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NPD Sales Results For July 2016

Ryng_tolu

Banned
Do we have a US Jan-July 2008 comparison. These Jan-July 2016 numbers seem quite low. I understand it's the quiet period.

here you go

CqiT_PdW8AABHZx.jpg:large


Good luck to anything to ever come close to the DS record 10 million in a year sold

It was 11 million in 2009 actually. Wii did 10 million too in 2008

Man, those two were really two BEASTS.
I still remember that December Wii 4+ millions milestone...NEVER AGAIN (I think)

Wii record is 3.81 million, so almost 4 million but not 4+ million.
 
GTA V may be one the best timed releases ever. Gets tons of sales upfront with the tens of millions of people who own PS3/360, get more sales in the long run with the release to PS4, Xbox One, and PC. I guess having the direct competition stumble into obscurity helps as well. At this rate it could be a top ten seller for 2017.
There were opinions that the timing was awful, releasing a game on old gen consoles, comparing with Gran Turismo.
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Wut?

Dude, it's July+absolutely zero major releases.

I don't....what?

Year over year drops compare this July to last July, so I'm not sure where your "Dude, it's July" comment applies.
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Good foresight from Sony and MS as it obviously takes years to plan/develop. Will gladly buy both.

I am genuinely curious as to how many people are like you. It's going to be fascinating to see the sales of these new half-step systems.

I know many on GAF are on board, but what about general consumers? If this doesn't go over well, the industry might need to make some changes.
 

Kill3r7

Member
Year over year drops compare this July to last July, so I'm not sure where your "Dude, it's July" comment applies.

That's because people hopped on the doom and gloom train last year only to have the holiday season save the day. So, let's wait and see where we end up at the end of the year. This might very well end up being a down year (looks very likely) followed by strong sales next year due to new consoles.
 

LordRaptor

Member
That's because people hopped on the doom and gloom train last year only to have the holiday season save the day.

I'm not sure that moving to a "boom bust" cycle where you get big sales in the holidays and crap sales the rest of the year is indicative of a healthy market, even though holiday numbers are big and impressive.
 

QaaQer

Member
GTAV still winning 3 years later, good grief that game is a phenomenon.

I'd like to know what role GTA online is having on this game's longevity; i.e., how many buy the game just for the multi? And how much does the online generate?

A quick Google got me these numbers: Zelnick said in feb's earnings call, they just had a record week, which meant >8 million unique player's in one week in Feb, 2+ years after launch. Given the microtransaction hooks, I wouldn't be surprised if GTA online made significantly more $ than traditional GTA.

Maybe I'll make a thread somewhere because I think this is interesting, idk if it is interesting enough to gaf to get a conversation going tho. It would be a quite a shift if the world's biggest single player game became more of a multiplayer focused franchise.
 
While this July's numbers are pretty bad, it's still wise advice to see how the rest of year plays out.

It was only a couple of months ago that PS4 was up YoY every month or close and doing really well.

Might just be a SW timing thatll equalize by the end of the year.
 

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
I'm not sure that moving to a "boom bust" cycle where you get big sales in the holidays and crap sales the rest of the year is indicative of a healthy market, even though holiday numbers are big ūand impressive.


I think that there are two teams

Those who disregard the ds and wii sales as something outside the normal market, that prova today is in the mobile and smartphone segment

Those who still consider ds and wii sales as something to be included to make comparison between past and actual gen for the videogame market

probably both are right in their own terms
 

krang

Member
Hardware being down YoY every month can't be good, or is it not as bad as it sounds?

Is it just that the market hasn't actually increased in size, but was particularly eager to move on from the 360/PS3? So perhaps sales were much more front-loaded compared to the slow burn of last gen?

Just speculating, I'm no analyst.
 

LordRaptor

Member
I think that there are two teams

Those who disregard the ds and wii sales as something outside the normal market, that prova today is in the mobile and smartphone segment

Those who still consider ds and wii sales as something to be included to make comparison between past and actual gen for the videogame market

probably both are right in their own terms

donny2112 did a good writeup on this in the other NPD thread with graphs.

Not posted, but if you look at just PS4+XB1 vs. PS2+XBX from launch, the totals are almost identical with PS2+XBX holding a slight advantage.
 
I'm not sure that moving to a "boom bust" cycle where you get big sales in the holidays and crap sales the rest of the year is indicative of a healthy market, even though holiday numbers are big and impressive.
It's not so important when people buy stuff as long as they buy it.
It's just a problem that we learned to wait for discounts. Black friday, steam sales etc. are a problem as we feel stupid buying something that has no crossed-out pricepoint with a huge % sign besides.
 

gamz

Member
While this July's numbers are pretty bad, it's still wise advice to see how the rest of year plays out.

It was only a couple of months ago that PS4 was up YoY every month or close and doing really well.

Might just be a SW timing thatll equalize by the end of the year.

With these new consoles I think these next few months are going to close out the year in a huge way.
 

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
donny2112 did a good writeup on this in the other NPD thread with graphs.

Yes.
My take is that the classic offer by MS and Sony took a huge hit by the Nintendo different offer in the past gen, in fact.
that doesn't mean that the actual console gen is going better than the previous, nor that is going to be doom&gloom.
Truth is in the middle: what I believe on the other hand is that the PS360 gen lasted too long for many consuemrs and that this gen was going to be pretty front loaded in terms of PS4/One sales, ending to a lower than expected (by many GAF enthusiasts) LTD.
But than (and this is not unrelated to what I'm saying, imho) both MS and Sony decided to present their middle-gen-updates hardwres
 

QaaQer

Member
While this July's numbers are pretty bad, it's still wise advice to see how the rest of year plays out.

It was only a couple of months ago that PS4 was up YoY every month or close and doing really well.

Might just be a SW timing thatll equalize by the end of the year.

Maybe.

I wish we had numbers on different age groups as I'm really curious about the under 18 market, which is where new players come from. Compared to previous generations, they watch less sports, are less interested in commercial TV, play less golf, fewer hunt, etc.; maybe console gaming is in there too? If so, slow decline in terms of number of players will be the norm. Total revenue might still go up though, as software companies are getting better at maximising revenue from each user.
 

BeforeU

Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Minecraft on #6 without digital sales? Fuck. I wouldnt be surprised if more than 80% of that game's purchase is digital.

And GTA is just killing it. What a beast.
 

Kill3r7

Member
Minecraft on #6 without digital sales? Fuck. I wouldnt be surprised if more than 80% of that game's purchase is digital.

And GTA is just killing it. What a beast.

I think that's the idea behind this move. The NPD is trying to force MS hand so they share their digital sales data if they want Minecraft to be ranked properly. However, I suspect MS does not care about NPD rankings, especially for a game that has been charting virtually not stop since its retail release.
 

LordRaptor

Member
It's not so important when people buy stuff as long as they buy it.
It's just a problem that we learned to wait for discounts. Black friday, steam sales etc. are a problem as we feel stupid buying something that has no crossed-out pricepoint with a huge % sign besides.

For b&m retail its a problem when people buy it, as it will directly affect stock buys - if dedicated gaming is moving to a more seasonal trends, that will equate to less 'regular' restocks, which creates a vicious cycle. For online / digital, this is obviously not the same issue.

I'm also not entirely convinced its trained customer behaviours to wait for sales - other consumer electronics and entertainment devices don't seem to be moving to a more seasonal purchase pattern.
 

gamz

Member
Minecraft on #6 without digital sales? Fuck. I wouldnt be surprised if more than 80% of that game's purchase is digital.

And GTA is just killing it. What a beast.

Wait. This is just physical? I thought it was both? I didn't know that many people are even buying MC physically. Wow!
 

Celine

Member
I think that there are two teams

Those who disregard the ds and wii sales as something outside the normal market, that prova today is in the mobile and smartphone segment

Those who still consider ds and wii sales as something to be included to make comparison between past and actual gen for the videogame market

probably both are right in their own terms
I am in the team that knows both PS3 and Xbox 360 YTD peaked in 2011 and that there is no way a console selling as good as Wii was doing roughly between 2007-2009 had no impact what's so ever on the other two.
Between 2007 and 2010 Wii was the best selling console in both Japan and US so it's not easy to take it away.

Yes.
My take is that the classic offer by MS and Sony took a huge hit by the Nintendo different offer in the past gen, in fact.
that doesn't mean that the actual console gen is going better than the previous, nor that is going to be doom&gloom.
Truth is in the middle: what I believe on the other hand is that the PS360 gen lasted too long for many consuemrs and that this gen was going to be pretty front loaded in terms of PS4/One sales, ending to a lower than expected (by many GAF enthusiasts) LTD.
But than (and this is not unrelated to what I'm saying, imho) both MS and Sony decided to present their middle-gen-updates hardwres
I agree with you.
 

Aaron D.

Member
GTAV still winning 3 years later, good grief that game is a phenomenon.

I think the PC/PS4/XB1 Remaster was a legitimate game-changer for the franchise.

Putting the game in first-person perspective for the first time feels like it turned the series on its head. It took a franchise that already had incredible immersion and just turned the amps up to 11. The game just feels so different in first-person mode. It feels like you're there in Los Santos, a boon for a title with such an breathtaking level of detail.

It makes the entire landscape that much more convincing to the player.

While one could list a dozen other reasons for GTAV's staying power, I think the simple shift from 3rd to 1st person is a major contributing factor.
 

Kill3r7

Member
For b&m retail its a problem when people buy it, as it will directly affect stock buys - if dedicated gaming is moving to a more seasonal trends, that will equate to less 'regular' restocks, which creates a vicious cycle. For online / digital, this is obviously not the same issue.

I'm also not entirely convinced its trained customer behaviours to wait for sales - other consumer electronics and entertainment devices don't seem to be moving to a more seasonal purchase pattern.

Most electronics sell better during the holiday season. Maybe not as skewed as consoles but still a significant portion of their sales come during the holiday season.

Smartphones being one exception as they sell well year round with huge spikes in the months following a new release. TVs being another exception, as they see a huge spike in sales before the Superbowl. I don't keep up with the PC/laptop scene but presumably they see a spike before the start of the school year, especially considering back to school sales/promos.
 
donny2112 did a good writeup on this in the other NPD thread with graphs.

Those are fantastic graphs! Thanks for linking them! The fact that total home console hardware sales are trending not only behind last generation, but also the generation before is pretty worrying. If the new hardware releasing over the next year and a bit doesn't turn things around, I wonder how console manufacturers will respond?
 

gamz

Member
Those are fantastic graphs! Thanks for linking them! The fact that total home console hardware sales are trending not only behind last generation, but also the generation before is pretty worrying. If the new hardware releasing over the next year and a bit doesn't turn things around, I wonder how console manufacturers will respond?

I think the new consoles will jump start consoles again. I think the current consoles didn't have the wow factor of last gen and don't forget the massive competition from phones and ipads. Kids coming up would much rather play games on their iPad because it's mobile. At least my kids do.
 
It was only a couple of months ago that PS4 was up YoY every month or close and doing really well.

Might just be a SW timing thatll equalize by the end of the year.
PS4 is only 30k units behind last year. Either a price drop or a new model would likely close the gap. If they do both, they should have a third year of growth (whereas many consoles--even overall successful ones--only have two).
 
Year over year drops compare this July to last July, so I'm not sure where your "Dude, it's July" comment applies.

Uh, the fact it's a slow summer month with no big releases at all? That people are now aware new consoles are around the corner? That this is traditionally what happens when a price cut is coming?

You're right tho mate. Consoles are dying. Every summer.

*eye roll*
 

donny2112

Member
The 2DS sales are really surprising. Didn't think it was that popular when launched (a 2-D version of a glassless 3-D system?), but the drop to MSRP of $80 with game included has really done well for the system. It's also the lowest priced entry point for Pokemon games with the Pokemon Go bump. Having a sub-$100 option for a handheld, even if it's a gimped (but playable) option, just seems like a good idea going forward. Even in the face of mobile. If a sub-$100 system can make money, it's a great price to be at. Could even make parents re-think passing down their old (but $100s) phone vs. buying the system for their kids.
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Uh, the fact it's a slow summer month with no big releases at all? That people are now aware new consoles are around the corner? That this is traditionally what happens when a price cut is coming?

You're right tho mate. Consoles are dying. Every summer.

*eye roll*

Please inform me where I said "Consoles are dying." I'll wait.
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
2K. Neither GTA nor Minecraft are by Nintendo.

My guess is they're referring to the 3DS sales, not connecting Nintendo with GTA/Minecraft.
 
PS4 is only 30k units behind last year. Either a price drop or a new model would likely close the gap. If they do both, they should have a third year of growth (whereas many consoles--even overall successful ones--only have two).

Why is bad?

up or down, 160K-180K in July is great for me. It's not February/March, those are summers months.

Sorry, I messed that post up a bit. That bit about the sales being bad was supposed to be an observation when simply looking at the YoY change alongside how the PS4 has dropped below last year's YTD.

What I was trying to say was that when you add other factors, such as big releases (last June had one compared to none this year for example), it's much more likely that July seems "bad" because the sales are shifting around.

Hence why PS4 was doing really good in earlier months this year but not so much now (vs. last year).
 

Aostia

El Capitan Todd
I am in the team that knows both PS3 and Xbox 360 YTD peaked in 2011 and that there is no way a console selling as good as Wii was doing roughly between 2007-2009 had no impact what's so ever on the other two.
Between 2007 and 2010 Wii was the best selling console in both Japan and US so it's not easy to take it away.


I agree with you.

.
 
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