect, albeit over a longer time frame,” Pachter said.
“If sell-through is the 2.5 million that I estimate, it’s logical that shipments would be 4.1 million cumulatively, as demand in December is likely to be higher than the 1.5 million I assumed were sold in November. Yes, impressive, yet likely below the reported figure,” he continued. “With all that said, the [4.1 million] number is still impressive.”
It’s possible that Pachter might be biased, as he fully expects Kinect to outsell the PlayStation Move this season. “I think that Microsoft still has an advantage at holiday, with a larger installed base of consoles, more momentum, and a slightly more unique experience,” he said. “I would expect Kinect to outsell Move in December.”
To find out more about how Michael Pachter makes his predictions and what kind of games he plays himself, look into The Crystal Ball of Michael Pachter.
Source: Eurogamer
