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Media Create Sales: Week 10, 2012 (Mar 05 - Mar 11)

saichi

Member
The platforms that currently have clearly defined userbases and are a safest beat to reach profitability (In Japan) are PSP/PS3 for Big/Medium/Small developers, they have the lowest percentage of risk, clearly defined trends and if the aim is to cater the japanese audience they seem to provide the best environment.

Even if this is true, why would it make sense for the developers to start making games for PSP/PS3 now? It would take at least a year to make a decent game. By then, the market for PSP would be almost gone and the market for PS3 would be in decline already. Wouldn't it make more sense for developer to make games on a platform that's healthy and on the rise by the time the game is released?
 
That's not how it works. He went through the trouble of aggregating data showing that 3DS games have charted high more often than PS3 games. This is information he presented that cannot be factually refuted. Opiate then contextualized that information by explaining that PS3 titles are more expensive to develop and need superior sales to justify further investment, not just comparable sales.

In response to both hard data and reasonable analysis, all you have is "I'm not listening until you get me more numbers that I won't look up myself which may or may not support my argument." At best, you look lazy.

Numbers: 2012 YTD Top 20 All hardware & software.

PS3= appearances 48 /software units sold 1,765,450/unique titles: 30= 63%
NDS= 2 appearances /software units sold 38,363/
3DS=91 appearances /software units sold 2,634,944/ unique titles: 33 = 36%
X 360=5 appearances /software units sold 71,985
PSP= 42 appearances /software units sold 885,228 unique titles: 22= 52%
PSV= 13 appearances / software units sold 275,003
Wii= 47 appearances/ 508,381 software units sold/ unique titles: 20 = 43%


saichi said:
Even if this is true, why would it make sense for the developers to start making games for PSP/PS3 now? It would take at least a year to make a decent game. By then, the market for PSP would be almost gone and the market for PS3 would be in decline already. Wouldn't it make more sense for developer to make games on a platform that's healthy and on the rise by the time the game is released?

It means that publishers don't have a need to move projects to 3DS, cause if they were doing their jobs they would have most projects aimed for this year & next for PS3 & PSP, or PSP & 3DS if small scale is required.
 

Coxy

Member
I agree, since it was a game with a different importance compared to the first Portable. And still, it did very good for being a not Portable Phantasy Star.

how is a wholly original title developed from scratch selling 1/5 of what a recycled content port sold doing "very good"?

and how does not being "portable" make any difference to that?
 
Numbers: 2012 YTD Top 20 All hardware & software.

PS3= appearances 48 /software units sold 1,765,450/unique titles: 30= 63%
NDS= 2 appearances /software units sold 38,363/
3DS=91 appearances /software units sold 2,634,944/ unique titles: 33 = 36%
X 360=5 appearances /software units sold 71,985
PSP= 42 appearances /software units sold 885,228 unique titles: 22= 52%
PSV= 13 appearances / software units sold 275,003
Wii= 47 appearances/ 508,381 software units sold/ unique titles: 20 = 43%

Something is not jiving here.

Since I'm bored to multiply famitsu percentage will Media Create totals these are the sales in Famitsu top 30 until the week before One Piece for 2012 {2011.12.26 - 2012.02.26}

3DS: 2.144.695
PS3: 977.623
PSP: 686.044
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
It means that publishers don't have a need to move projects to 3DS, cause if they were doing their jobs they would have most projects aimed for this year & next for PS3 & PSP, or PSP & 3DS if small scale is required.

Most of PSP's big guns have left the building and the remaining are out this year.

This is its last "big" year at software, developers and publishers have decided it, it's time to understand it. It's not the number 1 option anymore in Japan for future projects.
 

Dalthien

Member
Most of PSP's big guns have left the building and the remaining are out this year.

This is its last "big" year at software, developers and publishers have decided it, it's time to understand it. It's not the number 1 option anymore in Japan for future projects.

It doesn't even have 'til the end of the year. Notable PSP software will be pretty much done by the end of summer.
 
What's the verdict on Vita's hold?

  • Actual stabilisation?
  • Unit 13? - lol
  • Vita Heaven? - lol
  • Too soon to tell?

PSP(2011 YTD)=509,979
PSP+PSV(2012)=391,186

Looking ahead to Week 11, PSP did 23,511 in 2011, so 2012 should make up some ground.

3DS+DS(2011 YTD)=958,208
3DS+DS(2012 YTD)=983,971

Last ahead to Week 11, 3DS+DS did 75,984 last year, if 3DS can stay above 60K, the streams may not cross until the price cut happened, if they do at all.

All handhelds(2011 YTD)=1,468,187
All handhelds(2012 YTD)=1,375,157

Something else I think is interesting to look at.
Interesting.

Taking an incredibly over-simplified view, the 3DS is taking on average around 8.7K a week in sales that would have gone to the PSP/PSV.
 
how is a wholly original title developed from scratch selling 1/5 of what a recycled content port sold doing "very good"?

and how does not being "portable" make any difference to that?
The PSP had an established fanbase for that type of game. (And is infinitely better at producing that experience.)

When you produce an inferior product that costs nearly the same as a superior product to a userbase that has a fair bit of overlap...what do you think is going to happen?

You're drawing conclusions without actually thinking of these things. Or you haven't played either? With the overlap that exists, why buy Zero when you already have a superior product in portable?
 

wsippel

Banned
exceedingly unlikely after the performance of ps0
PS0 isn't really indicative. And I agree, I believe PSO2 is Sega throwing Sony a bone while 3DS gets the next Phantasy Star Portable (which might be Phantasy Star Victory and initially planned for Vita, before MH3G was announced and Vita sold... not good).
 
Notes:

-The 3DS has a lot of games coming back over and over again into the top 50. Considering the slowly building library, I'd say that the software having substantial legs is a boon for developers. The system's selling a lot and people are buying software for it. Very healthy. Why wouldn't third parties look into it? Good first week sales, and excellent after-the-fact sales. Big developer projects and smaller offbeat projects alike have been doing pretty handsomely (with some variability that usually has good individual reasons behind it, such as New Love Plus' bugs).

-The PS3 had a very good week last week with One Piece Musou. As we have heard so many times in this thread, one week is not enough data to make any conclusions. Before One Piece, the system was puttering along without anything very notable, and the console sales indicate that growth won't be a factor unless Musou-esque lightning happens again.

-Phantasy Star 0 may not indicate whether or not games will exist on the 3DS, but it might indicate how much effort gets pushed into it in the short term. The fact that Sega is going to port content from the PC to the Vita says a lot: they're not taking too many chances yet and they're going to wait before they pick a horse to bet on. I expect to see a Portable-like hash-job announced for 3DS by the end of the year, but big original content releases will wait until 2013 or later.
 
Most of PSP's big guns have left the building and the remaining are out this year.

This is its last "big" year at software, developers and publishers have decided it, it's time to understand it. It's not the number 1 option anymore in Japan for future projects.

I agree, this will be the last year of significant sales for PSP. However I'm not ok with the vague assesments of "unannounced game that we know shit about is going to be moved to 3DS, because of the results for this week" That's not the way it works.

Software will be way up, hardware almost the same.

I guess it could happen, but I think is a rather optimistic expectation without all the information for the rest of the release schedule.
 

Metallix87

Member
What's the verdict on Vita's hold?

  • Actual stabilisation?
  • Unit 13? - lol
  • Vita Heaven? - lol
  • Too soon to tell?

IMO, it's the combined effect of Unit 13's release appealing to a niche combined with hype over potential megatons at Vita Heaven. Next week will see a pretty decent-sized drop, if this is the case.
 

Salvadora

Member
-Phantasy Star 0 may not indicate whether or not games will exist on the 3DS, but it might indicate how much effort gets pushed into it in the short term. The fact that Sega is going to port content from the PC to the Vita says a lot: they're not taking too many chances yet and they're going to wait before they pick a horse to bet on. I expect to see a Portable-like hash-job announced for 3DS by the end of the year, but big original content releases will wait until 2013 or later.

Its clear the 3DS is dominating.
 
I agree, this will be the last year of significant sales for PSP. However I'm not ok with the vague assesments of "unannounced game that we know shit about is going to be moved to 3DS, because of the results for this week" That's not the way it works.

For this week? How about the results for the past five months?

And your vague "these theoretical games will stay on PSP because there's less risk in the userbase" isn't much better than their rhetoric, so you're going to have to do better than that. I mean, aside from spin doctoring the 3DS software sales as "3 super sellers. a couple of good selling games & average to Bomba" and waving your hands in the direct of some theoretical big name projects that would go into the PS3 because One Piece Musou ripped the charts apart for two weeks.

Its clear the 3DS is dominating.

Yes. That is true. That does not mean Sega will act on it, or even take it into consideration.
 

Chris1964

Sales-Age Genius
I guess it could happen, but I think is a rather optimistic expectation without all the information for the rest of the release schedule.

This is a very realistic scenario. The problem last year weren't mid and low sellers but top sellers. Barely 3 games sold 1 million. We know 2 multimillion sellers already that give a big advantage, not counting the increased numbers of games that will just sell 1 million.
 

DCharlie

Banned
Is Unit 13 any good? Anyone know?

has some bugs especially with AI but i'm enjoying it. I was gasping for a Rainbow 6 style terrorist hunt affair and whilst i am still jonesing for that this is certainly filling the gap.

Wife has been busy so hasn't picked it up yet - but looking forward to shooting some rapscallions in two player coop.

they're going to wait before they pick a horse to bet on.

sega will do what sega always do - they'll mix and match and look for best fit hardware, unless of course the Vita really -does- bomba. However, i still think there's certain games that won't match up with the 3DS traditional userbase so that pesky "how many users can Nintendo bring over from PSP?" question comes up again (HELLO MH4!)
 

matmanx1

Member
Is Unit 13 any good? Anyone know?

I like it. It's perfect for pick up and play 3rd person shooter action and it controls fantastically. I'd liken it to Resident Evil: Mercenaries but with better graphics, animation and controls. And of course all original content instead of reused stages from previous games. It's not amazing but it is good at what it sets out to do.
 
Honestly, they'd be stupid not to take it into consideration at this point.

Yes. And it wouldn't the the first time they've done something stupid. Again, I do think we'll see PH in some form on the 3DS; likely just more recycled content. If anything, a port of Portable 1 and 2.

sega will do what sega always do - they'll mix and match and look for best fit hardware, unless of course the Vita really -does- bomba. However, i still think there's certain games that won't match up with the 3DS traditional userbase so that pesky "how many users can Nintendo bring over from PSP?" question comes up again (HELLO MH4!)

I don't understand the bolded. Considering what we've seen sell on the 3DS, I don't think it's fair to narrow what sells and what doesn't on the 3DS. It's definitely making its own course, and it's casting a wide net just like its predecessor did, though not quite as enormous.

EDIT:
Editing this post because I'm posting too frequently as it is. Below:

If you look some of my other posts you will see the numbers provided for that consideration that I did.

My problem is not the data, it's that you're reducing your opponent's viewpoint to vagueness even though yours is no different.

And it doesn't even stem from the fact that this is all hypothetical software, so really we can only look at what's been announced. And that's some data you would not want to acknowledge, because it decimates your thesis entirely.
 
For this week? How about the results for the past five months?

And your vague "these theoretical games will stay on PSP because there's less risk in the userbase" isn't much better than their rhetoric, so you're going to have to do better than that. I mean, aside from spin doctoring the 3DS software sales as "3 super sellers. a couple of good selling games & average to Bomba" and waving your hands in the direct of some theoretical big name projects that would go into the PS3 because One Piece Musou ripped the charts apart for two weeks.



Yes. That is true. That does not mean Sega will act on it, or even take it into consideration.
If you look some of my other posts you will see the numbers provided for that consideration that I did.

This is a very realistic scenario. The problem last year weren't mid and low sellers but top sellers. Barely 3 games sold 1 million. We know 2 multimillion sellers already that give a big advantage, not counting the increased numbers of games that will just sell 1 million.

Then you are highly likely to be right, that's good news. Looking at it after you explained it, it makes sense. You will have a new 2D Mario selling gangbusters plus the increased sales from Mario Kart/Mario 3DS & MH3G so the numbers can add up to that.
 

matmanx1

Member
Its clear the 3DS is dominating.

Yes. And I absolutely am envious of the Japanese release schedule for the 3DS and have been since almost the beginning of the system's life. I walked into my local Gamestop today and checked out the release list for the 3DS and there are less than 20 games listed for all of the rest of 2012. Compare that with the lists for the PS3 and 360 that span multiple pages and there's a clear and disturbing disparity.

Of course not all of the stuff that will release in 2012 has been announced and so Gamestop's list is by no means definitive. And it doesn't help that NOA keeps its cards so close to its vest for so many titles (like Fire Emblem Awakening!). But compared to the treatment that the 3DS is getting in Japan right now the system is very much a second class citizen at retail in America.

I realize handhelds are not as big over here in terms of market importance as they are in Japan but I think with more of a push from Nintendo the 3DS could certainly be doing much better. In the last month the 3DS has sold upwards of 300k systems in Japan while February's NPD shows 262k for America despite America having twice the population. And with no MonHun over here I'm sure the software numbers would be equally soft proportional to population size although it's difficult to get hard numbers to back that claim up.

As this is a MC thread I will apologize for bringing the American situation into the discussion but I only use it to contrast what's happening with Nintendomination in Japan with what's happening here. It's awesome that the 3DS is getting so much hardware and software love right now in Japan and I hope it continues. I just hope that my neck of the woods will eventually get that kind of love.
 

Thoraxes

Member
Yes. And I absolutely am envious of the Japanese release schedule for the 3DS and have been since almost the beginning of the system's life. I walked into my local Gamestop today and checked out the release list for the 3DS and there are less than 20 games listed for all of the rest of 2012. Compare that with the lists for the PS3 and 360 that span multiple pages and there's a clear and disturbing disparity.

Of course not all of the stuff that will release in 2012 has been announced and so Gamestop's list is by no means definitive. And it doesn't help that NOA keeps its cards so close to its vest for so many titles (like Fire Emblem Awakening!). But compared to the treatment that the 3DS is getting in Japan right now the system is very much a second class citizen at retail in America.

I realize handhelds are not as big over here in terms of market importance as they are in Japan but I think with more of a push from Nintendo the 3DS could certainly be doing much better. In the last month the 3DS has sold upwards of 300k systems in Japan while February's NPD shows 262k for America despite America having twice the population. And with no MonHun over here I'm sure the software numbers would be equally soft proportional to population size although it's difficult to get hard numbers to back that claim up.

As this is a MC thread I will apologize for bringing the American situation into the discussion but I only use it to contrast what's happening with Nintendomination in Japan with what's happening here. It's awesome that the 3DS is getting so much hardware and software love right now in Japan and I hope it continues. I just hope that my neck of the woods will eventually get that kind of love.

They mostly coincide release announcements with the Nintendo Direct events now, so 4 per year at the start of each quarter.
 
The platforms that currently have clearly defined userbases and are a safest beat to reach profitability (In Japan) are PSP/PS3 for Big/Medium/Small developers, they have the lowest percentage of risk, clearly defined trends and if the aim is to cater the japanese audience they seem to provide the best environment.

The PSP is toast. People who are already working on the platform are going to cling to it for a while like everyone did with the PS2, but there's no sense whatsoever in getting started in that environment now and even then most devs will be putting together their future transition plans now even if they're still working on PSP titles in the short term.

So at that point, yes, it's true that the other platform which is actively successful for software in Japan right now is the PS3, but it also fits an almost completely different "demographic" of software than the 3DS. As such, it makes for a lot of easy decisions: is this a console-oriented/fancy-graphics/online-intensive/etc. title (because then it goes on PS3) or not (because then it goes on 3DS)?

Regardless, by every reasonable standard 3DS has passed every necessary test to be a strongly viable 3rd party platform going forward from here. I swear, every time someone has a new successful platform it's like some people forget about how hardware generations work.
 
Yes. Kojima said if Snake Eater 3D did well then they planned to port the rest of the series chronologically. That's actually why they started with MGS3, because it's first in the timeline.

Oh, cool! I'm certainly not against this.

Anyone mind posting the chronological order of the series? I guess PW is after MGS3?
 

frostbyte

Member
Nice, PSV stayed constant, even a tiny bump up :p

Wow at the MGS3D number. Honestly thought it was gonna bomb hard.

With the Sega Phantasy Star discussion, couldn't Sega concievably create a Phantasy Star 0 sequel (Phantasy Star 1?) while maintaining the Phantasy Star Portable line on the Vita? Do they not have enough teams for something like this?
 

Boney

Banned
Uh, that doesn't show any of the button charts. What are you trying to sell me on?
It doesn't necesarily have to do with the actual rhythm game. Some fans can just enjoy hearing the songs with a fun choreography going on around.

I'd also say that there's rejection from regular Project Diva fans because either they don't liked the game part, don't like Chibi Miku and don't own the platform yet, in that order of importance I'd say.

But it's not really puzzling why this sold close to 100k
 

Kazerei

Banned
So when are we getting new vita colors?

The first new PSP color (ceramic white) was introduced in September of the following year. The PSV could get a new color sooner, maybe in the summer?

Meanwhile Nintendo's already gone crazy with colors and limited editions.

L8EKR.jpg
 

frostbyte

Member
In spite of the massive push Nintendo is giving the title?
Aren't those predictions a bit too conservative?

exactly. Nintendo seems to be pushing this as a new defining franchise on the 3DS, hoping it to be popular enough to become a series. You don't buy 40/40 or have so many big name composers just for a middling franchise.

I think they're expecting 500k lifetime at the least.
 

Erethian

Member
exactly. Nintendo seems to be pushing this as a new defining franchise on the 3DS, hoping it to be popular enough to become a series. You don't buy 40/40 or have so many big name composers just for a middling franchise.

I think they're expecting 500k lifetime at the least.

I think that if it does do well it's going to take a long time to get there, just because you can't resurrect a decades old IP in a new genre and expect instant success.
 

frostbyte

Member
I think that if it does do well it's going to take a long time to get there, just because you can't resurrect a decades old IP in a new genre and expect instant success.

Of course it's not going to be instantly successful. But Nintendo is trying to push this the hardest they can to make this popular. As I said they've bought the 40/40, hired famous composers, and also attached Sakurai's name to this. People are going to buy this on the basis of being 'by the director of SSB Brawl' and having a similar chaotic multiplayer mode.
Nintendo've also used Nintendo Direct to promote this game even further worldwide. If all this advertising and hype doesn't translate to higher sales, I'll be surprised.
 
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