WW up April 9th 2011

[Alby_da_Wolf]

Michael-5 said:

Alby_da_Wolf said:

Michael-5 said:

Alby_da_Wolf said:

ethomaz said:

Michael-5 said:

Well in about 4 weeks, GT4 begins to enter it's first holiday season in EMEAA, and although sales remain relatively flat for the next 6 months of GT4's sales, I don't think this will be the case for GT5.

More likely 20 weeks.

In Week 21 GT4 sold 25k and after that until Week 40 it down to 15k... the first holiday boost is Week Ending 03rd Dec 2005 (Week 40) when it sold 25k again.

The holiday boost in EMEAA for GT4 was low... 25k (Week 41), 40k (Week 42), 60k (Week 43) and go back to 40k (Week 44)... Week 45 (24k) was already January.

Just EMEAA data... the boost in Americas stared before (November middle).

We should also consider two things in favour of GT5 sales: first, GT5 hasn't had its first Golden Week in Japan yet, second, after MS attacked GT5 during its launch heavily bundling F3, Sony could retaliate heavily bundling GT5 just when F4 launches.

I don't think bundling F3 affected GT5 sales. Maybe console sales, but not GT5 game sales.

Also, Golden Week? GT5 was launched in the Japanese Holiday period, a month earlier then GT4. It's sold for more high profile weeks then GT4, and still behind.

There are many factors to why GT5 isn't selling so well now, and I don't think FM4 will affect GT5 sales, I mean GT5 didn't affect FM3 sales.

I'd say console sales may have been affected more, I partially agree with you, but also the games sales for a simple reason: shelf space and visibility during BF. Whatever else XB360 bundle during that period would have affected a lot more console sales an minimally GT5 sales, but two big racing games events at the same time, a partial clash must have happened. GT5 was new, just released, but F3 was on the HD console preferred by Americans, and thanks to the bundle it got wide shelf space, almost like a new big game.

About GW, I guess we'll know for sure quite soon.

About the many factors affecting GT5, I agree in principle (although it's possible we give different importance to different factors), I already have in my mind some little corrections and additions I'd like if I had a PS3 (as if I had one, I'd surely buy GT5, but having a PC I'm actually torn between buying rFactor or waiting for rFactor 2, but right now I got enough racers to play).

Why would PS3 owners care about Forza Motorsport 3? Wouldn't FM3 being plastered on 360 console boxes, promote GT5 sales? Do you have any evidence to back up your claim about FM3 bundling hurting GT5 sales, or is this pure opinion? In my opinion, I would think having FM3 logos everywhere encourage PS3 owners to get their console's exclusive racing simulator. After all GT5 has a name too.

The biggest possible damage can be from undecided buyers liking racers and not owning any console yet this gen, some of them, finding both consoles and both games heavily advertised, and F3 bundled with 360, and maybe considering that more friends of theirs owned a 360, could have chosen F3 bundle, with the bundle itself becoming the decisive argument to reject the temptation to buy PS3 and GT5 instead. A small part of possible damage could come from people not fully persuaded yet  and just being distracted by the competitor's advertising. Oh, yes, this is my opinion. I got also another theory, just an opinion anyway:  MS could have had no intention at all to damage GT5, but just to exploit the marketing of its launch, attracting people to stores, just to find that there were two big racers filling the shelves.

This said, Sony and PD should, IMVHO, make some little improvements, maybe when they release the next special edition: make the most hardcore gamers happy giving the option to have the most realistic damage model since the start instead of after leveling up, add some tracks and cars appealing for American tastes, do the same for Japanese tastes,  and finally upgrade a good selection of cars from Standard to Premium, and please, avoid adding or upgrading any other Nissan Skyline, just because PD devs have clearly a fetish for it doesn't imply that anybody else must have it!!!