Pureauthor
Member
SuomiDude said:
I think the consensus is that home consoles in general aren't doing so hot for 3rd parties in Japan.
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Media Create Sales 12/17 - 12/23 2007
- Thread starter Cheesemeister
- Start date
I think the consensus is that home consoles in general aren't doing so hot for 3rd parties in Japan.
Pureauthor
Member
omg rite said:
And is performing worse than FFIIIDS in the same time frame.
Pureauthor
Member
Jammy said:
What other remake is comparable? What other remakes have there been?
FFI&II GBA/WS - Upgraded sprites. Extra dungeons. Also, one of the least popular mainline Final Fantasies ever
FFI&II PSP - Once again, upgraded sprites
Now, ports? Why would one compare remakes to ports? They're not the same - and anyone who knew anything about them wouldn't say so.
Original SE efforts - That they do even worse than FFIV here doesn't mean FFIV's sales aren't disappointing.
Pureauthor
Member
Vic said:
FFIII's LTD literally doubled its first week sales. In Japan, that's a pretty mean feat.
Pureauthor said:
I guess it depends on what you think remakes are meant to accomplish sales-wise. I think they're usually intended to:
1. Introduce the game to those who didn't have a chance to play it on previous/other platforms.
2. Persuade gamers who've already played/owned the game to purchase the game again for upgraded graphics/sounds/features, etc.
I think FFIII DS did well because it hit both points. FFIV DS could really only hit the second one - people have had plenty of opportunity over the past 10 years to get (re)accustomed to FFIV.
I don't know - are there examples of remakes out there (on any system) doing considerably well after the release of the original a bit earlier due to better graphics, etc.? Maybe upgraded graphics/features will only appeal to a more limited set of fans.
EDIT: And I don't know, with the past frontloaded trends of FF games, I doubt FFIV will reach FFIII levels. There's usually a huge drop-off the subsequent weeks as they enter the used games market, isn't there? For both DQ and FF.
EDIT 2: And I just realized that DQIVr has been selling very well despite being released on the PS1. But I doubt graphics is the selling point on that one - the DS graphics aren't that noticeably different from the PS1 version. Maybe it's because there's less overlap between the DS/PS1 userbase (for DQIV) than there is between the DS/GBA userbase? (for FFIV). And because DQ is just more popular.
nextgeneration
Member
_Alkaline_ said:
790k units. Galaxy should pass Sunshine within the next several weeks.
http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/gc.php
norinrad21
Banned
I just got out of bed, having some tea before hitting the gym. Its truly a beautiful day to see that, a little company from Kyoto will never end up like Sega.
What a beautiful day
What a beautiful day
BishopLamont
Banned
Another 100k week and Galaxy is only 30k~ from SMS, since next week is going to be even bigger, I wouldn't be surprised if it passes it next week.nextgeneration said:
nextgeneration
Member
BishopLamont said:
Yeah, it may very well pass it next week, but I said several weeks just to be on the safe side.
Count Dookkake
Member
Nintendo can't be beat. I wonder what will happen when that nifty head-tracking 3D gets put into a game.
Phife Dawg
Member
Wow, after great first week numbers GT5 drops like a stone. Big bomb.
I'm really surprised at how well M&S is doing in Japan.
It'll be interesting to see how the situation develops on Wii, it is somewhat comparable to the DS' launch year. Maybe some third parties will find success on Wii after all. Maybe not. We'll see.
drops like a stone. Big bomb.I'm really surprised at how well M&S is doing in Japan.
Do we have the sell-through number for WiiFit this week?evilromero said:
Kaputt. Would be a shame if it is (was) indeed an action-adventure.schuelma said:
Third parties will die a horrible death!perfectchaos007 said:
It'll be interesting to see how the situation develops on Wii, it is somewhat comparable to the DS' launch year. Maybe some third parties will find success on Wii after all. Maybe not. We'll see.
Phife Dawg
Member
But what has that to do with the fact the guy started playing Galaxy during his christmas break?gimz said:
Mithos Yggdrasill
Banned
schuelma said:
Galaxy numbers are really good. I think that the million now isn't out of question.
gray_fox224
Junior Member
Glad to see FF IV there in the top 5
AdventureRacing
Member
omg rite said:
OMG rite?
The Dragon Quest IV sales are excellent to see for several reasons: a victory for portable gaming, a victory for RPGs, a victory for turn-based RPGs, a victory for unabashedly traditional gameplay, a victory for remakes, and probably some other things I'm forgetting. Good stuff.
Mario Party DS is blowing my mind (in neither a good nor bad way) because I'm honestly curious what it is about it that's drawing people's interesting. I thought the Mario Party games were bought up because they had some appeal to people all playing in the same room on the same screen, but I guess not--or at least not in Japan.
Mario Party DS is blowing my mind (in neither a good nor bad way) because I'm honestly curious what it is about it that's drawing people's interesting. I thought the Mario Party games were bought up because they had some appeal to people all playing in the same room on the same screen, but I guess not--or at least not in Japan.
Pureauthor
Member
Jiggy37 said:
I'm not sure that's a good victory, although knowing you, you'd prefer the 'good ol' days' over what we're getting now, I suppose.
Well, yes, it's 2D/traditional/non-cinematic/etc. and that's excellent news to me every time, but I was accounting for that with the other listed things.Pureauthor said:
I just think great games should be remade so that more people can experience them without all sorts of barriers in the way, such as the game not being sold in stores anymore, too few people knowing what it is or being able to recommend it because it came out 15+ years ago, having been released on a system that's hard to find in working condition, etc.
Edit: And another plus is that people can see the roots of gaming. I don't want to see some future where people claim that a longstanding series is derivative of a newer game they're more familiar with. People who think that Tactics Ogre is a knockoff of FFT, for example.
the thoroughbred
Member
Link said:
QFT
the thoroughbred
Member
Everyone seems so sure that SMG is going to stay a bit longer. But as soon as the festivities are over everything drops like a lead zeppelin. I reckon it will be back to 10k numbers in about 2 weeks. Next will probably bigger, it usually is, right? But after the new year thats it. And a bunch of new 3rd party games will overshadow the undersold gem.
the thoroughbred said:
It seems likely, sure. But then...
http://wii.com/jp/movies/mario-galaxy-movie3/
could help. Also, there's the large influx of new users who will be buying hardware for smash brothers, and galaxy can ride that wave to a fair few sales.
I don't understand why these argument appears every time a media create thread is made.
I think we can safely assume by now that Wii audience in Japan has been gamecube gamers and casual ones. Gamecube gamers driving nintendo core franchises, and casual ones making the difference on the "non and mini party games" starting on wii sports and now riding the wii fit board.
What is missing is the ps2 traditional gamer. We can see by how PS2 games still sell and PS3 hardware still doesn't move a lot, that there are a lot of ps2 owners who haven't made the jump. Who needs them the most in terms of software sales are 3rd party. And they don't jump on board of another platform, especially without the big titles that made them buy the PS2 in the first place.
It's like imagining Nintendo going 3rd party on a Sony console and expecting to sell well (and attract nintendo gamers) with Link's Crossbow Training, Mario Strikers and Mario Party Online-Only HD.
Re FF4 hear mea out for a sec
1.Does it have to sell as much as FFIII? The Engine is already done, so development cost compared to FFIII should be lower overall, and thus the sales target should be lower overall too. What was the shipment for FFIV compared to FFIII?
2.Was there as much interest in FFIV? Im not so sure. If i recall, there was a poll that had FFIII as the most requested remake, even ahead of a gem like Chrono Trigger. Wasnt that poll the thing that started the remakes? Maybe interest in FFIII was higher than FFIV even though FFIV was more popular?
Just a thought. I just dont see it as disastrous. Dissapointing yes but maybe not as much, especially when it comes to cost.
1.Does it have to sell as much as FFIII? The Engine is already done, so development cost compared to FFIII should be lower overall, and thus the sales target should be lower overall too. What was the shipment for FFIV compared to FFIII?
2.Was there as much interest in FFIV? Im not so sure. If i recall, there was a poll that had FFIII as the most requested remake, even ahead of a gem like Chrono Trigger. Wasnt that poll the thing that started the remakes? Maybe interest in FFIII was higher than FFIV even though FFIV was more popular?
Just a thought. I just dont see it as disastrous. Dissapointing yes but maybe not as much, especially when it comes to cost.
DeaconKnowledge
Member
Furoba said:
Oh shit! the Tax Return defense!
I hope to God you're joking.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
Grecco said:
Don't discount voice acting as a cost factor. Shipment was 400k for FFIV, probably at least 600k for FF3.
FFIV is a substantially more popular installment of the series, and has a number of thing that would make it sell better; a voiced theme song and characters that people recognize and enjoy.
On the other hand, FF3 had no major competition on the DS and had not been remade ever.
Stumpokapow said:
On the VA costs point - the FF:CC DS English trailer that was posted here a while ago had English VA. The Japanese original presumably had VA as well. If they can afford to put VA in FF:CC DS (even for the English localization, which will presumably sell a lot less) and still make a profit, they can afford to put it in FFIVr.
EDIT: in general, I just think VA costs have to be pretty incremental compared to a game's overall budget, and are easily recovered with a couple of thousand copies or so (which generates what, hundreds of thousands in revenue/profit? Are VA actors and recording really THAT expensive?) Companies have put VA in plenty of releases that never burned up the charts saleswise, in Japan and stateside. DQVIII's western release, even something like the FF:Advent Children movie, etc. It must have been justifiable financially.
I asked in the last thread, but it wasn't answered unless I missed it - what makes FFIV the more popular game? Famitsu puts the shipments for their initial releases at about 1.4 million each, so that can't be it (unless IV sold out and III was thrown in the bargain bin). And the rereleases of IV haven't sold gangbusters as we've discussed here.Stumpokapow said:
DanielJohnson
Banned
Hah, yeah. Also, apparently people would only use their tax returns to buy PS3's, not 360's (well thats probably true) or Wii's or DS' or PSP's or even PS2's.DeaconKnowledge said:
Also, there is the very small chance that they would use it for something besides gaming.[/sarcasm]
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
botticus said:
Popularity is not just a measure of who bought games 16 and 18 years ago. It's a measure of how well known and enjoyed the installment is. I think if you were to survey the Japanese public on their Final Fantasy knowledge, you'd find that FFIV ranks higher than FFIII despite the similar shipments.
Put it this way; FFVII and FFVIII sold comparably (within ~20% of each other, sales-wise, when all is said and done) in Japan, but FFVII is certifiably more popular. No doubt about it.
I don't personally have the time or inclination to do textual analysis of every Famitsu issue and every 2ch post and operationalize the variables and present to you a statistically valid comparison between FFIII and FFIV, but I think if one were to do this, they'd find that FFII and FFIII are probably the least popular installments of the series.
cvxfreak said:
What other games were in FF Collection? (did it include VI and/or Chrono Trigger? Forgot what games were in that in the US). Because you could add 400K to those games as well - it's hard to say which games were "responsible" for FF Collection's sales though, or if it was just the fact that it was a collection.
I actually didn't realize FFIV had been released as a standalone on PS1 in Japan at all.
That's pretty much what I figured the measure was (not that I disagree with it). But if it can't be quantified with sales numbers, it's hard to apply that to other sales numbers, I would think.Stumpokapow said:
Square would have made comparisons a lot easier for us if they had just released a graphically enhanced, a la FFI & II for PSP (or even not), III GBA port along with every other 8- and 16-bit FF port.