Did Sega really make the most of their headstart? I would say no, and not because that they didn't try, but Sony stacked the cards so against them with the PS2 reveal, and the situation was further compounded by EA's about-face on Sega as a whole. Granted, we'll never know just how well it could have done if it had a normal lifespan, but I don't think it was ever going to live up to that western launch success.
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NPD Sales Results for March 2013 [Up5: BioShock Infinite]
- Thread starter EviLore
- Start date
Did Sega really make the most of their headstart? I would say no, and not because that they didn't try, but Sony stacked the cards so against them with the PS2 reveal, and the situation was further compounded by EA's about-face on Sega as a whole. Granted, we'll never know just how well it could have done if it had a normal lifespan, but I don't think it was ever going to live up to that western launch success.
Ninja Scooter
Member
This. You can look back at the GC (and N64) libraries as a collective and see all the great games together, but at the time (as someone who was primarily both a GC only and N64 only gamer for most of their lifetimes) it was fucking painful. Long droughts of games. Delays. Subpar third party offerings. Seeing the competition get great third party games that never got ported....it was not the funnest time.
THe Dreamcast got off to a great start considering the hole Sega was coming out of (coming of of the massive failure of the Saturn, while Nintendo is coming off Wii). They just didn't have the resources to sustain it.
Chinpoko_Master
Member
Well, it actually fell behind both of them last month.
They can all still fit the ordering. Keep in mind the starting numbers of 261k and 245k are both rounded off to begin with. 261k could be 260.5 or 261.4. The 245k is based off 9% growth from last year (which could be 8.5% or 9.4%), based off last year's number of 225k, which is rounded off itself. You're not going to figure anything out from this based on the ordering.
I think that's a typo given the chart in the OP.
I don't buy this for a second. For one, no 3rd parties are investing in the system so there's no 3rd parties to alienate. 2nd, the user base is so infinitesimally small that it makes no difference if they piss off that crowd. 3rd, they're selling the console for a loss. Instead of bleeding more money, they should scrap it, focus on 3DS and use those profits for R&D for a new home console.
I used to be optimistic, but their sales are just so pathetic I don't know how they can turn it around. Fire the management, scrap the Wii U project, take your lumps (small as they will be IMO), and live to fight another day. They must release systems with (at least) similar power to Sony and Microsoft now to compete in this market. The Wii crowd is gone and there's no getting them back. Once they get a system that get 3rd party support, their 1st party development will get them back in the game.
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Another month, another disappointment. This industry is a sinking ship. We're screwed.
Edit: I'm being a bit sensationalist. Very much looking forward to the new cycle.
Edit: I'm being a bit sensationalist. Very much looking forward to the new cycle.
velvet_nitemare
Member
Pretty sure that's been the case since February NPD.
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
So GOW outsold GOW if you count the system bundles?
Metallix87
Member
AGAIN, it's about the software. The Wii Remote wouldn't have been the amazing revolution it was without Wii Sports there on day one. The Wii U Game Pad hasn't had that revolutionary game title yet, and it may never get it, but that's why it isn't the new Wiimote (yet).
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
Sega at least gave it a good shot.
BlazingDarkness
Member
this always creeps me out.
No dude, it's just Nintendo, what are you on about -.-
creamsugar
Member
gowa have bundle sku, so you could figure it out.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Hey dont let Wii U Vita discourage you. Im pretty sure software sales are doing just fine.
How sad exactly? First time MH has had good reviews. Did it translate into sales?
AZ Greg
Member
Don't worry. The market just wants a next-gen system.
Yeah, no one could accuse Sega of not firing off all ordinance, that's for sure.
Mihael Mello Keehl
Banned
Next gen system or next gen games?
Metallix87
Member
They've invested too much and are developing too many games for the Wii U to simply abandon ship. If by this time next year the situation is still grim, then that'll be something else entirely, but I suspect we'll get more than just the Wii U being discontinued at that point. We'd likely see MAJOR changes at Nintendo.
Man-is-Obsolete
Member
Maybe I am misinterpreting this, but the way you have gowj, gowa, and tr listed is confusing to me. You make it seem like all sold more than 600k, and gowa sold more than gowj even though the NPD ranking shows otherwise.
He's including the hardware bundles.
He just said that the God of War number is skewed because of hardware bundles.
/edit: Beaten
Ninja Scooter
Member
They needed to get it from the start. If they had that grand idea, we would have seen it at launch. The Wiimote had things going for it that the Pad don't. Namely novelty (we hadn't seen anything really like it before. People have been using tablets for years) and ease of use. My 60+ year old dad had never touched a video game in his life. He was able to grab the Wii Mote and play golf, bowling and tennis in a matter of seconds. This would not be the case with any tablet/TV interface. There was something much more natural about the Wii-mote as a method of input that the Pad simply cannot replicate.
That's what I used to think too but Genesis' raw specs were much better, yet SNES afforded some hw tricks that lend themselves well for games.
IdreamofHIME
Member
lmao @ Gears and God's numbers, the writing was on the wall for months.
shinra-bansho
Member
Launch aligned. (I used 68K for Wii U March.)
I think Aquamarine has a GCN vs Wii U chart.
I think Aquamarine has a GCN vs Wii U chart.
Considering just how old they are now, I would be inclined to believe that the 360 and PS3 numbers are both alright judging off this NDP.
3DS numbers are not that bad either but nowhere near to what the DS Lite was pulling off at one point.
Brawndo Addict
Banned
What were the sales expectations for Infinite anyways, I seem to remember 10-12 million being thrown around. Will be interesting to see sales for April to see how accurate that prediction is going to be.
creamsugar
Member
Oh wait, lego and hunter is the top 2 games in Wii U sw chart this month.
Gonzo The Great
Banned
The Master System was released after the NES (Famicom), and the Super Nintendo was more powerful than the Genesis. I'll give you the Xbox, although technically the Gamecube was released first, and Nintendo started developing it in 1999.
grimshawish
Banned
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
600k for both games is actually higher than I would have figured given the total lack of buzz and pretty meh reception for either title, especially with Gears.
TheUnknownForce
Member
If your earlier statement still stands, Wii U software is...well...it is what it is. :/
John Harker
Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
There was a lot to go around this month, but a couple titles could have done better
Serious question... But is the vita going thru supply issues? I went to three stores today, target had one vita console (batman), bestbuy had no vita's, and Walmart had a plus 3G console. That's it. I asked at all three stores, and got the same response. " that's all we have, but you can order via online and ship to store"
Kinda fucked up IMO. Is this anywhere else? Any thoughts?
Kinda fucked up IMO. Is this anywhere else? Any thoughts?
opticalmace
Member
And yet the Wii U dropped on a per-week basis compared to Feb. ~_~
That's almost double what I was expecting. Both of them were probably way cheaper to produce than their previous entries too. I liked Ascension a lot despite it's flaws so I'm glad it didn't wind up being a disappointment. Sure, it didn't do mainline entry sales but it did OK. Haven't played Judgement so I can't speak to that one.
TheNatural
My Member!
Yup. Wii U is basicaly the Wii's Antichrist when you think about it.
Any casual could pick up a Wiimote, wave their arms to roll a bowling ball on screen while holding a button or two and letting go. It took the focus completely away from the controller.
The gamepad puts it COMPLETELY on the gamepad as some sort of obnoxious hub. Doing actions on it requires looking away from the action on the screen to do a task. It's worlds more complicated than a Wiimote for casuals, and for even regular gamers it an annoyance that has to be babysit.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Stores usually don't re-order stock on things that don't sell.