I am not a hater, but Wii is not moving software

[shams]

blazinhead89 said:
@shams. If install base has nothing to do with software sales, then why did Final Fantasy XIII, Tekken 6, DMC4, etc. go Multiplat? To get less sales, please explain. I Mean i know a certain few people say that's why they went Multiplat, because of the PS3 Limited userbase.

Its like Benga said - I'm just saying it is not a *linear* relationship between install base and overall sales.

Its a lot closer to "current software sales is proportional to current hardware sales" - hence massive software sales at a console launch, when the install base is ZERO. And when a platform dies out (i.e. GBA), software sales drop to almost zero - even though it has a huge install base.

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As a counter-example to what you wrote - look at Bioshock on the PS3. New platform, enhanced port, increases the install base by 50% over the current one - you would expect sales to match the install base ratios? Yet they barely registered.

There is *no* algorithm, or direct relationship between install base & software sales.

As for those games you mentioned - is there any proof that going multiplatform significantly increased sales in the long term? Its impossible to know - some games have a higher '%' of being console sellers - people buying any hardware to play the game. Other games are more impulse/casual buys, meaning that install base is more relevant.

The main reason they are multi-platform is a financial one - its CHEAP to turn a 360 (or PS3) game into a PS3 AND 360 game - and from a "risk" point of view, there is an excellent chance you will sell enough on the non-dominant platform to cover this additional development cost. And as for FFXIII - we know there are "sweeteners" from MS in the package - the game *might* sell badly on the 360, and not be worth the port at all - we just don't know ATM.

And its the same reason the games did NOT come to the Wii - which would have doubled the overall install base again, right?

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Its a complex issue. There is also the factor of platform overlap - a lot of people have PS3 AND 360 consoles - so they *choose* one of the platforms when buying a game like DMC4 (or GTA4). If the 360 version was not released, a lot of people would have bought the PS3 version instead - as they *already* owned the PS3 hardware (as well a 360). Heck, some people bought the game on BOTH platforms.

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Anyway, you get the point :)