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[Nirolak]

thanks for the replies, I missed the latest pages.
what surpirse me, not only here but in general, is how often we discuss the 3DS while it is the not only best selling console in Japan, but almost the only console selling in Japan.
Please, disclaimer: I'm not saying that is wrong, or that the 4DS success is a lock! Just that it's cuious how it is judged jeopardazing its fate and future, looking how it will end up at 20+ millions in Japan as PS1 and PS2, while all other consoles will probably struggling to sell 15 millions all together

It's last man standing syndrome.

I mean its main traditional competitor (the Vita) is a system many expect won't get a successor because it's so completely dead everywhere else.

The Wii U is possibly the last console Nintendo puts out that isn't effectively a TV based version of their handheld, and even if it isn't, it's not likely to be a relevant platform given the complete lack of third party support.

The Xbox One isn't worth talking about since it might as well not exist with how it's selling.

The PS3 is a last gen platform that has already been replaced and is just waiting to complete its sunset.

The PS4 is the biggest other attraction and has garnered a lot of discussion, but currently we basically have to wait until February to start seeing if it can recover from its disastrous state.

The 3DS is the platform that has the most to talk about currently as we are at the end of the year and can assess year over year comparisons, it just had a new revision and lots of major software launched, and we are getting to the point where its successor is plausibly not ages away.

We could discuss the elephant in the room but the last couple of times I asked people didn't seem overly interested and we don't get great data on that front.

 

[Pennywise83]

Another factor that Nirolak doesn't take into account is how the revenues coming from mobile are used. During Wii and DS era, it was pretty clear that revenues coming from shovelware, dancing games, training games and such were basically inputting into the production of AAA games on HD platforms; it was clear because from Western companies we have never seen a serious effort in developing on Nintendo platforms, though they were big earners with certain games. The same might still be applied with the mobile market; monet coming from it ar then re-used for the traditional market; after all, mobile games are typically cheaper to produce and sustain and also companies know that if they want fidelization and build IP loyalty the traditional market is still a better take.

 

[finngamer]

I've been marking down the home consoles sales for this generation, here's a graph:

 

[Nirolak]

Another factor that Nirolak doesn't take into account is how the revenues coming from mobile are used. During Wii and DS era, it was pretty clear that revenues coming from shovelware, dancing games, training games and such were basically inputting into the production of AAA games on HD platforms; it was clear because from Western companies we have never seen a serious effort in developing on Nintendo platforms, though they were big earners with certain games. The same might still be applied with the mobile market; monet coming from it ar then re-used for the traditional market; after all, mobile games are typically cheaper to produce and sustain and also companies know that if they want fidelization and build IP loyalty the traditional market is still a better take.

I feel this used to be true. Publishers would hand their IPs to GREE or DeNA and bring in some passive income to help fund their efforts on other platforms, and maybe hire a couple contract studios themselves to do the same.

In 2013 and beyond though I felt things started majorly shifting toward publishers viewing mobile as a goal unto itself.

We've seen almost every publisher take mobile game development internal and notably increase the amount and percent of staff working on the platforms, often while simultaneously making less of other things and actually shifting staff who worked on other platforms onto mobile.

 

[Aostia]

It's last man standing syndrome.

I mean its main traditional competitor (the Vita) is a system many expect won't get a successor because it's so completely dead everywhere else.

The Wii U is possibly the last console Nintendo puts out that isn't effectively a TV based version of their handheld, and even if it isn't, it's not likely to be a relevant platform given the complete lack of third party support.

The Xbox One isn't worth talking about since it might as well not exist with how it's selling.

The PS3 is a last gen platform that has already been replaced and is just waiting to complete its sunset.

The PS4 is the biggest other attraction and has garnered a lot of discussion, but currently we basically have to wait until February to start seeing if it can recover from its disastrous state.

The 3DS is the platform that has the most to talk about currently as we are at the end of the year and can assess year over year comparisons, it just had a new revision and lots of major software launched, and we are getting to the point where its successor is plausibly not ages away.

We could discuss the elephant in the room but the last couple of times I asked people didn't seem overly interested and we don't get great data on that front.

that is a very good explanation, I agree.
So, is people (you, but it is a question also for others) sure that there will not be successor for Vita? I think we already know that there will be another home from Nintendo, despite the Wii U issues, right? It will be interesting to see how they will position it after this debacle. I wonder if Xbone will be discontinued soon, and I wonder if the successor will even hit Japan at all.

Could we end with just 4DS, PS4 and Wii U on the Japanese market from 2016?

 

[Pennywise83]

I feel this used to be true. Publishers would hand their IPs to GREE or DeNA and bring in some passive income to help fund their efforts on other platforms, and maybe hire a couple contract studios themselves to do the same.

In 2013 and beyond though I felt things started majorly shifting toward publishers viewing mobile as a goal unto itself.

We've seen almost every publisher take mobile game development internal and notably increase the amount and percent of staff working on the platforms, often while simultaneously making less of other things and actually shifting staff who worked on other platforms onto mobile.

Sure, they are putting more effort because they saw how just pumping out games after games wasn't really working. That doesn't mean that they are not well aware of the variability of the market and the fact that you have IP loyalty when people are willing to spend an entry fee to buy the product. One thing that are doing is studying better way to monetize their games, that's true; not that they were behind times some years ago (remember the complete gacha mechanism, that was bringing a low of earnings).

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Random, but it is funny seeing Sony being all bff with Capcom:

Deep Down - exclusive, co developed
Street Fighter V - console exclusive, co developed
Revalaitons 2 - publishing Vita version
USFIV - publishing PS4 version

MH would still have been a better get, though...

They also helped develop Capcoms next gen engine Phanta Rei.

 

[Nirolak]

that is a very good explanation, I agree.
So, is people (you, but it is a question also for others) sure that there will not be successor for Vita? I think we already know that there will be another home from Nintendo, despite the Wii U issues, right? It will be interesting to see how they will position it after this debacle. I wonder if Xbone will be discontinued soon, and I wonder if the successor will even hit Japan at all.

Could we end with just 4DS, PS4 and Wii U on the Japanese market from 2016?

It's possible they release a successor, but Sony has made no indication they're interested in one or working on one to my knowledge.

Sure, they are putting more effort because they saw how just pumping out games after games wasn't really working. That doesn't mean that they are not well aware of the variability of the market and the fact that you have IP loyalty when people are willing to spend an entry fee to buy the product. One thing that are doing is studying better way to monetize their games, that's true; not that they were behind times some years ago (remember the complete gacha mechanism, that was bringing a low of earnings).

Brand loyalty is kind of an unusual topic for mobile in 2015. You don't need people to line-up for the next game in a series when there's never going to be a sequel. Mobile games all work like League of Legends. The paid app market is largely a borderline irrelevant afterthought compared to free 2 play and almost no one who isn't an indie dev or just porting an old title over even bothers with it anymore.

For example Gung-Ho wanted to make a Puzzle & Dragons spinoff that had a cuter, lighter art style and focused solely on puzzling instead of dungeoning, so they just patched it into P&D and you select which game you want to play when you boot up the app.

For variability, there's a 1-2 month window where it's not entirely clear if a well performing app will stick around, but the ones that make it through that usually stick around for surprisingly long periods of time. If you grab the top 50 apps every month for the last three years you'd see quite a few flash in the pans and a whole bunch of apps that seem to stick around forever.

 

[Captain Smoker]

I've been marking down the home consoles sales for this generation, here's a graph:

XBone closing the gap. Slowly.

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

XBone closing the gap. Slowly.

err the gap is increasing

 

[L~A]

^

Errr............ yeah. Check your sarcasm detector, seems to be broken

***

Here's the results of my leg-o-meter for 2014. Interested in knowing which games games had the longest legs? How many games managed to chart? Data from MC btw, entered manually.

 

[Pennywise83]

At this point, it seems that Mario Kart and Animal Crossing are the most valuable IPs for Nintendo in Japan, along with Pokémon.

 

[monpiece]

that is a very good explanation, I agree.
So, is people (you, but it is a question also for others) sure that there will not be successor for Vita? I think we already know that there will be another home from Nintendo, despite the Wii U issues, right? It will be interesting to see how they will position it after this debacle. I wonder if Xbone will be discontinued soon, and I wonder if the successor will even hit Japan at all.

Could we end with just 4DS, PS4 and Wii U on the Japanese market from 2016?

Probably there won't be a successor for Vita because Sony is not giving any indication that they are still interested in Vita, creating a bad precedent. While Nintendo might have a worse result with Wii U than Sony with Vita, they are investing in their system.

While it is safer for Nintendo to invest on Wii U than Sony on Vita, since Nintendo 1st party games are usually their best sellers, Sony has been for a while saying things like "Don't expect big games on Vita", "We are slowing our production of Vita games", "If you want to play AAA games on Vita, buy a PS4 and use the remote play", etc, besides obviously convincing other studios to move their projects to PS4 instead. They reached the point of rebranding it as a PS4 accessory in the west.

Sony is quickly burning bridges with companies still interested on Vita, and that is a sign that they don't care about handhelds anymore. If you were a director of a company, would you invest in publishing games in the Vita successor, knowing that if it didn't fly from the shelves, the company would leave it to die? If Vita has enough users to grant the profitability of mid-sized and small-sized projects, what would happen if its sucessor had a XB1 reception in Japan?

If Sony doesn't come up with a fantastic idea for a new handheld, their next handheld would face the same reception as Dreamcast: "it might be good, but we won't get fooled again". That alone is enough to determine that chances are very high that Sony won't make another handheld.

But Vita will still be in the market by 2016. Sony has no reason to discontinue it in Japan so quickly. The companies that have found success publishing their games on it will continue publishing games for it for a while.

 

[Aostia]

It's possible they release a successor, but Sony has made no indication they're interested in one or working on one to my knowledge.

Probably there won't be a successor for Vita because Sony is not giving any indication that they are still interested in Vita, creating a bad precedent. While Nintendo might have a worse result with Wii U than Sony with Vita, they are investing in their system.

While it is safer for Nintendo to invest on Wii U than Sony on Vita, since Nintendo 1st party games are usually their best sellers, Sony has been for a while saying things like "Don't expect big games on Vita", "We are slowing our production of Vita games", "If you want to play AAA games on Vita, buy a PS4 and use the remote play", etc, besides obviously convincing other studios to move their projects to PS4 instead. They reached the point of rebranding it as a PS4 accessory in the west.

Sony is quickly burning bridges with companies still interested on Vita, and that is a sign that they don't care about handhelds anymore. If you were a director of a company, would you invest in publishing games in the Vita successor, knowing that if it didn't fly from the shelves, the company would leave it to die? If Vita has enough users to grant the profitability of mid-sized and small-sized projects, what would happen if its sucessor had a XB1 reception in Japan?

If Sony doesn't come up with a fantastic idea for a new handheld, their next handheld would face the same reception as Dreamcast: "it might be good, but we won't get fooled again". That alone is enough to determine that chances are very high that Sony won't make another handheld.

But Vita will still be in the market by 2016. Sony has no reason to discontinue it in Japan so quickly. The companies that have found success publishing their games on it will continue publishing games for it for a while.

thank you.
let's say "nextgen" or '17, instead of "pure" '16: could we end up with MC Threads with just NintenOs (4ds + home) and PS4 on the market?

 

[Eolz]

Which tracker is usually considered more reliable, MC or Famitsu?

So which sales number do you use as official? Or do you just take the mean of both?

Both are used here, and Dengeki as well. They're all reliable, with different particularities.

Japanese companies usually use MC numbers.

 

[monpiece]

thank you.
let's say "nextgen" or '17, instead of "pure" '16: could we end up with MC Threads with just NintenOs (4ds + home) and PS4 on the market?

Well, the number of systems tend to reduce. I don't know when they will start falling off the charts (3DS and Wii U will receive support for some time after the new ones are released, Vita will probably keep dragging itself like PSP even after the official discontinuation), but unless the next Nintendo handheld fails to take off and the remaining publishers stay attached to the current systems, there will be not much to see in MC Threads other than PS4, the new Nintendo handheld and, eventually, the new Nintendo console if it is not DOA like XB1.

 

[Aostia]

Well, the number of systems tend to reduce. I don't know when they will start falling off the charts (3DS and Wii U will receive support for some time after the new ones are released, Vita will probably keep dragging itself like PSP even after the official discontinuation), but unless the next Nintendo handheld fails to take off and the remaining publishers stay attached to the current systems, there will be not much to see in MC Threads other than PS4, the new Nintendo handheld and, eventually, the new Nintendo console if it is not DOA like XB1.

I don't like the idea to enter these topics and found just something like this:

4DS - 54.657
PS4 - 27.890
Nintedo Power - 9.456


;(

 

[Graphics Horse]

I don't like the idea to enter these topics and found just something like this:

4DS - 54.657
PS4 - 27.890
Nintedo Power - 9.456


;(

Never thought about it like that, but it seems inevitable with regards to the number of systems in 3-4 years time.

 

[monpiece]

I don't like the idea to enter these topics and found just something like this:

4DS - 54.657
PS4 - 27.890
Nintedo Power - 9.456


;(

The problem is that you will likely find something like this:

4DS - 24.657
PS4 - 7.890
Nintedo Power - 3.456

 

[Sandfox]

Well, the number of systems tend to reduce. I don't know when they will start falling off the charts (3DS and Wii U will receive support for some time after the new ones are released, Vita will probably keep dragging itself like PSP even after the official discontinuation), but unless the next Nintendo handheld fails to take off and the remaining publishers stay attached to the current systems, there will be not much to see in MC Threads other than PS4, the new Nintendo handheld and, eventually, the new Nintendo console if it is not DOA like XB1.

I don't see any console selling as bad as the Xbox.

 

[AniHawk]

The problem is that you will likely find something like this:

4DS - 24.657
PS4 - 7.890
Nintedo Power - 3.456

wow what caused the nintendo power to spike in sales like that?

 

[Pennywise83]

I don't like the idea to enter these topics and found just something like this:

4DS - 54.657
PS4 - 27.890
Nintedo Power - 9.456


;(

Would it be much different from PS2-GBA era? I picked a random week in 2004:

PS2 - 32,585
GBA - 28,942
NGC - 5,018
XBX - 274

You might have a slower market hw-wise wrt to DS/PSP/Wii era, but high numbers sw-wise.

 

[Eirulan]

They don't do 360 numbers any more...?

 

[Kandinsky]

Random, but it is funny seeing Sony being all bff with Capcom:

Deep Down - exclusive, co developed
Street Fighter V - console exclusive, co developed
Revalaitons 2 - publishing Vita version
USFIV - publishing PS4 version

MH would still have been a better get, though...

I'm just glad because some people stopped calling them Crapcom which is a plus.

 

[Sandfox]

I'm just glad because some people stopped calling them Crapcom which is a plus.

I think that has more to do with how quiet they've been from on the AAA front. They did piss people off with the fifth character thing for USF4.

 

[Kandinsky]

I think that has more to do with how quiet they've been from on the AAA front. They did piss people off with the fifth character thing for USF4.

I'm talking specifically in these sales thread, hell Capcom could become Capgod again if they make certain game on certain platform

 

[Oregano]

I think the longevity of mobile games is still something which remains to be seen. 3 years is a very short time, even shorter than the lifespan of a Level 5 IP. As I mentioned when we were discussing SE's mid tier titles we are soon approaching 10 years and we have yet to see the emergence of a long lasting IP or even a company consistently creating hits.

Unrelated but I think the number of games that are on PS4 because they primarily appeal to the west is perhaps overestimated. So far it's just fighting games, MGS, Kingdom Hearts and FF but even the latter two do somewhere between a third and half of their sales in Japan.

The biggest PS4 game in the next few months is a crossover of Dragon Quest and Musou. A produced that is almost exclusively aimed at Japan.

 

[Chris1964]

I will just say that you used PS2 era comparison to say YW didn't cannibalize sales from a comparison between 2013 and 2014.

I will just say you better have reading problems because if you don't and after all the walls of text I gave you stuck to an answer to a Spiegel's question things are bad.

 

[Aostia]

Would it be much different from PS2-GBA era? I picked a random week in 2004:

PS2 - 32,585
GBA - 28,942
NGC - 5,018
XBX - 274

You might have a slower market hw-wise wrt to DS/PSP/Wii era, but high numbers sw-wise.

Not, would not be so different, but I can't see how going backward of a decade could be seen as "good", for us costumers/fans; I didn't follow MC sales-age at that time, but a chart like mine would still probably decrease my interest in these threads once again

Never thought about it like that, but it seems inevitable with regards to the number of systems in 3-4 years time.

Yep, I don't like that :\

The problem is that you will likely find something like this:

4DS - 24.657
PS4 - 7.890
Nintedo Power - 3.456

Try to not cry. Cry a lot.


BUT! we could at least see something like this, instead:

4DS extreme edition - 43.789
4DSXL - 25.789
4DS - 14.657
PS4 - 7.890
Nintedo Power - 3.456

LOL

 

[Nirolak]

http://www.siliconera.com/2015/01/08/puzzle-dragons-crosses-41-million-downloads-worldwide/

Puzzle & Dragons has passed 41 million downloads worldwide.

32 million in Japan
6 million in North America
3 million everywhere else

I think the longevity of mobile games is still something which remains to be seen. 3 years is a very short time, even shorter than the lifespan of a Level 5 IP. As I mentioned when we were discussing SE's mid tier titles we are soon approaching 10 years and we have yet to see the emergence of a long lasting IP or even a company consistently creating hits.

Unrelated but I think the number of games that are on PS4 because they primarily appeal to the west is perhaps overestimated. So far it's just fighting games, MGS, Kingdom Hearts and FF but even the latter two do somewhere between a third and half of their sales in Japan.

The biggest PS4 game in the next few months is a crossover of Dragon Quest and Musou. A produced that is almost exclusively aimed at Japan.

I would submit COLOPL and LINE as consistent hit makers these days.

While Namco doesn't have as many absolute top of pile titles, they have notably strong positioning within the top 50 and top 100.

Square Enix is also showing notably improved resilience in the same range on top of having a couple of games that get quite high.

Sega has two hit titles, but everything else largely consists of titles that are good for a Sega sized games division rather than what you'd think of as market makers.

Konami waxes and wains based on sports seasons, so I wouldn't really consider them year round successes like you would expect out of a mobile vendor.

I do think that Gung-Ho and Mixi have proven pretty one note. Divine Gate is Gung-Ho's only other charting title and I'm not sure Mixi is even trying other games. More generally, it's not unusual to see the newer mobile studios live under the umbrella of their one successful title, especially since a lot of them aren't large companies. It actually presents kind of an interesting scenario for publishers since if they can figure out why mobile games become successful, they can massively outclass the output of a lot of the current successes, which we do see a few publishers doing. We also see LINE and COLOPL aggressively growing to take advantage of this too.

As for IP longevity (and well, we're really talking about singular title longevity to be clear here, these are not franchises) I will agree that basically everything has only been around since early 2012 when the market did a hard shift away from putzy, low interaction browser based apps (primarily helmed by GREE and DeNA/Mobage ) and into native apps (which in many ways P&D helped kick off on a major scale, even though they've obviously existed for longer than that). That said, I do think it's worth keeping in mind that the market effectively didn't really exist until then so that's more of a cap based on the timeline of the market as opposed to the longest an app has ever went since imploding. P&D, the first one out the gate, is still incredibly strong for example.

 

[monpiece]

I will just say you better have reading problems because if you don't and after all the walls of text I gave you stuck to an answer to a Spiegel's question things are bad.

Your walls of text didn't prove anything on that matter. Besides, if you were not so concerned about giving sarcastic and condescending responses, you would probably have more success in discussing things and getting your points across.

 

[Oregano]

Oh yes that is definitely a good point about how the nature of mobile products has changed so recently. I was speaking about mobile products in general. It is very possible those products will stay around for a long time.

 

[monpiece]

Try to not cry. Cry a lot.

BUT! we could at least see something like this, instead:

4DS extreme edition - 43.789
4DSXL - 25.789
4DS - 14.657
PS4 - 7.890
Nintedo Power - 3.456

LOL

On holidays? With the market shrinking constantly around 10%/year, I don't think 4DS will ever post numbers like that outside the main holiday weeks. Unless Nintendo has something revolutionary on their sleeves, which would be great, but unexpected.

 

[Nirolak]

Oh yes that is definitely a good point about how the nature of mobile products has changed so recently. I was speaking about mobile products in general. It is very possible those products will stay around for a long time.

For the sake of discussion I took the top 10 grossing apps in Japan for the month of November and put in their release dates (sans LINE which is not a game): http://www.metaps.com/press/en/blog/157-jptrends1202

There's two games from 2012, four from 2013, and three from 2014.

For the heck of it, here's the year over year comparison of December 26th in the US, which has similar trends: http://www.pocketgamer.biz/chart-of-the-week/60602/7-of-2014-top-grossing-apps-were-there-in-2013/

 

[DrWong]

On holidays? With the market shrinking constantly around 10%/year, I don't think 4DS will ever post numbers like that outside the main holiday weeks. Unless Nintendo has something revolutionary on their sleeves, which would be great, but unexpected.

On holidays, for a 4DS, I believe you'll see way bigger numbers than that if it get a software support on par with the 3DS.

 

[vinnygambini]

Capcom reduces Year-end targets by about $120 million (revenue) - operating income remains the same due to cost-cutting measures & foreign exchange gains.

http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/explanation/2014/3rd/explanation_2014_3rd_01.pdf

 

[Oregano]

For the sake of discussion I took the top 10 grossing apps in Japan for the month of November and put in their release dates (sans LINE which is not a game): http://www.metaps.com/press/en/blog/157-jptrends1202

There's two games from 2012, four from 2013, and three from 2014.



For the heck of it, here's the year over year comparison of December 26th in the US, which has similar trends: http://www.pocketgamer.biz/chart-of-the-week/60602/7-of-2014-top-grossing-apps-were-there-in-2013/

I see what you were saying about LINE. They definitely seem to be ahead of the game.

EDIT: I would consider it notable that Marvelous is the only one with a history of publishing in the traditional market. It might indicate that the skills aren't necessarily transferrable, although I remember SE noted that their Strikers game(forgot the name) was made by a console team.

Capcom reduces Year-end targets by about $120 million (revenue) - operating income remains the same due to cost-cutting measures & foreign exchange gains.

http://www.capcom.co.jp/ir/english/data/pdf/explanation/2014/3rd/explanation_2014_3rd_01.pdf

It doesn't look like consumers have reacted well to Monster Hunter 4G just a year after launch. They should definitely consider a DLC option in the future.

 

[Jigorath]

I will just say you better have reading problems because if you don't and after all the walls of text I gave you stuck to an answer to a Spiegel's question things are bad.

Spoiler

I love posting that gif.

 

[1st Course]

Dengeki Sales: Week 1, 2015 (Dec 29 - Jan 04)

01./01. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch 2: Shinuchi  (Level Five) {2014.12.13} - 191.542 / 2.258.376 (-34%)
02./03. [3DS] Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo) {2014.09.13} - 72.863 / 2.077.728 (-12%)
03./04. [WIU] Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Nintendo) {2014.12.06} - 60.890 / 542.697 (-25%)
04./02. [3DS] Pokemon Alpha Sapphire  (Pokemon) {2014.11.21} - 57.944 / 1.376.411 (-31%)
05./05. [3DS] Pokemon Omega Ruby (Pokemon) {2014.11.21} - 49.533 / 1.197.983 (-28%)
06./07. [3DS] Monster Hunter 4G (Capcom) {2014.10.11} - 44.689 / 2.432.278 (-12%)
07./06. [3DS] Final Fantasy Explorers (Square Enix) {2014.12.18} - 33.289 / 257.315 (-43%)
08./08. [WIU] Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo) {2014.05.29} - 27.606 / 880.710 (-19%)
09./09. [PSV] Gundam Breaker 2 (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.18} - 20.710 / 108.689 (-24%)
10./14. [3DS] Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo) {2012.11.08} - 16.668 / 3.776.190 (-9%)
11./17. [PS4] Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games) {2014.12.11} - 16.239 / 126.551 (-4%)
12./16. [3DS] Gotouchi Tetsudou: Gotouchi Chara to Nihon Zenkoku no Tabi (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.11.27} - 16.121 / 66.826 (-5%)
13./12. [PS3] Gundam Breaker 2 (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.18} - 15.090 / 105.389 (-29%)
14./11. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch 2: Honke (Level Five) {2014.07.10} - 12.994 / 1.615.375 (-45%)
15./21. [3DS] Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo) {2011.12.01} - 12.878 / 2.358.559 (+4%)
16./15. [WIU] Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo) {2014.11.13} - 12.183 / 130.673 (-33%)
17./13. [3DS] Yo-kai Watch 2: Ganso (Level Five) {2014.07.10} - 11.983 / 1.459.566 (-39%)
18./18. [3DS] Aikatsu! 365-Hi no Idol Days (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.04} - 9.642 / 89.385 (-43%)
19./25. [PS3] Shining Resonance (SEGA) {2014.12.11} - 9.633 / 105.369 (-5%)
20./19. [3DS] Sumikko Gurashi: Koko ga Ochitsukundesu (Nippon Columbia) {2014.11.20} - 9.356 / 70.689 (-40%)
21./23. [WIU] Taiko no Tatsujin: Tokumori! (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.11.20} - 9.011 / 53.052 (-19%)
22./33. [PS3] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2015 (KONAMI) {2014.11.13} - 8.650 / 144.617 (+4%)
23./28. [3DS] Taiko no Tatsujin: Don to Katsu no Jikuu Daibouken (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.06.26} - 8.644 / 649.854 (-10%)
24./26. [3DS] One Piece Super Grand Battle! X (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.11.13} - 8.563 / 82.078 (-13%)
25./30. [3DS] Kirby: Triple Deluxe (Nintendo) {2014.01.11} - 8.321 / 649.492 (-6%)
26./20. [3DS] Attack on Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind - Chain (Spike Chunsoft) {2014.12.04} - 8.094 / 63.514 (-41%)
27./27. [3DS] Mario Party Island Tour (Nintendo) {2014.03.20} - 8.083 / 473.028 (-16%)
28./34. [PSV] Phantasy Star Nova (SEGA) {2014.11.27} - 8.033 / 161.924 (+5%)
29./32. [3DS] Derby Stallion GOLD (Kadokawa Games) {2014.12.04} - 8.011 / 113.081 (-6%)
30./24. [3DS] 12-Sai. Honto no Kimochi (Happinet) {2014.12.18} - 7.333 / 38.619 (-28%)
31./31. [3DS] Tomodachi Collection: New Life (Nintendo) {2013.04.18} - 7.267 / 1.736.985 (-16%)
32./29. [3DS] Yoshi New Island (Nintendo) {2014.07.24} - 6.983 / 241.152 (-25%)
33./37. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} - 6.694 / 2.224.305 (+4%)
34./36. [PS3] Resident Evil HD Remastered (Capcom) {2014.11.27} - 6.561 / 99.636 (+1%)
35./104. [PS3] Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX (Square Enix) {2014.10.02} - 6.256 / 145.723
36./39. [WIU] Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo) {2013.11.21} - 5.861 / 578.499 (-3%)
37./40. [PS3] Call of Duty Advanced Warfare - Dubbed Edition (Square Enix) {2014.12.04} - 5.856 / 38.429 (+0%)
38./52. [PS3] Grand Theft Auto V (Baragin Edition) (Rockstar Games) {2014.06.26} - 5.722 / 86.652
39./38. [3DS] Samurai Warriors Chronicle 3 (Koei Tecmo Games) {2014.12.04} - 5.217 / 38.990 (-15%)
40./35. [3DS] Dragon Ball Heroes: Ultimate Mission 2 (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.08.07} - 4.759 / 182.041 (-38%)
41./53. [WIU] Gotouchi Tetsudou: Gotouchi Chara to Nihon Zenkoku no Tabi (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.11.27} - 4.700 / 16.458
42./42. [3DS] Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo) {2011.11.03} - 4.678 / 2.017.647 (-2%)
43./10. [PSV] Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Out of Order (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.25} - 4.655 / 28.555 (-81%)
44./54. [3DS] Pazudora Z (Gung Ho Online Entertainment) {2013.12.12} - 4.267 / 1.498.955
45./41. [3DS] Yokai Watch (Level Five) {2013.07.11} - 4.233 / 1.260.595 (-17%)
46./47. [3DS] Pokemon Art Academy (Nintendo) {2014.06.19} - 4.117 / 124.088 (-1%)
47./57. [PS4] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2015 (KONAMI) {2014.11.13} - 4.065 / 55.325
48./58. [PS4] Dragon Age: Inquisition (Electronic Arts) {2014.11.27} - 4.039 / 52.026
49./55. [PSV] Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball 2014 (KONAMI) {2014.10.23} - 3.928 / 95.407
50./48. [PS3] Assassin's Creed Rogue (Ubisoft) {2014.12.11} - 3.817 / 29.394 (-8%)

TOP50

3DS 29
PS3 8
Wii U 6
Vita 4
PS4 3

TOP3/PLATFORM

[3DS] Yo-kai Watch 2: Shinuchi  (Level Five) {2014.12.13} - 191.542 / 2.258.376 (-34%)
[3DS] Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo) {2014.09.13} - 72.863 / 2.077.728 (-12%)
[3DS] Pokemon Alpha Sapphire  (Pokemon) {2014.11.21} - 57.944 / 1.376.411 (-31%)

[PSV] Gundam Breaker 2 (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.18} - 20.710 / 108.689 (-24%)
[PSV] Phantasy Star Nova (SEGA) {2014.11.27} - 8.033 / 161.924 (+5%)
[PSV] Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei: Out of Order (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.25} - 4.655 / 28.555 (-81%)

[PS3] Gundam Breaker 2 (NAMCO BANDAI Games) {2014.12.18} - 15.090 / 105.389 (-29%)
[PS3] Shining Resonance (SEGA) {2014.12.11} - 9.633 / 105.369 (-5%)
[PS3] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2015 (KONAMI) {2014.11.13} - 8.650 / 144.617 (+4%)

[PS4] Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games) {2014.12.11} - 16.239 / 126.551 (-4%)
[PS4] World Soccer Winning Eleven 2015 (KONAMI) {2014.11.13} - 4.065 / 55.325
[PS4] Dragon Age: Inquisition (Electronic Arts) {2014.11.27} - 4.039 / 52.026

[WIU] Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Nintendo) {2014.12.06} - 60.890 / 542.697 (-25%)
[WIU] Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo) {2014.05.29} - 27.606 / 880.710 (-19%)
[WIU] Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo) {2014.11.13} - 12.183 / 130.673 (-33%)

[XB1] TitanFall (Electronic Arts) {2014.09.04} - 377 / 33.051
[XB1] Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Microsoft Japan) {2014.11.13} - 331 / 7.135
[XB1] Mine Craft: Xbox One edition (Microsoft Japan) {2014.11.27} - 192 / 1.012

SOFTWARE

-------------------------------------------------------
| Model | This Week | Week (%) |  FY 2014   | FY (%)  |
-------------------------------------------------------
| 3DS   | 775.081   | 62.60%   | 18.951.193 | 59.10%  |
| Wii U | 153.263   | 12.40%   | 2.611.509  | 8.10%   |
| PS3   | 134.957   | 10.90%   | 4.501.350  | 14.00%  |
| Vita  | 105.898   | 8.60%    | 3.866.979  | 12.10%  |
| PS4   | 56.184    | 4.50%    | 1.422.649  | 4.40%   |
| PSP   | 10.760    | 0.90%    | 601.547    | 1.90%   |
| XB1   | 2.047     | 0.20%    | 115.271    | 0.40%   |
-------------------------------------------------------
| Total | 1.238.190 | 100.00%  | 32.070.498 | 100.00% |
-------------------------------------------------------

HARDWARE

------------------------------------------------------
| Model | This Week | Week (%) |  FY 2014  | FY (%)  |
------------------------------------------------------
| 3DS   | 170.336   | 54.10%   | 2.563.080 | 56.30%  |
| Vita  | 51.388    | 16.30%   | 684.500   | 15.00%  |
| Wii U | 38.652    | 12.30%   | 479.401   | 10.50%  |
| PS4   | 37.571    | 11.90%   | 482.868   | 10.60%  |
| PS3   | 15.530    | 4.90%    | 254.149   | 5.60%   |
| XB1   | 1.264     | 0.40%    | 43.771    | 1.00%   |
| PSP   | 33        | 0.00%    | 44.187    | 1.00%   |
------------------------------------------------------
| Total | 314.676   | 100.00%  | 4.551.956 | 100.00% |
------------------------------------------------------

*FY 2014 refers to the period from April 1. 2014 through March 31. 2015

Dengeki Sales: Week 52. 2014 (Dec 22 - Dec 28)

Dengeki Sales Archive
2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014

 

[1st Course]

If you do fy2014 week 52 - week 51, the total is way higher than week 52 sales alone.

I think fy2014 week 52 is actually fy2014 week1-2015. Dengeki messed up again.

You're right, numbers were indeed for week 1.

Taiko 3DS still messed up though.

 

[Bruno MB]

A little over a month ago we were talking about the sizable year to year decrease in overall software sales (5,73 million units) and if December would be big enough to reduce that gap.

Well, we already have the answer.

[B]Week 48, 2014 (Nov 24 - Nov 30)[/B] 

2014 - 1.028.000 / 36.287.000
2013 - 936.000 / 41.925.000

Difference - 5.638.000

[B]Week 49, 2014 (Dec 01 - Dec 07)[/B] 

2014 - 1.074.000 / 37.361.000
2013 - 1.397.000 / 43.322.000

Difference - 5.961.000

[B]Week 50, 2014 (Dec 08 - Dec 14)[/B] 

2014 - 2.263.000 / 39.624.000
2013 - 1.723.000 / 45.045.000 

Difference - 5.421.000

[B]Week 51, 2014 (Dec 15 - Dec 21)[/B] 

2014 - 1.909.000 / 41.533.000
2013 - 2.007.000 / 47.052.000

Difference - 5.519.000

[B]Week 52, 2014 (Dec 22 - Dec 28) [/B]

2014 - 1.517.000 / 43.050.000
2013 - 2.094.000 / 49.146.000

Difference - 6.096.000

 

[Nirolak]

I see what you were saying about LINE. They definitely seem to be ahead of the game.

EDIT: I would consider it notable that Marvelous is the only one with a history of publishing in the traditional market. It might indicate that the skills aren't necessarily transferrable, although I remember SE noted that their Strikers game(forgot the name) was made by a console team.



It doesn't look like consumers have reacted well to Monster Hunter 4G just a year after launch. They should definitely consider a DLC option in the future.

The most notable exception would be that Monster Strike was designed and directed by Okamoto, who was a Capcom big wig back in the day before founding Game Republic.

Though actually I guess that's one of the bigger stories overall. A lot of these companies got game development staff by taking them away from other publishers and said publishers have since had to rebuild internal efforts and learn the market, which has taken all of them a non-trivial amount of time, and several of them still aren't there even in terms of getting into the second or third tier.

It's like when licensed games imploded in the West and the big Western publishers had to learn how to make notable original IPs while hemorrhaging money and staff.

But yeah Schoolgirl Strikers is a great example since Square Enix was obviously super proud that they managed to get an internal f2p mobile game made by console staff and actually have it be successful:

“SCHOOLGIRL STRIKERS” was a title developed entirely by our internal development team, which resulted in a huge success and contributed greatly in the Period. This internal development team is comprised mainly of seasoned developers from the PS2 and PS3 era. Having this team succeed in F2P development was a big milestone for the Company. Some people say that developing F2P titles would be a major challenge for console developers, however this success has stimulated our internal development teams and veteran developers, and I believe this was a considerable achievement.

I do feel I should note that the L in Marvelous AQL was for Liveware, so they did have some mobile staff to help them ease into this.

 

[Oregano]

The most notable exception would be that Monster Strike was designed and directed by Okamoto, who was a Capcom big wig back in the day before founding Game Republic.

Though actually I guess that's one of the bigger stories overall. A lot of these companies got game development staff by taking them away from other publishers and said publishers have since had to rebuild internal efforts and learn the market, which has taken all of them a non-trivial amount of time, and several of them still aren't there even in terms of getting into the second or third tier.

It's like when licensed games imploded in the West and the big Western publishers had to learn how to make notable original IPs while hemorrhaging money and staff.

But yeah Schoolgirl Strikers is a great example since Square Enix was obviously super proud that they managed to get an internal f2p mobile game made by console staff and actually have it be successful:



I do feel I should note that the L in Marvelous AQL was for Liveware, so they did have some mobile staff to help them ease into this.

But if Okamoto had the skills for the traditional industry Game Republic would still be around. ;-)

I feel one of the issues with discussing these types of games is that they are hard to quantify a lot of the time. Like for instance we kind of have an idea about how Puzzle & Dragons has performed based on how GungHo has grown but with Schoolgirl Strikers there's no frame of reference to what a "huge success" is.

In that respect Mevius will be a very interesting project to watch.

Spoiler

It can't be that hard to be more successful than Lightning Returns!

 

[Nirolak]

But if Okamoto had the skills for the traditional industry Game Republic would still be around. ;-)

I feel one of the issues with discussing these types of games is that they are hard to quantify a lot of the time. Like for instance we kind of have an idea about how Puzzle & Dragons has performed based on how GungHo has grown but with Schoolgirl Strikers there's no frame of reference to what a "huge success" is.

In that respect Mevius will be a very interesting project to watch.

Spoiler

It can't be that hard to be more successful than Lightning Returns!

It was a top 20 charter (it got into the top 10 from time to time) according to their fiscal report, which we can try and compare here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=134788444&postcount=502

But yes it's obviously vastly less detailed than the retail sales we get.

I wonder if there's someone that has weekly charts. The issue with hourly charts is that it's hard to put the jigsaw puzzle together and actually figure out what is where overall.

 

[Oregano]

It was a top 20 charter (it got into the top 10 from time to time) according to their fiscal report, which we can try and compare here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=134788444&postcount=502

But yes it's obviously vastly less detailed than the retail sales we get.

I wonder if there's someone that has weekly charts. The issue with hourly charts is that it's hard to put the jigsaw puzzle together and actually figure out what is where overall.

Yep, it's probably very difficult to calculate if they fluctuate a lot compared to the stuff that is consistent. There's also stuff like trying to take into account that the gap between 10 and 20 could be a massively different amount at different times even if the games are in similar spots.

 

[Vena]

Brand loyalty is kind of an unusual topic for mobile in 2015. You don't need people to line-up for the next game in a series when there's never going to be a sequel. Mobile games all work like League of Legends. The paid app market is largely a borderline irrelevant afterthought compared to free 2 play and almost no one who isn't an indie dev or just porting an old title over even bothers with it anymore.

I think this is where the 4DS will find its "place". A market of games not driven by F2P and the thread of insidious greed that often comes attached to the idea. Moreso, they can push the idea of a "consolidated" handheld for all gaming needs that will have access to all of the popular mobile games (by having proper engine support this time around) on top of the aforementioned paid market place for games.

The lack of any seemingly relevant competition from Sony, means that Nintendo will not have to compete with ghosts anymore, but more tailor their future hardware around the developments of Mobile. Not fight it, mind, but make their device more "preferred" both for developers of more ambitious titles and for gamers more interested in... more ambitious titles.

(Slap on the WiiU browser, ability to play music while in low power, and access to the popular apps with good functionality, and you've got a good "entertainment" device not held back by the successions and design philosophies of a mobile phone.)

 

[Chris1964]

Week 52, 2014 (Dec 22 - Dec 28)

2014 - 1.517.000 / 43.050.000
2013 - 2.094.000 / 49.146.000

Difference - 6.096.000

I still see week 51 at m-c site

Obviously week 1 has been posted, someone who has access can pm me.

 

[Mory Dunz]

Wow, a lot of variation in the 3 trackers' numbers heh.

 

[Oregano]

I think this is where the 4DS will find its "place". A market of games not driven by F2P and the thread of insidious greed that often comes attached to the idea. Moreso, they can push the idea of a "consolidated" handheld for all gaming needs that will have access to all of the popular mobile games (by having proper engine support this time around) on top of the aforementioned paid market place for games.

The lack of any seemingly relevant competition from Sony, means that Nintendo will not have to compete with ghosts anymore, but more tailor their future hardware around the developments of Mobile. Not fight it, mind, but make their device more "preferred" both for developers of more ambitious titles and for gamers more interested in... more ambitious titles.

(Slap on the WiiU browser, ability to play music while in low power, and access to the popular apps with good functionality, and you've got a good "entertainment" device not held back by the successions and design philosophies of a mobile phone.)

I'm not that confident in Nintendo's ability to take advantage of that opportunity but one of the most important things about F2P on the 3DS is that not only is Nintendo support stuff like Denpa Men(or Million Arthur to give an example of a mobile port) but they are putting some internal resources towards it as well. The sticker game is a stroke of genius in that regard because it leverages the fact that it's a gaming device.

 

[Nirolak]

Yep, it's probably very difficult to calculate if they fluctuate a lot compared to the stuff that is consistent. There's also stuff like trying to take into account that the gap between 10 and 20 could be a massively different amount at different times even if the games are in similar spots.

Right, though one thing for mobile to my understanding is that the spots themselves seem to be somewhat similar (though usually rising over time), but the games fly around them like mad.

Like it's not unusual for a game to randomly fluctuate between #30 and #20 in the course of a day and then have an event and go up to #3, which would be the difference between making $1 million a day and make $50-$100K.

When things get chunked into a full week, if we had data that correlated to that (and ideally over a couple weeks to get a sense of how much it does or doesn't fluctuate at a given time), it'd be a lot easier to piece the puzzle together, but unfortunately this doesn't seem to exist.

As a side note, I did find App Annie's Japanese mobile awards for Fall 2014: http://blog.appannie.com/japan-app-annie-awards-apps-fall-2014/

I'm mainly linking this since COLOPL's other two apps, Quiz RPG and that baseball PRIDE game, are list here as very strong performers to help illustrate what I said earlier about them.