April 2013 NPD Sales Results [Up3: Xbox 360 Top Platform, NSMBU LTD, Lego 3DS, Luigi]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
Ninja Scooter
Member
lol. People can convince themselves of anything, I guess.
shinra-bansho
Member
When I say there's "no market" for the platform, it's exaggerated sure (there's even a market for Vita, as small as it may be) and what I really mean, but may not have presented fantastically is that Nintendo have seemingly released a product without basic market validation.
There's a gulf of difference between the GameCube and the Wii; while comments don't necessarily imply Wii-like sales (I don't think anyone reasonable expects that now) people's comments do not generally imply they foresee this system selling around GameCube levels, despite that GameCube levels would actually be a substantial improvement.
Looking at past "turnarounds" for systems, I don't think there's one that one can point to where the baseline sales tripled or quadrupled, and that's what the system needs to do to match prior last place systems. I don't think there's one that one can even point to where sales doubled. In terms of what precipitated these turnarounds, the lever was largely price - but the Wii U is not actually particularly expensive. The only example perhaps is the NDS, but that was essentially precipitated by catching lightning-in-a-bottle, and I maintain that to expect such is folly.
I currently see potentially sub-GameCube sales, but for a longer generation, resulting in a GameCube like total. I'm open to being wrong or changing this view when something
StreetsAhead
Member
I mean, it's bad, but in a month where everything else dropped and it had no significant software released it's not super hard to argue it's not as bad as it could have been. Maybe?
it's bad but everyone else is bad too
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Shame we're not going to get any solid numbers it seems. Guess we'll have to settle with 35-37k for WiiU and a withering glance at sub 20k Vita.
Love all the usual doomsaying simply because Nintendo isn't the golden child anymore. Remember, you can't count Nintendo out, but Sony or Microsoft will never release anything that could possibly become "the next big thing". They're not allowed to.
Other than WiiU, Vita, and 3DS, everything else is bad because this 8 year gen has gone on too long. WiiU as a "new homeconsole" should have changed that but it has literally had no affect.
Love all the usual doomsaying simply because Nintendo isn't the golden child anymore. Remember, you can't count Nintendo out, but Sony or Microsoft will never release anything that could possibly become "the next big thing". They're not allowed to.
Other than WiiU, Vita, and 3DS, everything else is bad because this 8 year gen has gone on too long. WiiU as a "new homeconsole" should have changed that but it has literally had no affect.
pieatorium
Member
It's not bad it is beyond terrible
Ninja Scooter
Member
The other systems are past their 6th year, let alone their 6th month. Those numbers are awful in a historical context. A console's appeal being that dead in it's 6th month is fucking pathetic.
Spinning those numbers ...
Isn't it the lowest a mainstream console has ever dropped or something?
360 had its worst month ever and sold nearly four times as much. After 7/8 years.
It's not bad. It's much worse than bad.
What do you mean by 'not as bad as it could have been'?
By pure metrics, yes, it could have been worse (like 15k).
By consequences, no, it couldn't have been worse. Doing 15k or 37k is irrelevant because both numbers are well below sustainable sales for a console to be a viable platform for both Nintendo or third party publishers.
StreetsAhead
Member
Oh, of course. But Wii U was doing terribad last month, too. It wasn't going to suddenly rise this month.
Everything dropped it seems. Now, if everything goes back up next month and Wii U stays the same, or gets even worse, I'll be more concerned, but a slow month YOY where everything dropped is terrible, but it's not surprising. It'd be more surprising if Wii U held, or even grew, this month
EDIT: To be clear, my original post was trying to clarify someone else's argument, which is always fraught with danger, I do believe the Wii U needs a serious kick in the arse.
Ninja Scooter
Member
It's not surprising, I don't think that is what is being argued. I think everyone knew it would sell like shit, and will continue to sell like shit. Doesn't mean it's not shit though.
shinra-bansho
Member
Looking more closely at March->April numbers for 2012, the only one that's fallen more than normal is actually the 360.
The PS3's weekly average fell 36%, the Wii's 35%.
If as posted above Easter really does have some sort of 10% effect on April, that was instead shifted to March, then the March->April drop is actually perfectly "normal."
The PS3's weekly average fell 36%, the Wii's 35%.
If as posted above Easter really does have some sort of 10% effect on April, that was instead shifted to March, then the March->April drop is actually perfectly "normal."
How on earth do you get an objective classification for niche?
Lookin forward, there's only really FIFA and possibly Killzone that I'd say are definitively 'mass-market'.
Assuming you're talking about MH3U, didn't that reportedly sell more digitally than at retail? Or was that only in Europe? Not that 40-50k or something would be amazing in any shape or form...
electroplankton
Banned
Vita and Wii U are done.
I mean, 20k for Vita? PSP was selling better in the last years.
I mean, 20k for Vita? PSP was selling better in the last years.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
Monster Hunter is niche, so a new IP Monster Hunter-alike from essentially an entirely new studio that is released without any western marketing campaign whatsoever and is ultra gore adult focussed concepts is niche. Yes. I mean its not even up for debate.
Killzone and Tearaway are the "non niche" stuff Sony will actually bother promoting, probably to little effect.
Killzone and Tearaway are the "non niche" stuff Sony will actually bother promoting, probably to little effect.
i was hesitant to call the vita dead, and... i still kinda am. i think that sony might try to position it with the ps4 somehow. if we're in march next year, and sales forecasts were missed, and vita forecasts are lower than this year, it's done. they launched it at a weird time, so i think that's really working against it considering what they wanted it to do. one more year before we can call it- i think that's fair.
the wii u may as well not have launched at this point. nintendo themselves have only released an os patch since launch. they were aware something was seriously amiss sometime last december, most likely, and adjusted their strategy in preparation for a torrible (© 2013 y2kev) 2013. i think we'll have a better picture by the end of the year, and really know where things are once we're in early 2015.
Gears completely alienated it's fanbase with it's abomination called multiplayer.
In the 4th installment of Gears they tried to appeal to the Call of Duty crowd. All that happened is they lost almost their entire Gears audience, and no one else tried this iteration of Gears of War because they thought it was just another Gears of War game.
Last Hearth
Member
These games are such rehashes of tired franchises that the market is tired of them.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
Be glad that NPD stopped showing the actual numbers loll.
Whose estimates are the closest here?
michaelius
Banned
Vita will post awfull numbers like this till September - after that it should find it's place as niche device occupying part of PS4 shelves as accesorry in shops (together with price drop, hopefully cheaper memory and some game releases)
Wii U seems to be dead - it will get some sort of short term boost after big Nintendo hitters are released but like 3DS it won't be lasting effect since it will affect mostly a still undecided part of Nintendo faithfull.
3DS pricedrop honeymoon is over - we will see if they drop prices alongside Pokemon release to reivigorate sales or if they keep prices to improve profits.
Wii U seems to be dead - it will get some sort of short term boost after big Nintendo hitters are released but like 3DS it won't be lasting effect since it will affect mostly a still undecided part of Nintendo faithfull.
3DS pricedrop honeymoon is over - we will see if they drop prices alongside Pokemon release to reivigorate sales or if they keep prices to improve profits.
Heart Attack
Member
Damn, Tomb Raider must have lost lots of money for S-E. Barely broke a million WW, with a 5-year development.
pieatorium
Member
Shipped over 3.5 million
electroplankton
Banned
MH is not exactly niche in the West, anyway. Tri sold more than 800k units; 3 Ultimate sold around 140k at launch on 3DS and Wii in North America alone.
Spot on. Over engineered controller that fails to deliver an experience for it to stand on its own, unlike the Wii
test_account
XP-39C²
Did the 3DS sell less than the Xbox 360? I see that Creamsugar said " 3DS > PS3", but what about Xbox 360? And the Nintendo PR didnt say anything about being the best selling system for the month either.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
His original post was 3DS < X360.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Arkham Origins: Blackgate seems mass market. Should sell on the name alone.
TR hasn't broke a million in US in its first 2 months. It's probably not even close to 1M in the UK as well. For TR to have actually sold anything near that 3.5m shipped it would have needed a miracle in all the other territories and PC retail. (the shipped figure doesn't include DD).
pieatorium
Member
UK is the biggest market in eu but it's not the majority, "all the other territories" make up a market as big as the US.
Heart Attack
Member
TR defense force alert.
pieatorium
Member
haven't played and don't own it, saying it sold barely a million worldwide is insanely off the mark
Ah, yeah! I forgot about that one.
Maybe Epic Mickey 2, only that ain't going to sell very well at all, I suspect.
...Epic Mickey 2?!? Jak and the (supposed) Sly Collection have far better chanches of selling compared to the late Epic Mickey 2 port XD
Approx 33k and it had more than 1 day of tracking, according to earlier posts.
michaelius
Banned
The sad thing is that people still believe this tale.
Yeah, but the point was that Epic Mickey 2 probably isn't classed as 'niche', given that its a Disney licensed platformer (I think it's a platformer anyway).
SirIgbyCeaser
Banned
God of war and tomb raider don't even chart 
Oh right, thanks. That's a meh neutral number, not bad considering the Vita userbase in the US, but not good considering it was one of the few new titles for the Vita.
Mikey Jr.
Member
If the vita works flawlessly (and I do mean fucking flawlessly) as a remote play device, where I can play PS4 games in my backyard, crapper, garage, etc., then I will buy a Vita.
So yeah, I'm waiting till the PS4 launch until I even consider a Vita.
metalslimer
Member
Wii U can at least make some software sales money from the few people buying it for first party games. Nintendo has probably already made a but load from NSMBU. Vita is going to end up being sold as a PS4 accessory on Sony.com
If you're expecting it to work like a Wii U Gamepad I'd temper your expectations (solely based on the inherent latency over remote TCP/IP connections). It will work, but likely similar to the way OnLive worked if you could tolerate that. With that said, the immense benefit to that added input delay is that you don't have to limit yourself to the crapper, garage, etc as with the Wii U Gamepad, as it will work anywhere with a network. I would suspect that it would be behind some kind of paywall, however, as with any of the other Gakai services.
Synth_floyd
Banned
Vita and Wii U under 50k sales a month? That's bad. Even the "best selling" 360 had a weak month at 130k. When the PS4 and 720 launch we'll have to see if the lack of interest in consoles now is just due to what's being offered or if it's more of a general drop in demand for videogames in general. That would cripple the industry if that is the case.
His pattern would most likely point to Injustice, since it would be one of the game main games Warner and other third parties would be using to gauge if they should release Wii U versions of their multiplatform games.