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[duckroll]

If it can sell 1 million this week and 1 million the next, yeah.

Good one. :lol

 

[schuelma]

Hmm... I'm not sure where Wii Sports Resort stands right now, but I think NSMBW may have passed it already to become the best selling Wii game of the year.

I think that probably is correct. The last number I have for WSR is 1.355 and I think that is missing last week and this week, so unless it did 50K the last 2 weeks NSMB Wii has it beat.

 

[Acosta]

If it can sell 1 million this week and 1 million the next, yeah.

Best analysis ever.

 

[test_account]

PSP GO is a terrible product, so it can't be used to determine the viability of other products...

Why is the PSP GO a terrible product? The price is rather high though, i agree, but what about the product itself?

 

[onken]

Remarkable MW2 sales, FPSs doing well in Japan, whatever next.

Those ToG are disappointing for a brand new mainline Tales entry, no doubt about it. I wonder if releasing alongside NSMB helped or hindered it.

Tomodatchi collection just won't die :lol

 

[Dragon]

Why is the PSP GO a terrible product? The price is rather high though, i agree, but what about the product itself?

I'm sure he/she is like most other people who think it's a terrible product. It's too expensive and they hate being forced DD only.

 

[Acosta]

PSP GO is a terrible product, so it can't be used to determine the viability of other products...

It's not a terrible product. The price may be terrible, or the situation of PSN, but PSP Go itself it´s a great handheld.

 

[schuelma]

Those ToG are disappointing for a brand new mainline Tales entry, no doubt about it. I wonder if releasing alongside NSMB helped or hindered it.

I would think NSMB Wii and the massive increase in Wii interest would help more than hinder. I think if any software impacted Graces it would be FF13.

 

[duckroll]

It's not a terrible product. The price may be terrible, or the situation of PSN, but PSP Go itself it´s a great handheld.

Having seen the unit myself in person, I agree that the hardware is great. Unfortunately, a machine is only as good as what it can be used for, so with all the factors in place I'll have to say it is indeed a terrible -product-.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

We can't have a normal week anymore :/

sinobi didn't give WE2010 numbers (PSP/PS2) so I can't finish prediction results, and despite last week getting somewhat of a 2ch leak (with sell through for first day figures) now we get nothing and it could very well be like 10 days until we get Famitsu numbers for those.

 

[kswiston]

I wonder if Graces will be the last mainline tales game to hit the Wii. At least exclusively. LTD sales won't be that much better than Vesperia on 360.

 

[schuelma]

We can't have a normal week anymore :/

Yeah very disappointing. Unless we get it tonight it seems like the Famitsu top 30 is gone for the time being.

I wonder if Graces will be the last mainline tales game to hit the Wii. At least exclusively. LTD sales won't be that much better than Vesperia on 360.

I think that is possible. They did keep trying with the DS games, so who knows. If they do switch I think they have to try the PSP at this point, and keep the Symphonia team on HD.

 

[test_account]

I'm sure he/she is like most other people who think it's a terrible product. It's too expensive and they hate being forced DD only.

Ah ok, ye, maybe he/she ment it like this indeed. I first thought that RJT ment that the product itself (price aside, even if the PSP GO has a pricetag of $100 or $200, it would still be the exact same product) is terrible as in bad quality hardware etc. I am sorry if i missunderstood something :\

But if it is a terrible product in the way that it cost much (at least compared to what the PSP-3000 costs and i dont think that the PSP GO offer alot more compared to what the PSP-3000 offers when it comes to functions etc.) and that the PSP Go is a platform that is DD only, then i understand what RJT means

 

[Acosta]

Having seen the unit myself in person, I agree that the hardware is great. Unfortunately, a machine is only as good as what it can be used for, so with all the factors in place I'll have to say it is indeed a terrible -product-.

If PSN had the content it should, the product (PSP Go) would be the same, but PSN content wouldn't be terrible, which is the main problem for me. If PSP Go had huge hardware problems, the product would be terrible, independently of the content at PSN or price. This is how I see it.

In any case, semantics aside, we all can agree that the whole situation is a missmanaged mess. I wonder if Sony will stick around or they will quietly discontinue it when PSP 4000 comes.

 

[dolemite]

Any lines forming for FFXIII in Japan?

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

I think that is possible. They did keep trying with the DS games, so who knows. If they do switch I think they have to try the PSP at this point, and keep the Symphonia team on HD.

Who's to say the Graces team wouldn't move to HD either? Last gen they had 2 teams working on the same platform, I don't think you can rule out the same happening again. I don't think it's as restricted as stay on the Wii or move to the PSP. I guess it'd be a matter of budget vs. sales, but ToV PS3 on its own has performed well, even if we were to assume that everybody who bought the 360 version double dipped.

 

[schuelma]

Who's to say the Graces team wouldn't move to HD either? Last gen they had 2 teams working on the same platform, I don't think you can rule out the same happening again. I don't think it's as restricted as stay on the Wii or move to the PSP. I guess it'd be a matter of budget vs. sales, but ToV PS3 on its own has performed well, even if we were to assume that everybody who bought the 360 version double dipped.

I just find it unlikely that Namco after 2+ years of giving Tales to every system under the sun is going to now go exclusively HD.

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

I just find it unlikely that Namco after 2+ years of giving Tales to every system under the sun is going to now go exclusively HD.

2+ years of a fractured userbase leading to dwindling sales for the franchise? Obviously they've got no reason to try something different.

 

[duckroll]

I just find it unlikely that Namco after 2+ years of giving Tales to every system under the sun is going to now go exclusively HD.

He didn't say anything about that though. The Graces team could certainly move on to PS3 development, and I can definitely see that happening. Team Destiny and Team Symphonia would be on the same platform once again. That doesn't stop Namco from getting random teams to continue work on Tales games on the DS and Wii.

 

[Oxx]

It's time for Swords of Legendia!

 

[ethelred]

I just find it unlikely that Namco after 2+ years of giving Tales to every system under the sun is going to now go exclusively HD.

I don't see the Tales franchise going HD exclusive, but there's a big difference between that and between Tales Studio going HD exclusive. Remember, for all the other games coming out on every system under the sun, only two of the non-HD games were by Tales Studio: Hearts and Graces, and they were both by one team (albeit a smaller piece of it for Hearts). I'm not saying it's likely, but it's certainly not implausible or unlikely that this one team could move onto the PS3 or 360 for its next project while others continue to make spinoffs or lesser titles on other platforms.

Still think its more likely they put a main team on the PSP, but who knows.

I don't think they'll ever do this given how much PSP owners seem to like the stuff they're putting on the platform. Increasing the output in terms of team assignation would not necessarily lead to an equal increase in sales over the impressive amounts they're raking in off Alfa System spinoffs and PS2 (and Wii?) ports.

Of course, by the time a new Destiny game was ready it might be the end of the current gen anyways.

Given the speed of their output with Destiny 2 -> Rebirth -> Destiny Remake -> Hearts -> Graces, I don't see why you'd think this at all.

 

[schuelma]

He didn't say anything about that though. The Graces team could certainly move on to PS3 development, and I can definitely see that happening. Team Destiny and Team Symphonia would be on the same platform once again. That doesn't stop Namco from getting random teams to continue work on Tales games on the DS and Wii.

Still think its more likely they put a main team on the PSP, but who knows. Of course, by the time a new Destiny game was ready it might be the end of the current gen anyways.

I don't see the Tales franchise going HD exclusive, but there's a big difference between that and between Tales Studio going HD exclusive. Remember, for all the other games coming out on every system under the sun, only two of the non-HD games were by Tales Studio: Hearts and Graces, and they were both by one team (albeit a smaller piece of it for Hearts). I'm not saying it's likely, but it's certainly not implausible or unlikely that this one team could move onto the PS3 or 360 for its next project while others continue to make spinoffs or lesser titles on other platforms.

Yeah, valid point, especially after what Vesperia sold. I'm ignorant on this subject, so I'll ask you- during the PS2 era did the 2 main teams share a lot of assets or were they pretty separate? I only ask because it would be a lot easier for Team Destiny to move to HD if they can share with Team Symphonia.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

You're quite correct, I have no idea why the Media Create numbers didn't register that. Switched to Famitsu.

Now I'm really just sayin'.

Actually, Xbox's launch week is the first I have data for any Media Create hardware numbers. But since the 2002 data starts in February, has a few holes, and doesn't include portables until August, Garaph just includes it from the beginning of 2003. You'll notice that your first image (still quoted in Jonnyram's post) shows the start date of 2002-12-30 on the right, since it went with the first available date.

Who's to say the Graces team wouldn't move to HD either? Last gen they had 2 teams working on the same platform, I don't think you can rule out the same happening again.

Last gen had a completely different Tales strategy, though. Everything important: PS2, though in one case with a GCN version first. Unimportant spinoff: GBA.

 

[duckroll]

Last gen had a completely different Tales strategy, though. Everything important: PS2, though in one case with a GCN version first. Unimportant spinoff: GBA.

Last gen no one had to "guess" or try anything to know right off the bat what console was going to have the main audience for JRPGs though. It was pretty obvious.

 

[schuelma]

Last gen no one had to "guess" or try anything to know right off the bat what console was going to have the main audience for JRPGs though. It was pretty obvious.

It seems like the DS games would have done much better than they have done. Does Tales just not translate as well to the DS because of graphical limitations?

 

[dolemite]

Last gen no one had to "guess" or try anything to know right off the bat what console was going to have the main audience for JRPGs though. It was pretty obvious.

I bet a lot of Japanese third parties wish the PS2 days were back.

 

[duckroll]

It seems like the DS games would have done much better than they have done. Does Tales just not translate as well to the DS because of graphical limitations?

Tales of the Tempest.

I bet a lot of Japanese third parties wish the PS2 days were back.

Why stop at third parties? I bet Sony wishes the PS2 days were back! :lol

 

[Die Squirrel Die]

Last gen had a completely different Tales strategy, though. Everything important: PS2, though in one case with a GCN version first. Unimportant spinoff: GBA.

And whatever the motivation behind this new strategy the result is that mainline games have gone from selling 500k+ to selling 200k-300k.

Who knows, maybe NB are feeling fair and want to divy up the games to everybody so no userbase is left out. Or maybe, with no clear console of choice they've had to test the viability of the series on every platform.

 

[schuelma]

Tales of the Tempest.

I assume that is the theory that an initial poorly received game poisons the well for all subsequent games in the series?

 

[duckroll]

And whatever the motivation behind this new strategy is the result is that mainline games have gone from selling 500k+ to selling 200k-300k.

I don't know if the multiplatform strategy is really the direct cause of this though. If it were truly the case, then we would have seen sales drop slowly as each title was released on different platforms.

Instead they pretty much tanked from 500+k (Abyss, new title) and 300+k (ToDR, typical for a remake and/or port) to 200+k levels for all 3 DS games. Those were all new games too, released on a platform with a relatively healthy JRPG userbase.

Now, it could be a sign that people are just sick of Tales games, but ToV PS3 has sold over 300k now, which is pretty normal for a remake and/or port. It has outsold ToS GC (311k), and will probably outsell ToDR PS2 (367k) as well, stopping short of outselling ToS PS2 (390k). So clearly there's still demand. Yet a brand new title on the Wii following shortly after has pretty much tanked, like the DS titles before it.

The explanation is definitely not as simple as it seems, and it definitely indicates that the Tales fanbase is more inclined to buy a PS3 Tales in future.

I assume that is the theory that an initial poorly received game poisons the well for all subsequent games in the series?

If that's really true though, then after ToL, TotA wouldn't have sold over 500k again. So yeah I think that theory is bullocks but I had to bring it up anyway! :lol

 

[Datschge]

I'm ignorant on this subject, so I'll ask you- during the PS2 era did the 2 main teams share a lot of assets or were they pretty separate? I only ask because it would be a lot easier for Team Destiny to move to HD if they can share with Team Symphonia.

During the PS2 era the two teams were very much separated, but starting with ToV (or ToS-R, being started later and finished earlier) all the graphic staff and assets are already pretty much completely shared between both teams. The question is what all the programmers (who are more dependent on systems than any other staff) do. On "Team Symphonia" side the former lead programmer now do R&D for all games (including ToH and ToG) with newer programmers doing the detail works. On "Team Destiny" side it remains to be seen what core people like Tatsuro Udo and Ryuichi Ishizawa are up to.

 

[schuelma]

The explanation is definitely not as simple as it seems, and it definitely indicates that the Tales fanbase is more inclined to buy a PS3 Tales in future.

I agree with that. My own little theory is that though the PS3 userbase is small it has a decent amount of buyers who 1- were part of the core group of PS2 owners buying games such as Tales and 2-people who have been buying the system for FF13 since day one.

Edit- I realize that isn't exactly mindblowing.

 

[Chris1964]

I don't think I want to see my predictions' results this week. At least we got some numbers outside top 30.

Famitsu first weeks comparisons:

29 . [PS2] Call of Duty: Finest Hour (Capcom) - 4.648 / 4.648 27/10/05
25 . [360] Call of Duty 2 (Konami) - 4.773 / 4.773 15/06/06
xx . [360] Call of Duty 3 (Electronic Arts Victor) - 7.938 / 7.938 29/03/07
14 . [PS3] Call of Duty 3 (Spike) - 14.117 / 14.117
21 . [360] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) - 25.901 / 25.901
26 . [PS3] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) - 20.692 / 20.692
xx . [NDS] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) - 3.600 / 3.600 13/03/08
xx . [PS3] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Map Download Special Limited Edition) (Activision) - 1.100 / 1.100 03/07/08
06 . [PS3] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Legendary Hits) (Activision) - 16.424 / 16.424 10/09/09
12 . [360] Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Platinum Collection) (Activision) - 9.036 / 9.036 10/09/09
03 . [PS3] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Square Enix) - 117.000 / 117.000 10/12/09
09 . [360] Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Square Enix) - 61.000 / 61.000 10/12/09

01 . [PS2] Naruto: Shippuden Narutimate Accelerator (Namco Bandai) - 75.399 / 75.399 05/04/07
10 . [PS2] Naruto: Shippuden Narutimate Accelerator 2 (Namco Bandai) - 94.330 / 94.330 20/12/07
05 . [PSP] Naruto: Shippuden Narutimate Accelerator 3 (Namco Bandai) - 71.000 / 71.000 10/12/09

08 . [NDS] Luminous Arc (Marvelous Entertainment) - 30.743 / 30.743 08/02/07
05 . [NDS] Luminous Arc 2: Will (Marvelous Entertainment) - 35.042 / 35.042 15/05/08
xx . [NDS] Luminous Arc 3: Eyes (Marvelous Entertainment) - 22.000 / 22.000 10/12/09

08 . [PSP] Bleach: Soul Carnival (SCE) - 17.523 / 17.523 23/10/08
xx . [PSP] Bleach: Soul Carnival 2 (SCE) - 11.000 / 11.000 10/12/09

05 . [WII] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (Konami) - 38.360 / 38.360 21/02/08
07 . [WII] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2009 (Konami) - 14.676 / 14.676 14/05/09
xx . [WII] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2010 (Konami) - 9.300 / 9.300 10/12/09

xx . [PSP] R-Type Tactics (Irem) - 2.900 / 2.900 20/09/07
xx . [PSP] R-Type Tactics II: Operation Bitter Chocolate (Irem) - 3.700 / 3.700 10/12/09

I'm bored to post every Tales number, so here are only the Wii ones.
01 . [WII] Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World (Namco Bandai) - 151.138 / 151.138 26/06/08
02 . [WII] Tales of Graces (Namco Bandai) - 143.000 / 143.000 10/12/09

 

[dolemite]

We are slowly converting the Japanese to the FPS genre

 

[schuelma]

We are slowly converting the Japanese to the FPS genre

Link's Crossbow training bravely paved the way.

 

[Datschge]

Does Tales just not translate as well to the DS because of graphical limitations?

The only Tales Studio game on DS, ToH, hold up very well with their other main games.

I think what NBGI missed to do this generation is having a very big hit on a popular system first. On PS1 and PS2 the games ToD and ToD2 had true blockbuster sales which are still the top two in Japanese Tales sales, while every subsequent games had a fracture of that first game's sales. This generation NBGI botched the two systems with the biggest install bases with inferior games (TotT on DS and ToS-R on Wii) so on these systems the newer games have to make up for lost ground. The HD systems are better off despite a smaller install base just for the virtue of not having any game release lesser than a full main game yet.

 

[markatisu]

We are slowly converting the Japanese to the FPS genre

God help us, the Japanese already have pretty bad taste and this only will make it worse

 

[charlequin]

sinobi- Graces does 143K.

Oh man. I am done ever defending anything positive about Wii third-party sales ever, ever again.

It really is. This is a huge success for S-E.

:lol

 

[Chris1964]

:lol

Square Enix is the publisher in Japan.

 

[schuelma]

What episode is that from? Not remembering at the moment.

 

[Chris1964]

We are slowly converting the Japanese to the FPS genre

If you say so.

 

[NintendosBooger]

We are slowly converting the Japanese to the FPS genre

Nonsense.

CoD is a record-breaking phenom and so of course as a result of its obscene popularity in the West it'll do remarkably better than its genre peers even in those markets not exactly known to be entirely appreciative of these sort of games. Look at GTA sales in Japan, but then look at all the other sandbox titles that came after.

 

[mclem]

Anyone think NSMB Wii can hit 3 million by the year's end?

I think that's asking a bit much; I'm more interested if it can pip Friend Collection in that time. It's got the momentum to do so but Friend Collection is picking up in sales too as we get closer to Christmas. It's going to be dependent on how rapidly NSMB's week-on-week sales drop, and how rapidly FC's week-on-week sales increase. I think that's going to be *really* close, and I'm not sure which way to call it. Right now, NSMB's second week suggests that it'll have the upper hand.

 

[Y2Kev]

Wow, incredible Tales sales. And I mean incredible in that I truly cannot believe them.

 

[schuelma]

Wow, incredible Tales sales. And I mean incredible in that I truly cannot believe them.

Yeah I never really gave selling worse than a horrible spinoff much thought.

Incredible indeed.

 

[Chris1964]

I think that's asking a bit much; I'm more interested if it can pip Friend Collection in that time. It's got the momentum to do so but Friend Collection is picking up in sales too as we get closer to Christmas. It's going to be dependent on how rapidly NSMB's week-on-week sales drop, and how rapidly FC's week-on-week sales increase. I think that's going to be *really* close, and I'm not sure which way to call it. Right now, NSMB's second week suggests that it'll have the upper hand.

Friend collection will sell a minimum of 250k in the next two weeks. This will bring the YTD to 2,13M. NSMBW would have to sell at least 730k in two weeks time. It can happen (unless of course Friend Collection explodes in sales)

 

[donny2112]

I am done ever defending anything positive about Wii third-party sales ever, ever again.

Just curious, but what unqualified "positive" has there been for Wii third-party sales over the past year or so?

Taking it further, are there any unqualified positives for any console third-party sales situations in the past year?

I keep specifying "unqualified," because it's always been "It did good/okay/great considering ..." which immediately leads to the Pureauthor turnabout.

 

[schuelma]

Just curious, but what unqualified "positive" has there been for Wii third-party sales over the past year or so?

Taking it further, are there any unqualified positives for any console third-party sales situations in the past year?

I keep specifying "unqualified," because it's always been "It did good/okay/great considering ..." which immediately leads to the Pureauthor turnabout.

I still think MH Tri and Vesperia PS3 are positives.

 

[Y2Kev]

Monster Hunter 3.

 

[Chris1964]

Besides NSMBW and Wii these week's surprises are

Warfare 2: very high sales
PokePark: hit from nowhere
Graces: Wii main entry outsold from Wii spin-off
DS: hardware is kinda low for the period