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Forums - Sales Discussion - 360 big in Japan, but new PS3 could usurp lead

BKK2 on 10 October 2008

"GRAN TURISMO" Series Software Title List

Release Title Units (K)*
2008/4/15 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (North America) 610
2008/3/28 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Europe) 1,450
2008/2/15 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (SE Asia) 40
2007/12/13 Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Japan) 270
2005/03/10 GRAN TURISMO 4 (Korea) 80
2005/03/09 GRAN TURISMO 4 (Europe) 5,850
2005/02/22 GRAN TURISMO 4 (North America) 2,930
2004/12/28 GRAN TURISMO 4 (SE Asia) 70
2004/12/28 GRAN TURISMO 4 (Japan) 1,250
2004/05/26 GRAN TURISMO 4 “Prologue” (Europe) 410
2004/01/15 GRAN TURISMO 4 “Prologue” (Korea) 50
2003/12/04 GRAN TURISMO 4 “Prologue” (SE Asia) 110
2003/12/04 GRAN TURISMO 4 “Prologue” (Japan) 790
2002/07/25 GRAN TURISMO Concept 2002 TOKYO-GENEVA (SE Asia) 30
2002/07/17 GRAN TURISMO Concept 2002 TOKYO-GENEVA (Europe) 1,000
2002/05/16 GRAN TURISMO Concept 2002 TOKYO-SEOUL (Korea) 90
2002/01/01 GRAN TURISMO Concept 2001 TOKYO (SE Asia) 10
2002/01/01 GRAN TURISMO Concept 2001 TOKYO (Japan) 430
2001/12/13 GRAN TURISMO 3 A-spec (SE Asia) 10
2001/07/20 GRAN TURISMO 3 A-spec (Europe) 5,840
2001/07/10 GRAN TURISMO 3 A-spec (North America) 7,140
2001/04/28 GRAN TURISMO 3 A-spec (Japan) 1,890
2000/01/28 GRAN TURISMO 2 (Europe) 3,680
1999/12/23 GRAN TURISMO 2 (North America) 3,960
1999/12/11 GRAN TURISMO 2 (SE Asia) 20
1999/12/11 GRAN TURISMO 2 (Japan) 1,710
1998/05/12 GRAN TURISMO (North America) 3,990
1998/05/08 GRAN TURISMO (Europe) 4,300
1997/12/23 GRAN TURISMO (SE Asia) 10
1997/12/23 GRAN TURISMO (Japan) 2,550

*as of June 2008

© 2008 Polyphony Digital Inc. All rights reserved.



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Jordahn on 10 October 2008
Bitmap Frogs said:
Jordahn said:
Sansui said:

If you're looking at Japan and this generation in particular as a complete microcosm, then yes, total disasters.  But, Microsoft's strategy has allowed them to pick up third party games from Japanese developers that appeal to NA and Europe too and improve their brand perception in Japan.

This generation has been all about games and online service, and MS is building a compelling portfolio in both.  They can't afford to be third place this gen if they want to start being regularly profitable.

Investment in Japan = worldwide investment.

 

Didn't Microsoft themselves said something along the lines of winning Europe was a key to winning the console wars???

 

 

Up to a certain point and depending on the regions, european gaming tastes sort of overlap with japanese gaming tastes.

MS's investment in Japan might not be reaping anything in Japan but it's sure helping them broaden their portfolio outside. Didn't you notice how many users of this site got themselves a 360 after the onslaught of jrpgs was announced?

 

[shake head]

 



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crumas2 on 10 October 2008

Thanks, BKK2. I have additional questions, since you seem to have answers .

1. How difficult would it be to make an assessment of attach rate for this game. In other words, how big was the PS2 user base when the majority of GT4s were sold, for example?

2. How much competition (good racing games) were available on the PS2 when GT4 was released?

3. Which of those other titles are "prologue" version as opposed to "add-ons" to a base title?



Alby_da_Wolf on 10 October 2008
DMeisterJ said:
It's clear to see that MS has no clear strategy.

They switch up all the time.

First it was 'First to 10 million sold wins the console race', then it was 'EU! EU! EU!' and now it's 'all about Japan'.

This is all the span of about a year.

They have no idea what they are focusing on, and it's hurting them immensely. Putting all the money that they put into Japan into EU would have yielded immensely better results.

That's true, but maybe the problem is they think money can solve anything, they put an awful lot of money into their projects for expansion and they take for granted that success is owed to them due to this. And strangely enough, most of the blindest MS fanboys have this same cast of mind about money, I read far too often people writing that as Bill Gates is so rich he must be right, whatever the issue, even talking about verified unfair competition practices or even brown Zunes 



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BKK2 on 10 October 2008

1. GT4 launched to an installed base of 17.6m in Japan according to VGC
2. GT3
3. GT4 Prologue

The first GT on PS2 was GT3 which launched to an installed base of 4.4m according to VGC. There wasn't a Prologue for this though, so there isn't really a direct comparison for PS2 & PS3.

Between GT3 and GT4 there was two more releases; GT Concept, & GT4 Prologue. GT4 sold around 60% more than it's prologue, but by this time it was the fourth GT release on PS2.



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crumas2 on 10 October 2008
Alby_da_Wolf said:
DMeisterJ said:
It's clear to see that MS has no clear strategy.

They switch up all the time.

First it was 'First to 10 million sold wins the console race', then it was 'EU! EU! EU!' and now it's 'all about Japan'.

This is all the span of about a year.

They have no idea what they are focusing on, and it's hurting them immensely. Putting all the money that they put into Japan into EU would have yielded immensely better results.

That's true, but maybe the problem is they think money can solve anything, they put an awful lot of money into their projects for expansion and they take for granted that success is owed to them due to this. And strangely enough, most of the blindest MS fanboys have this same cast of mind about money, I read far too often people writing that as Bill Gates is so rich he must be right, whatever the issue, even talking about verified unfair competition practices or even brown Zunes 

I don't believe money can solve everything or capture every market, and I'm not a big fan of Mr. Gates or MS, and I own Macs.  But I like my 360 (2+ years with the 1 unit), and I like the games available for it.

If I refused to buy an Xbox because MS made it, then I would also refuse to buy anything Sony (I have LOTS of Sony electronics) because of problems I've had with some of their products (their large-tube TV quality-control in the late 80's was a joke), and because of their often aggressive approach regarding DRM (root-kit installing CDs come to mind).

But then again I can probably find fault with just about every mega-company out there.

 

 



crumas2 on 10 October 2008
BKK2 said:
1. GT4 launched to an installed base of 17.6m in Japan according to VGC
2. GT3
3. GT4 Prologue

The first GT on PS2 was GT3 which launched to an installed base of 4.4m according to VGC. There wasn't a Prologue for this though, so there isn't really a direct comparison for PS2 & PS3.

Between GT3 and GT4 there was two more releases; GT Concept, & GT4 Prologue. GT4 sold around 60% more than it's prologue, but by this time it was the fourth GT release on PS2.

 

Thanks!  That's the sort of analysis I was looking for.  I'm guessing, from what you've described, that the "finished" GT5 will get a boost from being the first GT native to the PS3, but it doesn't sound like it's going to be a dramatic system seller.

 



ItsaMii on 10 October 2008

The strange thing about the 360 sales is that while the hardware sold 3X as much as the average week, the software only got a boost of 50-60%. PS3 software was much higher (obvious considering the userbase).



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BKK2 on 10 October 2008

It will probably be the biggest system seller for PS3 in Japan after Final Fantasy, but in the larger scheme of things Japan just isn't that big anymore. It will have a far more noticeable effect in Europe, which is why I wonder why Microsoft put so much effort into Japan. France alone has a larger installed base of 360s, but you don't see them striking deals with Ubisoft for Prince of Persia timed exclusivity etc.



BKK2 on 10 October 2008
ItsaMii said:
The strange thing about the 360 sales is that while the hardware sold 3X as much as the average week, the software only got a boost of 50-60%. PS3 software was much higher (obvious considering the userbase).

I saw a software chart for a used game specialist in Tokyo, the top three places were filled by 360 games. This is why 360 games are so front loaded, after the first week many just buy second hand.