Sales

Taking a look around online, I found some good products on Amazon this week for each of the systems.

PS2:
Katamari Damacy - $9.97 - I love Katamari Damacy and although there have been later games, the whole concept is still the same. I don’t really think there was too much evolution in the game, but the original was the groundbreaker.

Wii:

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 - $22.50 - Now this is a game that’s just fun. If you’re in need for a good party game, look no further.

PS3:

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - $39.99 - I got this game back when they had the PS3 bundle and I played it all the way through. The game was riveting and although I’m not huge on action/adventure games MGS4 was captivating.

Xbox360:

Assassin’s Creed - $23.99 - I know a sequel has come out, but if you haven’t gotten into the game definitely take a look. It didn’t hit the Platinum/Greatest hits status for nothing.

DS:

Kirby Super Star Ultra - $26.99 - I know that the price change isn’t much, but if I had to pick a definite 2-D Kirby game, this one is it. The Super Nintendo version was a classic and the little touches added to the DS version fills out the game. Some people may think that the game is a little short, but the mini-games keeps this one fresh.

A new study has forecast that online console revenue will hit $583 million this year. The reason for the jump is that gamers are becoming increasingly more comfortable with purchasing add-ons and episodic or small games online. IDC analyst Billy Pidgeon had this to say about the growth of the market:

“By the end of 2007, over 31 percent of online capable videogame consoles in North America will be in active online use by 14 million online console gamers,”

Pidgeon also states that the most revenue is generated by subscription services like Xbox Live, downloadable content and advertising. The increase in revenue represents the largest growth in the console software sector.

“In North America alone, online console revenue will triple from $133 million in 2006 to $583 million in 2007,”

He suggests that traditional retailers will have to be quick to adapt to the trend with other methods of sale.

“In 2007, game-related downloadable content derived from manufacturers’ proprietary online console networks will reach $296 million, while subscription revenue will increase from $107 million in 2006 to $277 million. While software sales are still significant — increasing from $8 billion in 2006 to $9.5 billion this year — content sold, accessed or downloaded online to videogame consoles over manufacturers’ proprietary networks will remain the industry’s most exciting growth opportunity in this hardware cycle.”

via Next Generation

While the PS3 often takes a beating on the internet, such talk seems to have had little effect on sales figures. When graphed against Xbox 360 sales, the graph is almost exactly the same from the time of launch. What is decidedly unknown is if the figures will undergo the same jump as the 360’s when we wind up to the holiday season.

Via PS3 Fanboy

A study by Electronic Entertainment Design and Research has indicated that games with more Xbox 360 Achievements generate greater sales. The study also claims that those with online achievements sell 50% more copies than those without.

Of course this can all be explained by higher profile games having more attention lavished on them in all areas, thus making them better games that just so happen to have lots of achievement points. It seems there is more to it than that though, as games that announced their list before release were found to sell better than those who kept it secret.

We can probably also expect a lot more viral marketing, as games that incorporated achievement lists into their viral marketing saw a 50% increase in sales. Geoffrey Zatkin of EEDAR had this to say about their study:

“Our research shows that incentives such as Accomplishments impact sales choices such as which game title to buy and which platform to buy it on; they also extend the replayability of a title. Consumers want their games to include both variety and abundance of Accomplishments.”

via ShackNews

Playstation 3 sales have increased by 178% in the UK following the release of the cheaper 40GB model and a lowering in price of the 60GB model with 2 bundled games. The introductions caused the weeks PS3 sales to reach their third highest since the systems launch. Despite the significant boost in sales, the PS3 only managed third spot behind the Nintendo DS and Wii.

Playstation 3 games also recieved a big boost with Resistance: Fall of Man racing up the all-formats charts from 22 to 8, Heavenly Sword re-entering the top 40 at number 14, MotorStorm moving from 22 to 18, and Formula 1: Championship Edition also back in the official charts at number 24.

via Gamesindustry.biz