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[Nirolak]

DD sales is not going to buoy up CoD's destiny on the PC specifically...

We do lack exact numbers, yes.

However, they have implied greater than 2% for sure:

Source: http://twitter.com/#!/fourzerotwo/status/10185360222

At 2% of 25 million, that only gives us 500,000 copies, which couldn't apply to millions.

Now, I agree with your overall point that CoD sells significantly better on consoles than PC. I don't think sane people will argue that against you. It's just that taking retail sales in the UK's first week an extrapolating that to a full picture generally doesn't work very well.

By the same token I could note that the PS3 version of Modern Warfare 3 vastly outsold the 360 version in Japan, but trying to say that the Xbox 360 version is selling terribly worldwide due to that makes no sense, because it misses the fact that the vast majority of Xbox 360 version sales do not come from Japan.

 

[xHAASx]

We do lack exact numbers, yes.

However, they have implied greater than 2% for sure:

Source: http://twitter.com/#!/fourzerotwo/status/10185360222

At 2% of 25 million, that only gives us 500,000 copies, which couldn't apply to millions.

Now, I agree with your overall point that CoD sells significantly better on consoles than PC. I don't think sane people will argue that against you. It's just that taking retail sales in the UK's first week an extrapolating that to a full picture generally doesn't work very well.

By the same token I could note that the PS3 version of Modern Warfare 3 vastly outsold the 360 version in Japan, but trying to say that the Xbox 360 version is selling terribly worldwide due to that makes no sense, because it misses the fact that the vast majority of Xbox 360 version sales do not come from Japan.

1. That is "unique users", not an accounting of units sold.

2. That was before a great while, during the time that CoD was adequately cherished and popular on the PC.

 

[Nirolak]

1. That is "unique users", not an accounting of units sold.

Would that not favor consoles though?

PC games have CD keys which essentially lock one copy sold to each user. It's a pretty common complaint about the platform.

On consoles though, I can hand my copy around to as many people as I like, and as long as they log online while playing, they're a unique user.

2. That was before a great while, during the time that CoD was adequately cherished and popular on the PC.

Well, I guess we can't 100% know how CoD sells these days on the platform without any official statements, so if we want to take this approach, then yes, the platform is a giant question mark.

 

[xHAASx]

Would that not favor consoles though?

PC games have CD keys which essentially lock one copy sold to each user. It's a pretty common complaint about the platform.

On consoles though, I can hand my copy around to as many people as I like, and as long as they log online while playing, they're a unique user.



Well, I guess we can't 100% know how CoD sells these days on the platform without any official statements, so if we want to take this approach, then yes, the platform is a giant question mark.

Right.

The PC version had exceeded 2 million in late March, 2010.

Our PC version, which runs IW.Net has been a huge success for this game. I don't know what our exact numbers are but we're somewhere over two million PC copies sold. That alone is amazing compared to our previous PC numbers.

At this point, it was already in the region of 20 million on consoles.

Game was brashly front-loaded.

MW2 did not sell "millions of units" on the PC. Nearby 3, acurately.

 

[Nirolak]

Right.

The PC version had exceeded 2 million in late March, 2010.



At this point, it was already in the region of 20 million on consoles.

Game was brashly front-loaded.

MW2 did not sell "millions of units" on the PC. Nearby 3, acurately.

So, to follow this up, as of August 3rd, 2011, Modern Warfare 2 had shipped 22 million copies worldwide, according to Activision's fiscal call.

At 2 million sold on PC, that puts it at 9.1%, and at 3 million sold, that puts it at 13.6%.

The UK retail opening was 2%, but we're seeing that the total sales are about 5 to 7 times higher than that in terms of portion of the total.

Now, obviously 9.1-13.6% of total sales isn't a very big percentage.

This also is obviously not the version that is going to be driving your decision making.

However, it does show that retail sales are a bad predictor of the total percentage of copies sold on the platform.

That was the only thing I was trying to clarify.

 

[xHAASx]

So, to follow this up, as of August 3rd, 2011, Modern Warfare 2 had shipped 22 million copies worldwide, according to Activision's fiscal call.

At 2 million sold on PC, that puts it at 9.1%, and at 3 million sold, that puts it at 13.6%.

The UK retail opening was 2%, but we're seeing that the total sales are about 5 to 7 times higher than that in terms of portion of the total.

Now, obviously 9.1-13.6% of total sales isn't a very big percentage.

This also is obviously not the version that is going to be driving your decision making.

However, it does show that retail sales are a bad predictor of the total percentage of copies sold on the platform.

That was the only thing I was trying to clarify.

The 2 million mark is not merely retail?
I doubt MW2 had "dazzling" sales following March.

 

[Nirolak]

The 2 million mark is not merely retail?
I doubt MW2 had "dazzling" sales following March.

Well, the game opened on PC in November's NPD with 170,000 copies.

Given that 2% in the UK's opening week would be less than 40,000 copies, and then it proceeded to drop off the charts, it's very unlikely that it sold much at retail relative to what it did digitally overall.

 

[xHAASx]

Clearing it up:

From a sales perspective, consoles assuredly look down upon PCs.

MW2 had sold 2 million on the PC, more than 5 months after release.

MW2 eclipsed 2 million within hours on consoles.

Retail sales have been dinky across the world, on the PC.

DD sales are not getable.

Thesis:

DD sales are not sumptuous, being as how no proclamation has been made.

 

[xHAASx]

Well, the game opened on PC in November's NPD with 170,000 copies.

Given that 2% in the UK's opening week would be less than 40,000 copies, and then it proceeded to drop off the charts, it's very unlikely that it sold much at retail relative to what it did digitally overall.

170,000 was nada for MW2 in a month. DD sales would be accommodating, but would you release unnoteworthy figures?

 

[Nirolak]

170,000 was nada for MW2 in a month. DD sales would be accommodating, but would you release unnoteworthy figures?

I wasn't disagreeing that CoD's PC sales aren't something they would go around trumpeting in great pride here given the console sales, but just the assertion that was can look at CoD as 60% Xbox 360/40% PS3 when we see through Modern Warfare 2's sales that, even assuming the low end of the range, it's still 10% of the sales total.

Now, at 1-2%, yeah, I'd agree it's mostly negligible even with numbers as high as CoD, but at 10% we're looking at sales that most companies often spend $20-$30 million dollars on a product plus double digit millions more in marketing trying to get.

To tie it back to the general topic, if CoD sold 2-3 million copies on Vita, Sony would probably be absolutely ecstatic. I don't think it will, but just to use that as a relative bar.

 

[xHAASx]

I wasn't disagreeing that CoD's PC sales aren't something they would go around trumpeting in great pride here given the console sales, but just the assertion that was can look at CoD as 60% Xbox 360/40% PS3 when we see through Modern Warfare 2's sales that, even assuming the low end of the range, it's still 10% of the sales total.

Now, at 1-2%, yeah, I'd agree it's mostly negligible even with numbers as high as CoD, but at 10% we're looking at sales that most companies often spend $20-$30 million dollars on a product plus double digit millions more in marketing trying to get.

To tie it back to the general topic, if CoD sold 2-3 million copies on Vita, Sony would probably be absolutely ecstatic. I don't think it will, but just to use that as a relative bar.

It could. Take into account that online stats transfer from Vita/PS3 to PS3/Vita, and you've got an achievement.

 

[mxgt]

They are concerned with it.

I wasn't talking about single player. It's not like people buy the games for that.

 

[M3d10n]

Where does piracy and lack of quality western centric franchises fit in your scenario?

Piracy can harm a system, but the lack of piracy doesn't guarantee raging sales. The PS3 set that precedent, the 3DS reinforced it.

What does the Vita does that the PSP didn't do in regards to brining "quality western centric franchises" besides having dual analogue (which was the point of my post)? The entire PSP/Vita concept is still unproven in the West. Let's see if it turns out differently this time around.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Not sure what all the CoD PC fuss is about...

But I could see this moving some units if it A) coincided with a nice system price drop, B) was bundled it with the system and/or C) was free with the PS3 version for crossplay.

I think there's a market for CoD on-the-go amongst teenaged and college-aged males - with easily accessible WiFi. But it needs to be affordable enough for this demographic.

 

[Castor Krieg]

I think there's a market for CoD on-the-go amongst teenaged and college-aged males - with easily accessible WiFi. But it needs to be affordable enough for this demographic.

You know how to save money, do you? I get the idea that ability is lost to many people nowadays. Also: eBay and Craigslist.

 

[seady]

In the end, it all depends on how much effort Sony and Activision market the game. If they are smart and somehow integrate the game with the console version and then market the hell out of it and make it sound like the biggest game ever, it will sell. If they just let it come out, be a generic port that is no different than the console version, it will just come and go and no one will give a crap like the DS or PSP version.

 

[shinra-bansho]

You know how to save money, do you? I get the idea that ability is lost to many people nowadays. Also: eBay and Craigslist.

? I'm not really in the demographic.

But I don't imagine they're the most forward-planning and fiscally prudent demo - if you're expecting them to save up for a Vita to play CoD.

Even if it's a fully-featured port, people will get Vita + CoD to supplement their console CoD, not to supplant it. And they'll only do that if it doesn't seem too expensive.

 

[jrDev]

Piracy can harm a system, but the lack of piracy doesn't guarantee raging sales. The PS3 set that precedent, the 3DS reinforced it.

What does the Vita does that the PSP didn't do in regards to brining "quality western centric franchises" besides having dual analogue (which was the point of my post)? The entire PSP/Vita concept is still unproven in the West. Let's see if it turns out differently this time around.

Yes, I agree. I never understood the post you quoted when I first read it, because I was thinking "didnt the DS have a TON of piracy" but it didn't flounder like the PSP did. And dual analog, still don't get it since it wasn't proven and still a baseless assumption if it will make a platform live/die; DS lived and it didn't have dual analog much less one...

 

[xHAASx]

I wasn't talking about single player. It's not like people buy the games for that.

Appears they do.

 

[mescalineeyes]

Yes, I agree. I never understood the post you quoted when I first read it, because I was thinking "didnt the DS have a TON of piracy" but it didn't flounder like the PSP did. And dual analog, still don't get it since it wasn't proven and still a baseless assumption if it will make a platform live/die; DS lived and it didn't have dual analog much less one...

AND it had Call of Duty, and as I recall, not just one.
The PSP on the other hand...

 

[M3d10n]

AND it had Call of Duty, and as I recall, not just one.
The PSP on the other hand...

The DS COD games were irrelevant: they were mere merchandising products based on a large brand, not much different than movie-based or cartoon-based games and had a fraction of the development and marketing budget of the console entries.

I see two possibilities for CoD Vita:

1) Share a nSpace-developed COD with the 3DS (worst case, see F1 and Good People Die for precedents)

2) A straight port somewhere between the Wii version (if that still exists) and PS360 versions (best case). If Activision skips the Wii this time, the dev team can be easily moved to the Vita version.

 

[Bullza2o]

Yep it will.
Im pretty sure, if they dont I wont buy it.

For me to be even remotely interested in COD Vita they need to have PS3 online cross-play. It wouldn't be as enjoyable if I can only play with Vita players

Spoiler

if there are any

 

[xHAASx]

For me to be even remotely interested in COD Vita they need to have PS3 online cross-play. It wouldn't be as enjoyable if I can only play with Vita players

Spoiler

if there are any

That's questionable, but would have been extraordinary.

 

[theBishop]

I imagine CoD Vita will live or die based on whether it's just a straight port of the console games, or if it has some features that are developed specifically with a handheld in mind.

Just slap the single and multi on the Vita? No, that's not gonna fly. I mean it would sell okay like the DS games did, probably better because it'll be closer to the console version, but it wouldn't be the big hit it could be. I could see it getting a big audience with kids, who would enjoy being able to play with each other at school or whatever, but I think a lot of people would buy it, realize they're not playing it much, and then skip out on later versions.

But if they have some modes designed to be played in short bursts and by one player? A fleshed out zombies mode. Something like RE:Rev's Raid mode, where you play through a short section of a level from the campaign, but with all the story stripped out and new enemy placements. Just regular multiplayer vs. a team of bots. Set these up so they can be played in 5-10 minute bursts, make sure you have the typical CoD leveling stuff, and I could see people getting into that. Something to give them their CoD fix when they're not home.

I'm curious to see what they do. I'm also curious how they'll do the controls. I can think of a few potential ways to fit everything on the Vita. I wonder which way they'll go.

I agree with you. BUT: if the Vita game has cross-play with PS3, all bets are off. I'd rather have access to the surefire console playerbase than a necessarily smaller Vita community.

 

[Bullza2o]

That's questionable, but would have been extraordinary.

Wipeout does it, so it's up to Treyarch to take the challenge.

 

[Mihael Mello Keehl]

Cross gameplay will make PS3s cod community retarded as hell.