By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
nitekrawler1285 on 27 October 2011
Edit Thread
Joelcool7 said:
nitekrawler1285 said:
Of the 76 3DS titles in VGC database we have a total of 8.88 million pieces of software sold. Subtract Nintendo titles and we have 5.28 million units of software sold for 3rd parties. I wouldn't be surprised if alot of those titles didn't even make a profit. 3DS software sales are still depressingly low despite the hardware moving at the new pricepoint. Lower than Its predecessor and the Wii both of which are practically not receiving any new software and haven't been for a while.

I suspect it will be much like Kinect. Amazing opening and pitiful legs for the rest of year.


Some of the VGC Database titles haven't launched yet. Though I must agree if those are the sales figures they are very very bad. Another reason for such low sales figures is that retailers simply aren't carrying the majority of 3DS games. The publishers can't get their games on store shelves. NIS specifically stated that retailers only carry the best of the best and prefer carrying sequels and such over new IP and other titles that aren't well established. Of those 76 games how many are available globally? then of those how many do retailers actually carry?

In the end a large reason for a lot of the failures is probably attributed to poor marketing, retailers not wanting to carry anything they aren't guaranteed to make tons of money on. Also note that a lot of the failing titles aren't really high quality software either. Though I am very surprised to see Driver doing so poorly.

I think Nintendo is going to have to prove to third parties that software will sell. Hopefully this doesn't end up like PSP, also at this point in the original DS's life were there 76 titles on the market? If there were then I would probably conclude that they didn't sell all that much better either.

I mean this is a launch and at launch you don't usually expect 76 titles. Then so many of those titles are simply not high quality and many lack the marketing and branding to make them successful. In fact a lot of similar titles on the DS launched way into its life span still sold like shit. Just look at UbiSoft's games on DS and you will see so many titles that did just as bad as the worst 3DS ones!

This is true but 5.58 million split between a few big names like SSFIV, Resident Evil, One Piece, Fifa, PES, Pokemon, DoA, Rayman, The Sims, Tom Clancy, SMT and Madden is downright pitiful. Forget the other low quality titles.  That's not even a half mill for most of those.  

This is why I consistently harp on Nintendo's online.  They need a way to transfer your titles to your profile not just consoles of the same type so they can better represent publishers like NIS who have done well carving out a popularity on digital spaces like PSN.  I can understand not wanting to buy games that are locked to that hardware specifically only Nintendo system not included is the 3DS which just got that update that makes me think a redesign is a definite thing. It also does themselves and smaller devs a great injustice.  This would give those smaller titles broader awareness and space in a marketplace if not the physical one. 

I wish VGC would let you look at software via release date. Over time is always an interesting way to look at and search data.  

I think proper digital would really help.  Imagine smaller titles with better critical reception may be better appreciated on an online network. Cutting out the middle man makes the prices smaller for consumers and theoretically better profitability not having to worry about price of carts and retailer profits and such. Western developers would feel alot more at home in this environment as well.