MS and Sony sales spin is out of control

When did Microsoft and Sony turn into the Labour and Conservative parties? When did spin become the by-word of the games industry, an industry centred on cutting edge entertainment, not back-stabbing political manoeuvring and posturing? Gamers are in it for the fun, not the sex, lies and questionable licensed titles. When did we become so used to shape-shifting comments and backtracking official positions that we now question every stat pumped out of the mighty PR machine?

I suppose spin has always been a part of the game industry. For years rivals have contorted sales figures to present a picture most positive, even when it looked impossible. But now, with Sony’s PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 so close in the “console war”, a battle growing increasingly bitter, the ante has well and truly been raised.

The release of GTA 4 hasn’t helped. Indeed it’s perhaps made the situation worse. Why hasn’t the industry as a whole been beating the drum for what has proved to be the biggest entertainment launch in history? Instead we have seen MS and Sony unleash dagger-like press release after press release spinning GTA 4 sales into some kind of console-shifting weapon.

Last week Sony claimed that over one million copies of Rockstar’s epic were sold for PS3 in North America, with 23.6% of US PS3 owners snapping up a copy. Sony said this represents a 29% higher attach rate for the title than Xbox 360.

Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA, said: “The proof is in the numbers and, in April, PlayStation 3 hardware sales experienced a 127% increase over April of last year.”

The week before Sony issued a press release with a quote from Peter Dille, Senior Vice President, Marketing & PlayStation Network. He said: “Grand Theft Auto fans who love the game grew up on PlayStation and we believe that rich heritage will be a deciding factor for many gamers at retail. This enthusiasm for GTA IV, combined with the excitement behind Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, Metal Gear Solid 4, LittleBigPlanet, and Resistance 2 will further drive PS3 hardware sales.”

Here in the UK, at Sony’s recent PlayStation Day bonanza, SCEE boss David Reeves took to the stage to let fly some hot European sales data. He said that overall PS3 sales in Europe to date are over 5 million. Reeves pointed out that this is more than the current European installed base for Xbox 360, despite being on the market for less time.

In the same week MS said that consumers in North America have now spent more than $9.7 billion on the “Xbox 360 experience” according to latest NPD data. April saw Xbox 360 console sales of 188,000 units and over 1.8 million units of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360. The Xbox 360, we were told, had achieved global sales of over 19 million units, with sales in North America standing at 10.1 million according to NPD data. Microsoft said retailers told them that four-in-ten Xbox 360 consoles sold were sold with a copy of GTA 4. Microsoft also re-iterated that “Xbox LIVE will be the only place gamers can go for exclusive “Grand Theft Auto IV” episodes”.

The week before, official Xbox website Gamerscoreblog said that retailer information indicated that sales of GTA 4 in the US favoured the Xbox 360 by 3-to-2. Xbox 360 console sales at retail went up 54% week-over-week as a result of GTA 4, and retailers told MS that roughly 40% of new Xbox 360 buyers are also taking home a copy of GTA 4.

And here in the UK, Chris Lewis, Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft EMEA, had his say. “Today it has become clear that consumers are finding Xbox 360 the best way to experience Liberty City,” he said. “And we expect this trend to continue, especially with exclusive ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ episodes coming to Xbox 360 in the Autumn. ‘Grand Theft Auto’ has a new home on Xbox 360, and consumers are discovering how our platform can enhance the experience like no other.”

Microsoft even took a swipe at its competitor, pointing out that the Xbox 360 is the only console that “renders Liberty City in all its 720p high-definition glory” – the PS3 version is reported to render the game at 640p.

Meow. When you put it all together and place it side by side it reads like a joke, does it not? If we are to believe everything we are told by Sony and Microsoft, both companies have won the “GTA 4 console war”, a war I’m growing tired of by the second. In fact, I find it hard to believe a statement on sales from the big two nowadays. Irrational cynicism, or have I simply been ground down?

Wouldn’t it have been nice to see a press release from ELSPA with quotes from both Sony and MS expressing their delight at the success of GTA 4? It might have even included a paragraph on how this moment will go down in history as the one when gaming broke free from its teenage shackles and finally matured into a genuine pop culture medium? Perhaps I’m being a little naïve, a tad idealistic.

When ex-PM Tony Blair and New Labour’s “Age of Spin” came to an end with the passing of the torch to Gordon Brown, it was in part to do with the Iraq war, but much of it was to do with a voting public fed up with incessant lies and backtracking. All we wanted was a bit of honesty. All we want to know is that what we are being told is the truth.

A word on the Wii, this phenomenon, this, well, I want to say video game machine but I’m not so sure any more. We talk about the “console war” as if Nintendo isn’t a part of it, but it is. It’s just fighting on another level, a level both Sony and MS aspire to in everything they do. As they scrap over second place Nintendo goes about its business almost oblivious to the war it is leaving in its wake. There’s no need for spin when the facts are so indisputably in your favour.

I’m not saying gamers are going to get so fed up with the sales spin obsession that they will stop buying Sony’s and MS’ games and consoles. That would be a ridiculous claim. But I call on both to stop this incessant to-oing and fro-ing, this embarrassing posturing. It was fun at first. Perhaps we are all guilty of enjoying the odd ridiculous claim and quote in the past. But it’s gone too far. We don’t care any more. Sony and MS – let the independent sales tracking companies do their job and concentrate on doing what you do best – making bad ass video games.