July NPDs: Summer Daze

[Talon-]

It's that time again as the NPD Group releases the game industry's numbers for the month of July.

Hardware:
Nintendo DS - 608.4K
Wii - 555K
PlayStation 3 - 224.9K
PlayStation Portable - 221.7K
Xbox 360 - 204.8K
Playstation 2 - 155.5K

Software:
1. NCAA Football 09 (Xbox 360, EA) - 397.6K
2. Wii Fit (Wii, Nintendo) - 369.6K
3. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS, Activision) - 309.7K
4. Wii Play w/Remote (Wii, Nintendo) - 284K
5. NCAA Football 09 (PS3, EA) 242.5K
6. Soul Calibur IV (Xbox 360, Namco) - 218.9K
7. Mario Kart w/Wheel (Wii, Nintendo) - 174.5 K
8. Rock Band Bundle (Wii, MTV/EA) - 165.8K
9. Soul Calibur IV (PS3, Namco) 155.8K
10 Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution (Xbox 360, Take-Two) - 147.6K

[via Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19856)]

[Lutheran]

More Nintendo domination on the hardware front..not bad in the software dept either.

[Talon-]

It's funny to think that the Wii is down when it's selling over half a million units. The PlayStation 3 also dropped back down to pre-MGS4 numbers, so take away from that what you will.

Some choice quotes from the article (for the lazy):
[The numbers] represent a modest lull almost across the board for hardware sales -- particularly for the Wii, which falls somewhat short of conservative industry estimates.

Some analysts, however, anticipated a summer tailing-off for hardware sales as a ramp-up to a "hardware storm" in the Fall and holiday seasons -- perhaps not to the extent experienced, though.

North American game software revenues reached $591.1 million in July, a 41 percent leap from the same month last year -- year-to-date total software revenues have now reached $4.9 billion, up 48 percent on the year.

[Ebon Deth]

Wow. MGS4 out of the top 10 ALREADY. No way Konami is making it's money back on that game being PS3 exclusive.

And the PS3 outsold the 360 by 20,000 units. It'll take what, a decade for it to catch up at this pace?

[bapenguin]

Man, Civ Revolution didn't do very well. :(

Neither did the 360. Microsoft needs a hardcore price cut.

[Haemorrhage]

Wow, Guitar Hero: On Tour - 309.7K. Portable hand cramp FTW.

[fitbabits]

Man, Civ Revolution didn't do very well. :(

Neither did the 360. Microsoft needs a hardcore price cut.

That genre seems better suited to PC, though.

And I agree - a price cut of more than a piddling $50 is needed. That said, I expect the 360 to spank the PS3 this holiday season at the current price and SKU mark.

[Talon-]

Wow. MGS4 out of the top 10 ALREADY. No way Konami is making it's money back on that game being PS3 exclusive.

And the PS3 outsold the 360 by 20,000 units. It'll take what, a decade for it to catch up at this pace?

They shipped 4 million copies and, apparently, sold 1.3 million units on Day 1. I think they're doing fine.

[Froggy]

There was some big talk. I thought you all told me PS3 was the big winner, slated to never slip again, and crush all competitors... What happened, sports fans?

Truthfully, I'd love to have a PS3. But I guess I just...don't.

[AversionFX]

So, wait. There's a lull, despite revenues being up 48%? How the hell does that work?

[Ebon Deth]

They shipped 4 million copies and, apparently, sold 1.3 million units on Day 1. I think they're doing fine.

Who cares what they shipped. The game isn't in the top 10 anymore! They certainly didn't SELL 4 million copies.

Typical blockbuster games stay in the top 10 for at LEAST 3 months straight.

This is a complete disaster for Konami and there's no putting lipstick on that pig. I'm anticipating an announced 360 version with the next 6 months.

[Haemorrhage]

That genre seems better suited to PC, though.

And I agree - a price cut of more than a piddling $50 is needed. That said, I expect the 360 to spank the PS3 this holiday season at the current price and SKU mark.

I agree. If Microsoft announced a $50 price cut and Free Xbox Live Gold, 360's would be flying off the shelves this holiday season. (or at least any sane person would think so). But I doubt they ever will.

[Talon-]

Wow. MGS4 out of the top 10 ALREADY. No way Konami is making it's money back on that game being PS3 exclusive.

And the PS3 outsold the 360 by 20,000 units. It'll take what, a decade for it to catch up at this pace?

Also, let me remind you that the same thing happened to GTAIV as it completely fell off the Top 10 just a month after release (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/june-npd-ps3-gets-metal-gear-bump-nintendo-makes-devilish-deal/). Now, GTAIV obviously sold many more units (just under 10 million sold worldwide?), but there are only a few "evergreen" titles out there.

[Ebon Deth]

Also, let me remind you that the same thing happened to GTAIV as it completely fell off the Top 10 just a month after release (http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/18/june-npd-ps3-gets-metal-gear-bump-nintendo-makes-devilish-deal/). Now, GTAIV obviously sold many more units (just under 10 million sold worldwide?), but there are only a few "evergreen" titles out there.

Yeah, and GTA4 sold MUCH more in it's first month than MGS4 did.

Again, a disaster for Konami. And I'm not quite understanding why some of you are trying to pretty that up....

[grognard66]

Man, Civ Revolution didn't do very well. :(

Neither did the 360. Microsoft needs a hardcore price cut.

Funny, I actually thought Civ Rev had pretty respectable numbers. This is an unusual genre for consoles, so I didn't expect it to come out blazing but I'm optimistic that this is a game that will continue to sell steadily at that level thanks to word of mouth for several months (unlike MGS4).

[Gorvi]

That genre seems better suited to PC, though.

And I agree - a price cut of more than a piddling $50 is needed. That said, I expect the 360 to spank the PS3 this holiday season at the current price and SKU mark.
Since the 360 hasn't spanked any console this year in terms of hardware sold, what would make you think that it'd all of a sudden do that this holiday season? Just curious.

[AversionFX]

Again, a disaster for Konami. And I'm not quite understanding why some of you are trying to pretty that up....

Seriously? A disaster? Wow, okay there. Facepalm.

[Talon-]

Yeah, and GTA4 sold MUCH more in it's first month than MGS4 did.

Again, a disaster for Konami. And I'm not quite understanding why some of you are trying to pretty that up....

'cause most people didn't expect Metal Gear Solid to sell for more than a month?

Let's face it, this is a niche franchise that will sell a bulk of its units in the first month of release. The people that wanted this game bought it day 1. It'll probably sell steadily over the course of the PS3s lifespan, but no rational person would have believed that MGS4 would stay in the Top 10 for 3 months.

MGS isn't GoW, Halo, Mario, etc. MGS2, for example, shipped 7 million units over its lifetime.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

Wow. MGS4 out of the top 10 ALREADY. No way Konami is making it's money back on that game being PS3 exclusive.

And the PS3 outsold the 360 by 20,000 units. It'll take what, a decade for it to catch up at this pace?

According to VGChartz (http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=6970&region=All) it has sold just under 3 million units.

I think it's done just fine.

[Ondo]

6. Soul Calibur IV (Xbox 360, Namco) - 218.9K
9. Soul Calibur IV (PS3, Namco) 155.8K
I find this somewhat interesting - I expected the Xbox version to do better relative to the PS3 version. 58% of the total was Xbox - for Madden it was 62%. So perhaps that is what I should have expected.

Also, if you combine sales from the two platforms it looks like Soul Calibur would be #2.

[Talon-]

I find this somewhat interesting - I expected the Xbox version to do better relative to the PS3 version. 58% of the total was Xbox - for Madden it was 62%. So perhaps that is what I should have expected.

Also, if you combine sales from the two platforms it looks like Soul Calibur would be #2.

Yeah, Gamasutra made a significant typo there. It was NCAA 09 that came out last month, not Madden. Madden will be more interesting to watch.

[grognard66]

Since the 360 hasn't spanked any console this year in terms of hardware sold, what would make you think that it'd all of a sudden do that this holiday season? Just curious.

Well, for one thing, 360 didn't spank any console last year either until that particular Holiday Season (particularly December where 360 had a larger advantage in that one month than PS3 has had all year combined over 360).

For another thing, $199 price point (and $50 off the other SKU's).

[agentgray]

Man, Civ Revolution didn't do very well. :(

Neither did the 360. Microsoft needs a hardcore price cut.

So you and I were one of those 147k? I enjoy it.

[Talon-]

Since the 360 hasn't spanked any console this year in terms of hardware sold, what would make you think that it'd all of a sudden do that this holiday season? Just curious.

I don't think it could without the price cut, but it certainly will win with the price cut, IMO. $100 (or $200) price difference will help sway decisions. Ultimately, both consoles (and the Wii) will kick ass this Holiday season, and that's good for the industry's health.

On the other hand, Guitar Hero: On Tour...not so good.

[fitbabits]

Since the 360 hasn't spanked any console this year in terms of hardware sold, what would make you think that it'd all of a sudden do that this holiday season? Just curious.

The answer's obvious - games. Both quality and quantity.

[DaXIthR]

Wow. MGS4 out of the top 10 ALREADY. No way Konami is making it's money back on that game being PS3 exclusive.

And the PS3 outsold the 360 by 20,000 units. It'll take what, a decade for it to catch up at this pace?

MS drops the 20GB to $299 and the PS3 still outsells them? That's for MS to think about. I'd MS has the most to spin this month.

MGS being out of the top 10 is not a huge deal. It'll continue to sell, if only because it's still the PS3 game on everyone's mind. That the end of the BC will push the MGS bundles through.

It's say they're OK.

When's the last time MS did something impressive in the sales charts? December?

[Talon-]

The answer's obvious - games. Both quality and quantity.

Actually the 360s backlog will probably be more important for moving units than Gears of War 2 or (definitely) Fable 2. By backlog I, of course, mean the gigantic monolith that is Halo 3. ;)

Nowhere near as important as that price point, though.

[jacktion]

Wow, Mgs4 is already out of the top 10? I guess that didn't sell very well. Oh well. I always knew it was a niche title. I never understood why people thought it was a popular game of the likes of GTA or Halo or Mario or Zelda. People just don't like MGS4.
It's nice to see Nintendo doing so well. So many people were so cocky and said it would fail. It is nice to see obnoxious people shown up as being stupid.

[DaXIthR]

The answer's obvious - games. Both quality and quantity.

Arguable they've had that advantage each of the past two holiday seasons, but Sony continues to gain on them.

Unless something revolutionary happens, the lines are drawn in this generation's console war. The 360 will end up in third place in every major territory.

For what it's worth, they will probably sell more software for the 360 than the PS3. That's really the last piece of statistic MS can tout. And its days are numbered.

[Talon-]

I never understood why people thought it was a popular game of the likes of GTA or Halo or Mario or Zelda.

So I keep on reading similar statements on multiple sites and forums, and I just want to ask: Who are these people? Do these people exist? I don't think even the most hardcore of Metal Gears fans were under the impression that MGS4 would sell as well as Halo 3 or COD4.

[jeffbax]

MGS4 sold 3 million, how that equals doom to you people is beyond comprehension.

[DaXIthR]

Actually the 360s backlog will probably be more important for moving units than Gears of War 2 or (definitely) Fable 2. By backlog I, of course, mean the gigantic monolith that is Halo 3. ;)

Nowhere near as important as that price point, though.

Are you being serious? Halo 3 has little more relevance than Halo 2 at this point. We're supposedly seeing teasers for Halo 4.

This holiday season, Halo 4 will sell more 360s than Halo 3.

That's just the nature of the beast. The industry is always forward-looking? Uncharted a good game? Fuck you - it's 10 months old. The question not even "What have you done for me lately?"...it's "What are you going to do for me tomorrow?"

[Emabulator]

That genre seems better suited to PC, though.

And I agree - a price cut of more than a piddling $50 is needed. That said, I expect the 360 to spank the PS3 this holiday season at the current price and SKU mark.Double ditto.

Civ's core audience is clearly on the PC, guess it was worth a try though.

A $199 Xbox 360, with a hard drive, and an older good game as a pack-in would sell very well. The console has been around long enough. A DVD, in a paper sleeve, with a game that's run its course at retail won't kill MS.

[DaXIthR]

MGS4 sold 3 million, how that equals doom to you people is beyond comprehension.

Maybe they are Japanese (http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2914927)?

That was six weeks after release.

[Talon-]

Are you being serious? Halo 3 has little more relevance than Halo 2 at this point. We're supposedly seeing teasers for Halo 4.

This holiday season, Halo 4 will sell more 360s than Halo 3.

That's just the nature of the beast. The industry is always forward-looking? Uncharted a good game? Fuck you - it's 10 months old. The question not even "What have you done for me lately?"...it's "What are you going to do for me tomorrow?"

You're really going to compare Uncharted to Halo 3? No, you're right, nobody's only thinking about Halo 3 when they buy a 360, but it's certainly a game in the back of your head along with the upcoming titles (although I have to question the viability of Fable 2 in that sense).

[Micasa]

MS drops the 20GB to $299 and the PS3 still outsells them? That's for MS to think about. I'd MS has the most to spin this month.

The PS3 dropped 45%. The 360 dropped just 7%. Who needs to spin?

[DeathtollWRX]

I can't wait to see how many 360's Gears of War 2 sells. I say this every time NPD figures come out...

..When is Blizzard going to announced Sc2 and D3 to consoles?

[Ebon Deth]

MS drops the 20GB to $299 and the PS3 still outsells them? That's for MS to think about. I'd MS has the most to spin this month.

MGS being out of the top 10 is not a huge deal. It'll continue to sell, if only because it's still the PS3 game on everyone's mind. That the end of the BC will push the MGS bundles through.

It's say they're OK.

When's the last time MS did something impressive in the sales charts? December?

The PS3 will never catch the 360, period. It would have to double the 360's sales for 2 years straight.

And the 360 continues to push more software than anyone. Which is all game publishers care about.

MS is very happy.

And having only one game on a system's owners mind isn't a good thing. 360 owners are having trouble figuring out how they'll afford all of the good games coming the rest of the year. Not one or two games.

[H.Bogard]

MGS4 sold 3 million, how that equals doom to you people is beyond comprehension.

The same way that Crysis was a flop at 1.5 million...;)

[KSmitty]

I can't wait to see how many 360's Gears of War 2 sells. I say this every time NPD figures come out...
Not many more at all. People who wanted it bought it, a sequel rarely brings significantly higher console sales within the same console cycle.

[Talon-]

I can't wait to see how many 360's Gears of War 2 sells. I say this every time NPD figures come out...

..When is Blizzard going to announced Sc2 and D3 to consoles?

The price cut is what's going to be the difference. Even then, there's no reason to think that the PS3 won't significantly improve its numbers over last Holiday, so, hey, money for everyone.

Also, defining terms of victory this generation is pretty murky. The staggered start of the 360 and the PS3 (a year and a half gap) really makes a direct comparison of numbers difficult. I mean, hell, we could wind up with the PS3 going strong for a year after the 360's successor is wheeled out. That attach rate, though, is nothing to scoff at.

[Gorvi]

The answer's obvious - games. Both quality and quantity.
And since the 360 won't have a big advantage in either category (as far as new releases are concerned), I'm still wondering why.

[DeathtollWRX]

Does there have to be a winner? I'm happy with a 360 Wii and PC. All three have good games so I am a winnar.

I guess the only way to find out who wins is wait 10 years and see which console outsold the other when nobody is buying. 360 owners buy more games then either system does that make them the winner? What makes a system? The number of games it sells or the number of systems it sells? Let's determine what makes it a better system then we can come up with winnar.

I think a console is successful (for me) when I can play a game that came out over six months ago and still enjoy playing it just about every day.

Halo 3 and before that Halo 2 were my games I played.. Both almost daily since launch. There are others such as Gears of War or (Tom Clancy) games which I can come back to but I can always be sure that I will return to the favorites.

On that note Civilization Revo/Civ 4 and Crysis are my go to PC games.

I have a feeling multiplayer is what pushes 360 games out. Whenever a new multiplayer game comes out everybody at work pics up the title so we can battle against one another even if some arent as interested simply because of the interaction. On the day a game comes out six of us take lunch and run down to buy the latest game so we can play against one another. It's just easier on 360 since it's cheaper than a pc and typically easier to find other players to battle against (big thanks to you evavers)

[Talon-]

Does there have to be a winner? I'm happy with a 360 Wii and PC. All three have good games so I am a winnar.

Amen, brother.

[Gorvi]

Nope, we don't need a "winner". Hell, right now we're (the gamers) all the "winners" as I seriously doubt any of us will have the time/money to play all the good to great games that are coming out over the course of the next few months. No matter what console you own there's great stuff coming out. Well, except for the Wii (and that's not a "troll", that's disappointment).

[Heretic Machine]

I predict no significant change in the status quo this holiday season, just increased sales all around, and then a drop back down to normalcy in February.

Does there have to be a winner? I'm happy with a 360 Wii and PC. All three have good games so I am a winnar.

I'm with you, they're all doing pretty good in different ways.

[ElektroDragon]

Man, Civ Revolution didn't do very well. :(

Neither did the 360. Microsoft needs a hardcore price cut.

Are you kidding me?? Civ did GREAT considering its genre. Turn based, not a team sports game, not a military FPS. Yeah, it did GREAT. Congrats to all who bought it.

[Talon-]

Actually don't most of us end up agreeing that it doesn't matter who "wins" at the end of each of these threads?

[ResistanceAddict]

Does there have to be a winner? I'm happy with a 360 Wii and PC. All three have good games so I am a winnar.


Yeah, and so does the PS3. So with that said, I agree. All the systems make money, sell games (and other things) and make people happy. I honestly get tired of reading these numbers and seeing people bitching about specific systems. In all honesty, as a consumer, who gives a flying FUCK what system sells more? Some of you people have too much time on your hands. Just play your games on whatever systems you like and be happy like I am.

[H.Bogard]

Man, Civ Revolution didn't do very well. :(


Depends on where their RoI was. Considering that the game isn't the kind that would require ridiculous development budgets... I think they might've done fine.

[DarkDaY]

Since the 360 hasn't spanked any console this year in terms of hardware sold, what would make you think that it'd all of a sudden do that this holiday season? Just curious.

The games coming out.
Off the top of my head I know 6 clients who are waiting for the season.

[Evil Avatar]

Neither did the 360. Microsoft needs a hardcore price cut.

Or a new Halo title. Oh, wait... they have 3 Halo titles in development. Heh.

[Yeti2005]

Nope, we don't need a "winner". Hell, right now we're (the gamers) all the "winners" as I seriously doubt any of us will have the time/money to play all the good to great games that are coming out over the course of the next few months. No matter what console you own there's great stuff coming out. Well, except for the Wii (and that's not a "troll", that's disappointment).

Amen to that. I seriously doubt I'm going to be able to afford or have the time to play Too Human, Fable 2, Gears of War 2, Fallout, Force Unleased, Brothers In Arms, Resistence 2, and LBP

[EyesNoMore]

I can offer a little possible insight on Civ Rev's sales. At my store we could have sold *many* more copies, if we actually had them in stock. I had to turn away a lot of people, and still we're only seeing a trickle of copies for the PS3 come in. I have a feeling that 2K didn't produce a lot of copies at first, perhaps expecting that it wasn't gonna be a big hit, but personally, I was very surprised by the number of people showing interest in this PC franchise.

[Purple Santa]

I'm jumping on the Civ Rev. bandwagon too. I didn't think the numbers were grim at all, I actually believe this title will continue to sell via word of mouth. Looking at Gamefly, I think a lot of people are renting this game to try and many will buy it (like myself who rented first now buying a copy). Until recently I wasn't a PC gamer but I still knew about how popular Civilization was on the PC. Seeing this coming to a console did peek my curiosity. I think it did the same for others too telling by the sales numbers and that will spread a good word to others to buy the game. Like many point out about many games, very few games sell millions of copies each month...many successful titles sell well over many many months.

[KingFire]

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd14/lil_ruffa/x360ps3os9.jpg
Yeah...so very true....

[grognard66]

MGS4 sold 3 million, how that equals doom to you people is beyond comprehension.

While the raw sales numbers are decent, the doom and gloom comes from the fact that Konami reportedly spent over $80 million developing the game. When you factor out retailers percentage, Sony's cut, etc. this title will be lucky to even break even with 3 million unit world wide sales.

There was far too much hype and sales expectation for a game of this type. At the end of the year it won't even break the top ten in total sales.

[Velian]

So Konami gets under half the amount of all sales?

[Wingleton]

Yeah, and GTA4 sold MUCH more in it's first month than MGS4 did.

Again, a disaster for Konami. And I'm not quite understanding why some of you are trying to pretty that up....

Yeah, the kind of disaster that rolls out more hardware. :rolleyes:

[Mysterio]

I can offer a little possible insight on Civ Rev's sales. At my store we could have sold *many* more copies, if we actually had them in stock. I had to turn away a lot of people, and still we're only seeing a trickle of copies for the PS3 come in. I have a feeling that 2K didn't produce a lot of copies at first, perhaps expecting that it wasn't gonna be a big hit, but personally, I was very surprised by the number of people showing interest in this PC franchise.

Thanks for mentioning that, since I was going to post something similar. If more units had been available at retail at release, CivRev numbers would have easily been higher. The game will continue to sell well (there are console gamers who enjoy genres other than the FPS), and it's well suited for DLC. I can't speak for others, but I will purchase every DLC for CivRev that's made available...excluding, of course, horse armor. :D

[grognard66]

So Konami gets under half the amount of all sales?

I don't think you understand the gaming development cycle. MGS4 took 4 years to make. This release had to realize a ROI to justify 4 years as the companies flagship product and make enough to subsidize the development of the next big game (and offset the losses of other Konami games that didn't make any money - fewer than 3 in 10 released games are profitable historically).

This puts Konami in a financial bind. It's certainly not the end of the world for them, but will likely result in the need for additional VC and/or "financial incentives" from companies like Sony, MS and Nintendo on future big budget games.

[grognard66]

Thanks for mentioning that, since I was going to post something similar. If more units had been available at retail at release, CivRev numbers would have easily been higher. The game will continue to sell well (there are console gamers who enjoy genres other than the FPS), and it's well suited for DLC. I can't speak for others, but I will purchase every DLC for CivRev that's made available...excluding, of course, horse armor. :D

Here's hoping they have DLC soon that includes new civilizations, wonders and scenarios.

BTW, Take2 finally released the free Wonders pack (code included on "specially marked boxes") this week in case anyone didn't notice. I think there were 4 new Wonders in the pack (Leaning Tower of Piza and SETI Project were two, I forget the others).

[Baron Samedi]

Go Wii Play!

[fitbabits]

And since the 360 won't have a big advantage in either category (as far as new releases are concerned), I'm still wondering why.

Back catolog of Xbox 360, plus fall releases

versus

Back catolog of PS3, plus fall releases

One has a clear advantage - it's up to you to determine which one based on your preferences.

[Gorvi]

Back catolog of Xbox 360, plus fall releases

versus

Back catolog of PS3, plus fall releases

One has a clear advantage - it's up to you to determine which one based on your preferences.
The 360, for all time, will have the larger back catalog. That 1 year head start ensured that. I was under the impression we were talking about Fall releases only. Even still, though, I don't see the logic that all of a sudden the 360 will pull far ahead this Fall "just because".

[oldjadedgamer]

The 360, for all time, will have the larger back catalog. That 1 year head start ensured that. I was under the impression we were talking about Fall releases only. Even still, though, I don't see the logic that all of a sudden the 360 will pull far ahead this Fall "just because".

It's up to MS to decide how far ahead they can pull based on price drops. That is the one single biggest advantage that they haven't used yet that Sony simply cannot respond to.

Going into the fall looking at both their games, I think it's pretty much even. Even though I do think that Gears2 will slaughter Resistance 2 in sales considering Resistance 1 has yet to pass a million sales in the states so while the second one will do better, I really don't think it will be a monster hit like Gears2 will be.

It all comes down to price and value this Christmas. How much they drop the unit and what they start including in the box as pack ins. I'm very interested to see what both companies have to offer in the next few months.

[Blade]

Perhaps Sony could offer a Wii as a pack-in for the $500 PS3.

That'd boost sales a notch or two.

[Gorvi]

Just curious, OJD, but you keep saying R1 never sold more than a million in the US, where do you get that information from? VGChartz (http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=1893&region=All), the flawed source that it is, has it at 1.19 million in the US.

[TeeCakes]

Actually don't most of us end up agreeing that it doesn't matter who "wins" at the end of each of these threads?

Those of us that aren't yellow trolls with barely 50 posts to their name, apparently--

(Hey, I have 800+ posts, dagnabit!!)

BTW, MGS4 bundles weren't counted in NPD's software charts-- meaning people are still buying said bundle and I think this reflects in the slighty-better-than-200k number the PS3 has.

Both "next-gen" consoles are a distant 2nd behind the Wii, predictably, so who cares which HD-console will "beat" the other? They both are being short-sold by the underdog month after month.

[TeeCakes]

It's up to MS to decide how far ahead they can pull based on price drops. That is the one single biggest advantage that they haven't used yet that Sony simply cannot respond to.

In N. America, and moreso in non-360 dominated regions, more people have been choosing to pay about $100 more for a PS3 than a 360 month after month. So why exactly does PS3 have to respond to a 360 price drop if people continue to buy it over a cheaper 360?

[oldjadedgamer]

Just curious, OJD, but you keep saying R1 never sold more than a million in the US, where do you get that information from? VGChartz (http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=1893&region=All), the flawed source that it is, has it at 1.19 million in the US.

Yeah... we all know how good VGChartz is with accurate numbers. The under a million comes from an NPD article posted at Next-Gen.biz and was an analysis of the November 2007 NPD numbers. They had a graph on there that showed at the time that Resistance was at around 750k units. (the graph is now gone I'm guessing because they changed the name of the website and it didn't change the img link)

http://www.edge-online.com/features/analysis-in-depth-npd?page=0,5

Now, grant it that was November 07 but being an older title with other larger games coming out so I'm sure it kept selling slowly but not to the point where it had an explosion of sales. I'm sure that now that it's a greatest hits title, it will break a million in the US.

For the record, the first game to break 1 million units sold on the PS3 in the US was Call of Duty 4.

[oldjadedgamer]

In N. America, and moreso in non-360 dominated regions, more people have been choosing to pay about $100 more for a PS3 than a 360 month after month. So why exactly does PS3 have to respond to a 360 price drop if people continue to buy it over a cheaper 360?

You act like it's some large gap in sales numbers like the 500k difference the 360 had over the PS3 in December 2007. This is 20k. That's really nothing... the 360 sold more then that last week alone in Japan. Also, this is coming off the biggest single third party exclusive the PS3 will ever have in North America... and it's only 20k difference? What was released for the 360 in the last two months?

They are barely scrapping by the 360 right even being the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market yet going by your comment you make it seem like a land slide in sales numbers. Christmas is the real battle and MS knows this. It's theirs to lose.

[DaXIthR]

Go Wii Play!

Quoted for truth. (and hilarity.)

Back catolog of Xbox 360, plus fall releases

versus

Back catolog of PS3, plus fall releases

One has a clear advantage - it's up to you to determine which one based on your preferences.

No one cares about backlog. No one will care about backlog except until the next machine is announced and they want their BC.

The only systems with a base that cares about backlog are the Wii and DS. That's why MGS4 didn't make it to the top ten this month. This is why Ninja Gaiden didn't make it to the top ten in its second month. Don't expect Soul Calibur to be there next month. Someone remind me where the DMC4 was in its second month...?

You know which games are older than two months in the Top 10? Wii Play, Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii.

Think about it.

And one more thing..to the guy on Page 1 who told me MS doesn't have to spin to do this month...here is MS press release regarding NPD.

uly was a solid month for Xbox 360. We dominated the E3 landscape, took home 11 Game Critics Awards and closed out a profitable year with $2.1 billion in growth in our Entertainment & Devices Division (Microsoft internal data).

Just this week, G4TV, unveiled its fan-voted G-Phoria Award winners for 2008 and G4’s audience made it emphatically clear that Microsoft offers the most impressive gaming lineup in the industry, naming Xbox 360 Console of the Year, “Halo 3” the overall Game of the Year, and “Mass Effect” the Best Role-Playing Game of the Year. “Halo 3” earned an additional four nominations in the Best Shooter, Best Online Multiplayer Game, Longest Lasting Game, and Best Downloadable Content categories.

Overall, Xbox 360 garnered the most honorees with 15, followed by the Playstation 3’s 14, while Nintendo’s Wii offered only four winning titles. The Xbox 360’s strengths were apparent as it was the only platform to offer all five nominees in the Best Downloadable Content category, and four nominees (including the winners) in both the Best Online Multiplayer and Best Shooter categories.

And we’re projecting 2009 will be even bigger – we’ll sell more consoles, sell more games, and continue to grow our online community at Xbox LIVE.

The NPD Group issued its July 2008 sales data today showing Xbox 360 as the current generation leader in consumer spend, game sales and software attach rate. Here is a snapshot:

· Since its launch, consumers have spent more than $10.4 billion on the Xbox 360 platform in the U.S., capturing 49% of share. (July NPD data)
· 205,000 Xbox 360 consoles were sold in July. (July NPD data)
· Xbox 360 titles accounted for $129 million, or 34% share, in game sales in July. Of that, Xbox 360 generated $121 million at retail for third-party publishers, or 42% of share. (July NPD data)
· Xbox 360 games accounted for four of the top ten games in July. (July NPD data)
· Xbox 360 has a record-setting attach rate of 7.9 games per console, the highest attach rate in history for a console at this point in its lifecycle. (July NPD data)

The announcements we made at E3 come to life beginning this fall with the new Xbox experience which will evolve and deepen the experience for hardcore gamers while inviting a whole new audience to come and play. Couple that with our exclusive partnership with Netflix and a blockbuster games library boasting more than 1,000 titles including “Lips,” “You’re in the Movies” and Best Action Game of E3 “Gears of War 2” (Game Critics Awards), and Xbox 360 is on track to deliver a record-breaking holiday and keep the momentum going into 2009.

Pretty fucking embarrassing for them to have to spend their time talking about the Ebola-hit E3, and the trashy 'awards' their unreleased games won there. Apart from that, they're beating dead horses, clinging to the last two or three statistics they can manipulate in their favor.

[TeeCakes]

Bunch of unrelated jibber-jabber and lopsided "stats"...

You didn't answer my question. At all.

[Lutheran]

According to VGChartz (http://vgchartz.com/games/game.php?id=6970&region=All) it has sold just under 3 million units.

I think it's done just fine.


Of course it has , to think its a disaster for Konami is just foolish. Not to mention that this title will be selling for years at a pretty steady rate much like all the other MGS games.

[31 Flavas]

Or a new Halo title. Oh, wait... they have 3 Halo titles in development. Heh.But wait... Didn't we "Finish the fight!" ...?

Halo is the new Mario. Milk milk milk!

[Baron Samedi]

Quoted for truth. (and hilarity.)

I'll say it again next month, just for you ;)

[fitbabits]

The 360, for all time, will have the larger back catalog. That 1 year head start ensured that. I was under the impression we were talking about Fall releases only. Even still, though, I don't see the logic that all of a sudden the 360 will pull far ahead this Fall "just because".

There is no "just because". I've stated why I think the Xbox 360 will pull further ahead of the PS3 this fall.

Of course, that doesn't take into account any sort of price cut on either the PS3 or 360. If the PS3 was to drop to a price lower than the 360, then the landscape changes.

[Trazzlo the Magnificant]

In N. America, and moreso in non-360 dominated regions, more people have been choosing to pay about $100 more for a PS3 than a 360 month after month.
So, in non-360 dominated regions the PS3 sells more? Isn't that sort of the definition of "non-360 dominated regions"?

How does the PS3 do in non-Nintendo dominated regions? Nobody really knows, since there aren't any.

And, the problem I see is that the PS3 sells 20k more units in a month, yet many of those are purely Bluray players, They sell the PS3 as a Bluray play, and there are people out there who use them for just that purpose. Some portion of PS3 sales have nothing to do with gaming. That is why the PS3 can sell well even with a $100 cost difference.

But, it doesn't make it the winning system for gaming, any more than saying that total PC sales shows that PC gaming is the clear winner. Some portion of PS3 sales are for gaming, and that portion is unknown. For $400 the PS3 is well priced Bluray player, but is it a well priced gaming console?

For gaming, the 360 most likely outsells the PS3.

[TeeCakes]

So, in non-360 dominated regions the PS3 sells more? Isn't that sort of the definition of "non-360 dominated regions"?

This is my point. Even in 360's strongest (some would say their "only") sales front, the PS3 is outselling it when it's at least $100 at the point-of-sale.

Certainly the lack of a Blu-ray player serves to help the PS3 get bought more often. I don't see the sense in trying to penalize Sony for making a good call with its console, especially when yal have to pony up more cash for the added BR/HD-audio features that the 360 simply lacks.

Personally, I find it rather hilarious to even hear the anti-BR response from you, Trazz. Before the format war was over, you couldn't make a positive comment about Blu-Ray and the PS3 without somebody ranting about how it'll be the doom of the 'overpriced' PS3-- now suddenly when the world consumer has shown every month that they'd rather have an HD-system with a BR drive attached (even when they'll be ponying up more cash) you're trying to say that the extra sales due to the EXTREME risk Sony took on BR shouldn't count? ;)

Remember-- the PS2 was so successful last gen largely due to the built-in DVD player. Where was your righteous indignation about that?

[Gorvi]

There is no "just because". I've stated why I think the Xbox 360 will pull further ahead of the PS3 this fall.

Of course, that doesn't take into account any sort of price cut on either the PS3 or 360. If the PS3 was to drop to a price lower than the 360, then the landscape changes.
OK, I'll just have to take that at face value, then. My whole point was that if the back catalog isn't really pushing it ahead now, I see no reason why it'd cause the 360 to vault ahead of the PS3 by a vast margin in sales this Fall. There really is no big gap in games being released this Fall, really, so other than a big price drop for the 360 and nothing from the PS3, I just have a hard time seeing that happen. I mean, it could, but I just don't see a good reason why. I'd guess that they'd be within 50-100k units in sales of each other in November and December (when they generally get closer to the 1M per month number).