Support NeoGAF

[DForce]

And Returnal was 4th out of those 4 new games.

No other new games in December on the list but it's December, everyone is buying all of their Christmas games. It's weird how before the game came out GAF was down on it because it's a first person adventure game and Indy is a dead franchise. After release apparently the game should have outsold CoD and Madden and everything else.

I posted this on December 24th.

I would assume it's under 1 million copies sold.

This is only UK physical sales, but it's #96 on the top paid games on the UK store and #54 in the US.

Now it's #121 in the US and #316 in the UK.

Look at the results for December 2021

2 - Halo Infinite
16 - Forza Horizon 5

Forza was in its second month, so your excuses don't hold up as a legitimate excuse.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Hell man, I see "GAF" generalized about a few dozen different ways on a regular basis. And I don't disagree with how Mibu no ookami characterized it so I'll thank him for providing context.

I was actually showing some respect to you, so don't take it as an offense.

 

[Jaybe]

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Indiana Jones was also on Steam.

I guess we're also witnessing the end of Steam as we know it, too?

Like I said, even if it released on PlayStation it wasn't going to be a big success.

Steam gamers aren't buying brand new games, they're largely playing F2P games.

 

[Topher]

I was actually showing some respect to you, so don't take it as an offense.

Not offended. I just make it a habit of not assuming I know what someone is referring to. I think that's a good habit to have even if it makes me come across as thick headed.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

And Returnal was 4th out of those 4 new games.

No other new games in December on the list but it's December, everyone is buying all of their Christmas games. It's weird how before the game came out GAF was down on it because it's a first person adventure game and Indy is a dead franchise. After release apparently the game should have outsold CoD and Madden and everything else.

I highly doubt Indy has even sold over 1mil units world wide. Indy should absolutely outsell COD in its opening week. COD was in its 6th week of sales. Indiana Jones probably cost 100+mil to develop, and that is without all the Disney licensing fees Microsoft has to pay for.

I say this as someone who really enjoyed Indy, but I would be absolutely shocked if there is a sequel

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

I say this as someone who really enjoyed Indy, but I would be absolutely shocked if there is a sequel

Isn't it already confirmed?

Indy will do decently on ps5 probably

 

[Thief1987]

Is that what they calling "toxic positivity"?

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Literally the only major new release in December... but somehow that's good? The context here being that PC and Xbox don't really contribute enough to sales by itself, but that context is hidden within his overall commentary. PC sales are nice to haves, but Xbox sales really aren't that meaningful.

I'd love to see a breakdown of MLB The Show on PS, Xbox, and Switch.

 

[Physiognomonics]

I'm guessing Astro Bot is between 2.5 and 3 million units worldwide right now. With some proper sales and actual advertising, it should be able to have the legs to sell 7 million units pretty comfortably. With a real push and the right pricing I think it could have hit 10 million units.

Have you seen any GOTY commercials for Astro Bot? They left it sold out at retail for much of December, probably so they could push digital sales ratios, but probably at the expense of total sales.

The fake and cringe CGI trailer of Concord likely costed more than all marketing spent to AstroBot since its release. It's tragic, really, how disconnected they are to their decades years long customers.

 

[Unknown?]

The fake and cringe CGI trailer of Concord likely costed more than all marketing spent to AstroBot since its release. It's tragic, really, how disconnected they are to their decades years long customers.

So disconnected that they showed it off at gameshows and made the game.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Xbox is so dead from a hardware perspective. It's quite incredible how quickly they've fallen despite spending more than the other two by a huge margin.

 

[Klosshufvud]

Is that what they calling "toxic positivity"?

It's what they call a corporate bootlicker. Matt has been damage controlling non-stop for major publishers since years back. They're the ones that buy his data so he has to. It's how he makes a living. This is also why he primarily reports in "revenue" and not units. A PS5 costs double what a PS2 cost for instance. Imagine how ridiculous when comparing console revenue from 2024 to 2004 considering that.
The data NOT presented is always the most interesting. And the data not presented is usually what reveals bias. Same reason why I suspect the omission of PS5 Pro sales wasn't just an accidental slip.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

No holiday bump for Veilguard?

Yikes, ya'll. Big oof!

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

I posted this on December 24th.



Now it's #121 in the US and #316 in the UK.

Look at the results for December 2021

2 - Halo Infinite
16 - Forza Horizon 5

Forza was in its second month, so your excuses don't hold up as a legitimate excuse.

Woah, it didn't sell as well as Halo or Forza Horizon

 

[Ozriel]

CoD is the best selling game every year

Microsoft paid $70B for it

Hogwarts Legacy was the best selling game in the U.S. last year.

 

[Topher]

What are the other "Xbox and Steam only" games he is comparing this to?

 

[Astray]

14th overall for the month. That means sales were low.

Which tells you how much of a boon it is when something is a top 5 seller in the Xbox ecosystem (it's really not).

Very dire affair for the platform imo.

 

[coachmcguirk91]

Isn't it already confirmed?

Indy will do decently on ps5 probably

Disney reportedly called Microsoft after Indy released, asking for more sequels. Everybody assumed that meant a sequel was greenlit. But people don't realize that of course Disney wants more sequels. Indy is a dead IP, Disney doesn't pay for development, and Disney makes free money off the IP licensing. There is zero risk for them. It's ultimately up to Microsoft whether it is worth it

Maybe Indy is doing great on Gamepass, but even for Indy being on Gamepass, it's sales have been atrocious

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Xbox is so dead from a hardware perspective. It's quite incredible how quickly they've fallen despite spending more than the other two by a huge margin.

PlayStation is looking like it is having a REALLY bad January, but I have to imagine Xbox is having a proportionally bad January.

I think we're at the point where core gamers are largely done with Xbox, but the digital XSX actually seems to be doing decently on Amazon. Without casual gamers buying XBS during the holidays, I'm not sure how they even make it the next holidays with core gamers checked out too. Unless GTA6 really brings some people back, I don't think how Xbox Series survives the year.

 

[DForce]

Woah, it didn't sell as well as Halo or Forza Horizon

Show me proof that the game is selling well.

 

[damidu]

damn, project "open legs latitude" to save machinegames hopefully

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Show me proof that the game is selling well.

It isn't outselling CoD or NCAA, you just proved it isn't.

 

[Jaybe]

What are the other "Xbox and Steam only" games he is comparing this to?

Mat reaches so much its embarrassing, "Steam only", yes the absolute largest platform for gaming, I just can't any more with this guy.

 

[SweetTooth]

What a sad shill

 

[Jaybe]

What a sad shill

True. The problem with Circana/NPD reports is they are both bought by Microsoft, Sony, EA, Ubisoft, Warner Bros, etc, and they are the data suppliers, so he needs to slip in something positive if he can even when it doesn't exist.

 

[DForce]

It isn't outselling CoD or NCAA, you just proved it isn't.

Astro Bot, Silent Hill, Dragon Ball, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Dragon Age, Metaphor, Undipusted, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Astro Bot all beat NCAA in its debut month this year on the Cirana/NPD charts.

Indiana Jones couldn't beat NCAA on just the Xbox platform alone.

 

[chromatic9]

Be interesting to see if they can ramp up the excitement for the PS5 Indy launch.

What a cold feeling looking at the top 20 though. So used to big games being released near Christmas in the past, duking it out for sales and now there's pretty much nothing going on.

 

[onQ123]

Post in thread 'Amazon.com - PS5: 153K, Switch: 56K, Xbox: 32K, PSVR2 23K' https://www.neogaf.com/threads/amaz...56k-xbox-32k-psvr2-23k.1677952/post-269874567

 

[James Sawyer Ford]

It's ultimately up to Microsoft whether it is worth it

MS probably knows they botched the launch by having it on GamePass and not on PS5

They may be happy with it being well received, and then Indy 2 would release simultaneously on PS5

I suspect MS is going to dramatically change the way GP operates by the time Indy 2 launches.

Massive price hikes or limitations of day 1 games

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Astro Bot, Silent Hill, Dragon Ball, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Dragon Age, Metaphor, Undipusted, Sonic X Shadow Generations, and Astro Bot all beat NCAA in its debut month this year on the Cirana/NPD charts.

Indiana Jones couldn't beat NCAA on just the Xbox platform alone.

Don't forget Dragon Age and CoD

 

[Mibu no ookami]

MS probably knows they botched the launch by having it on GamePass and not on PS5

They may be happy with it being well received, and then Indy 2 would release simultaneously on PS5

I suspect MS is going to dramatically change the way GP operates by the time Indy 2 launches.

Massive price hikes or limitations of day 1 games

I wonder legally what they're actually able to do in terms of removing day one games given they've allowed people to stack. I think you have to phase day 1 games out and further prevent stacking otherwise you're consigning those games to poor sales for years to come.

I also think they'll try to get GP on PS and Switch but for Microsoft games only like EA Play.

I do think the price is going to increase as well and by this fall.

 

[drganon]

Every one arguing over a declining console market and not seeing that every publisher, dev, retailer and investor is looking at pc due to its growth.

We gotta keep the fight alive!

Stop trying to pretend you're a pc gamer, ratboy.

 

[lucbr]

Even on Game Pass Indy was still the number 4 on Xbox? And Minecraft and Call of Duty still printing money?

Microsoft must be very happy. And they will get much more with the PS5 and Switch releases.

They are abandoning Hardware but becaming a juggernaut of a publisher!

 

[OuterLimits]

Imagine, there are people on Gaf claiming this gen is a disaster like PS3 for Sony.

I think those people are referring to Sony 1st party software this generation compared to past generations. Which is certainly a valid argument.

I realize some care more about how much money Sony is making over the games they are releasing though.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

I think those people are referring to Sony 1st party software this generation compared to past generations. Which is certainly a valid argument.

I realize some care more about how much money Sony is making over the games they are releasing though.

Sony always relied on 3rd party, so in that sense their 1st party output isn't that big of a deal.

It's mainly an issue among the most dedicated audiences, which are just a tiny minority.

 

[Synastry]

Was this posted.

Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social)

Through each console's first 50 months in the US market (life to date ending Dec 2024 for both XBS and PS5), PS5 lifetime unit sales are 7% ahead of PS4's pace, while Xbox Series trails Xbox One by 18%. Through 38 months in the US (through Dec 2023), PS5 led PS4 by 6% while XBS trailed XBO by 13%.

bsky.app

Through each console's first 50 months in the US market (life to date ending Dec 2024 for both XBS and PS5), PS5 lifetime unit sales are 7% ahead of PS4's pace, while Xbox Series trails Xbox One by 18%.

 

[Woopah]

On a side note looks like gbiz aren't going to bother with uk and europe reports for december. They'd normally release the reports by now for december.

Bad move imo if they don't do them going forward at all, would have generated clicks for them.

Chris Dring doesn't work there any more and they might not replace him.

My understanding is that Chris will continue writing these reports for VGC.

True. The problem with Circana/NPD reports is they are both bought by Microsoft, Sony, EA, Ubisoft, Warner Bros, etc, and they are the data suppliers, so he needs to slip in something positive if he can even when it doesn't exist.

This. Circana is not a "shill" or fanboy for any one company. Their primary motivation is to make money from all publishers.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Was this posted.

Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social)

Through each console's first 50 months in the US market (life to date ending Dec 2024 for both XBS and PS5), PS5 lifetime unit sales are 7% ahead of PS4's pace, while Xbox Series trails Xbox One by 18%. Through 38 months in the US (through Dec 2023), PS5 led PS4 by 6% while XBS trailed XBO by 13%.

bsky.app

Sony is doomed though.

 

[TheGodfather07]

I think Microsoft will delay games from releasing on xbox only to make sure the PS5 versions are ready so they could release fully multiplatform on day one. It hurts the games to release them on xbox only when it's a dead platform. To put it into perspective, PS5 sold more in November and December in the US alone than xbox did worldwide for the whole year!

 

[Hari Seldon]

"EA Sports College Football 25 is the best-selling sports video game in U.S. history"

God damn what a monster. Release this on PC and double the sales easily.

 

[Luminoth-4545]

Makes you wonder if the Series consoles will reach 35m globally at this point.

It'll likely finish behind the N64 in the all time rankings.

I think 21 million in the U.S and 38 to 40 million Globally.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I think 21 million in the U.S and 38 to 40 million Globally.

At this rate of decline I don't know where those numbers are going to come from.

 

[Mr Moose]

Was this posted.

Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social)

Through each console's first 50 months in the US market (life to date ending Dec 2024 for both XBS and PS5), PS5 lifetime unit sales are 7% ahead of PS4's pace, while Xbox Series trails Xbox One by 18%. Through 38 months in the US (through Dec 2023), PS5 led PS4 by 6% while XBS trailed XBO by 13%.

bsky.app

Oh it caught up and overtook the PS4?

 

[Woopah]

Not sure I'm following. No price cut, unit sales have been dipping all year. This is why Switch 2 might have problems if the cost per unit is substantially higher and people aren't looking to upgrade. Not sure whether or not Mario Kart is enough to get people to spend 450+ dollars (including the price of Mario Kart), it could easily be 500+ dollars at the end of the day. Tough pill to swallow just for double the number of cars.

I meant that I'm surprised Switch was -38% in December when it was -3% in November (and doesn't look to have been -38% in Europe or Japan in terms of units).

So I was wondering whether this was because:

1. Unit sales for Switch were 38%; or
2. Unit sales were down less than that, but retailers were offering Switch for less than standard price (like they did in November).

And I agree on Switch 2. A single big Mario game by itself is not enough (see Wii U). For the first 7 months it needs to have a steady stream of big releases like the Switch had, and for some of themto not be cross gen (I'm expecting a June release date).

Definitely a good idea, but I have to wonder how anyone enjoyed the game on Switch. I like the game but I thought it felt archaic and I played it on the PS5 Pro. I couldn't imagine playing it on the base PS5 or hell the PS4, so the Switch is even worse... Sub 30 fps and crazy load times. I wonder what impact that might have on future sales. Would they have been better off not porting the game and hoping people bought it on home console instead?

I played on base PS4 and apart from some annoying load times in the castle it ran fine.

To me the Switch port can only have a positive impact on future sales, especially given the legs. I don't see any PS5 + Switch 2 owners saying "I won't buy HL2 on either platform based on how HL ran on Switch."

Ragnarok being back on the charts two years later is nasty work. Crazy how Sony games are beginning to be evergreen even before the transmedia strategy takes full root

I'd say it also shows that Sony's PC strategy is working well for them (the game came to PC in September).

 

[Atrus]

It is pretty good… at losing money.

Licenced games have significantly smaller margins and can't afford not to meet targets.

I suspect the game will have long legs sales wise but it will be yet another financial flop from Bethesda.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

I meant that I'm surprised Switch was -38% in December when it was -3% in November (and doesn't look to have been -38% in Europe or Japan in terms of units).

So I was wondering whether this was because:

1. Unit sales for Switch were 38%; or
2. Unit sales were down less than that, but retailers were offering Switch for less than standard price (like they did in November).

And I agree on Switch 2. A single big Mario game by itself is not enough (see Wii U). For the first 7 months it needs to have a steady stream of big releases like the Switch had, and for some of themto not be cross gen (I'm expecting a June release date).

Probably due to Zelda being bigger in the US than other regions resulting in significantly higher sales in 2023 which couldn't be sustained in 2024 with a light release schedule. In addition to Super Mario Wonder.

To me the Switch port can only have a positive impact on future sales, especially given the legs. I don't see any PS5 + Switch 2 owners saying "I won't buy HL2 on either platform based on how HL ran on Switch."

I think that can be deceiving, especially again without more data like completion percentages. How many people are buying Hogwarts Legacy because its an evergreen title in a popular franchise only to ultimately be disappointed with it? These are potential consumers who may have purchased HL2 on home console who may balk at it in the future because of poor experiences with the Switch version.

I think long term sales could suffer as a result.

I know many parents who got it for their kids not even knowing the type of game it was.

I'd say it also shows that Sony's PC strategy is working well for them (the game came to PC in September).

The PC strategy combined with transmedia strategy is a brilliant makeup. Hilarious to see Sony get so much flack for both of them. Sony buying Nixxes is going to go down as one of the best moves in gaming. I'm surprised they haven't done more to support MacOS, especially with their good relationship with Apple.

 

[kazuyamishima]

The PS Portal must be doing some serious numbers.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

What are the chances that PS5 and Switch become the 2 best selling consoles of all time in the US?

 

[Woopah]

I think that can be deceiving, especially again without more data like completion percentages. How many people are buying Hogwarts Legacy because its an evergreen title in a popular franchise only to ultimately be disappointed with it? These are potential consumers who may have purchased HL2 on home console who may balk at it in the future because of poor experiences with the Switch version.

I think long term sales could suffer as a result.

I know many parents who got it for their kids not even knowing the type of game it was.

I think if there are people who own both a home console and Switch and bought the game on Switch (and enjoyed the gameplay but not the technical performance), then they are more likely to buy the sequel on a home console than not buy the sequel at all.

But that's just a guess.