http://www.mcvuk.com/news/34856/Pre-owned-proves-potential-sales-power-of-Crackdown-2

Microsoft studios boss said Xbox Live stats reveal huge audience waiting for sequel

The game might not be due until next year, but Microsoft is already tipping Crackdown 2 as a major seller for Xbox 360.

According to the format-holder, Xbox Live usage figures show that the original’s official global sales number is dwarfed by data which shows millions more played pre-owned copies.

“We sold 1.7m and if you look at the number of Live users and the pre-owned market there are a lot of people who have put Crackdown in their 360 and played that game – well over two million have played it on Live, and that doesn’t include the offline players,” Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Game Studios, told MCV.

Crackdown 2 was first announced at E3, but Microsoft only showed a brief trailer for the game.

The title is in development at Dundee, Scotland-based Ruffian Games, a new start-up founded by the lead designer of the original game, developed at nearby Realtime Worlds, which was released in 2007.

Spencer reckons that leaving some time between the original game’s release and its follow- up has allowed Microsoft to make sure the game has a devoted audience – meaning that Crackdown 2 will be a bigger commercial hit than its popular predecessor.

“It would have been easy to chase the money, but I want to make sure that anything we work on has a chance to take hold and gain avid customers to nurture,” he explained.

“We own the IP and we could have easily just found another developer out there and done something called Crackdown 2 but we wanted it to be special.”

I wonder how in depth their Live stat tracking is. They probably have the ability to track game usage based on console serial number instead of GamerTag. Good to see Crackdown getting some love. Cannot wait for it.

I am glad they are making a second one. I loved the first one but based on its sales it didn't sell like a AAA title. A lot of its sales were due to the boost of the Halo 3 beta. However, the community feedback was ecstatic. After the Halo 3 beta ended a lot of people decided to try out the game and ended up loving it. You went for the Halo 3 beta and stayed for the agility orbs.

I'm glad Microsoft put the go on it.

I'm sure they store everything. Then it is just a matter of data mining the specific information you want. The only thing they can't easily track is pirating since they ban anyone who takes a pirated copy online. Had they never done that, they could have had one of the best stats on pirating software ever.

ORBS ORBS.... they haunt me in my dreams...... man if it was not for that update i never would have found the last agility orb ....now im reminded i need to go find the special orbs... i think im missing ten.... sigh that will take away from time i could be using to kill people with that giant globe .... and juggling bodies in the air 

lucky guy. I still have ONE to go :'(

Havent played the first one yet, but it is on my list to get

Guess they forgot about the Halo 3 Beta haha. Oh well... I'm sure it'll do fine on its own right. Not like the first was a bad game eh.

I just bought the first one, but haven't played it yet due to exams...

1.7 million is not bad either. Let's say this one could make it to 2 million, that would be a great number if you ask me.

i must have walked buy it a hundred times, it was on top near the radar listinging dome thing.... i heard it and spent like 2 hours till i fount it