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Video Game Industry Thread: Time for a new thread
cloudeagle
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi! Welcome to the video game industry thread. Here we discuss things like sales figures, game development, studio closures, executive quotes, marketing and general business stuff. Also poop jokes.
E3's right around the corner. This should bring loads of industry news, but that likely won't slow down the inevitable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoCZ07hwoZ4
And now, May's information.
May NPD
360--270K
Wii--236K
PS3--177K
3DS--97K
E3's right around the corner. This should bring loads of industry news, but that likely won't slow down the inevitable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoCZ07hwoZ4
And now, May's information.
May NPD
360--270K
Wii--236K
PS3--177K
3DS--97K
Top 10 Games (New Physical Retail only; across all platforms incl. PC) Rank Publisher
L.A. Noire (360, PS3) 1 Take 2 Interactive -- 899K
Brink (360, PS3, PC) 2 Bethesda Softworks -- 401K
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) 3 Disney Interactive Studios
Portal 2 (360, PS3, PC) 4 Electronic Arts
Mortal Kombat 2011 (PS3, 360) 5 Warner Bros. Interactive -- 292K
Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) 6 Activision Blizzard
Zumba Fitness: Join the Party (Wii, 360, PS3) 7 Majesco
NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC) 8 Take 2 Interactive
Just Dance 2 (Wii) 9 Ubisoft
Lego Star Ware III: The Clone Wars (Wii, NDS, 360, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) 10 Lucasarts
cloudeagle on
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I used to like E3. Then it got a little too mainstream for me. 8-)
I think it will be a fruitful E3.
.. really? I feel like there's been a lot more information coming out ahead of time than usual. I don't know if it's because the publishers want to get their trailers out ahead of the PSV/Cafe reveals so they don't get lost in the shuffle, but I don't remember this many reveals this far ahead of time the last few years.
That could also just be me not remembering previous years as well, though.
It leaked that Nintendo will announce a new console (at least I thought it leaked)
I'd say that's pretty major
How will Ubisoft top inventing Laser Tag last year?
PSV has blown out in advance, but we've got pretty much no idea of any new games to be revealed at either of the big three conferences.
It didn't leak, they announced it ahead of time. Like they announced the Wii (in a magazine no less) and Microsoft had a big thing on Spike TV to announce the Xbox 360 (plus an proto-ARG which lead people to a video that announced it.)
Thanks Undead, I wasn't sure whether it leaked or not :]
I'm still trying to wrap my head around that chart from the first page. The "intent to buy stuff" is nearly worthless, speculation on unannounced/unreleased products with unclear competition is a difficult proposition at best and often completely futile; two years ago Android was an also-ran next to iOS now it's the market leader. But if you look at the "expect to be released" it can serve as a decent surrogate for brand awareness and how consumers view current products.
The Apple stuff is pretty interesting: Apple has announced new iPods and iPhones on a near-annual basis since they were launched, and the iPad 2 was launched a year after the first, maintaining that timing, yet under 40% of people surveyed expected a successor within the next two years. Even though they haven't been announced (Apple loves secrecy), past history alone combined with Apple's tremendous brand awareness and ability to get the public to know about those should get that number much higher. I can easily predict with 100% certainty that short of a meteor landing on Cupertino that Apple will release not one but TWO successors to all three of those products over the next 24 months.
From Sony's side I'd be worried that only 32% of people believe that Sony will launch a successor to the PSP within the next 2 years, despite the successor being announced months ago for release in at least some territories this year. More people believe that we'll see a PS4 in the next 2 years than the NGP. That says Sony hasn't gotten the word out enough that the NGP exists (even without Apple's brand and product awareness and the more limited scope of the handheld market the number expecting it to exist should be at LEAST 50%, if not much higher). Also interesting is that the same number (about 1 in 3) believe that Nintendo will release a successor to the 3DS within the next 2 years. I think Nintendo hasn't adequately communicated to the public that the 3DS isn't the latest in the DS->DS Lite->DSi->DSi XL cycle but rather a true successor system, which would also contribute strongly to the [relatively] lackluster early sales. I'd also take the nearly 50% expectance rate for a Wii successor (the highest of any product surveyed) to be a perfect indicator to why we're seeing Café: Nintendo knows that the public feels that the Wii's time has passed and it's time to move on.
Anyway I'd be reluctant to try and glean too much information out of that chart, but there's still some interesting factoids that can be found if you approach it from the right mindset.
PSV hasn't been blown out that much though. We know about the system and a handful of games but that's really it. There's still plenty they can announce for it. Price, launch date and third party games (*coughLumines*) being the big ones.
As for the Cafe being leaked beforehand (as Chris said, it was leaked before Nintendo even mentioned it), how is that much different to the situation with the 3DS last year? We knew it was coming and had a few details about it but it was still pretty cool when they actually announced it.
Yes it is sad, because releasing this year would put it up against games like MW3, Uncharted 3, AC: Revelations, Gears 3, Battlefield 3 and a lot of other high profile games (let alone the Vita launch), so it'd be completely overshadowed. Early next year (say around February like Heavy Rain) would be a far better time for it to come out. So hope for a release this year if you want Last Guardian to bomb.
On the bright side, the Team ICO Collection should be coming out around September/October (September's been confirmed for its Japanese release so I'd expect the US/PAL versions to come out around the same time).
This is true! Seriously, there's so much to be revealed in the coming days, it's going to be super great.
For the most part, Fraggle has posted my thoughts on this next week. This E3 has the chance of being the best one in years.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
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Nintendo: They'll do what they always do: Show off Mario platformer #16 and etc. to get their core fanbase excited, show off fledging titles for their new hardward (3DS) that don't quite seem to exploit it to the full, but are better than the first batch, and show off some new McGrommit for their new console, which will be crazy. If they can avoid the temptation to spam charts, and manage to get enough non-casual stuff there to keep the "hardcores" from getting board, they can easily pull off a top tier conference.
Sony: Half of their conferences success will depend on how they handle the PSN hack. If they ignore it, they'll get marks off but not as much as if they address it but do a poor job in doing so. If they manage to come out, take culpability, and actually reassure people that their network is now top notch security, I think they can win back some people they've lost. Provided the PSN is up and fully functioning at the time. Still, I think the PR blow they took is a huge hill to climb, and will become the focus (willingly or unwillingly) of their E3 presence. It's a shame too, since between the NGP and their SLEW of exclusive titles, they could have easily been the frontrunner this year, especially if Nintendo fell into casual-ville.
Microsoft: That list of rumored X-box titles and programs grows by the day. (I just read they trademarked "Fable: The Journey") so I think they'll have more than Gears3/Forza4 and Kinect leftovers. That said, Kinect WILL be a large part of their presentation, as you don't sell a peripheral to 1 out of every 5 of your customers and then just ignore it. I've said it before, the ultimate key will be someone figuring out a method to do a successful "hardcore" title on the Kinect. If someone managed to figure that out, Microsoft would be fools to not to start taking notes and letting other developers know what they can do. Beyond that, Halo game #7 should keep the core X-box fans on board for another year, but I think Halo's ability to interest non-halo fans isn't strong enough to be a pillar of the experience anymore. Ultimately, I think we're going to see a small amount of "hardcore" games, some interesting media features that won't appeal to everyone, and a whole bunch of casual kinect titles. If it's JUST a block of casual titles, I think they're not going to do well, but if they can slip in some kinect titles that will interest non-casuals then they may come out of this E3 in a positive light. I don't think they'll be able to top Nintendo if Nintendo does well, and if Sony can really put on a good face in light on the PSN hack, MS will have it's work cut out for them.
The first round of stuff for a new bit of hardware like the 3DS (i.e. the DS and Wii before it.) also had a few round of releases that really shoehorn in the new tech and not do it very wel, then developers get better at it and make good games that don't quite live up to the full potential. The next round of 3DS software will fall into that category IMO.
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/06/04/sony-europe-hacked-by-lebanese-hacker-again/
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Is this the right way to console y/n
They seem to view this as some kind of weird crusade, but everyone not involved just sees them as being fuckers. The most annoying thing for Sony must be that they are completely helpless to retaliate in any meaningful way given that they are facing anonymous cowards on the internet. Their only move is to increase their security even more, and while that is absolutely necessary, it also has the effect of turning things into a really expensive arms race or sorts. There doesn't seem to be any way for them to get any peace.
I would vote no personally, but I have next to zero interest in Kinect.
Also, those hackers are fucking moronic. I am certain shit like this is leading to internet regulation and restriction.
Never have I wished this hard for a Tuesday.
Edit: via 2chan in Japan, 4chan has been the fount of validated rumors before. It's a crapshoot, of course, emphasis on crap.
"Baby why you gotta make me hit you?"
Exactly! My 61-yr-old mother owns a PS2 that she uses almost exclusively to play Katamari Damacy. If that's the wrong way to console, I don't want to be right.
It might be, just because the Wii and Kinect are good for things that PC games don't really cover, like local multiplayer.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Shit like this is leading to public awareness of how vulnerable some websites/online-presences are when they aren't administered correctly.
The attackers need a swift kick to the bum, but so do Sony for not having secured themselves despite the constant attacks over a period of months.
(In fact, the regulation it might bring in would be welcome if it required that anyone hosting a service online that contains any personal information on the user meet minimum standards for security.)
Steam
http://www.next-gen.biz/features/shuhei-yoshida-ngp
Wait... why did he go out of his way to say that people want to see video games on their TV, then cut the video out from the PSP2?
Also, there's that assertion from Sony again that the PSP didn't offer an experience that was different enough from the consoles. Also influences from Facebook and smartphones. But somehow they, and not the 3DS, are not competition for, uh, some reason. Yet they're putting a bunch of smartphone-like capabilities in it anyway.
And I wonder why he said that he's big on 3D... for consoles.
You're muckin' with a G!
Oh, of course. That's what the
You're muckin' with a G!
Yeah, I agree that the hackers are jerks in how they are piling on right now...
But at the same time, Sony does still have these vulnerabilities out there, and it almost seems as if they were imploying a twisted sense of security by obscurity. By that I mean they only put in basic security and assumed no one could touch them, or even give them a second look. Now that the entire hacker community's eyes are on them, they can't hide like that.
A week or two ago I read a really good article (which I think was linked from here) about the steps Sony -needs- to take. The first one was to take down all their external links and have an outside company go over them with a fine-toothed comb, before someone finds their way into something truly damaging. It seems to be more and more obvious that while Sony may have done that with the Playstation components, they hadn't touched any other department.
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