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NPD Sales Results for February 2011 [Update 4: PS3 Hardware, TONS Of Games]

Majine

Banned
forgeforsaken said:
The other thing to take into consideration with the somewhat silly Bulletstorm v. Killzone 3 sales is that Bulletstorm is a new IP while KZ3 is what the fourth game in the franchise including the PSP title. So in that regard for a new IP to outsell an established IP early on is kind of saying something about one of the two if not both.
I thought Gears 3 is also a part of a well-established franchise.
 

V_Arnold

Member
Amir0x, what is with your self-respecting gamer does not buy 360 statement?
Microsoft has proven in this generation that you do not NEED an exclusive every month to sell.

It is nice to have exclusives also, but I do not believe in playing exclusives for the sake of playing with exclusives. When this generation see the success story of COD (which outsold even Halo, the biggest exclusive FPS in console history), which basically sold most in Xbox 360, you do not NEED exclusives.

And when I see the typical high-profile games most people love so much, the majority is multiplatform. I do not think I need to quote the list of games, we all know them. They are awesome, and they are not exclusives. And nobody cares about that if the game is good.

MS still has the fps/tps/racing exclusives set, aswell as maybe a new Fable, and a lot of exclusives in the XNA Indie/XBLA front. That, the Kinect itself, the entry price and the online platform of Live is exclusive enough for most gamers.
 
forgeforsaken said:
The other thing to take into consideration with the somewhat silly Bulletstorm v. Killzone 3 sales is that Bulletstorm is a new IP while KZ3 is what the fourth game in the franchise including the PSP title. So in that regard for a new IP to outsell an established IP early on is kind of saying something about one of the two if not both.

Yeah it says stop putting 3's and 4's behind your titles. Do what COD does and add subtitles ;p

Actually I have already touched on this theory in the 10 million Kinect thread, but it's very likely the longer this generation goes on, the more likely it is that a few developers become "experts" in their field and their "main franchise", in this case FPS and COD becoming the one that satisfied the fan base.

Leaving very little room for anything else, well except Halo(but that used to be the old king of the genre) making copy cat games that are very similar more redundant.

This industry needs growth and diversification, which is exactly why I fully expect Kinect to continue its success. Microsoft just nailed it.
 

Grinchy

Banned
I still want KZ3 and haven't bought it yet, so that translates to 3 million people who are like me.

Seriously though, I saw KZ3 in #7 and thought, "Hey they did a good job!" And then I read the thread, and I'm confused because it seemed good at first. It will be better once we get some numbers, I suppose.
 

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
Dabanton said:
That's why all the crowing about the PS3 exclusive lineup this year will be come December all be for nought. So far we've had what i would consider two big hitters for PS3 LBP2 which did fairly ok and then we have KZ3 yes it had only been out for 6 days when these numbers were taken but i would have thought that anyone who wanted it would have brought it in huge numbers within the first few days what the hell were PS3 owners playing why they didn't purchase it?

Maybe their is just no interest. Doesn't bode well for the rest of the year..

Who honestly thought Killzone was going to be huge?
 
Jinfash said:
Was there ever a case where the "It only had X days" excuse turned out to be true, as in a better position and sale numbers the next month? I can't think of one.

DeadSpace 2: I know it dropped, but it seems to have sold pretty well for February as well
 
lowrider007 said:
Man I hate the franchise but a 60fps online shooter, what else is out there that competes?

As I said in a thread I made a while back the frame-rate is a big reason as to why this game is a as popular as it is giving it a very precise and unique feel compared to other shooters, other dev's just don't seem to be cottoning on.
I really doubt framerate has anything to do with it. Most people don't know or can't tell the difference between 30 or 30+ fps. The millions of people buying this game are buying it because the brand has more than established itself and it offers a great FPS experience. I just can't imagine anyone talking up COD, especially its framerate, any where other than GAF.
 

RurouniZel

Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
Kinect is really killing for Microsoft. I think it will be a while before they release a new system now.

And it's almost a no-brainer at this point that it will be incorporated into the design of their new system.

miladesn said:
Update?
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/...Up_3_Percent_Black_Ops_Maintains_Top_Spot.php

Wii 454k
Just Dance 2 554k


"Nintendo also revealed that the Wii sold 454,000 units in the month, up over 14 percent from the year before. The new sales put the system above 35 million unit mark in the U.S. faster than any other console in history."

Awesome. ^_^
 

Jadedx

Banned
GavinGT said:
I delivered pizzas to the Microsoft store in the mall the other day. There must have been 40 employees and about 150 people crammed into this relatively small store. They might as well have renamed it Kinect store. They had about twenty Kinect demo stations, with some set up outside the store in the main walkway. Every person that walked by had to stop and look. Shit's crazy.
Kinect is really the new Wii.
 
What the hell is a self respecting gamer anyway? Jeez when did gaming get so serious? Self respect haha. The distinction between casual and hardcore is tenuous at best.
 

GavinGT

Banned
lowrider007 said:
o_O, not sure if serious..



Man I hate the franchise but a 60fps online shooter, what else is out there that competes?

As I said in a thread I made a while back the frame-rate is a big reason as to why this game is a as popular as it is giving it a very precise and unique feel compared to other shooters, other dev's just don't seem to be cottoning on.

I don't think frames per second matter to the average CoD gamer, not even subconsciously or indirectly.
 
I think that Amirox is more arguing that if you have every console, you don't need a console that doesn't have exclusives you don't like. Which is true to an extent, but how many people realistically have every console?

I have a gaming PC, and there are still games that you can't get there on 360, so it's worth it to me.
 

V_Ben

Banned
Kagari said:
Who honestly thought Killzone was going to be huge?

Killzone 3 landed with a damp squib of hype, and feels like the dying gasps of a franchise born out of Sony's need of a PS2 exclusive FPS. It needs a long break.
 
Salvor.Hardin said:
What the hell is a self respecting gamer anyway? Jeez when did gaming get so serious? Self respect haha. The distinction between casual and hardcore is tenuous at best.


It's something hardcore gamers and elitists created in the first place to make themselves feel superior. Soon they'll be swallowing their pride and want to be part of the crowd.

It always happens at every major generational change. Then you always have the few loons that were still traumatized by the whole thing that still believe 2D Contra is and will remain the best shooter forever ;p
 

Biggzy

Member
Dabanton said:
That's why all the crowing about the PS3 exclusive lineup this year will be come December all be for nought. So far we've had what i would consider two big hitters for PS3 LBP2 which did fairly ok and then we have KZ3 yes it had only been out for 6 days when these numbers were taken but i would have thought that anyone who wanted it would have brought it in huge numbers within the first few days what the hell were PS3 owners playing why they didn't purchase it?

Maybe their is just no interest. Doesn't bode well for the rest of the year..

Also another issue with Sony’s exclusives is that they are all pretty much sequels, henceforth if anyone are interested in these exclusives they would already have a PS3.
 

antonz

Member
GavinGT said:
I don't think frames per second matter to the average CoD gamer, not even subconsciously or indirectly.
Quality of game in general doesnt matter at all. The Call of Duty Nametag is all average person gives a shit about.
 
February was a big month for Microsoft's hardcore side: Bulletstorm, MvC3, NBA, Dead Space 2, and BLOPS's sustained selling point. Kinect continues to grab the casual audience which remained interested post-holiday season. Now if it will sustain in the long run, we'll see. Its hardware boost is expected, considering both factors.

Nintendo did fairly well, despite the odds. Hardware actually went up this time as opposed to down, which people estimate will happen. Just Dance 2 is the casual game of 2010 for Wii, and Nintendo is lucky it became a hit, and I guarantee you Michael Jackson's game was mostly Wii sales, too. No mention of Mario Sports Mix is not endearing, though; it probably sold ~250k at best. The ad was poor and the timing was bad. Thankfully for Nintendo, the game sold very well in the long run in Japan, so perhaps long legs will follow.

Sony even went up in hardware sales, also thanks to the hardcore game push this month. Killzone 3 also was a factor, that was for sure, but maybe not the biggest reason. Move is still selling, but its impact is smaller than Kinect, by far. Thankfully Sony has major releases each month moving forward, ensuring at least one big game in the Top 10 a month.

Now, next month. Nintendo not only released Pokemon B+W which will most likely get close to or be at top of next month's chart, but the 3DS will be launching in March as well. I personally think that Nintendo is releasing the 3DS now in the US rather than earlier in order to pull casual attention away from other innovative products such as Kinect and Move. Whether it will or not depends on word of mouth. Price will also be a factor.

The following games will appear next month, IMO:
BLOPS
Just Dance 2
Zumba Fitness
Michael Jackson
Dragon Age 2
MLB 2K11
Homefront
Crysis 2
Pokemon Black and White
Insert 1 or 2 3DS launch titles (if some of the above do not appear)
 

Canova

Banned
So MS gained 25% due to Kinect, Sony gained 25% due to its softwares, right?

they achieved the same thing by different ways
 

Kusagari

Member
Sony has utterly failed at getting any of their franchises made this gen into blockbuster territory except for Uncharted with 2.
 

NHale

Member
Grinchy said:
I still want KZ3 and haven't bought it yet, so that translates to 3 million people who are like me.

Seriously though, I saw KZ3 in #7 and thought, "Hey they did a good job!" And then I read the thread, and I'm confused because it seemed good at first. It will be better once we get some numbers, I suppose.

That's the same people that said GT5 bombed. They will probably never learn though.
 

fernoca

Member
forgeforsaken said:
The other thing to take into consideration with the somewhat silly Bulletstorm v. Killzone 3 sales is that Bulletstorm is a new IP while KZ3 is what the fourth game in the franchise including the PSP title. So in that regard for a new IP to outsell an established IP early on is kind of saying something about one of the two if not both.
Keep in mind that Killzone 3 is in one platform, while Bulletstorm is in 3.
In the PAL charts, it has been like Killzone 3 >Bulletstorm 360 >>>>Bullestorm PS3, for 2 weeks.

Being so close in the NPD as far as positioning goes, could mean that it was similar in the US.
 

lowrider007

Licorice-flavoured booze?
Darkshier said:
I really doubt framerate has anything to do with it. Most people don't know or can't tell the difference between 30 or 30+ fps. The millions of people buying this game are buying it because the brand has more than established itself and it offers a great FPS experience. I just can't imagine anyone talking up COD, especially its framerate, any where other than GAF.

oh come of it, of course most people can't tell the difference on a technical level but they can 'feel' that something is different, most of my friends don't understand how frame-rate effects games but they all love how COD feels and controls, there is a reason why the devs take the extra time out tweaking the game to run as close to 60 fps as possible, it's proven formula that they know works for them and gives the game a unique feel compared to other shooters.
 

Lynn616

Member
DMeisterJ said:
The sales for all the consoles in February is crazy... Considering the MSRP of the three consoles hasn't changed since last February, I wonder what the reasoning behind the increase is... Was it really that good of a tax season? So surprising.

MSRP for both 360 and PS3 should be up because of Kinect and Move bundles this year.
 

DCharlie

And even i am moderately surprised
Who honestly thought Killzone was going to be huge?

i think the next step is to say it was only Xbots who thought it would be huge so they could fake disappointment when it doesn't sell.

Why isn't it huge is the better question...

within a handful of posts! There's one for a start!
 

evolution

Member
Bulletstorm releases on three platforms and only comes in at number 7 lol. It seems were not tired of the old same shooters yet
 

Elios83

Member
Kusagari said:
Sony has utterly failed at getting any of their franchises made this gen into blockbuster territory except for Uncharted with 2.

A lot of Sony games this gen have sold more than 4m units WW.
And I guess that classifies as blockbuster unless the treshold has been upped to 10m to be called like that ;)
 

Barrett2

Member
I have been playing KZ3 in 3D the last few days, and have to conclude, IMO, it's really damn boring.

But that aside, good to see Bulletstorm at least charting, even if across three platforms. Cliffy B's Tweets made it seem like the game was a massive flop.
 

Agent X

Member
A game like Killzone 3 manages to land in the top 10, and half of GAF still finds a way to declare it a "bomb" without even seeing the numbers? Really?

I'd be more surprised if the game didn't make the top 10.
 

GavinGT

Banned
If we lived on planet Helghan, Killzone 3 and Black Ops would've swapped places this month.

Also, I'm pretty sure Killzone 3 had "chalkboard" distinction for a while there before its release.
 

Gravijah

Member
DCharlie said:
i think the next step is to say it was only Xbots who thought it would be huge so they could fake disappointment when it doesn't sell.



within a handful of posts! There's one for a start!

What are you implying, sir?
 
Also, BLOPS being the top-selling game in the US is kinda asterisked by the fact that it is on every platform available, compared to Wii Play which is on only one, but that could be asterisked by the fact that it was bundled with hardware (which would remove Wii Fit and Plus, too).

What is the highest-selling, single-SKU game in the US without hardware bundled in?
 
Watchtower said:
It's something hardcore gamers and elitists created in the first place to make themselves feel superior. Soon they'll be swallowing their pride and want to be part of the crowd.

It always happens at every major generational change. Then you always have the few loons that were still traumatized by the whole thing that still believe 2D Contra is and will remain the best shooter forever ;p

Very true.

Most people playing Halo or CoD online could be considered casual because they're not terribly stressed out about their kill/death ratio. Most college students are casual gamers. If casual gaming doesn't depend on the game you play and instead how you play it, then there is no such thing as a casual game. The people that use this distinction come off as being irritated that they're not getting 10 more brainless steroid induced shooters.
 

Mileena

Banned
GavinGT said:
Explain Modern Warfare 2, then.
5vbf7.png
 

Oblivion

Fetishing muscular manly men in skintight hosery
Kusagari said:
Sony has utterly failed at getting any of their franchises made this gen into blockbuster territory except for Uncharted with 2.

Eh...dunno about that either.
 
Sho_Nuff82 said:
I think that Amirox is more arguing that if you have every console, you don't need a console that doesn't have exclusives you don't like. Which is true to an extent, but how many people realistically have every console?

I have a gaming PC, and there are still games that you can't get there on 360, so it's worth it to me.

Multi-console owners is a small but significant portion of the market. But I'd argue that exclusives "you don't like" isn't relevant. If the system has exclusives that sell, or more importantly, that sell systems, then the manufacturer is doing it's job. And though I find Kinect detestable, it (and its games) are filling that role quite well.

It's still just a glorified Balance Board, though, not some wave of the future or new platform.
 
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