NPD January 2005

[Teasy]

I started the thread with all the info available to me at that time. The top 10 software titles. NPD sales news leaks out over a few days. The top 10 software titles is usually first, then hardware sales, then I think you get the top 50 software titles..

Actually you've reminded me of something. Where are the DS hardware numbers?? The main console numbers were posted here, but I've seen no mention of DS..

 

[Almasy]

Almasy

Res Evil and Res Evil 0 on GC sold around the same as the PS2 Res Evil game before them (RE:CVX). Which is just over what the DC version sold. The Res Evil franchise hasn't been a multi million seller since PS1 and even then its sales were dropping with each new game. So to say that RE started to not be a multi million seller the moment it set foot on the GC is just blatantly untrue.

Also while GC's audience do like an exclusive quality is undoubtedly also very important to them. Frankly IMO its harder to please the GC user base, you need a game to be of very good quality and often quite original or it won't sell. A 'problem' that PS2 and XBox doesn't seem to have. So while I agree that GC's user base in general put too much stock in exclusivity I think its patently untrue that they do so to the degree where exclusivity is all that matters.

BTW Viewtiful Joe 2 not being exclusive wasn't its only difference compared to the original game. One of the reasons Viewtiful Joe was so good was because it was extremely fresh and different. The sequel was just, well a sequel. It was a very good sequel but it didn't have the unique freshness of the original, which was a big part of what sold the original game. I own Viewtiful Joe, but I didn't but the sequel. Not because it wasn't exclusive but because it didn't look like it had enough new stuff to make me want to buy it.

The fact that a year late port of Code Veronica managed to outsell the original DC title is proof of where Capcom should have placed its biggest franchise. Putting it on DC was strange, definitely, but then going ahead and putting it on GCN was downright dumb and the definite cause of its downward spiral (in terms of sales), IMO.

GCN´s audience is somehow more refined and has more taste than the other two audiences? Nonsense, and I hope that´s what you didn´t wanted to say. Sh*t sells on any console, it just sells less on GCN because there is a smaller audience.

Also, regarding your quality statement, VJ2 was a quality title, at least to the mayority (I didn´t like it) and look at how the sequel sold, just because it wasn´t a GCN exclusive anymore. The mayority of Nintendo´s titles aren´t even put much thought into, they´re almost straight rehashes, there is little originality, so lack of originality is no reason to dismiss VJ2 (which was based on a game extremely liked by the GCN audience).

Another thing, most Nintendo games are above average titles, and they still sell very nicely. 90% of what Nintendo releases isn´t a testament of quality, they´re just solid titles.

My opinion, and publishers agree, is that the Nintendo audience likes Nintendo games and exclusives on their console and that´s about it.

 

[Qroach]

Also I don't see XBox's userbase as having a very varied taste in games at all. FPS's, racers, sports, fighters and generally games with blood, guts and swearing. Otherwise they're not too interested.

I see you agree with me. Only listing a few there, but it's a lot more than the type of games nintendo makes.

You don't see games like Sonic, Monkey Ball or Viewtiful Joe selling well on XBox. PS2's user base certainly has very varied tastes, there are so many owners that pretty much any game can find an audience.

Well consideirng how the sonic games were crap in my opinion, and monkey ball or Viewtiful joe weren't released on xbox to my knowledge, your argument is moot. Since Xbox doesn't have many games like that, doesn't mean they won't sell. I think some games even if they aren't good have a better chance of selling on the GC because there's less there for the buyer to choose from.

BTW putting Mario in a game doesn't gaurentee that any game will sell well on GC either. It boosts sales, but Mario cannot make a shit game sell well.

Luigi's mansion "oohhh Mario". Even that in itself is crazy if you ask me. Why does an original game need mario in it to sell better on the GC. that's a problem in my eyes.

 

[Teasy]

Almasy

Once again, Resident Evil as a series lost momentum well before it arrived on GC. There has been no downward spiral since the RE series came to GC, as the numbers show.

Crap does sell to a degree on any consoles yes. I just think its easier to sell crap games on PS2 and XBox. GC doesn't have a smaller audience then XBox, so that doesn't explain anything in that case.

At no point did I say Viewtiful Joe wasn't a good game. Nor did I say that a game has to be unique to sell on GC. What I said was that the best thing about Viewtiful Joe was its unique nature. That was one of the things that really made it stand out. The second game had the same good gameplay, but it lacked the unique nature of the first. Had the first game not been so unique then the second game wouldn't have had so much to live upto in that area. You can see this was the reason for the second games flop just by looking at the sales numbers on GC and PS2. The first game sold 280,000 on GC and 72,000 on PS2. The second sold 73,000 on GC and 22,000 on PS2. The second game flopped very similarly on both systems in comparison to the first game on that system.

My opinion, and publishers agree, is that the Nintendo audience likes Nintendo games and exclusives on their console and that´s about it.

Plenty of third party games have sold well on GC, many of them over a million worldwide.

 

[pahcman]

pahcman

I don't understand what you just posted there.

Actually you've reminded me of something. Where are the DS hardware numbers?? The main console numbers were posted here, but I've seen no mention of DS..

This i posted apparently is real numbers taken from chinese game site with NPD subs .. that its, unless otherwise proven better by newer news.

ps2 27.5k
GBA 22.5k
XBOX 21k
NDS 16.5k
GC 11.5k
RE4 31.9k

http://gnn.gamer.com.tw/7/18897.html

　美國市調公司 NPD Techworld 於日前發表了 2005 年 1 月份的美國地區遊樂器主機月銷售數據，甫發行的 NGC 超級強作《惡靈古堡 4（Bio Hazard 4 / Resident Evil 4）》成功奪下當月銷售冠軍。

　　根據 NPD 所公布的資料，1 月份美國地區電視遊樂器遊戲的銷售金額為 3.77 億美元，比去年同期微幅下降 100 萬美元，比起黃金檔期的 12 月份（16.9 億）則是下降了 78 ％。

　　在遊樂器主機方面，1 月份的銷售冠軍為 PS2 的 27.5 萬台，之後依序為 GBA 22.5 萬台、Xbox 21 萬台、NDS 16.5 萬台以及 NGC 的 11.5 萬台。在遊戲方面，以平台區分時，是由 CAPCOM 的 NGC《惡靈古堡 4》31.9 萬套的銷售量獲得當月銷售冠軍，如以跨平台合計，則是由 EA 的《傭兵紀元（Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction）》PS2 與 Xbox 版合計 38.3 萬套奪冠。

 

[Teasy]

Quincy

Nintendo make a large variety of games. Adventure, arcade racing, puzzle, RTS, RPG, Fighting ect. But even if you were right, the games Nintendo makes aren't the only games GC's user base are interested in. Its a good percentage of them, but not all of them.

You might think that Sonic games are crap but that's just to subjective for this discussion. Also while I realise that Viewtiful Joe isn't out on XBox I really just meant games like it. Anyway ask yourself why these kind game games don't get released on XBox. Its not a random thing.

I think some games even if they aren't good have a better chance of selling on the GC because there's less there for the buyer to choose from.

In certain area's thats true, as it is for XBox. For instance a realistic racing game has less competition on GC. While a RPG or platformer will have less competition on XBox.

Luigi's Mansion wasn't a shit game at all, it got solid reviews. Mario boosting sales on GC is likely down to the fact that Mario is rarely in a bad game. What I think is crazy is when a poor game sells well on XBox or PS2 because its got blood and guts in it.

Am I imagining things or are we actually having a civilised conversation ATM?

 

[Teasy]

pahcman

Ah right I see, I was getting confused by the dots in the numbers.

Some of the numbers seem accurate (GC and RE4) but XBox and PS2 numbers aren't correct. So that leaves a big question mark over the DS number. Thanks for posting though.[/quote]

 

[Kolgar]

Nintendo make a large variety of games. Adventure, arcade racing, puzzle, RTS, RPG, Fighting ect.

My interpretation of Quincy's point was that "Nintendo" games are nearly all cute, colorful, and cartoony, regardless of genre.

What I think is crazy is when a poor game sells well on XBox or PS2 because its got blood and guts in it.

Could you share some examples? While it's fashionable for Nintendo execs to suggest that PS2 and Xbox gamers will snatch up anything that's dark, depressing, violent, or gory, I have trouble recalling many games that sold well simply due to blood and guts.

 

[pahcman]

pahcman

Ah right I see, I was getting confused by the dots in the numbers.

Some of the numbers seem accurate (GC and RE4) but XBox and PS2 numbers aren't correct. So that leaves a big question mark over the DS number. Thanks for posting though.

I donno who right who wrong either.

How more "correct" are the ps2 xbox numbers posted earlier over what i got from the chinese site?

 

[Almasy]

Almasy

Once again, Resident Evil as a series lost momentum well before it arrived on GC. There has been no downward spiral since the RE series came to GC, as the numbers show.

Crap does sell to a degree on any consoles yes. I just think its easier to sell crap games on PS2 and XBox. GC doesn't have a smaller audience then XBox, so that doesn't explain anything in that case.

The series downward trend began with CV on DC. It furthered on GCN. The sales data back this up.

Crap does sell more on Xbox than on GCN due to the number of software sold on GCN, which is considerably less than on it than on Xbox. That´s pretty much the only reason.

I frankly find your suggestion that GCN gamers are somehow more "refined" to be a good joke at best.

You also speak in a brainwashed state regarding violent games on other consoles. Do you actually have any clue about what sells on other consoles? MGS3, GTA nor Halo 2 strike me as being all about sex and gore, so Nintendo/your point has no foundations.

At no point did I say Viewtiful Joe wasn't a good game. Nor did I say that a game has to be unique to sell on GC. What I said was that the best thing about Viewtiful Joe was its unique nature. That was one of the things that really made it stand out. The second game had the same good gameplay, but it lacked the unique nature of the first. Had the first game not been so unique then the second game wouldn't have had so much to live upto in that area. You can see this was the reason for the second games flop just by looking at the sales numbers on GC and PS2. The first game sold 280,000 on GC and 72,000 on PS2. The second sold 73,000 on GC and 22,000 on PS2. The second game flopped very similarly on both systems in comparison to the first game on that system.

Irrelevant. WW and SMS didn´t add anything significant to their gameplay, except for mundane gimmicks, and still managed to sell pretty nicely. For an even better comparison, take a look at the Mario Party series. VJ´s exclusivity gained it notoriety, after that went away the GCN audience gave it the cold shoulder.

Plenty of third party games have sold well on GC, many of them over a million worldwide.

Right, now go ahead and compare the number of units of third party software sold on GCN than on Xbox/PS2.

 

[one]

How more "correct" are the ps2 xbox numbers posted earlier over what i got from the chinese site?

Why do you stick to the number which originated at an IGN board and was quickly copied to a shady Chinese web site when all others present the correct numbers?

 

[Sonic]

The Gamecube might have a bigger or just as big userbase, but its purchasing userbase is far lower. I havce no reason to doubt that Resident Evil 4 would sell much better on Xbox than it would on Gamecube. The audience for that type of game is on the Xbox and PS2. Capcom made a fools move by making it solely for the Gamecube until execs forced it to be ported to PS2.

Nintendo does cater to a specific deomographic of consoler owners and game players. It is no secret that Nintendo targets children. This can be seen from the majority of the games they release and also from the Gamecube itself. The DS is a major turnaround in design philosophy.

Of all three consoles I would say the PS2 has the most varied userbase. They buy all types of games.

 

[Farid]

Put dark themes and violence in a half decent game and it will sell well on those two consoles.

...

BTW, putting Mario in a shitty game won't make it sell well on GC.

Putting Mario, or a friend, on a half decent game will make any game sell well on a Nintendo platform. (Luigi Mansion, Mario Party 3/4/5/6, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Yoshi no Banyuuin Ryoku, Wario Land...)
Simplifying and misleading generalizations can go both ways.

Res Evil and Res Evil 0 on GC sold around the same as the PS2 Res Evil game before them (RE:CVX). Which is just over what the DC version sold.

This again? REmake and RE0, combined, sold around the same as the RE:CVX PS2, which one sold more than twice what DC RE:CV sold.

Here's the data:

US NPD:
RE sales LTD

Dreamcast:
Resident Evil Code: Veronica Capcom 351 926

PS2:
Resident Evil Code:Veronica X Capcom 873 627

GC:
Resident Evil Capcom 480 526
Resident Evil 0 Capcom 433 015

Put dark themes and violence in a half decent game and it will sell well on those two consoles. I don't see XBox's userbase as having a very varied taste in games either. Its mainly FPS's, racers and sports (plus dark gorey games of course).

Frankly IMO its harder to please the GC user base, you need a game to be of very good quality and often quite original or it won't sell. A 'problem' that PS2 and XBox doesn't seem to have.

I just think its easier to sell crap games on PS2 and XBox. GC doesn't have a smaller audience then XBox, so that doesn't explain anything in that case.

You're on a roll, Teasy. Is that some sort of GC elitism or something?

BTW, about you're last quote, one nitpicking person would ask you to back thoses allegations of yours with factual sales data and gameranking-like data, but since you obviously shooted from the hip, I'll just point to you what Almassy already pointed, the tie-in ratio. *whatever* Games sales better on Xbox than they do on GC, and that has nothing to do with quality, nothing.

 

[Teasy]

Vysez

Ever consider that I'm talking about worldwide sales for Res Evil? RE:CVX on PS2 sold 1.3 million total worldwide. RE1 on GC sold 1.24 million so far (this is as of June 2004 as well). Like I said, there sales are the same..

Simplifying and misleading generalizations can go both ways

But they're not simplified and misleading, they're both true! I've never denied that putting Mario in a already decent game can boost sales on GC. In fact I just said it earlier in this thread.. so there

You're on a roll, Teasy. Is that some sort of GC elitism or something?

No, its just the way it is IMO. GC owners are more picky, about a lot of things.

I'm not sure what your trying to say with your last paragraph.[/quote]