For everyone saying GT5 sales were disappointing.
Look at it this way. Most games these days sell 70% of their total sales within the first month.
-Look at MW2. ~50% of its sales were in the first 2 weeks.
-GOW 3 sold about 40% of its sales week 1. First two weeks were over 50% total sales.
-Halo 3 sold a third of its sales week 1. First two weeks put it over 40%.
However, GT games don't work the same way. They sell a maximum of 25% of their total sales week 1. GT4 only sold 24% total sales week 1. It took a full 10 weeks for GT4 sales to reach half of its total sales, something that doesn't often happen anymore. VG doesn't have full sales records for GT1-3, they only have Japan... but theres still data to be had there. In Japan, games often sell MUCH more than 50% of their total sales (for JP) week 1. Look at FFXIII, it sold 79% of its Japan sales week 1. FF12 sold 78% of its JP sales week 1. GT1 and 3 sold 26% and 30% respectively in JP week one. Pokemon does similar %s in Japan. This is why people say that these franchises have 'legs'. Their sales don't peak immediately and die off within a couple of weeks. They ARE NOT monstrous 1st week sellers. They won't sell 5 million week one and then decline 85% for week 2. DO NOT EXPECT MASSIVE PRE-ORDERS more than 4 weeks from release.
GT will do just fine. GT4 sales for US/JP/EU were 770k/670k/1070k. Wait until the GT5 release and compare first week sales. Remember. GT4 only sold 2.5 million first week and went on to sell 10.39 million. By comparison, MW2 for the 360 sold 5 million week one and is at 11.4 million now. Double the opening week (2.5 million more sales) yet has only outsold GT4 by 1 million overall. Just because a GT game doesn't have a cataclysmic opening week (pre-orders) doesn't mean it won't still sell very well.
