Jon Peddie Research explains PC gaming versus console

[shio]

mrstickball said:

shio said:

1.º You are basing your opinion in a single console-centric market. That is hardly fair, and you can't even extrapolate those figures to represent europe because PC dominates nearly all the other european countries.

2.º PC games aren't very frontloaded, and usually keep selling for years. Bioshock, for example, didn't have sell much in it's release but is still selling on PC, appearing in PC top 10 weekly chart in Germany, and often sneaks into Steam's and D2D's top 10 sellers.

3.º Those figures aren't taking into account the sales from Digital Distribution. Fallout 3 is currently 4th on Steam, 6th on D2D and came out today on Gamersgate.

1. And how many other big markets for Fallout 3 are going to have similar, console-heavy sales? I don't think one or two PC-heavy countries that don't game much in general such as Germany are really going to tip the balance - not when you have the heavy hitters if America, UK and Japan being big on console games.

2. Depending on the console game, they aren't very frontloaded either. Nintendo games, anyone? Halo 3?

3. Oh wow, Fallout 3 is 3th on steam! It's getting beat out by World At War for PC!

The issue with the PC market is that it's multifaceted. The DD markets are new, and are doing well, but nowhere near retail sales. Browser base, and adver-gaming is another new, different market, as well as MMOs. All are competing for space. I am sure that PC gaming is doing incredibly well when you merge the different ones together, but it's very doubtful that taking major games such as GTAIV, Mass Effect, and other games that are 'big' on Consoles, are competing very well with the console game sales.

1. There may not be many big countries that are PC-dominated, but there are dozens of PC-centric european countries, which added up will make a hefty sum.

2. Casual console games do sell through a longer period (and nintendo games), but "hardcore" games don't. You think Halo 3 is going to keep selling for years? I have not seen it in any chart for ages. Where is 360 COD4? 360 Bioshock? The PC version of Bioshock still appears here and there, while COD4 was one of the top selling PC games last quarter. As a rule, PC games are almost NEVER frontloaded.

3. I'm not sure what you mean. FYI COD5 came out yesterday on Steam, so it's not surprising to see it well placed.

According to PCGA, last year the PC's DD market was 66% the size of the Retail market. Soon DD will catch Retail, if it hasn't already.