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[Oregano]

Sure, but it's still a tiny part of their overall business.

If I make 40 widgets that sell 80-300K, and then a widget that sells 450K, and then five widgets that sell 2-5 million overseas, and have a new-age widget service that makes the equivalent of selling 1-2 million units every month, that 450K widget is still pretty irrelevant, even if it is my sixth best traditional widget product.

It's also in a widget market where 1-5 million selling widgets exist, usually several every year, including a very similar widget that comes out every year and does 2-4+ million unit sales, so it's not like it's even a very impactful widget even in terms of defining the market.

Well then Switch is almost completely irrelevant to Bandai Namco then because Dragonball is their only major brand they are bringing to it. Same goes for every other publisher.

 

[duckroll]

I got the impression that God Eater was one of Bamco's bigger franchises in Japan right now. It's very niche globally, but sub-500k for GE2RB still puts it above the last few Tales games. And I don't think they've had a million seller since the first Tamagotchi for DS.

It's kinda a toss up at this point. ToZ vs GE2 RB was like 360k vs 380k or something. ToB vs GE R is like 320k vs 210k or something? Unless GE3 suddenly sells a lot more, it's pretty much just another otaku level ~200k franchise now which Bandai Namco has like a dozen of.

 

[jonno394]

I'm still not sure what could be an argument against a PS4 version of Monster Hunter.

I don't have one. The only one i and most have is against a ps4 exclusive monster Hunter.

I'm not a monster Hunter fan anyway, and a ps4 version wouldn't make me buy it, but when we're discussing business decisions, it's clear that making it a home console exclusive would go against a lot of its existing customer base. Therefore, the hope would be that the sales in the west explode to not only cover this potential loss of sales in Japan who only play it for its portable play with local multiplayer, but also to grow the sales over what already exists.

 

[PdotMichael]

Dividing the userbase between 3DS/Switch and PS4 is probably the main one but not really a decisive factor.

Yeah, Monster Hunter on Wii sure was a bad hit for the PSP version.

But I guess because a Nintendo received something it's nor the same.

 

[Nirolak]

Dividing the userbase between 3DS/Switch and PS4 is probably the main one but not really a decisive factor.

Right. I think this made a lot of sense when we were looking at two redundant devices like the 3DS and Vita.

People buying the game for PS4 in Japan though are likely either people who intended to play alone, people who intended to play online, or older people who were unlikely to drag around a handheld to meet up with their three other friends anyway.

I think it's also unclear how much you would even expect the PS4 version to sell in Japan compared to the handheld one. It would presumably be much more of an overseas play, similar to how other games might port to PC and/or Xbox for an overseas release.

I'm not saying it would sell 80K or something, but I could easily see a scenario where the former does 500K and the latter does 3 million, especially as the generation goes on.

 

[Sandfox]

Well then Switch is almost completely irrelevant to Bandai Namco then because Dragonball is their only major brand they are bringing to it. Same goes for every other publisher.

Tales and Taiko are coming to the Switch as well.

 

[Oregano]

Tales and Taiko are coming to the Switch as well.

Those are both irrelevant by the same standards God Eater is.

 

[Nirolak]

Well then Switch is almost completely irrelevant to Bandai Namco then because Dragonball is their only major brand they are bringing to it. Same goes for every other publisher.

Those are both irrelevant by the same standards God Eater is.

Well yes. I think that's why they didn't bother announcing a lot for the system.

Bandai Namco is not going to be the publisher to motivate people to buy a Switch.

They're just going to provide a constant drone of niche software once the platform gets going.

 

[cw_sasuke]

I don't really think I need to explain how stupid it is to say that if God Eater, a series which at its peak didn't even sell 700k, and has since declined to sub 500k, doesn't go on Switch and PS4, the market deserves to crash.

You are smarter than this.....unless you want me to believe that this is what you got from my post. If thats really the case - you just proved my point and people will miss the clear message just so they can bury you in this thread.

I dont wanna know where the console market would be if western publishers acted like the jpn ones - with playing hard to get and waiting 12-18 months before providing Fifa, CoD and Assasins Creed for new systems.

 

[duckroll]

How many brands in Japan are actually effective in motivating a significant audience to buy a new hardware?

Nintendo (Mario/Zelda/Smash/etc)?
Pokemon?
Monster Hunter?
Dragon Quest?
Final Fantasy?
Metal Gear Solid (RIP)?
Gran Turismo (Probably RIP)?

It'll be interesting to see if RDR2 benefits at all from GTAV's amazing performance in Japan.

Are Level-5's stupid franchises still powerhouses?

What am I missing?

 

[LordKano]

Yeah, Monster Hunter on Wii sure was a bad hit for the PSP version.

But I guess because a Nintendo received something it's nor the same.

I said one possible reason, not that it would make sense to skip the version solely because of that, no need to get on your nerves for that.

Right. I think this made a lot of sense when we were looking at two redundant devices like the 3DS and Vita.

People buying the game for PS4 in Japan though are likely either people who intended to play alone, people who intended to play online, or older people who were unlikely to drag around a handheld to meet up with their three other friends anyway.

I think it's also unclear how much you would even expect the PS4 version to sell in Japan compared to the handheld one. It would presumably be much more of an overseas play, similar to how other games might port to PC and/or Xbox for an overseas release.

I'm not saying it would sell 80K or something, but I could easily see a scenario where the former does 500K and the latter does 3 million, especially as the generation goes on.

So, a DQXI situation ?

 

[Nirolak]

You are smarter than this.....unless you want me to believe that this is what you got from my post. If thats really the case - you just proved my point and people will miss the clear message just so they can bury you in this thread.

I dont wanna know where the console market would be if western publishers acted like the jpn ones - with playing hard to get and waiting 12-18 months before providing Fifa, CoD and Assasins Creed for new systems.

How many brands in Japan are actually effective in motivating a significant audience to buy a new hardware?

Nintendo (Mario/Zelda/Smash/etc)?
Pokemon?
Monster Hunter?
Dragon Quest?
Final Fantasy?
Metal Gear Solid (RIP)?
Gran Turismo (Probably RIP)?

It'll be interesting to see if RDR2 benefits at all from GTAV's amazing performance in Japan.

Are Level-5's stupid franchises still powerhouses?

What am I missing?

I think the above two posts pretty much highlight why the Japanese dedicated device industry is in shambles.

 

[Lord_Byron28]

I honestly don't think a Switch/PS4 will hurt either side, it would give options for consumers and different styles of gameplay.

It would probably sell similarly to how the 3DS and Wii U release worked for MH3U.

PS4 users will favor online play and can play with Remote play on the go (in theory, RP is a bad argument and poor replacement to actual portability, but, anyway...). Beefier performance and bigger instal base in the west.

Switch will have local and online play, true portability, better performance compared to the 3DS and that base should transition easily to the switch.

I don't think dividing the base is that big of a problem with a franchise this popular. It should easily have a sizable player base in both systems since both have pros and few cons.

Of course, exclusives help sell systems. It is on the interest of Nintendo or Sont to have such a huge exclusive in their hands. It makes sense to nurture it and keep it happy. IMO, Nintendo should aim to keep the main line all for them, specially if they aim for the Switch to be THE system to have, since sharing their biggest third party exclusive looks weak. The PS4 is strong enough to be able to steal potential Switch purchases, all things considered, if MH5 were to release on both. Not thaaat many, but quite a few.

I'd say I think it'd probably make more sense for Capcom to do what they did with the Wii/PSP. Have the mainline numbered title release on PS4, while the MHortable series is revived on Switch. Both games use the same engine and are pretty similar in terms of areas, monsters, setting, etc. MH on PS4 is more western oriented while the Portable series appeals more to the traditional MH audience. Meanwhile they could also cross port their spinoff titles between the two.

Although I'd be curious if Capcom would really go for that. It was at the series height on PSP with over 5 million copies and releasing on Wii during its prime. After that experiment and the Wii U port they moved on from releasing on consoles as it wasn't worth it.

Man MC threads might not be for me anymore if arguing that pushing for PS4/Switch multi platform development will benefit the whole dedicated console market.

Some really ridiculous responses here. MH port begging arguments showing their negative long-term affects on some members.

I think to some extent it would be the best bet for the Japanese gaming industry. The last 2 generations the majority of titles were cross ported to both Xbox and Playstation while there were a good amount of 3rd party exclusives split between the three platform developers. I think it'd be important for Japanese 3rd parties that Switch and PS4 succeed. The most important factor being that it would be a big way to alleviate costs of development while also appealing to very different user bases. There could also be a healthy amount of 3rd party exclusives between the two as well. Personally speaking I think Monster Hunter should stay on one platform. If they were to do it, I'd prefer they revive the portable line and still give each 'exclusives'.

 

[Oregano]

How many brands in Japan are actually effective in motivating a significant audience to buy a new hardware?

Nintendo (Mario/Zelda/Smash/etc)?
Pokemon?
Monster Hunter?
Dragon Quest?
Final Fantasy?
Metal Gear Solid (RIP)?
Gran Turismo (Probably RIP)?

It'll be interesting to see if RDR2 benefits at all from GTAV's amazing performance in Japan.

Are Level-5's stupid franchises still powerhouses?

What am I missing?

Minecraft.

 

[BKK]

How many brands in Japan are actually effective in motivating a significant audience to buy a new hardware?

Nintendo (Mario/Zelda/Smash/etc)?
Pokemon?
Monster Hunter?
Dragon Quest?
Final Fantasy?
Metal Gear Solid (RIP)?
Gran Turismo (Probably RIP)?

It'll be interesting to see if RDR2 benefits at all from GTAV's amazing performance in Japan.

Are Level-5's stupid franchises still powerhouses?

What am I missing?

Right, Japanese AAA titles are declining all the time (you'd probably have RE on this list not so long ago), few are system sellers anymore. Maybe western ones. You mentioned GTA, probably CoD as well, but that's now declining everywhere too.

 

[duckroll]

Minecraft.

Is there any indication that Minecraft motivates people to buy new systems? My impression is that it's the opposite. People who game on any given system hear about the game from word of mouth and if it is available they grab it, which explains the low launch sales and long tail on the legs.

Right, Japanese AAA titles are declining all the time (you'd probably have RE on this list not so long ago), few are system sellers anymore. Maybe western ones. You mentioned GTA, probably CoD as well, but that's now declining everywhere too.

With regards to Japan CoD is nowhere near the level of GTA we're talking about. CoD is a 300-400k series at best, which is very good for a western FPS series. GTAV was a >800k powerhouse on PS3, and it is almost ~500k on the PS4 now.

 

[BKK]

Is there any indication that Minecraft motivates people to buy new systems? Maybe impression is that it's the opposite. People who game on any given system hear about the game from word of mouth and if it is available they grab it, which explains the low launch sales and long tail on the legs.

I think it helped Vita, but that was the only portable platform it was available on.

 

[Oregano]

Is there any indication that Minecraft motivates people to buy new systems? Maybe impression is that it's the opposite. People who game on any given system hear about the game from word of mouth and if it is available they grab it, which explains the low launch sales and long tail on the legs.

Well it definitely gave Vita life but I guess you mean new relative to the lifespan as a console and not new relative to what a consumer uses.

 

[Kanann]

So, a DQXI situation ?

3DS will eat the cake here.

 

[z0m3le]

5.) Capcom makes a statement to their investors that they're investigating releasing on home consoles to help capitalize on their growing Western success. They don't say they're dumping handhelds during this statement. They just say they're looking at releasing on consoles because they represent 90% of the Western dedicated device market, and thus they feel being handheld only is potentially holding their sales back. This statement lines up with the era when we're moving off the 3DS, meaning that any platform they target will require graphics that would be perfectly fine on a large television.

What?? there is over 50 million handheld dedicated devices sold outside of Japan this generation between 3DS (40 million+) and Vita (~10 million) PS4 and XB1 outside of japan is something like ~75 million?

Also with MH5 there is a rumor that it is going Sony exclusive, and that Switch/3DS would receive a portable version of the series instead of the mainline game, at least that was the rumor, so unless I'm remembering it wrong, that would be #7.

 

[BKK]

Is there any indication that Minecraft motivates people to buy new systems? Maybe impression is that it's the opposite. People who game on any given system hear about the game from word of mouth and if it is available they grab it, which explains the low launch sales and long tail on the legs.



With regards to Japan CoD is nowhere near the level of GTA we're talking about. CoD is a 300-400k series at best, which is very good for a western FPS series. GTAV was a >800k powerhouse on PS3, and it is almost ~500k on the PS4 now.

IIRC CoD4 was quite a bit higher than 300-400k, it's been in decline since then! Still, your point stands.

 

[1st Course]

I how Yoaki Watch have been completely ignored in this discussion.

lmao

 

[duckroll]

I how Yoaki Watch have been completely ignored in this discussion.

lmao

I didn't ignore it. I asked if it was still relevant. No one replied.

 

[jonno394]

I how Yoaki Watch have been completely ignored in this discussion.

lmao

Yokai Watch has followed the typical Level 5 path to irrelevance.

 

[Nirolak]

What?? there is over 50 million handheld dedicated devices sold outside of Japan this generation between 3DS (40 million+) and Vita (~10 million) PS4 and XB1 outside of japan is something like ~75 million?

Also with MH5 there is a rumor that it is going Sony exclusive, and that Switch/3DS would receive a portable version of the series instead of the mainline game, at least that was the rumor, so unless I'm remembering it wrong, that would be #7.

Software revenue, not hardware units.

 

[Chris1964]

Many different system sellers have appeared last years, some of them unexpected. Nothing indicates this won't repeat in the future, they don't have all to be part of established franchises.

New Leaf 3DS
Yo-kai Watch 3DS
Minecraft Vita
Splatoon Wii U

 

[Sandfox]

Those are both irrelevant by the same standards God Eater is.

By that logic they don't have any other relevant brands left on console besides DBZ.

 

[z0m3le]

Japan's big hardware movers are:

Pokemon
Animal Crossing
Monster Hunter
Dragon Quest
Yokai Watch
Splatoon
Other Nintendo franchises (MK, Mario, Smash)
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy
Resident Evil?

Probably even in that order, that should be the top 10 at least.

Software revenue, not hardware units.

Hmm that is unexpected honestly, even at the lower price point, I would have figured that those 50 million devices still sold more than 10% of the rest of the world's software yearly.

 

[BKK]

Handhelds have far lower software sales than home consoles. Japanese home console software sales are far lower than than western home console software sales (tie ratio).

 

[jonno394]

Hmm that is unexpected honestly, even at the lower price point, I would have figured that those 50 million devices still sold more than 10% of the rest of the world's software yearly.

With handheld games, only a handful sell in the multiple millions worldwide, let alone in the west, Pokemon being the biggest seller.

With consoles you have annual installments of CoD, FIFA, Madden which combined likely sell 40m+.then add in to that all the other AAA games or console exclusives that get released most years (Assassins Creed/Watchdogs etc)

 

[cw_sasuke]

I think the above two posts pretty much highlight why the Japanese dedicated device industry is in shambles.

Yet - thanks to the advances in multiplattform engines and the fact that Sony as well as Nintendo wont have mayor architecture changes in the next 5-10 years the market conditions to embrace two "mayor" players in the market with the same content havent been that good in along time.

I also agree with your point that the PS4/Switch multi games will happen more and more once we reach 2018 - but i wish the market would do more to embrace new systems faster, to strengthen the market.

Obv. if a game has been in development for 18 months already and is targeting the high specs of a PS4 or maybe even the Pro, as fast Switch adaptation isnt happening. But i doubt thats the case for most Japanese developed titles.

I think to some extent it would be the best bet for the Japanese gaming industry. The last 2 generations the majority of titles were cross ported to both Xbox and Playstation while there were a good amount of 3rd party exclusives split between the three platform developers. I think it'd be important for Japanese 3rd parties that Switch and PS4 succeed. The most important factor being that it would be a big way to alleviate costs of development while also appealing to very different user bases. There could also be a healthy amount of 3rd party exclusives between the two as well. Personally speaking I think Monster Hunter should stay on one platform. If they were to do it, I'd prefer they revive the portable line and still give each 'exclusives'.

Not saying that there isnt a place for exclusives - just feel that for most titles publishers are limiting their sales potential by not pursuing standard multiplattform development. This should really be the norm - if a new console title is announced the question shouldnt - be will i be able to play the game on my current relevant system...but where can i preorder it ?

 

[BKK]

Yet - thanks to the advances in multiplattform engines and the fact that Sony as well as Nintendo wont have mayor architecture changes in the next 5-10 years the market conditions to embrace two "mayor" players in the market with the same content havent been that good in along time.

I also agree with your point that the PS4/Switch multi games will happen more and more once we reach 2018 - but i wish the market would do more to embrace new systems faster, to strengthen the market.

Obv. if a game has been in development for 18 months already and is targeting the high specs of a PS4 or maybe even the Pro, as fast Switch adaptation isnt happening. But i doubt thats the case for most Japanese developed titles.

The "two major players" are PS4/PC for most third parties ... lead on PS4 (basically a PC), and it's easy to "port" a PC version. In comparison a Switch port is more effort for a platform which third parties aren't yet convinced has a big enough demographic to buy their games.

 

[cw_sasuke]

The "two major players" are PS4/PC for most third parties ... lead on PS4 (basically a PC), and it's easy to "port" a PC version. In comparison a Switch port is more effort for a platform which third parties aren't yet convinced has a big enough demographic to buy their games.

Well my case was about Japan and the console market. Switch/PS4 will be the only relevant players next year - the faster 3rds get with the program the better the outlook for the console market.

You dont really have to argue for or about PC or mobile at this point - these platforms are established for good...nothing is stopping those trains. If possible console games will be ported to PC and/or mobile. Those arent the markets in danger.

 

[Eolz]

It doesn't really matter what we think anyway. The point is what capcom thinks and they have hinted towards thinking the PS4 will help western sales. Hell they've basically just outright said it.

Not exactly no.

I don't think anyone thinks it would make it a mega success.

Basically the flow of events here has been:

1.) Monster Hunter started out as a relatively successful console series in Japan.

2.) Monster Hunter exploded on handhelds in Japan.

3.) Capcom kept the console games going for a while, but eventually ditched them in favor of just focusing on handhelds.

4.) Capcom started having some overseas success, with Monster Hunter 4 doing over a million copies in the West.

5.) Capcom makes a statement to their investors that they're investigating releasing on home consoles to help capitalize on their growing Western success. They don't say they're dumping handhelds during this statement. They just say they're looking at releasing on consoles because they represent 90% of the Western dedicated device market, and thus they feel being handheld only is potentially holding their sales back. This statement lines up with the era when we're moving off the 3DS, meaning that any platform they target will require graphics that would be perfectly fine on a large television.

6.) Lots of people get very upset about this. Some think this means they're going PS4 only, because clearly Capcom wants to lose their domestic audience. Some think it's some kind of trick answer to dupe their investors, because haha, they really mean the Switch, which is a handheld *and* a console, instead of talking about the two consoles that have a combined 70+ million unit install base overseas. Others suggest that maybe they intend to release on both to target the two difference audiences they appeal to. This is combined with a lot of tension about why there haven't been tons of Japanese game announcements for the Switch when Japanese publishers had pretty limited support announced for the previous four (somewhat) relevant hardware devices released in the region until at least 9-12 months after launch, and up to 18+ months for some devices. Capcom is mostly, but far from 100% predictable, so this is the current boiling point of tension for the greater question of Switch support. We also see this with "What version of Dragon Quest XI is the Switch getting?", and whatever else is today's game that was announced for platforms that aren't the Switch. There's similarly a lot of tension over the wind down of the Vita. Today's game was God Eater 3, which didn't get any platforms announced, but is getting a series of pre-reveal anxiety about what platforms it will be on on both the Vita wind-down and Switch wind-up fronts.

Great post!
For 3) and 4) I think it's important to remember that while Tri did well, it did not match their expectations considering the userbase, the platform popularity, and the big marketing help (thanks to Nintendo).
They still tried with 3U, and thought it performed well according to their financial statements, but we can see that Capcom really expects more than just doing well with those console versions. The ps2 versions didn't perform well in the west, but they also had different goals. And then there's also obviously P3rdHD's case...

I think it helped Vita, but that was the only portable platform it was available on.

I wonder how the ratio would have been if Minecraft (not a poor copy) had been available on 3DS too.

 

[BKK]

Well my case was about Japan and the console market. Switch/PS4 will be the only relevant players next year - the faster 3rds get with the program the better the outlook for the console market.

You dont really have to argue for or about PC or mobile at this point - these platforms are established for good...nothing is stopping those trains. If possible console games will be ported to PC and/or mobile. Those arent the markets in danger.

With regards to Japanese devs, I don't see them as treating PS4/PC as any different than how they treated PS3/X360. The PC version is essentially the same as the console version. There's little reason to treat PC as something different to consoles, apart from the region it sells better in (not much different than X360). Mobile generally is different (most games don't get multiplat console/mobile releases). I think that the Japanese market has declined so much now that outside of the AAA titles then most publishers have to take into account overseas sales. Japanese sales on Steam ... when deciding on platforms, publishers will be asking if they can match those.

 

[Fdkn]

Wow! Three new releases for PS4 in one week! We should expect a big boost above the baseline for PS4 next week!

I see what you did there ;>

 

[BKK]

Not exactly no.
I wonder how the ratio would have been if Minecraft (not a poor copy) had been available on 3DS too.

Probably how Duckroll described it!

 

[Eolz]

Probably how Duckroll described it!

The post about low launch sales and long legs? That's not what I'm talking about, but possible 3DS vs Vita minecraft sales.
Unless I missed a post (thread is moving fast).

 

[SalvaPot]

I'd say I think it'd probably make more sense for Capcom to do what they did with the Wii/PSP. Have the mainline numbered title release on PS4, while the MHortable series is revived on Switch. Both games use the same engine and are pretty similar in terms of areas, monsters, setting, etc. MH on PS4 is more western oriented while the Portable series appeals more to the traditional MH audience. Meanwhile they could also cross port their spinoff titles between the two.

Although I'd be curious if Capcom would really go for that. It was at the series height on PSP with over 5 million copies and releasing on Wii during its prime. After that experiment and the Wii U port they moved on from releasing on consoles as it wasn't worth it.



I think to some extent it would be the best bet for the Japanese gaming industry. The last 2 generations the majority of titles were cross ported to both Xbox and Playstation while there were a good amount of 3rd party exclusives split between the three platform developers. I think it'd be important for Japanese 3rd parties that Switch and PS4 succeed. The most important factor being that it would be a big way to alleviate costs of development while also appealing to very different user bases. There could also be a healthy amount of 3rd party exclusives between the two as well. Personally speaking I think Monster Hunter should stay on one platform. If they were to do it, I'd prefer they revive the portable line and still give each 'exclusives'.

Its possible, but I think the most likely course of action for Capcom is developing it for Switch and upscalling it for PS4. Probably releasing it in that order, too.

I don't see Capcom investing in a fullfleshed HD holy shit next gen MH just yet.

 

[Oregano]

With regards to Japanese devs, I don't see them as treating PS4/PC as any different than how they treated PS3/X360. The PC version is essentially the same as the console version. There's little reason to treat PC as something different to consoles, apart from the region it sells better in (not much different than X360). Mobile generally is different (most games don't get multiplat console/mobile releases). I think that the Japanese market has declined so much now that outside of the AAA titles then most publishers have to take into account overseas sales. Japanese sales on Steam ... when deciding on platforms, publishers will be asking if they can match those.

A lot of that decline is a self fulfilling prophecy though. This conversation was spring boarded from God Eater which saw a decline when transitioning from PSP to Vita and will see the same when going from Vita to PS4. But is that really a surprise?

Are those 140k sales for God Eater(which includes both games and a lot were probably at a lower price point) really changing the sales outlook enough to disregard another piece of hardware in the games strongest market?

It's absolutely fair to say that Japanese publishers have been slow to adopt new platforms but I would also say that they have been shockingly inept at course correction when they've started going down the wrong path. Edit: That doesn't just apply to platform choice either but game conception/release strategy. Eg Monster Hunter XX.

 

[BKK]

The post about low launch sales and long legs? That's not what I'm talking about, but possible 3DS vs Vita minecraft sales.
Unless I missed a post (thread is moving fast).

I meant that people would have bought it on the platform that they owned (3DS). I generally agree with Duckroll on that (people buy minecraft on the platform that they own), but Vita was different, as it wasn't available on 3DS then I'm sure that lots of kids bought a Vita to play it like their friends.

 

[Orgen]

I was pretty surprised to see the MC thread blow up with more than 100 new posts since yesterday... just to see it was MH all over again :|

How many brands in Japan are actually effective in motivating a significant audience to buy a new hardware?

Nintendo (Mario/Zelda/Smash/etc)?
Pokemon?
Monster Hunter?
Dragon Quest?
Final Fantasy?
Metal Gear Solid (RIP)?
Gran Turismo (Probably RIP)?

It'll be interesting to see if RDR2 benefits at all from GTAV's amazing performance in Japan.

Are Level-5's stupid franchises still powerhouses?

What am I missing?

I'm pretty sure that 200.000 Tales fans always buy whatever system mainline Tales launch (even if it's something like the X360). But if you have audience overlap then it's not so obvious in the weekly HW sales when these Tales games launch.

 

[LordKano]

By that logic they don't have any other relevant brands left on console besides DBZ.

...Now that you say it, what are Bandai Namco relevant brands nowadays ? DBZ is a multi-million seller, there's Tekken too. Souls are supposed to be dead now.

 

[casiopao]

How many brands in Japan are actually effective in motivating a significant audience to buy a new hardware?

Nintendo (Mario/Zelda/Smash/etc)?
Pokemon?
Monster Hunter?
Dragon Quest?
Final Fantasy?
Metal Gear Solid (RIP)?
Gran Turismo (Probably RIP)?

It'll be interesting to see if RDR2 benefits at all from GTAV's amazing performance in Japan.

Are Level-5's stupid franchises still powerhouses?

What am I missing?

Lol. Snack World is going to do gang busters to make you remember the masterpiece called Gundam Age bruh.

 

[Principate]

Is there any indication that Minecraft motivates people to buy new systems? My impression is that it's the opposite. People who game on any given system hear about the game from word of mouth and if it is available they grab it, which explains the low launch sales and long tail on the legs.



With regards to Japan CoD is nowhere near the level of GTA we're talking about. CoD is a 300-400k series at best, which is very good for a western FPS series. GTAV was a >800k powerhouse on PS3, and it is almost ~500k on the PS4 now.

Pretty sure minecraft played a huge motivator in sales of the vita during the holidays. It is also the only game to reach a million on the system. As far as an inividual game goes it was the vita's primary system seller.

 

[Oregano]

...Now that you say it, what are Bandai Namco relevant brands nowadays ? DBZ is a multi-million seller, there's Tekken too. Souls are supposed to be dead now.

Souls ain't dead/over. Not a chance.

Also Naruto does pretty well IIRC. Bandai Namco is a weird example though because they are the biggest third party in Japan based on their strategy of a lot of small/mid sized games, not big games.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

DBZ - 3-4 million
Naruto - 2-3 million
Tekken - 3-4 million (according to Tekken 6)
Tales - 1 million+

I mean, I agree it could be a success... Obviously a game that exists on a platform has a better chance for success than one that doesn't. I'm just wondering if there's any reason to think MH for PS4 would actually be some mega-hit in Western markets.

I reckon Capcom sees it could be a Souls level success in foreign markets: topping at 3 million.

MH have been on a slow downward spiral in Japan for a while though. The peak of the series (portable 3rd) was ~7 years ago.

Even with the surge in Western sales, P3rd is still the best selling game last time I checked.

 

[BKK]

A lot of that decline is a self fulfilling prophecy though.

Maybe, but that's how most financial markets work. Fundamentals Vs Sentiment. If the market is solid enough then the fundamentals will win out in the end, if the market is weak then sentiment can crash it. Basically, the prophecy wouldn't self-fulfill if the market was strong enough.

 

[1st Course]

Yeah Namco doesn't have many mega hits but they actually sell shit ton of software (overall)

 

[Principate]

I reckon Capcom sees it could be a Souls level success in foreign markets: topping at 3 million.



Even with the surge in Western sales, P3rd is still the best selling game last time I checked.

That would still put at selling less than the average MH game on the 3DS and that's the best case scenario.