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[Prine]

Deg = Lokk = Bub

 

[jarrod]

Forget about advertising and all that... The key difference is that Tales was an installment in established franchise from a proven RPG developer and didn't suck. The sales of both reflected that.

Tales is hardly a established franchise outside it's homeland nor is Wolfteam/Tales Studio really a proven RPG developer here... for all purposes Symphonia might as well have been brand new in the US. And Sudeki's getting generally 7-8 in revirews, hardly the mark of a game that completely sucks.

Nintendo's timed exclusives don't sell as well, that's the problem. Add all three of those Cube examples up and they wouldn't match Splinter Cell's Xbox sales.

Splinter Cell isn't the standard for XBox though either, in fact it's the lone exception. Look at Pandora Tomorrow, Dead to Rights or Wreckless... all fairly popular timed exclusives and those three combined can't match Splinter Cell sales either.

Also, I doubt that most of the time the third party sales are the same... There's got to be a reason that developers are leaving Nintendo platforms.

Well usually it's financial difficulty in supporting three platforms (Midway, Acclaim) or the developers loudy announce an exit when they never really did anything on GameCube in the first place (Codemasters). Companies who can afford to support both generally do, and Japanese companies definitely throw more weight behind Nintendo. Most significant western publishers (EA, Activision, UbiSoft, Atari, THQ) seem happy with the platform though.

Development costs & port complexity are another factor. GameCube poses a more difficult hurdle than Xbox in those areas.

Yep, a key reason for supporting XBox though is the freebie PC ports... they can essentially get two releases out of developing for one platform. This is the reason LucasArts is still on board XBox (despite their GC games almost always selling better). Just looking at the numbers though, you'd think they were insane.

Unless you're comparing third-party software sales on both platforms, I don't see how this is relevent.

Just curious, no doubt Nintendo has a higher percentage of 1st party software than MS (I'd guess around 25% to 12%).... I was just wondering which userbase actually moved more games, it's likely a neglibile difference (like hardware).

 

[Makura]

There's lots of arrogance in that exchange, but not from Nintendo.

Agreed.

 

[NWO]

Do you Nintendo guys pull this on every damn game? ToS had a ton of advertising. Commercials, contests, store displays, and print ads in every gaming mag and tons of non gaming mags. It's been one of the most heavily advertised games this year.

What the hell?

When did they show commercials for TOS because NOBODY saw them?

And contests, store displays, and print ads.....your really stretching that one. Oh shit look I made a post about TOS I helped in advertising.

Go back and look at the predictions for people on that game and most people lowballed it. Namco has already said that they are very pleased by the results on the Cube so far with the game and its STILL selling well at all the online stores.

 

[ge-man]

Now Matt should be completely ashamed with that quote now. I can't believe this thread has become this big over comments that can't be verified. But I guess I should have not expected any less from the GAF. People will jump on the weakest evidence or argument to get their point across, just like Matt.

 

[Insertia]

If you believe the developer was the one that showed any kind of arrogance, you have on some pretty thick blinders.

 

[ge-man]

If you believe the developer was the one that showed any kind of arrogance, you have on some pretty thick blinders.

I can't believe anything though, that's the problem. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle as it usually is, but people will take the extreme regardless.

 

[sohka88]

So how is the sony showing arrogance with the PSP? I still do not get it...

 

[gofreak]

Yeah, I sincerely doubt that what Matt reports was actually how the conversation happened. I'm sure he's taking liberties and dramatising things so he can go through another period of Nintendo-scepticism/bashing.

And I would agree that if this was how the conversation actually happened, then arrogance was being shown on both sides. The developer thought they were above and beyond developing for Nintendo (because they had Sony/Microsoft), and Nintendo thought they were too good to ignore. But heh, this isn't how it happened..

 

[jedimike]

What the hell?

When did they show commercials for TOS because NOBODY saw them?

And contests, store displays, and print ads.....your really stretching that one. Oh shit look I made a post about TOS I helped in advertising.

Go back and look at the predictions for people on that game and most people lowballed it. Namco has already said that they are very pleased by the results on the Cube so far with the game and its STILL selling well at all the online stores.

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=5076

Those are just the mags with 2 page ads. There have also been mags with one page ads that aren't listed.

Hell, even resident Ndroid Efralope has commented on the great advertising for ToS.

 

[jarrod]

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=5076

Those are just the mags with 2 page ads. There have also been mags with one page ads that aren't listed.

Hell, even resident Ndroid Efralope has commented on the great advertising for ToS.

Wow.. they extended advertising to the comic book media too. Look at that far reaching campaign.

So where were these commercials again?

 

[jedimike]

Wow.. they extended advertising to the comic book media too. Look at that far reaching campaign.

Hey, it fits the demographic... and it's more advertising than most publishers do.

So where were these commercials again

I don't know... I don't usually watch the Disney Channel j/k. Maybe their wasn't commercials, but there was certainly plenty of advertising.

 

[Alcibiades]

just to clear up any misunderstanding, I never said Tales of Symphonia had great advertising, just that there was at least a minimalist effort from Namco, which easily trumps what Konami did, which is nothing...

pre-order bonuses at ebgames.com + a contest for a Cube > one-page ad in fall '03

 

[jarrod]

Hey, it fits the demographic... and it's more advertising than most publishers do.

But not more than Sudeki got I'd imagine. And ad wise, it was pretty weak for a Namco game... compare it to the push Xenosaga got for example.

I don't know... I don't usually watch the Disney Channel j/k. Maybe their wasn't commercials, but there was certainly plenty of advertising.

Advertising in gaming/enthusiast based spaces. The problem being most high profile games get their awareness pushed beyond preaching to the choir.

 

[ghostface]

According to Matt, a developer told him he had such a conversation with a Nintendo rep.

My uncle has this friend who's cousin is best friends with the gardener of the guy who's daughter is married to the brother of a developer...

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

There were absolutely no ToS TV advertisements. None from Namco or Nintendo, at least.

Dont you guys remember the thread on that?