Famitsu Sales (VF Nº1)

[Bobbler]

The Japanese are arcade nuts, atleast that's what I hear, and I was under the impression that VF5 was PS3 exclusive in Japan only since there's no mention of a 360 version on their Japanese site, but both versions are stated on the English site . I could be reading too much into it tho.

o.o they have the Xbox live logo on the US site too. Us PS3 users are gonna get shafted again if it's online for the 360.

Japan does still have a thriving arcade business, but from the last numbers I saw (a couple months ago on Gaf), VF5 isn't doing that great in the arcades yet, at least not as well as it could (still not that big, behind Tekken 5: DR). I heard the leasing program to get a VF5 unit is pretty ridiculous too, making uptake a bit slower (arcades can't buy the units, have to lease them or something silly like that). That may explain somewhat why VF5 isn't doing as well as some had hoped as it just isn't cemented in the arcade goers minds quite yet.

Online play is not going to happen, the logo is probably just there because it has to be live aware (achievements and other garbage).

 

[Todd33]

Unfortunatly PS3 sales aren't supporting that assertion.

Live logo has never meant online play, it just means it has some sort of online component. It could be content or leaderboards.

I was under the impression that these twitch fighters don't work well online. An extra 50ms here and here would just ruin the game if your timing has to be split second (~200ms).

It seems online play is just a check box for marketing now adays. What percentage of people play games online? 5%? It seems almost every 360 game has online play, but only 2-3 actually have players online. Right now it's RSV, GoW and LP, but does anyone play The Outfit or even GRAW online anymore? Online games are always flavor of the month, but single player and splitscreen can be enjoyed in years after release. What I'd like in every game is online co-op.

 

[DeadlyNinja]

Oh, one more thing I forgot to add to the Saturn/PS3 comparison. The PS3 is sold for 425 buck in Japan, unlike the rest of the world. So the system is selling at roughly 25 dollars more than the original Sega Saturn when it was first launched.

 

[TheChefO]

Oh, one more thing I forgot to add to the Saturn/PS3 comparison. The PS3 is sold for 425 buck in Japan, unlike the rest of the world. So the system is selling at roughly 25 dollars more than the original Sega Saturn when it was first launched.

Thank you for that insightful observation DeadlyNinja.:smile:

I too am quite perplexed at Japanese uptake of the ps3 given it's price point and handful of games not unlike the library ps2 had when it launched with a price not too off from ps2's either. Yet for some reason the sales don't seem to match.

I think Nintendo is stealing their lunch!

 

[Arwin]

Oh, one more thing I forgot to add to the Saturn/PS3 comparison. The PS3 is sold for 425 buck in Japan, unlike the rest of the world. So the system is selling at roughly 25 dollars more than the original Sega Saturn when it was first launched.

Even so, the 20gb version isn't selling nearly as well as the 60gb version, as far as I understand. I'm not sure why (WiFi maybe essential in Japan?), but that makes the 20gb less of a factor, oddly enough. But true, at least if someone just wanted a VF machine, then the 20gb version would suffice.

 

[Capeta]

I guess I should be more clear, you missed my point completly or are just trolling.

Assertion:
1. PS2 owners are playing their PS2 games (yes they still make them!). FF12, GoW2 soon.
2. Favorite franchises are still under development for the PS3; VF5 is the first?
3. After enough next gen favorites appear, PS2 owners pull the trigger. F1, FF13, MGS4,Tekken 5, etc.

So explain how may assertion is wrong, can you see into the future?

Bottom line is VF5 aren't moving PS3s...you could try to rationalize it any way you like.

 

[Nesh]

Bottom line is VF5 aren't moving PS3s...you could try to rationalize it any way you like.

The problem is how you interpret it compared to someone more rational and objective

 

[Capeta]

The problem is how you interpret it compared to someone more rational and objective

What problem? The only thing that matters is that VF5 isn't moving PS3 units, rationalizing isn't going to change reality or will it?

 

[Nesh]

What problem? The only thing that matters is that VF5 isn't moving PS3 units, rationalizing isn't going to change reality or will it?

If thats the only thing that you want to matter for the present then yes

 

[TheChefO]

What problem? The only thing that matters is that VF5 isn't moving PS3 units, rationalizing isn't going to change reality or will it?

That in itself isn't too surprising to me.

The surprising thing to me is out of the 700k or so ps3's that have been sold, only 50k of them thought vf5 was purchase worthy.

Are we seeing a small scale repeat of the ps2 in Japan where the majority bought the machine as a BR player?

 

[Crayon]

http://www.vgcharts.org/japweekly.php?date=38718

WOW!

This is shocking:

Dead or Alive4 sold more (59,000) on xbox360 with a userbase of 87,000! In the same time span.

I was under the impression VirtuaFighter was a much stronger franchise than DOA.

Huh. That's weird. VF is more popular. I dunno.

I'm also wondering how the VF5 arcade presence is affecting sales.

 

[Laa-Yosh]

The game just doesn't look good at all.
Mind you, DOA4 isn't anything nice either. Nextgen consoles can push a lot better looking characters then this for a fighting game... even most UE3 engined shooters have better artwork.

 

[Nesh]

I totally disagree

 

[inefficient]

I totally disagree too.

The character models in VF5 are in a different league from other games that are out there now. Very high poly plus normal mapped, self shadowing, anti-aliasing, really quality shaders for skin and all sorts of different cloth materials.

Gears might be a quality game over all but comparing 1 character from VF5 to 1 character in Gears would not be fair at all to Gears. And DOA4 lacks features like self shadowing and generally looks more anime than real.

I would bet Just the Akira character in VF5 has more unique animation loops designed for him than all of characters in Gears combined.

Plus there are so many costume combinations for the characters. So that if you don't like the fashion direction of character you can totally change it around. The ones you can buy with "gold" from the store is just scratching the surface. There are other accessories you can only get from winning certain matches.


Watching low res 30fps trailers of the game does not do it justice. You have to see it at HD res at 60fps to really see it in all it's glory.


I think right now it's suffering from it's reputation of being a Hard Core gamers game and not really accessible. But sales might pick up slowly once it gets good word of mouth.

 

[patsu]

The game just doesn't look good at all.

I does to my eyes, but I'm a casual (not a graphics guru).

 

[TheChefO]

I totally disagree too.

The character models in VF5 are in a different league from other games that are out there now. Very high poly plus normal mapped, self shadowing, anti-aliasing, really quality shaders for skin and all sorts of different cloth materials.

Gears might be a quality game over all but comparing 1 character from VF5 to 1 character in Gears would not be fair at all to Gears. And DOA4 lacks features like self shadowing and generally looks more anime than real.

I would bet Just the Akira character in VF5 has more unique animation loops designed for him than all of characters in Gears combined.

Plus there are so many costume combinations for the characters. So that if you don't like the fashion direction of character you can totally change it around. The ones you can buy with "gold" from the store is just scratching the surface. There are other accessories you can only get from winning certain matches.


Watching low res 30fps trailers of the game does not do it justice. You have to see it at HD res at 60fps to really see it in all it's glory.


I think right now it's suffering from it's reputation of being a Hard Core gamers game and not really accessible. But sales might pick up slowly once it gets good word of mouth.

I won't argue on animation but Quality Skin Shader???

Overall the game seems technically impressive but artistically challenged