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[MrparisSM]

I was very surprised by a recent article on cnet.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3755398.stm

It states that

"Since its 1998 launch, Half-Life and its various add-on packs, such as Counter-Strike, have sold more than eight million copies worldwide, according to Valve. "

This may just be me, but the way PC gamers were hyping this up, I would have thought Half Life sold TWICE this amount. But only 8 million worldwide??? And not to mention this is INCLUDING Add-ons?? Most PC games you can find dirt cheap quickly after they've released, this is not very impressive to me(the way I was lead to believe Half Life 1's sales were). Hopefully Half Life 2 will do better?

 

[Goreomedy]

Realize, most people got the "add-ons" for free from the mod community.

 

[ManaByte]

8 million since 1998 isn't surprising at all. Half-Life 1 still sells because the core game is required for CS (which you can then just download since it's a free mod). The HL Platinum set is always on the weekly best sellers rack at the local Fry's. The game STILL sells. Just like StarCraft still sells since it's release.

 

[Wellington]

I'm assuming that the add-ons come with the actual game, meaning it was the GOTY version(s) that they included in then numbers.

 

[MrparisSM]

Like I stated above, this may just be me, but 8 million INCLUDING add-on numbers is not very impressive... This thing has no chance to one-up Halo 2 come November...

 

[Wellington]

Like I stated above, this may just be me, but 8 million INCLUDING add-on numbers is not very impressive... This thing has no chance to one-up Halo 2 come November...

:lol

You cannot be serious.

If you're using previous installed base as your basis for comparison, Halo 2 would fall way short of HL2.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Like I stated above, this may just be me, but 8 million INCLUDING add-on numbers is not very impressive... This thing has no chance to one-up Halo 2 come November...

And the barely veiled agenda comes rushing forward in a magnificent reveal.

 

[MrparisSM]

And the barely veiled agenda comes rushing forward in a magnificent reveal.

Depending on how you look at it. I actually WANT Half Life 2 to be comparable in sales to Halo 2 in the month of November, and was pretty shocked when I saw this article. I am a Xbox/PC gamer. And own a All In Wonder 9800(which I purchased a year ago just for this game). So don't think I want this game to fail or anything, but compared to the Halo 2 monster, I don't think it will stack up very well...

 

[gblues]

8 million is a LOT for a PC game to sell. 8 million units in PC gaming is the console equivalent of 20 million on consoles.

Nathan

 

[MrparisSM]

8 million is a LOT for a PC game to sell. 8 million units in PC gaming is the console equivalent of 20 million on consoles.

Nathan

How is that so, when the userbase for PCs is X times larger than any single console?

 

[Wario64]

Yeah cause every PC is meant to run computer games

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

8 million is a LOT for a PC game to sell. 8 million units in PC gaming is the console equivalent of 20 million on consoles.

Nathan

8 million is a lot for console games, even if it was only attained after years on budget re-release. In all honesty for any one to say that 8 million under any circumstances (short of being a free game like Hearts or something) is dissapointing they'd have to be pretty dumb. And if they claim it's 'cause they expected more, well then they should learn to have more educated expectations.

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

How is that so, when the userbase for PCs is X times larger than any single console?

Because only a tiny percentage of those PC users actually buy games. Everyone who buys a game console buys games.

 

[jedimike]

Exactly... that's why a lot of PC developers are diving into the console business. Halo would have never sold over 5 million units as a PC only game.

 

[EviLore]

IIRC, Valve actually claims that HL1 has sold over 10 million copies worldwide, but I'm no sales number grandmaster.

How is that so, when the userbase for PCs is X times larger than any single console?

Because not everyone buys and plays modern game releases on their PCs? Look at sales numbers of PC FPS games some time.

 

[Wellington]

How is that so, when the userbase for PCs is X times larger than any single console?

:lol!

Jesus man, quit while you are ahead. PCs serve quite a few different functions as opposed to an Xbox.

Still, with a record 1.5 Million pre-orders, it's kind of obvious how this will end.

 

[MrparisSM]

OK guys, I see the Half Life fanboy has come out of the lot of you, and you may feel the need to insult or ridicule me to feel better. OF COURSE I know that PCs are multi-purpose. You guys are acting like Half Life is some state of the art game now. You can run this game on the cheapest of systems. And there are far more PC gamers than any single console gamer. Just look at games like the Sims and how much they've sold. Case closed.

 

[teepo]

actually... hl1 sold 11 million worldwide...

and for the record, both expansion packs when sold standalone were never even close to selling half a mil.

 

[Goreomedy]

Case closed.

Oh, really? And I was just about to contribute.

 

[Wellington]

OK guys, I see the Half Life fanboy has come out of the lot of you, and you may feel the need to insult or ridicule me to feel better. OF COURSE I know that PCs are multi-purpose. You guys are acting like Half Life is some state of the art game now. You can run this game on the cheapest of systems. And there are far more PC gamers than any single console gamer. Just look at games like the Sims and how much they've sold. Case closed.

I'm looking forward to Halo 2 a LOT more than HL2 but the fact of the matter is that PCs, no matter what tech is in them, are sold to people not interested in gaming at all. That being the case, they should not be included when you say something like the PC userbase is much bigger than the Xbox userbase. It's not a matter of tech.

Whatever the case may be, you're basing how HL2 will do on how HL1 did all time? Guess what, Halo isn't anywhere near that 8 million number you quoted, heck I'd be shock if it's at a quarter of that number. Basing how a sequel will do on it's installed base from the original game is completely illogical in this industry.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Oh, really? And I was just about to contribute.

Guess he showed you by bringing up the only other PC game to sell gangbusters as well (well it and its 6 or 7 expansions). Shame you could never point out that bringing in the Sims as an example is like saying that because GT3 sold 10 million that GTA3 selling ten millions isn't that impressive.

But hey the case is closed and you can't argue with that.

 

[MrparisSM]

I'm looking forward to Halo 2 a LOT more than HL2 but the fact of the matter is that PCs, no matter what tech is in them, are sold to people not interested in gaming at all. That being the case, they should not be included when you say something like the PC userbase is much bigger than the Xbox userbase. It's not a matter of tech.

Whatever the case may be, you're basing how HL2 will do on how HL1 did all time? Guess what, Halo isn't anywhere near that 8 million number you quoted, heck I'd be shock if it's at a quarter of that number. Basing how a sequel will do on it's installed base from the original game is completely illogical in this industry.

Halo 1 is at 5 million worldwide in half the time it took Half Life to reach 8 million. And say what you will, but I personally perceive that the Xbox userbase(only 15 million at this point) is much less than the PC worldwide gamers. Nvidia and ATI probably sell more than 15 million graphics cards in one single year.

 

[AntoneM]

regardless of how many graphics cards are sold or how many PC's are sold. If you compare Half Life to other PC games 8 million sold is a shit-ton. 99% of console games don't sell that much even to a userbase of over 70 million and console games get a ton more sales on average than PC games. Case closed!

 

[firex]

Like I stated above, this may just be me, but 8 million INCLUDING add-on numbers is not very impressive... This thing has no chance to one-up Halo 2 come November...

This just in, you're delusional.

 

[keeblerdrow]

Half-Life 2 supports the eating of babies. I disagree with this.