In advance, I'm sory if this has ever been posted before but using the search function I could not find a similair thread.

The thought that went through my head last night before I went to sleep was actually: "Why do companies uphold so much value to attach rates"? Especially compared in a mutli-platform setting. Case in point being GTA 4 on the PS3 and the X360.

The last couple of weeks the general comment was how the 360 version sold more units, whilst the PS3 version had a higher attach rate. In other words, MS made more money, sold more copies (and had thus a more profitable market) while a larger percentage of PS3 owners got a copy.

But I could not, in anyway see a large added value in these attach numbers. The only probable use I could think of concerning attach rates is how it gives developers a look at what type of game is in what measure prefered on a console. So where to place their focus on genre so to speak.

But how can any argument ending with: "we got higher attach rates" be in any way a strong argument? Or am I overlooking something here?

Regards - Garry.

(P.s. I'm a nintendo follower so no, I do not try to start anything I hope to understand here...)

What is really important is how many games are sold.Whats more important. Selling 3m on a console with a base 0f 10m or selling 1m on a base of 2m. Obviously more games means more money for the publisher. The attach rate is a way of a company cherry picking information just to look like they have done a better job than the opposition.

The simple answer would be that (third party) companies generally don't care. Attach rate is one of those things that fans, and maybe the console maker will talk about when all the other statistics are in the other guy's favour.

What third parties care about is a console's ability to move software, in other words attach rate x install base. We have those numbers, so getting stuck on attach rate is a bit silly.

 I think attatch rates from a profit point of view is pretty much useless however it does provide alot of insight about certain things.

 The GTA IV ratio on the PS3 was higher than it was on the 360 , the 360 has a  much larger install base therfore it'll have much larger sales . If the situation did come about that the PS3 and 360 where neck and neck in install bases then based on the current attach rates the PS3 would be a better platform for a GTA exclusive than the 360 , in this generation where pretty much every big 3rd party game goes platform it's pretty much irellevant but it does serve as bragging rights.

 It also gives insight into the type of gamer that purchases a console , we know that in many cases that tastes and interests of PS3 gamers to XBOX 360 gamers varies this is seen through the Attatch rates of games like Burnout Paridise , DMC4 and GTA IV ( the geographic location does contribute alot to this also as alot of the PS3's install base is in europe and they tend to like the football/racing games alot)

I'd say general software attach rates indicate more than attatch rates for a multiplatofrm game but then attatch all together are really only for PR effect.

Attach rates are just used for PR spin. They are meaningless. GTA IV attach rate was higher on the PS3 due to the smaller install base of the PS3. GTA IV is considered a PS console game.

Attach rates are one of the last resorts used by spin doctors.

They're sometimes cool to look at as a mere curiosity, but beyond that its uses are usually ridiculous.

Sometimes I read a thread on the Internet and I actually think to myself "Jesus, somebody actually gets it...". This would be one of those threads. Thank you all, to this point, for restoring my faith in humanity for about 15 minutes.

Thanks guys, Imperial mainly. I hadn't looked after the idea of the effect in a neck-an-neck case scenario. Perhaps in the future, now that the PS3 is gaining it could very well be a more valid argument towards publishers.