360 casual EA sports titles now outselling PS3+PS2 versions combined

[Rangers]

I think this is pretty remarkable and has gone unnoticed.

MS already bragged about this being the case with Madden 08 and it also appears to be true with the newly released Tiger Woods 08 if you believe Vgchartz numbers.

It happened with NCAA 08 in July by a better source, NPD according to that, 360 NCAA 08=397k, PS3 version=156k, PS2 version=236k. PS3+PS2=392k.

Does it herald 360 as the new casual platform of choice taking the crown from PS2? Or...not? What of the Wii in all this? While according to Vgchartz, Tiger Woods 08 sold a decent 78k on Wii (versus 127k on 360) while the PS3 and PS2 combined did some 88k. Madden on Wii, seems to sell very little, under 100,000 according to Vgchartz (versus some 1.1 million+ in the same frame for 360 version). You can see Tiger being a good Wii seller because of the golf swing. Does it matter?

Here is a couple sources to look at for some of the numbers

NPD July with top ten software sales

Vgchartz weekly, take with a grain of salt

 

[archangelmorph]

I think this is pretty remarkable and has gone unnoticed.

MS already bragged about this being the case with Madden 08 and it also appears to be true with the newly released Tiger Woods 08 if you believe Vgchartz numbers.

It happened with NCAA 08 in July by a better source, NPD according to that, 360 NCAA 08=397k, PS3 version=156k, PS2 version=236k. PS3+PS2=392k.

Does it herald 360 as the new casual platform of choice taking the crown from PS2? Or...not? What of the Wii in all this? While according to Vgchartz, Tiger Woods 08 sold a decent 78k on Wii (versus 127k on 360) while the PS3 and PS2 combined did some 88k. Madden on Wii, seems to sell very little, under 100,000 according to Vgchartz (versus some 1.1 million+ in the same frame for 360 version). You can see Tiger being a good Wii seller because of the golf swing. Does it matter?

Here is a couple sources to look at for some of the numbers

NPD July with top ten software sales

Vgchartz weekly, take with a grain of salt

Since when have sports games been branded as "casual"?

In any case I think it's pretty obvious that Xbox360 largely appeals to american white males (between 16-30) than anyone else.. So is it really a suprise to see the platform sell alot more sports games (I don't know how many girls are even into sports, let alone sports games..) than one with a significantly smaller install base & another thats on it's way out..?

I wouldn't put too much thought into this to be honest..

 

[Rangers]

Well..EA sports games, particularly Madden, were the epitome of casual, mainstream gaming before the Wii.

 

[DJ12]

In America maybe, basically a third of gamers worldwide.

Hardly enough to make a general statement like that.

Perhaps a bigger indicator will be when FIFA is released as that will be of interest to the other 2 thirds.

 

[Rangers]

In America maybe, basically a third of gamers worldwide.

Hardly enough to make a general statement like that.

Perhaps a bigger indicator will be when FIFA is released as that will be of interest to the other 2 thirds.

True enough, but I think if the 360 is to be a console that wins the west (NA+Europe), as it clearly cannot win the east, North American developers will be the bedrock of that. And there's no bigger NA developer than EA.

 

[archangelmorph]

Well..EA sports games, particularly Madden, were the epitome of casual, mainstream gaming before the Wii.

How can you put "casual" & mainstream in the same sentence..?

Seriously this industry gets more and more confused with it's terminology semantics..

One minute "casual" is refering to "girls and grandpas" & then next minute its "mainstream"..!?

I think someone should pick one definition and stick to it god'dammit!

 

[Rangers]

Umm casual and mainstream are pretty close to together.

Not like you made a big fuss out of two diametrically opposed words.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Umm casual and mainstream are pretty close to together.

Not like you made a big fuss out of two diametrically opposed words.

Are they close together?

Personally, I dismiss the entire "casual" and "hardcore" moniker, because they are completely subjective.

The important thing to note is not whether 360 is attracking "casuals," but that it may be becoming the standard platform for sports gamers, which is a huge market.

 

[archangelmorph]

Umm casual and mainstream are pretty close to together.

Not like you made a big fuss out of two diametrically opposed words.

Well i guess it depends on your own definitions..

If

Hardcore -> B3D, FPS, GeOW, Halo, M+K/B, 8800GTX, Bioshock

&

Mainstream -> FFXIII, MGS3, DMC, IGN, NFS, GT4, Dead Rising, Metroid Prime, EA Sports, WOW

then

Casual -> Wii sports, Nintendogs, Brain Training, Uno, Solitaire, Zuma, MSN Games

But then again i'm sure many wouldn't agree with these definitions..

[*sigh* the fight for jargon standardisation continues..]

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Seriously this industry gets more and more confused with it's terminology semantics.

Ain't that the truth! Perhaps B3D does need an official glossary?!

 

[fearsomepirate]

Hardcore gamer = A gaming hobbyist (a term that I think is better than "hardcore gamer"). Plays: Almost everything. Doesn't play: Nickelodeon titles.
Mainstream gamer = A gamer that pretty mainly plays heavily marketed or major franchise games. Plays: EA Sports, Zelda, Tekken, Mario Party, Dragon Quest. Doesn't play: ICO, Viewtiful Joe, Okami, Deus Ex.
Casual gamer = A gamer that doesn't play games very often, own many games, or spend much time gaming alone. Plays: Wii Sports, kid games, party games, puzzle games, board games, low-pressure sim games. Doesn't play: Almost anything else.

The actual software interests of these groups will obviously overlap.

 

[archangelmorph]

Hardcore gamer = A gaming hobbyist (a term that I think is better than "hardcore gamer").
Mainstream gamer = A gamer that pretty much only plays major franchise (& licensed IP) games.
Casual gamer = A gamer that doesn't play games very often, own many games, or spend much time gaming alone.

The actual software interests of these groups will overlap. ,

fixed..

PS:-

I like your definitions better..

 

[Shifty Geezer]

What about someone who games for a hobby on less mainstream titles (Okami, ICO, Karushi Final), but only does so occasionally, versus someone who plays games every night and has to own every console? I'd call the latter hardcore. The former I'd consider mainstream, whether they buy major franchises or not. Myself, I rarely buy titles and tend to pick up less popular titles, but I'm definitely not a casual in the sense of 'granny and little Jenny who only played Tetris and Hearts before Wii came along'. They're a different breed to me who need a different term to cover them.

 

[RancidLunchmeat]

Myself, I rarely buy titles and tend to pick up less popular titles, but I'm definitely not a casual in the sense of 'granny and little Jenny who only played Tetris and Hearts before Wii came along'. They're a different breed to me who need a different term to cover them.

Why do they need a different term? The subgroup you're describing is likely to be so small they are irrelevant for any sort of generalized discussion.

There's always exceptions but there's not much need to identify and label each one.

 

[Scott_Arm]

Why do they need a different term? The subgroup you're describing is likely to be so small they are irrelevant for any sort of generalized discussion.

There's always exceptions but there's not much need to identify and label each one.

We have to label everything. How else are we going to poke fun at Shifty?

Someone needs to start a flow chart of gaming behaviours that can be used to determine which sub-culture of gamers people belong to.

 

[archangelmorph]

Why do they need a different term? The subgroup you're describing is likely to be so small they are irrelevant for any sort of generalized discussion.

There's always exceptions but there's not much need to identify and label each one.

So then given the amount of time I spend playing games nowadays, I probably don't even qualify as a casual gamer..

 

[liolio]

I think this is pretty remarkable and has gone unnoticed.

It's not that remarkable PS2 is notorious for piracy issues ...
to say the least.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Why do they need a different term? The subgroup you're describing is likely to be so small they are irrelevant for any sort of generalized discussion.

That's only one subgroup (me!). The way I see it, there are perhaps these tiers...

1) Multiformat, spends a lot on gaming
2) Single format, buys a lot of games
3) Single format, doesn't buy many games

Then you'll also have usage patterns like...

1) Plays 3 hours gaming every night, and large amounts of weekends
2) Plays a couple of hours a few night a week
3) Plays every once in a while when they have time
4) Buys games rarely but plays them constantly for a period

And also social patterns like...

1) Plays solo, not involving anyone else
2) Plays online, with and against other folk
3) Plays sociably online, partaking in more communication and friendship as much as playing games
4) Plays sociably offline, only using their console as a group entertainment

These are all relevant factors when talking about the market, depending on what you're talking about. The term 'casual' could mean sociable gaming in one context, and occasional gaming in another. 'Hardcore' might mean multiformat owning, or someone who spends 3 hours a night every night for a couple of months. There'll be hardcore gamers who'll play anything on a console, and others who won't touch anything that's not a graphical tour de force or has a 90+MAS .

I don't think a flow-chart would cut it. We'd probably be better off with a Venn or Carroll diagram. Perhaps something in three or four dimensions

 

[archangelmorph]

I don't think a flow-chart would cut it. We'd probably be better off with a Venn or Carroll diagram. Perhaps something in three or four dimensions

Ah Kuturagi's famed "4D"!



No but seriously, I think there's still room for alot of overlapp across many of these such classifications..

 

[Cryect]

BTW if you are interested in the various subgroups of gamers, Gamespot has a good writeup of a NPD Report.

NPD basically breaks up gamers into 6 groups

In the report, NPD divided gamers into six different segments. Some 33 percent of US gamers are "Avid PC Gamers," who play an average 13.6 hours per week primarily on a PC or Macintosh. NPD found that members of the group were relatively thrifty, buying an average of 1.4 titles per quarter.

...
The biggest group of non-PC gamers is "Avid Console Gamers," who make up 20 percent of the US gaming population. They play around 10.7 hours per week on at least one console, owning an average of 1.6 consoles and 0.8 portables.

Avid Console Gamers buy an average of 1.9 games per quarter, just below the two games bought each quarter by the next-largest group, "Mass Market Gamers." Mass Market Gamers comprise just 15 percent of the US gaming public, and play an average of 8.9 hours each week, mainly on the PS2 and PC. Oddly, the section boasts a higher average console ownership, 1.8 consoles, than Avid Console Gamers.
...

Last but not least, the smallest section is the most hardcore of all. Although they make up just 2 percent of the gaming public, "Heavy Gamers" own an average of 2.8 consoles and 1.9 portables. They play a whopping 39.3 hours a week, mainly on the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, and buy a budget-busting average of 13.1 games every quarter--or roughly 4.5 games each month.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6173525.html