Top selling Games 2003 (NA)

[StefanS]

The NPD Group Reports Annual 2003 U.S. Video Game Industry Driven by Console Software Sales

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 26, 2004--According to leading marketing information provider, The NPD Group, retail sales of U.S. video games, which includes portable and console hardware, software and accessories, remained largely unchanged over the previous year's record-breaking performance. The console industry saw sales figures fall 2.7 percent to $10 billion in 2003 compared to $10.3 billion in 2002.

The PC game software industry showed signs of slowing down, with revenues from retail sales down 14 percent, topping $1.2 billion in sales in 2003 versus $1.4 billion in 2002. The total console, portable and PC game industry was $11.2 billion, just 4 percent off the record $11.7 billion in 2002.

The driving force in sales was led by the console software and portable game software categories, which saw a record breaking $5.8 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent in overall sales when compared to $5.5 billion in 2002. Including PC games, total industry software sales were up 1.5 percent to $7 billion, from $6.9 billion in 2002. For 2003, console software, portable game hardware and portable game software saw unit sales increases of 14 percent, 15 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

The console hardware category saw the largest percentage reduction, with a 27 percent decline in dollar volume in 2003. However, portable hardware dollar volume was up 54 percent in 2003 to $750 million, from $490 million in 2002. Besides portable game accessories, which declined 11 percent in 2003, all other industry categories showed a markedly high increase in unit figures.

"The sales results are still quite impressive when you look at the overall industry performance during 2003," said Richard Ow, senior video games analyst, The NPD Group. "The market has seen price cuts from console manufacturers as well as declines in retail software prices. With manufacturers and software publishers dropping prices to vie for consumer dollars, $10 billion in sales for the year is far from disappointing."

According to Ow, the strong, diversified software titles introduced in the fourth quarter provided the market with the sales needed to break yet another industry record.

"Since a majority of the industry's growth comes from software sales, and because there are plenty of highly anticipated software titles across all platforms in 2004, we are expecting to see impressive sales figures," said Ow. "However, with the continued price gouging of both hardware and software categories, the industry's sales will be hard pressed to surpass 2003 through the remainder of the current hardware platform's life cycles."


2003 Top 10 Console Video Game Titles, Sorted By Units

RANK TITLE PLATFORM PUBLISHER RELEASE DATE
1 MADDEN NFL 2004 (PS2) ELECTRONIC ARTS AUG'03
2 POKEMON RUBY (GBA) NINTENDO OF AMERICA MAR'03
3 POKEMON SAPPHIRE (GBA) NINTENDO OF AMERICA MAR'03
4 NEED SPEED: UNDERGROUND (PS2) ELECTRONIC ARTS NOV'03
5 ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER (GCN) NINTENDO OF AMERICA MAR'03
6 GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY (PS2) ROCKSTAR GAMES OCT'02
7 MARIO KART: DOUBLE DASH (GCN) NINTENDO OF AMERICA NOV'03
8 TONY HAWK UNDERGROUND (PS2) ACTIVISION OCT'03
9 ENTER THE MATRIX (PS2) ATARI MAY'03
10 MEDAL OF HONOR: RISING SUN (PS2) ELECTRONIC ARTS NOV'03

Source: The NPD Group / NPD Funworld(R) / TRSTS(R)

 

[London Geezer]

That tells you all about the kind of games the people like, and the kind of games developres will keep producing.... Oh dear...

4 NEED SPEED: UNDERGROUND (PS2) ELECTRONIC ARTS NOV'03
9 ENTER THE MATRIX (PS2) ATARI MAY'03

Not to bash, but let's just say there were much better games in every conceivable way than those 2...

 

[V3]

Not to bash, but let's just say there were much better games in every conceivable way than those 2...

To generate sales

Goodwill >>> Gameplay

 

[StefanS]

That tells you all about the kind of games the people like, and the kind of games developres will keep producing.... Oh dear...

4 NEED SPEED: UNDERGROUND (PS2) ELECTRONIC ARTS NOV'03
9 ENTER THE MATRIX (PS2) ATARI MAY'03

Not to bash, but let's just say there were much better games in every conceivable way than those 2...

Well, both themes are very popular among people. The average gamer that do not reviews (in the case of Enter Matrix) just buy what they like / seems cool to them or they know...

 

[London Geezer]

Yeah, well i wasn't exactly surprised in the real sense of the word, since it was both expected and also subsequently reported that ETM sold millions, but still it's funny to see crap games selling millions.

 

[StefanS]

Yeah, well i wasn't exactly surprised in the real sense of the word, since it was both expected and also subsequently reported that ETM sold millions, but still it's funny to see crap games selling millions.

Well, we all get what we deserve. WE demanded it, we got it and we got it bad, pretty bad

I still remember when interactive movies were THE thing, even though all apart from Under A Killing Moon were crap people bought them in large numbers. But nowadays they're non-existant. It's just trial and error, if you bought a really crap game, you're gonna think twice before buying its successor or a game of the same genre...

 

[London Geezer]

Yeah, well i wasn't exactly surprised in the real sense of the word, since it was both expected and also subsequently reported that ETM sold millions, but still it's funny to see crap games selling millions.

Well, we all get what we deserve. WE demanded it, we got it and we got it bad, pretty bad

I still remember when interactive movies were THE thing, even though all apart from Under A Killing Moon were crap people bought them in large numbers. But nowadays they're non-existant. It's just trial and error, if you bought a really crap game, you're gonna think twice before buying its successor or a game of the same genre...

Well i heard some people actually say NFSU is the best game available now. Also people saying ETM is one of the best games ever. So i fear it will never end. Some people just don't get it.

 

[Magnum PI]

is canada included in the scope of this study ?

 

[StefanS]

Well i heard some people actually say NFSU is the best game available now. Also people saying ETM is one of the best games ever. So i fear it will never end. Some people just don't get it.

We're doomed

 

[London Geezer]

Thank god some people can take licences and make them into decent games (LOTR by EA for one, Kingdom Hearts etc)...

I wonder how the RPG based on the LOTR Trilogy will turn out to be. The potential is there to give us the most amazing game ever... And it's EA, so it won't be too bad... Hopefully...

 

[StefanS]

Thank god some people can take licences and make them into decent games (LOTR by EA for one, Kingdom Hearts etc)...

I wonder how the RPG based on the LOTR Trilogy will turn out to be. The potential is there to give us the most amazing game ever... And it's EA, so it won't be too bad... Hopefully...

I think part of the problem is that some developers start design games thinking about what is popular instead of what is a game that I, as designer, would like to play ( (c) by S. Miyamoto)). So project are undertaken without the ressources, experience and the ideas to make that game good.

 

[London Geezer]

Thank god some people can take licences and make them into decent games (LOTR by EA for one, Kingdom Hearts etc)...

I wonder how the RPG based on the LOTR Trilogy will turn out to be. The potential is there to give us the most amazing game ever... And it's EA, so it won't be too bad... Hopefully...

I think part of the problem is that some developers start design games thinking about what is popular instead of what is a game that I, as designer, would like to play ( (c) by S. Miyamoto)). So project are undertaken without the ressources, experience and the ideas to make that game good.

While other rare gems are an idea later developed into a game... And they don't sell... I think the issue here is that it's too much all about profit-making, like anything else in the world really. At lest in the music and movie industry there are a sizeable chunk of people who just makes beautiful things without caring about having to sell 5 million copies of it. And obviously they are the best. However you have some rarities, like LOTR trilogy, where profit-making meets art, which is great.

 

[Snyder]

While other rare gems are an idea later developed into a game... And they don't sell...

Pun intended?

 

[London Geezer]

While other rare gems are an idea later developed into a game... And they don't sell...

Pun intended?

Hell no! That thought never even crossed my mind! What the heck are Rare doing now? Apart from taking loads of money from MS, that is...

 

[StefanS]

While other rare gems are an idea later developed into a game... And they don't sell...

Pun intended?

Hell no! That thought never even crossed my mind! What the heck are Rare doing now? Apart from taking loads of money from MS, that is...

I think they're still working on Perfect Dark Zero and on Kameo. One of those is to be released latter this year, I guess.

EDIT: I forgot Conker Live and Uncut

 

[notAFanB]

But nowadays they're non-existant. It's just trial and error, if you bought a really crap game, you're gonna think twice before buying its successor or a game of the same genre...

nah, like alot of things they just never found the driving force that was required to push this genre and let it evolve. (read, the libido)

 

[Fox5]

Hey people, stop dissing need for speed underground, it's a great game.....with virtually no depth at all. But you know, those first few races(or maybe just the first race) are fun.

 

[Tagrineth]

Hey people, stop dissing need for speed underground, it's a great game.....with virtually no depth at all. But you know, those first few races(or maybe just the first race) are fun.

(Very) Impressive graphics, at the very least.

 

[London Geezer]

Hey people, stop dissing need for speed underground, it's a great game.....with virtually no depth at all. But you know, those first few races(or maybe just the first race) are fun.

(Very) Impressive graphics, at the very least.

Shame about the framerate though... Personally a racer running at that framerate is useless for me. i rather have less shine and more fluidity... I found it almost unplayable (I played the demo though, things might be different in the final version)

 

[Tagrineth]

The final version is quite smooth IMO, even on the PS2.