You could say that the number of ratings of a title on the Playstation store is a MINIMUM indication of how well it sells digitally.
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April 2012 NPD Sales Results [Up3: Best selling game sold less than 236K, Kid Icarus]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
You could say that the number of ratings of a title on the Playstation store is a MINIMUM indication of how well it sells digitally.
Cosmonaut X
Member
Are the ratings only able to be made by players with the game, as in the 3DS eShop system? If so, that gives a minimum, yes.
Other than the fact that it's totally and utterly relevant when talking about software sales.
And people will still be right to point out that the retail numbers don't make up the entirety of the software sold.
I don't think anybody is suggesting that the DD numbers are more important, just that they are very relevant and are not being tracked here.
It would be interesting to know if the average age of a person who plays a certain amount of pc/console video games has increased, decreased, or stayed the same.
Perhaps younger people are playing more smart phone, iPad, etc games and the pc/console gamers' average age has increased?
If it has increased it would explain some of the soft market, since the 25 yo and older crowd is probably facing increasing costs in other financial areas of their lives- such as gasoline, groceries, etc.
It will be interesting this fall to see if Madden, Halo, and COD also reflect these decreasing sales.
Perhaps younger people are playing more smart phone, iPad, etc games and the pc/console gamers' average age has increased?
If it has increased it would explain some of the soft market, since the 25 yo and older crowd is probably facing increasing costs in other financial areas of their lives- such as gasoline, groceries, etc.
It will be interesting this fall to see if Madden, Halo, and COD also reflect these decreasing sales.
The situation for Vita is horrible regardless. I just don't like trashing these sales figures when they don't include digital, because the, very few, people who are buying Vita right now are the most likely to go digital.
The sales figures are most likely skewed more toward digital right right now than should be normal for the system.
I normally scoff at mentions of something like this, but when you factor in the Vita's situation currently - I think it becomes a very real problem with calculating Vita software sales at the moment.
Yes, only people who bought the game can rate it.
Just looked at the UK Store now on my Vita, and Rayman has over 1000 ratings whilst Unchated only has 400. I personally bought Rayman from the store and bought a physical copy of Uncharted.
I'm sure some of the games which didnt appear to do well at retail havent done too badly on the DD store.
Cosmonaut X
Member
So, in the time that the NPD didn't track WalMart sales, do you think that would have been worth mentioning in relation to poorly-performing titles?
"Well, Nintendo title X only did Y, but remember these figures don't include WalMart, so..."
Am I right in thinking that ratings don't divide digital/retail? If so, are we not back at square one? It'll be the same issue with 3DS DD titles if Nintendo don't separate ratings out for digital/retail versions of the software.
semiconscious
Member
correct. & we will be judging success based on fuck-all
...right now, sales figures of vita software not including dd tell you next to nothing. much more so than any previous console, handheld or otherwise...
Black Republican
Member
a black lead actually sold games??
Baron_Calamity
Member
This is what happens when you try to extend a console generation out too far. Happens every time. The general population looks at their shelf and see they already have enough X-box or PS3 games and decide they don't need to buy anymore. If Sony and Microsoft aren't releasing their next consoles till 2013 or later and the WiiU is the dud its looking like, its going to be a really hard 16 months for the industry.
Um, yeah, probably?
I certainly wouldn't have a problem with someone pointing that out.
The Vita has digital releases for all titles, day & date. It's obviously worth considering when looking at the numbers. I own 9 Vita games but according to sales charts, I haven't bought any at all.
No, you can only rate if you downloaded it from the store.
UberTag
Member
Hopefully all of the new consoles will have full digital access to all new titles at launch (like the Vita) and we can finally do away with NPD sales data completely.
All of our sales data will then be gleaned from leaderboards, game ratings and user activity lists from Major Nelson.
I should probably do that with the dozen or so Vita games I own at some point.
All of our sales data will then be gleaned from leaderboards, game ratings and user activity lists from Major Nelson.
Provided, of course, that people actively rate the titles they purchase.
I should probably do that with the dozen or so Vita games I own at some point.
Cosmonaut X
Member
Ah, wasn't entirely clear (possibly my sleep-addled brain!).
Yes, that gives us a base figure for DD sales then.
It gives us the absolute minimum DD sales, though - sales can't be lower than X, though they could be higher.
semiconscious
Member
vita - the npd-buster. because, yes, when all of a console's content is simultaneously released & made available via dd, & this's one of the console's major selling points, traditional npd numbers become extremely useless...
michaelius
Banned
BTW anyone remembers what was Uncharted 1 first NPD month ? I recall it was rather pathetic too and then total sales grew together with PS3 to several milions.
And speaking about sales of titles is at most exercise in theorical analysis since without knowing how much game like Uncharted GA costs it's hard to say if the sales are good or not ?
Normally around half of game cost goes back to first party publisher (IIRC) so with 150k in USA, 100k ? in Japan (or close to it) and probably another 100k in EU we are looking at at least 9 milions of revenue, not counting digital sales on PSN (and each sale on PSN gives Sony full 45$-taxes).
And speaking about sales of titles is at most exercise in theorical analysis since without knowing how much game like Uncharted GA costs it's hard to say if the sales are good or not ?
Normally around half of game cost goes back to first party publisher (IIRC) so with 150k in USA, 100k ? in Japan (or close to it) and probably another 100k in EU we are looking at at least 9 milions of revenue, not counting digital sales on PSN (and each sale on PSN gives Sony full 45$-taxes).
vita - the npd-buster. because, yes, when all of a console's content is simultaneously released & made available via dd, & this's one of the console's major selling points, traditional npd numbers become extremely useless...
Unless it ships with no build-in memory, makes SD cards proprietary with an insane markup, and offers almost no discount (despite having to supply your own expensive cartridges and losing resale rights). Yeah, no. DD are not outselling physical. If retail is bombing, the DD numbers are abysmal.
Smokey Dave has an insanely expensive computer too. He's not your typical gamer by any measurement. Dude spends money that other people just don't.
semiconscious
Member
source? or you just 'know'?...
You assume.
It's an assumption I probably share, even as a 100% DD Vita owner, but it's an assumption nonetheless.
Compared to most of the PC guys on here, I might as well be running an Amstrad PCW8512. You're right though, I'm certainly not the average games buyer.
palpabl_purpura
Member
You expect a two year old game to crack the top ten? Good luck. There's no excuse for a lack of a near simultaneous releases in this day and age. Nothing kills hype like time.
I edited. Although I may have mistaken you for Smokey. Smokey, SmokeyDave. How could I miss the Lakers flags :lol.
Refreshment.01
Member
HardWare numbers are still important and right now they don't look so hot for Vita
vita - the npd-buster. because, yes, when all of a console's content is simultaneously released & made available via dd, & this's one of the console's major selling points, traditional npd numbers become extremely useless...
Common sense. I'd be the one time I'd be willing to engage in a ban bet. Because everything we know about digital sales (under much more favorable conditions), says it's absolutely ridiculous. 100X more rediculious than the Nintendo fans who used to claim Nintendo got all their sales from Walmart and the NPD didn't accurately reflect how well their games were selling.
semiconscious
Member
HardWare numbers are still important and right now they don't look so hot
true. but neither does today's weather. & neither have much to do with my point
...Parmenides
Banned
To begin with,there's nothing to fix.While Xbox 360 sales are really good,PS3 sales are in line with the most reasonable expectations.
Code:
April NPD Sales Results
360 PS3
2007 174k 82k
2008 188k 187k ---> GTA IV
2009 175k 127k
2010 185k 180k
2011 297k 204k
2012 236k 167-199kNintendo,obviously,is in a different position.
Code:
April NPD Sales Results
Wii
2007 360k
2008 714k ---> Mario Kart Wii
2009 340k
2010 277k
2011 172k
2012 67-99kNPD April 2007
Official April 2008 NPD thread
NPD Sales Results for April 2009
NPD Sales Results for April 2010
NPD April 2011 Sales Results
AHA-Lambda
Member
Is that really the case? I'd argue the opposite, as the gen has gone on longer people are only trying out what they already know. The numbers are up in many cases over previous installments for games like: Madden, FIFA, CoD, GTA, BF3, AC etc.
It seems to have gone on ok with its top heavy fall routine for years unfortunately. Personally though, I am totally sick of it. After Max Payne 3 there are no BIG AAA releases out until October with RE6, so the numbers are just going to get worse.
semiconscious
Member
all i can suggest is that, to the extent that the hardware is only being bought at this point by a bunch of early adopter loonies, your sense of what's 'common' might not apply right now...
you may be correct. but you may not...
Point of order: Can people with the cartridge version of the game rate it on the online store, or is it only the *digital* owners who can?
Edit: Ah, already answered!
Oh yeah, Smokey has a beast of a PC. You're right that I buy more games and systems than the average dude though. I was there day 1 for the PSP Go too!
I don't think anyone is saying that, are they?
Refreshment.01
Member
About the meaning of the NPD numbers? Yes, it's relevant.true. but neither does today's weather. & neither have much to do with my point
However, 1-D_FTW claim might not be far away from reality even if is not backed up by a scientific study. If people choose to only talk when covered by the umbrella of scientific data then there wouldn't be many talk in society and not many ways to reach the truth.
So i think its a fairly logical assumption grounded in common sense. It's more plausible than the case of Vita satting sales records in the DD space.
How about software sales?
lunchwithyuzo
Banned
They didn't. Lost Planet released 14 months after launch, and managed a million well after that.
plagiarize
Banned
one absolutely can. just because one device may be immune to the economy doesn't magically stop the economy from effecting other products. unless you're arguing that the best sign of the economy's health is iPad sales...
plus, you're disparaging the iPad to call it a toy. it is much more than that for many people. how many people are replacing their desktops and laptops with iPads? a growing number certainly.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
You can't just handwave two games that would have made the top 10 this month as small and unquantifiable.
chickdigger802
Banned
Easter isn't the same date every year???
Skiptastic
Member
Nice attempt at eliciting an avatar quote. I'm not falling for your ruse!
Not a good sign for the industry, but by the time we see how bad May is, E3 will be in full blast so no worries!
I consider it somewhat likely that NPD will delay the results if they are really bad. They delayed May's results a couple of years ago and we got May results in the first week of July and June results the very next week.
I know you're just giving an example, but I just wanted to chime and say that this is about as likely as Apple relocating production back to the US. Nearly damn everyone in Beijing has an iPhone it seems like. I'd say 8/10 people on the subway has an iPhone out, the other two has an iPad. I went to the Apple store in Xidan on a random Sunday afternoon back in February (so before the iPad 3 came out) and it was absolutely, shoulder-to-shoulder packed with several people waiting on the iPhone or iPad to try it out. I would say China is even more "Apple-crazed" than the US.
Regarding Vita, it's too soon to tell but I believe it will become more successful in a year or two. Just a gut feeling.
Yeah, looks like it. Not quite as bitter then.
It seems Activision are the only winners here. They said Prototype 2 would own April, and it did. I'm sure they were expecting a hell of a lot more than this though.
Chaplain
Member
Or, maybe just new IP's.
1.) Prototype 2 (sequel)
2.) Kinect Star Wars
3.) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (sequel)
4.) Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 (sequel)
5.) NBA 2K12 (sequel)
6.) The Witcher 2 (sequel)
7.) Mario Party 9 (sequel)
8.) Mass Effect 3 (sequel)
9.) Just Dance 3 (sequel)
10.) MLB 12 (sequel)
dinosaur_hunter2
Member
I'd really like to see how well Xenoblade sales went. It's a shame NPD doesn't include games sold buy a single retailer.
ZeroGravity
Member
Yup. Generation fatigue has really set in.
snoopeasystreet
Member
So the only one that isn't a sequel is from one of the biggest franchises out there.
This industry :/