????想在索尼公司（Sony）的PlayStation 4和微軟公司（Microsoft）的Xbox One這兩大游戲機(jī)的生死對(duì)決中判定贏家的人恐怕得等上一陣了。這兩臺(tái)分別于去年11月推出的游戲機(jī)一上市就勢(shì)頭強(qiáng)勁。由于太受熱捧，現(xiàn)在想在索尼的日本總部找到一臺(tái)PS4可能都變成了和游戲闖關(guān)一樣的任務(wù)。

????現(xiàn)在PS4的全球銷量已超600萬(wàn)臺(tái)，其中包括今年2月它在日本首發(fā)第一周賣出的30萬(wàn)臺(tái)。不過，緊接著第二周銷量就下跌到了不到3萬(wàn)臺(tái)。并不是因?yàn)橥婕覀儗?duì)這臺(tái)最新神器興趣減退，而是因?yàn)樗髂峁镜墓?yīng)鏈瓶頸所致——某種程度上也是因?yàn)樗髂嵯朐诒泵赖貐^(qū)賣出更多的設(shè)備，PS4在北美售價(jià)為399.99美元。

????IDC公司游戲研究總監(jiān)路易斯?沃德說(shuō)：“索尼的銷量遠(yuǎn)超其預(yù)期。他們?cè)鞠Ｍ?月底能銷售500萬(wàn)臺(tái)——這意味著很多設(shè)備將先運(yùn)到店。但實(shí)際上他們發(fā)現(xiàn)零售數(shù)量已超過600萬(wàn)臺(tái)，所以說(shuō)實(shí)際銷量遠(yuǎn)超預(yù)期。但他們并沒有就此大肆慶功。畢竟近年來(lái)索尼公司一直境況不佳，所以他們也沒有開香檳慶祝銷售佳績(jī)。”

????索尼在加拿大采取了特殊政策，把售價(jià)從399.99加元提高到了449.99加元。公司表示，這是“應(yīng)對(duì)市場(chǎng)環(huán)境變化”的必須之舉。它表明，索尼在解決供需難題時(shí)也開始高度關(guān)注盈利能力。

????市場(chǎng)研究公司IHS Technology的游戲研究總監(jiān)兼主管皮爾斯?哈丁-羅爾斯說(shuō)：“索尼一直在努力管理好庫(kù)存和區(qū)域產(chǎn)品發(fā)貨。最困難的情況下可能需要空運(yùn)、而不是海運(yùn)，而這類措施會(huì)增加索尼的成本。”同樣清楚的是，PS4上市以來(lái)美元對(duì)加元就一直走強(qiáng)。考慮到這家公司在美元地區(qū)的成本，提價(jià)將消除這種不平衡。這樣的快速行動(dòng)表明，索尼電腦娛樂（SCE，索尼子公司，游戲機(jī)、游戲軟件開發(fā)、制造與銷售商——譯注）準(zhǔn)備采取一切必要手段從一開始就謀求盈利。可以理解的是，在PS4大賣的背景下，打這種算盤更容易。”

????微軟的Xbox全球銷量緊隨索尼，約為400萬(wàn)臺(tái)。盡管從全球范圍看PS4是領(lǐng)頭羊，但它們?cè)诒泵赖貐^(qū)卻勢(shì)均力敵。

????哈丁-羅爾斯告訴《財(cái)富》雜志（Fortune）：“兩者的銷量差距正日益縮小，而且，隨著（新發(fā)游戲）《泰坦墜落》（Titanfall）的大受歡迎，它將進(jìn)一步助推Xbox One大步追趕。不過索尼的上市前戰(zhàn)略每一步都精準(zhǔn)有效，始終堅(jiān)持簡(jiǎn)單易懂的‘只為玩家’的品牌理念，所以PS4玩家都積極響應(yīng)索尼毫不動(dòng)搖、專注游戲的口號(hào)。但微軟卻圍繞提供多種娛樂體驗(yàn)泛泛而談，稀釋了自己的品牌理念。”

????此外還有價(jià)格問題。Xbox One比PS4貴100美元。哈丁-羅爾斯說(shuō)：“價(jià)格更貴也意味著處境不利。在某些市場(chǎng)，價(jià)格缺乏彈性往往會(huì)使消費(fèi)者僅有的一點(diǎn)品牌忠誠(chéng)度蕩然無(wú)存，同時(shí)使他們更愿意選擇PS4——英國(guó)就是個(gè)最好的例子。不過在全球范圍內(nèi)，這兩臺(tái)機(jī)器的售價(jià)都超出了玩家預(yù)期，從這一點(diǎn)看，它們未來(lái)都能取得更大成功。”

????Anyone looking t?o declare a victory in the videogame console showdown between Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One had better be prepared for a long wait. The systems, which each launched last November, are actually off to a strong start; so much so that even finding a PS4 in Sony's home turf of Japan could be a task worthy of a videogame adventure.

????Sony (SNE) has surpassed the 6 million mark in sales worldwide for the PS4, and this includes 300,000 consoles that sold in the first week that the system went on sale in Japan in February. However, the number of sales dropped to less than 30,000 in the second week. It wasn't that gamers weren't interested in Sony's latest gaming console, but rather that the consumer electronics giant had experienced supply constraints -- partially as a result of trying to get more systems out in North America. The PS4 is available in North America for $399.99.

????"Sony is ahead of where they expected to be," said Lewis Ward, research director of gaming at IDC. "They expected to reach about 5 million sales by the end of the March -- meaning that many systems would be shipped to stores. In fact, they have seen sell-through to consumers that topped 6 million. Sony is way ahead of where they wanted to be, but they are not taking a victory lap just yet. Sony as a company has been struggling in recent years, so they aren't exactly popping Champagne."

????Sony took the unique move to raise the price of the system in Canada from C$399.99 to C$449.99, which the company said was needed "to respond to changes in the market environment." This could be an indicator that the company is very much focused on its own profitability as it addresses supply and demand challenges.

????"Sony has been working hard to manage its inventory and regional product shipments. In the most difficult cases this can mean flying in consoles rather than shipping, and this sort of action can increase costs to Sony," said Piers Harding-Rolls, director and head of games research at IHS Technology. "Also it is clear that the U.S. dollar has strengthened against the Canadian dollar since launch, and with the company's costs in the region in U.S. currency, the price increase is there to smooth out the imbalance. A quick-fire move like this suggests that SCE is ready to do what it takes to drive profitability into the division as early as possible in the cycle. Understandably, this financial prudence is easier to implement while the PS4 is selling strongly."

????Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox trails Sony with about 4 million units sold worldwide, and while on a global basis it is clear that the PS4 holds the lead, it is a much closer race in North America.

????"The sales gap is closer, and with [the newly released game] Titanfall well-received this will have aided Xbox One further," Harding-Rolls told Fortune. "Sony hit all the right notes with its pre-launch strategy and stuck to its simple 'for the gamers' message. The console audience responded to this non-wavering concentration on gaming, whereas Microsoft's message was more generalized around a broader entertainment offering and watered down."

????Then there is the issue of price. Microsoft's Xbox One came out at $100 more than Sony's PS4, and "the higher price also meant it was at a disadvantage," added Harding-Rolls. "In some markets a lack of price elasticity overcame residual brand loyalty and resulted in better momentum for the PS4 -- the U.K. is a leading example. However, both platforms have sold above and beyond expectations globally, and on this basis, there is a strong platform there for future success for both consoles."