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Now those numbers are lifetime, worldwide, of course, not just this holiday season 
Magic 8-Ball: "Looks likely"
With the upcoming holiday shopping season only a couple months away now, GameDAILYBiz dug deep to find out just exactly what the market will be like over the next several months.
Whippin' out the big guns
With titles like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Halo 2, Half-Life 2, Gran Turismo 4, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and more on the horizon, this holiday clearly has the potential to break records. Will it be the busiest shopping season the video games industry has seen, and what game(s) will stand above the rest?
DFC Intelligence President, David Cole, says that it "should be a good holiday season," but that "sales will revolve around fewer titles." He believes that "unit sales will probably be up a little bit, but that revenue might be down a little bit just because of natural price declines."
David Riley, NPD Group's Senior Public Relations Manager "anticipates another great holiday season," as well, but he couldn't commit to any predictions. "It's too early to make projections."
Although Electronics Boutique was not willing to share any specific projections, an EBGames spokesperson did tell us that the company is "optimistic about the holiday season, particularly with so many great software titles launching this fall/holiday."
Don't be playa hatin', Master Chief
Both Halo 2 and GTA are "going to be huge" according to Cole, but he expects GTA: San Andreas to top the charts just like its predecessors. Cole told GameDAILYBiz, "Vice City sold, I believe, worldwide over 11 million units. So, I think San Andreas will definitely exceed 10 million on a worldwide basis." Because the Xbox doesn't have the same kind of installed base as the PlayStation 2, Cole sees Halo 2 selling fewer units; Halo 2 could sell as high as 50% or more of the user base, which would come to about 8 million units.
Riley isn't sure, however, that GTA will be the clear winner. He contends that "GTA is a great franchise...but it appeals to a specific audience and that's what limits it because it's an [M]-rated game; there's a lot of competition out there, and it's not like one's going to eat up the other because there's plenty of room for everyone."
[ "I think it's brilliant that Nintendo is coming out with the DS this year," David Riley, NPD Senior Public Relations Manager ]
Retail scramble
When we brought up the subject of how retailers might be preparing for all the hype surrounding the big name titles, and the big increase in foot traffic that goes along with that, Cole responded with, "The real interesting question is: will any retailers use these as loss leaders?discount them and take a loss on the titles just to get people into their stores." He continued, "Every retailer is going to be stocking, trying to get their hands on as many units as possible."
Itz-a me, the DS!
This holiday isn't just about software, though. Nintendo's upcoming DS handheld is expected to launch in November, and will compete for consumer dollars along with everything else.
Riley believes that the Nintendo DS could have a big impact on holiday sales. "I think it's brilliant that Nintendo is coming out with the DS this year; it's really going to help drive sales." In addition to people snatching up the Nintendo DSreportedly priced at $150Riley sees console owners picking up one of the systems they don't currently own. The recent $30 price drops for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 and the $20 slash on the Game Boy Advance will "make a huge difference."
Bye, bye bank account
No matter who comes out on top, one thing is clearthere are more high-quality offerings scheduled for the next several months than we've seen in quite some time.
"What we've been seeing is kind of strange because every month has been a great month, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that developers are now just getting used to the engines that are driving these machines; they're able to code some beautiful games," said Riley.
Here's to selling some games!
Magic 8-Ball: "Looks likely"
With the upcoming holiday shopping season only a couple months away now, GameDAILYBiz dug deep to find out just exactly what the market will be like over the next several months.
Whippin' out the big guns
With titles like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Halo 2, Half-Life 2, Gran Turismo 4, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and more on the horizon, this holiday clearly has the potential to break records. Will it be the busiest shopping season the video games industry has seen, and what game(s) will stand above the rest?
DFC Intelligence President, David Cole, says that it "should be a good holiday season," but that "sales will revolve around fewer titles." He believes that "unit sales will probably be up a little bit, but that revenue might be down a little bit just because of natural price declines."
David Riley, NPD Group's Senior Public Relations Manager "anticipates another great holiday season," as well, but he couldn't commit to any predictions. "It's too early to make projections."
Although Electronics Boutique was not willing to share any specific projections, an EBGames spokesperson did tell us that the company is "optimistic about the holiday season, particularly with so many great software titles launching this fall/holiday."
Don't be playa hatin', Master Chief
Both Halo 2 and GTA are "going to be huge" according to Cole, but he expects GTA: San Andreas to top the charts just like its predecessors. Cole told GameDAILYBiz, "Vice City sold, I believe, worldwide over 11 million units. So, I think San Andreas will definitely exceed 10 million on a worldwide basis." Because the Xbox doesn't have the same kind of installed base as the PlayStation 2, Cole sees Halo 2 selling fewer units; Halo 2 could sell as high as 50% or more of the user base, which would come to about 8 million units.
Riley isn't sure, however, that GTA will be the clear winner. He contends that "GTA is a great franchise...but it appeals to a specific audience and that's what limits it because it's an [M]-rated game; there's a lot of competition out there, and it's not like one's going to eat up the other because there's plenty of room for everyone."
[ "I think it's brilliant that Nintendo is coming out with the DS this year," David Riley, NPD Senior Public Relations Manager ]
Retail scramble
When we brought up the subject of how retailers might be preparing for all the hype surrounding the big name titles, and the big increase in foot traffic that goes along with that, Cole responded with, "The real interesting question is: will any retailers use these as loss leaders?discount them and take a loss on the titles just to get people into their stores." He continued, "Every retailer is going to be stocking, trying to get their hands on as many units as possible."
Itz-a me, the DS!
This holiday isn't just about software, though. Nintendo's upcoming DS handheld is expected to launch in November, and will compete for consumer dollars along with everything else.
Riley believes that the Nintendo DS could have a big impact on holiday sales. "I think it's brilliant that Nintendo is coming out with the DS this year; it's really going to help drive sales." In addition to people snatching up the Nintendo DSreportedly priced at $150Riley sees console owners picking up one of the systems they don't currently own. The recent $30 price drops for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 and the $20 slash on the Game Boy Advance will "make a huge difference."
Bye, bye bank account
No matter who comes out on top, one thing is clearthere are more high-quality offerings scheduled for the next several months than we've seen in quite some time.
"What we've been seeing is kind of strange because every month has been a great month, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that developers are now just getting used to the engines that are driving these machines; they're able to code some beautiful games," said Riley.
Here's to selling some games!
