• Loading stock data...
Friday, December 6, 2024
Tune in on Dec. 11 at 1:05 p.m. ET for our last Future of Sports virtual summit of the year – Future of Sports: Marketing! Register Now

Next-Gen Console Scarcity Drags Black Friday Video Game Sales

Gamestop Line
Ken Ruinard-USA Today Network

Video game sales from Black Friday to Cyber Monday dropped 10% year-over-year as gamers seem to be waiting to upgrade consoles before buying more games. Console games specifically saw a 13% drop in sales.

But getting a new console has been difficult: Microsoft and Sony are both facing “unprecedented” global demand for the new editions of the Xbox and PlayStation as the popularity of gaming has skyrocketed this year with more people staying at home during the pandemic. 

  • Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan said the company pre-sold as many PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. in the first 12 hours of it being on sale as it did PlayStation 4 consoles in 12 weeks.
  • Scalpers have snatched up the few consoles available, selling them for more than $1,000 on eBay.
  • Both companies have said the pandemic did not have an impact on production.

On top of waiting on new systems, gamers have started to embrace digital subscription services like Xbox Game Pass, which grew to 15 million members in September, a 50% jump from April. 

Still On Track: 2020 will likely end up nearing or surpassing video game sales records. U.S. video game spending reached $11.2 billion in the third quarter, up 24% year-over-year, according to The NPD Group.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Elon Musk looks on before Super Bowl LVIII between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.

Can Elon Musk’s X Fix Its Rampant Fake Sports News Problem?

Little is known about how X will enforce its new policy aimed at parody accounts.
Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee leads SMU on to the field before the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

Every Power 4 Championship Game Will Have a Conference Newcomer

Oregon, SMU, Texas, and Arizona State will all play for titles.

U.S. Investors Are Gunning for England’s Small Soccer Clubs

Is another Hollywood-like success story possible among the U.K.’s smallest clubs?

Featured Today

Dec 18, 2022; Lusail, Qatar; FIFA president Gianni Infantino claps during the awards ceremony after the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium.

FIFA Wants More Matches. Resistance Is Growing Inside the Global Soccer World

Resentment and frustration over expanded schedules is nearing a breaking point.
Nov 1, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) leads the team onto the field prior to the first quarter against the San Diego State Aztecs at Albertsons Stadium.
November 29, 2024

Schools Are Scrambling to Prepare for the NCAA Revenue-Sharing Era

In the post–House v. NCAA world, “everyone’s kind of on their own.”
Nov 4, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Recording artist Taylor Swift arrives prior to a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
November 29, 2024

The PWHL Could Be Inviting a Date With Taylor Swift’s Legal Team

The Toronto Sceptres may have opened a Pandora’s box of trademark issues.
November 23, 2024

Can an Elite Women’s Soccer School Survive the New College Sports Moneyball?

Santa Clara faces an uphill battle in the new college sports landscape.
patrick_mahomes

Super Bowl TV Viewership Sinks 8%

CBS Sports’ telecast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs averaged 91.629 million viewers, down 8%.
person_playing_cricket
December 23, 2020

Prominent Tech Execs Line Up to Back Cricket Growth In the U.S.

More than 20 investors have now bought into American Cricket Enterprise, parent company oMajor League Cricket.
man_riding_stationary_bike
December 28, 2020

Connected Fitness Company Echelon Lands $65 Million Investment

The funding came from Goldman Sachs and North Castle Partners, who now own controlling interests in the company.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
woman_holding_hockey_stick
December 23, 2020

NBC to Air NWHL Finals, Adds to Banner Year for Women’s Sports

It will be the first time professional women’s hockey games are shown live on a major national cable network in the U.S.
antetokounmpo_dribbling_basketball
December 23, 2020

‘Giannis Effect’ Felt by Bucks Following Record-Breaking Extension

Since he was drafted in 2013, the Bucks’ valuation has jumped from No. 30 in the league at $312 million to No. 19 at $1.58 billion.
December 22, 2020

Adam Silver Says NBA Expansion is ‘Manifest Destiny of the League’

“It’s sort of the manifest destiny of the league that you expand at some point,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Monday.
December 22, 2020

Adidas Partners With Jerry Lorenzo, Fear of God Brand

Lorenzo will lead creative and business strategy for Adidas basketball globally, and launch a Fear of God athletics sub-brand.