This generation started in 2012.
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NPD Sales Results for October 2015 [Up1: Xbox #1]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
This generation started in 2012.
Mister Megative
Banned
He's the executive editor of Game Informer, and as that tweet demonstrates, very silly.
Mister Megative
Banned
Not sure, EA won't provide numbers. That sounds about right though.
In all honesty, regardless of your thoughts on the game, the notion that it will be a sales 'disaster' is utter nonsense. UTTER nonsense.
Gotdatmoney
Member
So happy about the Yoshi sales. 165k is sold. It should squeek to 300-400k by the end of the year with the christmas bump I imagine.
I hope you're not going to tell me than next gen starts next year too because Nintendo is gonna Nintendo.
If it makes you feel better than I don't ignore WiiU, even if its fortunes or lack of them are irrelevant to the other consoles imho, the digital ecosystem we have now is still leagues ahead what we had in November 2008 (3 years after xbox 360 launch). Braid and Castle crashers had just launched that summer, and that was probably the start of the situation that leds us to where we are know and where we are going from here.
Cosmic I'm curious about your thoughts on the cause of digital creep in retail packaging. I made a thread specificity about my theories in the matter but I'd really like to hear yours and your reasoning.
At first I assumed it was strictly a cost reduction measure but as this has started to extend to collectors editions (even ones with limited edition/steel book cases) it seems there might be ulterior motives at play.
ethomaz
Banned
Nope... Wii U placed in a transition between generations... NX too... this generation started late 2013.
2012 was when a lot of the best games of last generation dropped.
That's not how it works.
CosmicQueso
Member
ClosingADoor nailed it on the CE thing. If you're waiting for a disc, you have to outsource your CE materials months in advance, wait for them to arrive on a boat, get them to your distribution facility, open up each CE package, put a disc in, reseal the package, restack the pallets, put on a truck. If you use a code, you can have the full and complete CE come from your materials provider, don't have to reopen and restack every package... could save days/weeks and a ton of labor cost. It reduces risk in both timing and costs.
GameStop hates this, and if they start refusing to carry CE's with digital codes then CEs with digital codes will go away and you'll see discs in them again.
Hmm yea as I said in the thread that does make sense it's just odd to me that they would advertise/include special game cases if there was no physical disc. I don't know maybe I'm just overthinking it.
Obliterator
Member
Idk Battlefront is going to be big no doubt. But I'm not sure its going to perform as strong as many think
Edit: For reference I'm thinking 2-3 million November NPD
Edit: For reference I'm thinking 2-3 million November NPD
CosmicQueso
Member
Okay on that one, who knows. That's just weird. Only thing I can think of is that the components for the CE were determined and ordered before the decision on code vs disc was made. And once it was decided to go with code, they're like "well we have all these steelbooks coming. What do we do with them?" "Ehhhh, just put it in the box I guess".
Hanlon's Razor. Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence/stupidity/whatever
I think in the same range but what are people expecting? It's going to have legs in Dec as well.
Fair enough. Hopefully you're right about GameStop and they nip this trend in the bud. I had no idea GameStop still had that much influence.
ethomaz
Banned
Well this gen games started to ship in late 2013.
Are you saying next year NX start a new generation?
CosmicQueso
Member
GameStop has all the influence. Notice how discs are back in the HW bundles? If you like disc based games, GameStop is your best friend in the entire industry and is fighting for you constantly.
Many people, myself included, after FO4 performance thought that Battlefront would give BLOPS3 a run for its money. I'm not so sure anymore. I guess we'll get a better idea when the PAL numbers come out on Monday.
I enjoy the Game Informer podcast, but the collective group up there in Minnesota frequently say things that would make your head spin.
I.... I have mixed feelings about that. GameStop seems the greater of two evils in this situation.
Obliterator
Member
Ive seen quite a few people say Blops 3 numbers. That ain't happening. Pretty confident it wont beat FO4 either
Honestly I think it's sales hinge on the movie hype more so than anything else. If the movie is fantastic the game will ride those coat tails all the way to the bank. If not the legs on the game will drop like a rock.
Mister Megative
Banned
BLOPS3: 5 million plus
FO4: 4-4.5 million
BF: 3-3.5 million
Seems to be conventional wisdom, and pretty accurate.
Obliterator
Member
Consumers response is bigger deal imo. It'll sell big upfront and hit a month before the film. If reaction is mixed or negative there is plenty of time for the word to get out
Welfare
Member
What is wrong with Gamestop?
I meant that between digital codes in bundles and GameStop the latter seems like the worst. Just IMO of course but I think GameStop is pretty reprehensible as a business and just in general.
They are responsible for much of "preorder culture" as we know it today as well as profiting off of grossly exaggerated second hand market margins that actual developers and publishers see no recourse or return from. Their whole business model relies on profiting from the ill informed by paying out as little as humanly possible and then reselling for massive margins. They're basically the gaming equivalent of a pawn shop. I just personally find it to be a reprehensible business model. But I understand why others would disagree.
^^^^ what he said.
StrongBlackVine
Banned
I kinda see Gamestop as leeches. Probably a bit dramatic.
CosmicQueso
Member
On the other hand, I've read research that finds a good deal of the money generated by trading in games goes to purchases of new games, and that many people of lower income or young in age use the trade in of their older games as a currency source for purchasing new games. And that, if that used market went away, those people would be able to afford far fewer games and that the loss of this spend would not be made up from other demographic groups.
It would kind of stink for that 18 year old kid with the part time job to have no ability to boost his buying power by using his old games. Sure, there are other ways that person could sell those possessions, granted.
You're right on the preorder culture thing though.
Personally, I don't think GameStop gets enough credit for just how much they get after publishers to lower prices, improve the product offering, and ensure that discs still get around. They can be merciless, and they do always seem to have their customer in mind when doing so.
Welfare
Member
My early life right here.
Thebeardofknowledge
Banned
Why don't you enlighten all us plebs on how it started in 2012.
Primethius
Banned
This is how I bought Smash Bros. Melee back in the day.
Then I kept that game, as it was my only game, for a really long time.
Gotdatmoney
Member
Cosmic already touched on this but most of the money obtained from trading in old games is spent on new ones. Of the used game section were to collapse I don't see any way the industry would make up lost sales. As opposed to dumping money into buying more new games you'll have people waiting longer for game prices to collapse and less games purchased in general. On top of that you will have less people playing games. That is not good for the industry.
Second hand market can definately boost overall spending and also increase brand perception and market reach.
Attempts to kill this market IMHO are really short sighted and seem based on figuring games would be like songs bought from iTunes.
The issue is that model works fine for small purchase price for repeatable material but I think is an issue for relatively expensive games that a fair percentage of market views as "one and done".
While I dislike pre-order culture I agree GameStop did well because it offered a model consumers liked at the end of the day.
It is miles better than working in one of Amazon's Orwellian warehouses or in a fast food kitchen.
I miss record/CD stores, movie rental huts, and bookstores. They were great places for young people to work. GameStop is somewhat in that mold.
Wii U may have been a next generation Nintendo console, but the market didn't move along with them, it wasn't until after the PS4 and Xbox One in 2013 and onwards was when the market started a proper transition into "next gen".
Think of how despite the Dreamcast being part of the same generation as the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube, barely anyone mentions that console when talking about that console generation as a whole outside of it marking the death of the Sega people loved.
Bolivar687
Banned
By sales or metacritic?
This page keeps track of the top 25 gaming companies by revenue but it's more than just publishing:
http://www.newzoo.com/free/rankings/top-25-companies-by-game-revenues/
1st Course
Member
I remember Activision saying they are the #1 publisher in the western world (NA & EU) in their earning report.
NoMoreTrolls
Banned
So you're going to judge the Xbox One and PS4's library in the context of them being in their 3rd year rather than their 2nd simply because Nintendo prematurely released a console that the mass market ignored for the half baked "master of none" product that it is? That's not how it works.
CosmicQueso
Member
In 2015, lose Ubi, throw in Warners, and you have your 5.
Don't discount Nintendo's publishing strength. They might not sell a ton of boxes, but boy oh boy do they sell some software.
Yea I can see the argument there. Makes sense. Hadn't really thought about it that way.
Yea this is honestly my biggest gripe. I see preorder culture as a major negative force in gaming and to me there is no question where it began.
Speaking as a consumer I've never really gotten the impression they were fighting for me in any way. Maybe I'm just unaware of what goes on behind the scenes but it's just not something I am cognizant of at all. On the contrary it honestly feels like they are trying squeeze water from a stone by looking for ways to profit from the customer at every conceivable opportunity.
CosmicQueso
Member
Well they're certainly doing that too... they are GameStop after all
Hah you're right I guess those two things aren't mutually exclusive despite them feeling that way at first glance. But I stand by my point I'm just not aware of this consumer advocacy at all so I'd have to assume it's pretty behind the scenes as I consider myself a fairly informed consumer.
Square2015
Member
Not over, we haven't received 3DS yet...
Obliterator
Member
I believe its reported over 70% of all trade credit is used towards the purchase of new products not pre owned. Take away that entire system and it would unquestionably hurt launch volume sales
CosmicQueso
Member
Heh to be fair this is mostly one of those examples where the retailer's interest and the interests of the consumer that likes physical games align.
+1.
Personally, I count generation progression as technology progresses. WiiU is to PS3/360 as Xbox was to PS2. Slightly more powerful, but certainly not a generational leap. If anything, Wii should be placed on it's own separate category, and WiiU should be Nintendo's late entry to last gen. NX will be their late entry to this gen.
Again, that's not how it works. Wii U isn't even really a technical upgrade from ps360 but it's their 8th generation box. Wii was barely a technical upgrade over the 6th generation boxes but it was their 7th generation box. Whether they have the same software support is irrelevant to the technicality. If you are still confused, please consult Wikipedia.