July could be a good month as well, due to Theatrhythm and especially KH.
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NPD May 2012 Sales Results [Up4: Max Payne 3, Dragon's Dogma, Ghost Recon]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
July could be a good month as well, due to Theatrhythm and especially KH.
StoppedInTracks
Member
DD is a nuclear bomb :'( while Diablo 3 did over 1M, nice 
Just to be clear, I don't either. I agree with the reason you gave and that their financials just couldn't support a console. I just think the hardware would have become a problem if SEGA were able to sustain the console for longer.
One of the biggest things was no EA games.
The fact they declined to have games on the system pretty much signed the Dreamcasts death warrant.
Despite it having awesome games, No EA and Sonys "Wait for PS2" propaganda was too much.
That means 3 million shipped. Didn't even sell half of that worldwide as it seems.
A fifa would of helped and even though the NBA and NFL 2k series was dope they could of done with a madden.
shinra-bansho
Member
I don't think it's quite that simple, PS3 and 360 sales are still down significantly Y/Y this month. There's a degree of generational fatigue setting in for the HD consoles, particularly while they still remain at relatively high price points. But overally, the drop does seem to be mainly Wii-driven.
Question is how much of Wii sales driving off a cliff are to do with the impending release of the WiiU (generational fatigue) and how much is to do with the target demographic migrating to new shiny iDevices and Facebook games, as some analysts have suggested. Are the people who drove Wii sales waiting in anticipation for WiiU? My money is on: no.
Don't ask him about the software sales.
It needs more (and better) marketing rather than games.
I can't speak for the US but in the UK the 3DS advertising has been a fraction of what the DS had. They also need to freshen their marketing as they are essentially using the same template as they did for the DS (only with lesser celebrities..or none at all)..and that style of ad is very stale now.
They should do a big budget ad for Mario Kart 7 and keep pushing it worldwide on a daily basis...as well as doing a bigger push for what is bundled with the system. You couldn't avoid ads for the Wii and DS a few years ago..sometimes it seemed liked we see 2 or 3 ads every single ad break.
Pachterballs
Banned
The months number could be skewed by DIABLO3; what with everyone and their donkey playing it. I wonder what the difference btw the top 2-10. Without numbers, they could be close or really far apart? There's no metric here to judge if DD bombed.
92k? Holyshit. DD bombed. Lets hope its got legs...
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-14-us-chart-diablo-3-pips-max-payne-3-to-may-crown
92k? Holyshit. DD bombed. Lets hope its got legs...
shinra-bansho
Member
On software sales though: at this point in the console lifecycle all three systems have reasonably large catalogues of games. If there's a reduction in software sales (both units and dollar value) - is that more a reflection in decline in new release sales?
Software tie ratio for the systems don't appear to be decreasing so presumably software is still being moved.
Err...why not both? Of course they need to step up (again) in marketing, but they need games too. Games are coming, now let's see the marketing.
No Online = No Legs.
Shame, since it actually looks like a pretty fun game. Next time Capcom, just give us Monster Hunter.
The top selling console game this month sold less than half a million. Every other game sold less. There's no way to spin something positive.
If you sell no hardware and no software the tie ratio doesn't decrease either. Also the overall percentage of a month decreases with the lifetime, so a change in tie ratio will only be seen very slowly. So tie ratio doesn't look like good indicator especially that late in the circle.
Well Nintendo didnt have much choice.
Either they use Pikmin3 and NSMB for the Wii or WiiU.
Who really failed are third parties.
Nintendo left them with a huge install base and no competition.
It would be interesting if Microsoft's big announcement this coming Monday were the announcement of their new console. That and/or a price drop could be interesting. I know it's a long shot, but it would be a major move.
Clever strategies indeed, think about it. MS had to have an idea of what the numbers were going to look like, so, wait until E3 and see what cards are being held by the competition then, a week or so later, have your own major event-all to yourself mind you-and unleash the beast. If not then...
Clever strategies indeed, think about it. MS had to have an idea of what the numbers were going to look like, so, wait until E3 and see what cards are being held by the competition then, a week or so later, have your own major event-all to yourself mind you-and unleash the beast. If not then...
Being out of GamesCon and TGS could be them just saving money to do their own event. I think the 18th is their planned event for something. Without knowing the price or even launch date of the Wii-U, it might be a bit premature for MS to announce something. Maybe just a hint of the future might be enough.
Pretty much everyone is saying the event is about tablets
Unless it a super budget one so they can push another device along with SmartGlass, I cannot see it making a dent in the current market.
That could be the case, but introducing a tablet vs. a price cut and a sneak peek at their next console would mean far more to not only gamers, but developers as well. I read what you're saying though; I guess I'm hoping against hope.
grimshawish
Banned
Agree with this post. Theres just not much advertising whatsoever.
I have a theory that this is Nintendo holding out for the Yen to be more favourable to them; at which point they'll increase the marketing in Europe/US and push the library already out there.
No point in rushing, especially if your not in your best financial position.
Nintendo should however look at this years John Lewis ad and do a big thing about Nintendo consoles over the years and family and how WiiU/3DS is just the next part of this. As oppose to as you say - their celeb stuff.
I also think a key thing for Nintendo is to increase the variety on e-shop; it'll allow them to have similar releases to the DS - but devs not having to compete with the full 3D AAA games. Plus for many devs now, the only thing their comfortable with is online selling.
Skyrim is from a parallel reality then?
MightyHedgehog
Member
I would normally spend a sentence or two commenting on the terrible numbers, but all I gotta say is, 'What numbers?' Damn NPD is pretty much near worthless to us on the message boards, now.
It's disappointing to see no major changes to this current generation announced or even hinted at during E3. It would be essentially addressing the current economic weakness of retail across the developed nations in which these corporations sell these platforms as well as testing the waters of more flexible royalties and pricing at retail and at DD in response to the larger changes everyone, without fail, will reflect in their not-so-distant future platforms. Oh well. These lemmings only go one way, I guess.
It's disappointing to see no major changes to this current generation announced or even hinted at during E3. It would be essentially addressing the current economic weakness of retail across the developed nations in which these corporations sell these platforms as well as testing the waters of more flexible royalties and pricing at retail and at DD in response to the larger changes everyone, without fail, will reflect in their not-so-distant future platforms. Oh well. These lemmings only go one way, I guess.
grimshawish
Banned
Sorry...are you claiming that new gen would somehow revive the retail sector?
Really have no idea what the rest of your post says at all...hm...
So, eh?
MightyHedgehog
Member
No, I'm claiming that the platform holders could take steps to reinvent the current gen for the current economic situation a lot better than they are. How is the current console business even remotely a survivable one for anyone but the top three publishers? Why would anyone release big titles that aren't slated for the fourth quarter going forward? Everyone is losing their shirt and we've got a ways to go to get to next-gen.
michaelius
Banned
I don't know why people are suprised by bad 3DS sales - it has absolute zero attractiveness for broad market.
The last year spike in sales were just from same crowd who stayed with Nintendo during gamecube era but couldn't accept $250 price tag and no worthwille 1st party games on launch.
Next spikes will come after they release another mario, smash and real 3ds pokemon but that's it.
The last year spike in sales were just from same crowd who stayed with Nintendo during gamecube era but couldn't accept $250 price tag and no worthwille 1st party games on launch.
Next spikes will come after they release another mario, smash and real 3ds pokemon but that's it.
Yeah, in fact Mario Kart in GameCube era was always a million seller in the first month phenomenon. Just like a 3D Mario doing 2 millions in just 6 months
i dont think it matters. If they come into the tablet market and do not undercut the Ipad then Windows 8 tablets will stay on shelves.
Jaguar's issue was lack of games... long dry spells in game releases.
And the games it did get were largely unknown franchises.
No major mainline sports titles whatsoever.
Which meant its marketing could only focus on how powerful it was
and not how good the games were.
However, its hardware was complicated and many developers took shortcuts where they
developed games from the weaker Motorola 68000 coprocessor rather than using Tom and Jerry.
I do think that next gen we are going to see less people own so many consoles.
Which of course means less sales overall for everyone. WiiU might be the weaker console next gen on paper, but, because its the first, it might gain a significant lead.
Frankfurter
Member
I'd actually say that 3DS' sales are surprisingly solid. The system needs new software ASAP.
Skyrim was a good game based upon a popular franchise. Saying DD was anywhere near Skyrim is pretty laughable.
True but I would rather they put all that cash into next-gen and not spreading into the Tablet market.
What do you mean they had no choice? Are they some magical entity incapable of developing more than two fucking games at once for different consoles? They are one of the biggest developers on Earth. If they cannot stand to support their platforms, they need to SPEND MONEY and expand teams and build larger development communities.
But, I forgot, this is Nintendo, and Nintendo is content to house their money in a vault and glare at it wistfully instead of spending it to actually make more ambitious games or create new hardcore IPs or a competitive online platform or genuinely next-gen HD visuals or more than five total games at a time, apparently, or...
...what exactly do you think Nintendo is responsible for again? It's third parties fault the Wii has nothing, not Nintendo's fault for making a hilariously shitty system that cannot compete with PS360 in any regard that makes porting games pointless. It's a dumb business model, they did it to themselves.
The argument was it could not do well because it did not have online
A new IP has to do something to appeal to a wider audience. All they did is take Monster Hunter and strip out the thing that actually makes it fun and keeps people playing. Does a game need MP to sell well? Nope but I am sure the sales would be better and people would play it longer if there was something more to do in the game. Part of the reason I did not buy it because if the lack of co-op. I will wait for DD2 if it ever comes.
Instead of ports I see Nintendo did hope for 3rd parties to make unique content for the Wii. Developing for Wii is much cheaper than for HD consoles, and the install base was definitely there but the 3rd party efforts were lacking.
So I wouldn't call this business model single sidedly dumb because it definitely wasn't.
Quicksilver4648
Member
All I know is that this NPD was very poor and the industry better hope that it is simply because May was a slow month. If sales of consoles and hardware are this bad throughout the rest of the year (at least through October) then we could very well be seeing console price drops early.
Alcibiades
Member
http://www.forbes.com/sites/benzing...-decline-after-lackluster-wii-u-presentation/
Yeah, so quite a few problems here. Yes, Nintendo screwed up and is having PR issues. Further, it is possible that things are going to turn sour for the Wii U very fast.
But, this article is full of hyperbole and sounds like it was written by a one of those players that considers gore and violence "mature." How exactly did Nintendo work to destroy the console business? The author implies that because Nintendo went after an expanded audience and won't be able to this time around, they are somehow responsible for trying to destroy the console business. Huh? Isn't it too early to say Nintendo won't reach this audience?
Also, Capcom had already decided to port Resident Evil 4 before it was released on Gamecube. That aside, didn't the Gamecube have a ton of AAA games (long before RE4)? Seems like having AAA titles alone didn't help the GCN yet the author implies that this is the issue the Wii U is facing. He implies it'll be years before they arrive but the system isn't even out and Nintendo hasn't formally announced 2013 titles anyway.
It is true that Wii U is going to have trouble matching the Wii and DS, but really that is true for any console because selling at record levels (to the point of hardware shortages) for 3 full years was unexpected everyone kept saying it was a fad to die off but never really didn't sputter until the last year or so, after getting near abandoned by Nintendo and the rest of the industry.
Isn't Forbes supposed to be a credible media organization? This sounds like it was written by a bitter fanboy.
Yeah, so quite a few problems here. Yes, Nintendo screwed up and is having PR issues. Further, it is possible that things are going to turn sour for the Wii U very fast.
But, this article is full of hyperbole and sounds like it was written by a one of those players that considers gore and violence "mature." How exactly did Nintendo work to destroy the console business? The author implies that because Nintendo went after an expanded audience and won't be able to this time around, they are somehow responsible for trying to destroy the console business. Huh? Isn't it too early to say Nintendo won't reach this audience?
Also, Capcom had already decided to port Resident Evil 4 before it was released on Gamecube. That aside, didn't the Gamecube have a ton of AAA games (long before RE4)? Seems like having AAA titles alone didn't help the GCN yet the author implies that this is the issue the Wii U is facing. He implies it'll be years before they arrive but the system isn't even out and Nintendo hasn't formally announced 2013 titles anyway.
It is true that Wii U is going to have trouble matching the Wii and DS, but really that is true for any console because selling at record levels (to the point of hardware shortages) for 3 full years was unexpected everyone kept saying it was a fad to die off but never really didn't sputter until the last year or so, after getting near abandoned by Nintendo and the rest of the industry.
Isn't Forbes supposed to be a credible media organization? This sounds like it was written by a bitter fanboy.
Nintendo has been doing what they always have been doing, and that is making affordable consoles for mainstream markets. Early this gen, it was impossible to make an affordable HD focused console. Many of you chide Nintendo for not matching Sony and MS in making a powerful console, yet you state you dont want to pay more than $300 for it.
At any rate, next gen you will probably only have two consoles if Sony stays in business. MS is making a mediabox.
Alcibiades
Member
The DS and Wii were really the first consoles to go after the non-gamer crowds with such focus. The N64 and even the GCN were definitely marketed towards regular gamers, though the "affordable" part is debatable. Cartridges were ridiculously expensive (though I don't blame them for the decision, since short loading times was one of the most underated features of the N64 and GCN) and probably hurt their ability to market to budget-wary families.
GCN wasn't really budget friendly (compared to PS2) except for a few months, after which they were only $50 cheaper. That price point didn't really contribute much it seems since they ended up in 3rd place.
I agree that the Wii definitely set itself apart with MSRP price point and featureset (though considering they were going for $500 for the first few months I'm not sure the price mattered that much either). We'll see whether the Wii U is going to do the same. We have no idea what Nintendo is aiming for and whether Microsoft and Sony will fall in the same range.
Opus Angelorum
Member
Yeah it reads like PR for November 2012.
There was a recent article stating MS is charging the OEMs 90 bucks for the OS on tablets and that the entry level tablets will be starting at 599.99. So it's a pretty safe bet to assume it's going to bomba. No app ecosystem and MORE money? Not a winning combo.
Nemesis121
Member
Holyshit a PC game number 1....
And not to mention a lot expect a iPad mini later this year before Christmas in the $250 range. I can't even imagine how massive the sales around Christmas would be for that.
fizzelopeguss
Banned
wow, diablo truly is enormous.
The only way I could agree with the article is that, the Wii was such a huge success, I can't imagine the same happen with the Wii U again. In that I think next generation will sell noticably less than the current. That's the only way I can spin this so that in the end, the Wii's success is responsible if next gen sells less than the current.