Maybe... maybe something to do with Playstation Suite and Windows Phones? I dunno.... this is just weird.
One strange thing is that I can't see any of the bigger sites or blogs reporting on this. Does that give it more credence (being told to shut up until the proper time) or less (it is so outlandish that they don't want to bother).
Hoggely moggely. That's a lot of 360s sold in June. Does anyone know what could have caused Microsoft's sales to double between May and June?
Also, DNF sold quite a bit better than I thought it would. I was expecting something on the order of 175K sales.
One theory floated on GAF is that the sales include the "buy a laptop, get a 360 free!" deal that Microsoft was doing. That would make sense to me. I can't really think of anything else that would explain it.
So the Ocarina remake did little to improve 3DS sales? Not surprised. Nintendo really needs high quality original content if they want to really sell the system (a price drop or game bundle wouldn't hurt either).
Wow...first time I do this. Quoting GAF (what was the quote tag...oh right!):
5-week tracking month; Reporting Period 5/29/11 through 7/2/11
Software (New physical retail only, across all platforms including PC)
01. L.A. Noire (360, PS3) Take 2 Interactive - 419,000
02. Duke Nukem Forever (360, PS3, PC) Take 2 Interactive - 376,300
03. Infamous 2 (PS3) Sony - 369,200
04. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSP, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
05. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (3DS) Nintendo - 283,200
06. Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, Wii, NDS, PC) Activision Blizzard
07. NBA 2K11 (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, PC) Take 2 Interactive
08. Mortal Kombat 2011 (PS3, 360) Warner Bros. Interactive
09. Cars 2 (NDS, Wii, 360, PS3, PC) Disney Interactive Studios
10. Just Dance 2 (Wii) Ubisoft
Originally Posted by IGN News Director Jim Reilly:
June NPD sales for Shadows of the Damned are pathetic. You can forget about a sequel. Alice: Madness Returns did much, much better, however.
Well, LA Noire and Duke Nukem did pretty decently, better than I would have guessed. Though the number one game sitting at just over 400,000 seems to indicate a fairly slow-moving month.
Zumba FINALLY dropped off.
Great googly moogly, look at the 360 go! It's stolen the Wii's mojo.
So, no big bump for the 3DS with Zelda? Yeah, it's looking like the system's in a little trouble.
Doing a little research... The Nintendo 3DS is doing just a little under the Nintendo DS in terms of worldwide sales. And look how that handheld did. In fact, looking at the Playstation Portable... It's about the same as well. Slow starts aren't really a bad sign as they used to be. Once one hit game comes out and it shoots back to the moon we'll all be like "WTF, how did that happen!? 3D SUKS IT IS DOOMING US ALL!"
That is true. And we haven't seen any true heavy-hitters for the 3DS yet... even though Zelda is Zelda, it's technically a remake. It's entirely possible that Mario Kart and the new Mario game will cause things to take off.
However, generational trends don't always hold up. And there's a big X factor this time... namely, that the thing launched at a time when smartphones are hugely popular, and are (mostly) cheaper than the 3DS is now. The DS didn't have that competition at the start.
At any rate, it'll certainly be fascinating to see how things turn out.
I think what's killing them is that they are releasing an expensive handheld in the middle of this shitstorm of an economy. I mean a lot of people are trying to live paycheck to paycheck at the moment so buying another handheld isn't in the cards.
I know the DS sold twice as much, but it's also less than half the price of the 3DS.
Oh yeah, there's loads of them cheaper than $250. Hell, the 3GS model of the iPhone is down to $49. Assuming you don't mind two-year contracts, of course.
Edit: Hm, looking at Verizon's product list, I'm a little surprised at how many of the just released Android models are $250-$300. Though the ones that have been out at least a few months are much cheaper.
Edit edit: And yes, the price and the economy are two more factors different with the 3DS and the DS. The system might do better when it gets cheaper... or maybe not. The PS3 never did recover the PS2's fantastic momentum when its price stopped being stupid. Of course if the price is the problem for the 3DS, it will absolutely be a problem for the Vita.
I think what's killing them is that they are releasing an expensive handheld in the middle of this shitstorm of an economy. I mean a lot of people are trying to live paycheck to paycheck at the moment so buying another handheld isn't in the cards.
I know the DS sold twice as much, but it's also less than half the price of the 3DS.
It doesn't help that they released it in the spring. Consoles release during the holidays for a reason.
So yeah, sales for the month of June pretty well sucked.
JUNE 2011 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Total retail sales: $1.03 billion (-10%)
Total non-PC retail sales: $995 million (-10%)
Non-PC hardware: $366.6 million (-9%)
Total software: $508.9 million (-10%)
Non-PC software: $469.5 million (-12%)
Accessories: $158.9 million (-11%)
Oh yeah, there's loads of them cheaper than $250. Hell, the 3GS model of the iPhone is down to $49. Assuming you don't mind two-year contracts, of course.
Edit: Hm, looking at Verizon's product list, I'm a little surprised at how many of the just released Android models are $250-$300. Though the ones that have been out at least a few months are much cheaper.
Edit edit: And yes, the price and the economy are two more factors different with the 3DS and the DS. The system might do better when it gets cheaper... or maybe not. The PS3 never did recover the PS2's fantastic momentum when its price stopped being stupid. Of course if the price is the problem for the 3DS, it will absolutely be a problem for the Vita.
I think the problem is that I have Sprint, and their discount for people that have Sprint already is only $150 off any phone. That brings the HTC EVO 4G down from $450 to $300. If I was a new customer it would be $99.
Which slightly pisses me the fuck off.
(I don't want to change services because I pay $30 a month for unlimited everything)
I think the problem is that I have Sprint, and their discount for people that have Sprint already is only $150 off any phone. That brings the HTC EVO 4G down from $450 to $300. If I was a new customer it would be $99.
Which slightly pisses me the fuck off.
(I don't want to change services because I pay $30 a month for unlimited everything)
What, really? That's insane, considering the other guys' phones are vastly cheaper and it's so easy to switch over. Grandfathered-in unlimited data plans excluded, of course.
I think the problem is that I have Sprint, and their discount for people that have Sprint already is only $150 off any phone. That brings the HTC EVO 4G down from $450 to $300. If I was a new customer it would be $99.
Which slightly pisses me the fuck off.
(I don't want to change services because I pay $30 a month for unlimited everything)
What, really? That's insane, considering the other guys' phones are vastly cheaper and it's so easy to switch over. Grandfathered-in unlimited data plans excluded, of course.
I wonder if it's because I'm on the SERO plan. Bah!
Oh yeah, there's loads of them cheaper than $250. Hell, the 3GS model of the iPhone is down to $49. Assuming you don't mind two-year contracts, of course.
Edit: Hm, looking at Verizon's product list, I'm a little surprised at how many of the just released Android models are $250-$300. Though the ones that have been out at least a few months are much cheaper.
Edit edit: And yes, the price and the economy are two more factors different with the 3DS and the DS. The system might do better when it gets cheaper... or maybe not. The PS3 never did recover the PS2's fantastic momentum when its price stopped being stupid. Of course if the price is the problem for the 3DS, it will absolutely be a problem for the Vita.
I think the problem is that I have Sprint, and their discount for people that have Sprint already is only $150 off any phone. That brings the HTC EVO 4G down from $450 to $300. If I was a new customer it would be $99.
Which slightly pisses me the fuck off.
(I don't want to change services because I pay $30 a month for unlimited everything)
I was in the middle of my contract, so I just bought a used EVo 4G off Ebay and activated it. A bit under $200. Quite wonderful.
Oh yeah, there's loads of them cheaper than $250. Hell, the 3GS model of the iPhone is down to $49. Assuming you don't mind two-year contracts, of course.
Edit: Hm, looking at Verizon's product list, I'm a little surprised at how many of the just released Android models are $250-$300. Though the ones that have been out at least a few months are much cheaper.
Edit edit: And yes, the price and the economy are two more factors different with the 3DS and the DS. The system might do better when it gets cheaper... or maybe not. The PS3 never did recover the PS2's fantastic momentum when its price stopped being stupid. Of course if the price is the problem for the 3DS, it will absolutely be a problem for the Vita.
I think the problem is that I have Sprint, and their discount for people that have Sprint already is only $150 off any phone. That brings the HTC EVO 4G down from $450 to $300. If I was a new customer it would be $99.
Which slightly pisses me the fuck off.
(I don't want to change services because I pay $30 a month for unlimited everything)
I was in the middle of my contract, so I just bought a used EVo 4G off Ebay and activated it. A bit under $200. Quite wonderful.
Yeah that's what I'm going to end up doing. There's a new one on there for $150.
Hmm. Are smartphones (with touchscreen) really cheaper than $250? I have been looking for a good Android phone but can't find one less than $300.
Sign a 3 year contract and you get an iPhone 4 for "free"... at least here in Canada. And since you usually have to sign a contract for the best packages anyway, it's not like locking in is a big deal.
Personally, I have zero interest in my DS these days and even less interest in getting a new dedicated handheld console since getting my iPhone a couple years ago. I find that I rarely have the drive to finish handheld games in the first place (sitting hunched over a small screen hurts after a couple hours), so the smaller, bite-sized games on the iPhone are perfect for my needs.
I'm really interested to see what happens in the handheld market once the Vita releases and some more good games hit the market for the 3DS. They have a steep hill to climb with smartphones dominating the market with great games that are exponentially cheaper than their dedicated counterparts. Personally, I think dedicated handheld consoles are a waning market. They may still do decently, but Nintendo is not going to see the success the DS had again unless they decide to get into the smartphone market.
So yeah, sales for the month of June pretty well sucked.
JUNE 2011 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Total retail sales: $1.03 billion (-10%)
Total non-PC retail sales: $995 million (-10%)
Non-PC hardware: $366.6 million (-9%)
Total software: $508.9 million (-10%)
Non-PC software: $469.5 million (-12%)
Accessories: $158.9 million (-11%)
It's not just that you can get some smartphone for cheaper than a 3DS since many smartphones are more expensive than $250. It's that most smartphone games are free or at dirt cheap prices. And how did Nintendo decide to combat this? By raising their game prices by 33%.
If a Zelda remake of the most popular game in the series didn't turn the system around, Star Fox & Kid Icarus certainly won't. Looks like it's up to Mario.
It's not just that you can get some smartphone for cheaper than a 3DS since many smartphones are more expensive than $250. It's that most smartphone games are free or at dirt cheap prices. And how did Nintendo decide to combat this? By raising their game prices by 33%.
If a Zelda remake of the most popular game in the series didn't turn the system around, Star Fox & Kid Icarus certainly won't. Looks like it's up to Mario.
What's funny is that for me, Megaman Legends 3 is the killer app on 3DS. I'd buy a 3DS and MML3 the day it released... but that game's future is uncertain. Other than MML3, there aren't any other games currently announced that really interest me.
0
Options
Brainiac 8Don't call me Shirley...Registered Userregular
edited July 2011
Isn't it usually up to Mario?
Seriously though, one huge problem with the 3DS and its lack of sales is definitely the price. But then again, Iwata, in his constant strange honesty, pretty much said they priced it due to the high praise during E3. This was a Sony PSPGo bad call, in my opinion.
But then again, we can't call doom yet, as the true test will be this holiday. The new Mario Kart and Mario game 'should' be the games to give it a boost and start the upward trend similar to what the DS did.
But if the holiday is a bust, then Nintendo should really start worrying.
Silicon Knights is getting more money from the government to hire 80 more people and self publish
A new, CDN$3 million grant from the Ontario government will help Silicon Knights expand from 97 to 177 employees and allow it to publish its own games, the company announced today.
As reported by the St. Catherine's Standard, the new grant comes on top of roughly CDN$35 million that Silicon Knights and its partners have put into the studio in the last five years, and will help the company become "self sustaining," according to president Denis Dyack.
Founded in 1992, Silicon Knights is perhaps best known for innovative Gamecube survival horror title Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. The company's last release was 2008's Too Human, a much-hyped title that saw middling critical reception and disappointing sales.
The company is currently working with Activision on X-men Destiny, an action/RPG project announced last year and currently targeted for a September release.
Ontario's CDN$1.15 billion game development incentive program, started in 2008, has recently been used to provide CDN$2.5 million for an office expansion at London-based Darkness developer Digital Extremes, and nearly CDN$1 million for serious games development at Algoma University
Silicon Knights is getting more money from the government to hire 80 more people and self publish
A new, CDN$3 million grant from the Ontario government will help Silicon Knights expand from 97 to 177 employees and allow it to publish its own games, the company announced today.
As reported by the St. Catherine's Standard, the new grant comes on top of roughly CDN$35 million that Silicon Knights and its partners have put into the studio in the last five years, and will help the company become "self sustaining," according to president Denis Dyack.
Founded in 1992, Silicon Knights is perhaps best known for innovative Gamecube survival horror title Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. The company's last release was 2008's Too Human, a much-hyped title that saw middling critical reception and disappointing sales.
The company is currently working with Activision on X-men Destiny, an action/RPG project announced last year and currently targeted for a September release.
Ontario's CDN$1.15 billion game development incentive program, started in 2008, has recently been used to provide CDN$2.5 million for an office expansion at London-based Darkness developer Digital Extremes, and nearly CDN$1 million for serious games development at Algoma University
Oh shit. Gotta apply to Silicon Knights in that case!
Seriously though, one huge problem with the 3DS and its lack of sales is definitely the price. But then again, Iwata, in his constant strange honesty, pretty much said they priced it due to the high praise during E3. This was a Sony PSPGo bad call, in my opinion.
But then again, we can't call doom yet, as the true test will be this holiday. The new Mario Kart and Mario game 'should' be the games to give it a boost and start the upward trend similar to what the DS did.
But if the holiday is a bust, then Nintendo should really start worrying.
This is how I feel. Regardless of the economy, the holiday season is the best time of the year for video games/consoles. We'll see how it goes... Do we know if they Vita has an actual street date yet, or is "holiday 2011" still the word on the street?
If the PS Vita comes out this year, I think the 3DS is going to have a hard time of it. It'll have the newness factor, it'll have the same price, and by all reports, it'll even have the stronger library.
EDIT: Sorry, still getting used to the new forums and then I got kicked off.
Brainiac 8Don't call me Shirley...Registered Userregular
Truth be told, the Vita looks pretty awesome.
I am trying to come up with a good reason I need one....y'know, to tell the wife. I got my shiney 3DS, so I can't use the "I need a new handheld for trips and such."
Posts
That would be the singlemost bat-shit insane thing to happen to consoles like... ever.
God, could you imagine if the next generation was the Wii-U and the Sony-Microsoft X-Station 460?
Totally isn't going to happen, but it'd be fun to see.
But it'll probably just end up being a new set of Sony Vaio laptops or something.
Twitter 3DS: 0860 - 3257 - 2516
wait what
One strange thing is that I can't see any of the bigger sites or blogs reporting on this. Does that give it more credence (being told to shut up until the proper time) or less (it is so outlandish that they don't want to bother).
Also, DNF sold quite a bit better than I thought it would. I was expecting something on the order of 175K sales.
One theory floated on GAF is that the sales include the "buy a laptop, get a 360 free!" deal that Microsoft was doing. That would make sense to me. I can't really think of anything else that would explain it.
3DS FC: 0817-3759-2788
I wouldn't look too far into it. They STILL don't have XBOX720.COM.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Well, LA Noire and Duke Nukem did pretty decently, better than I would have guessed. Though the number one game sitting at just over 400,000 seems to indicate a fairly slow-moving month.
Zumba FINALLY dropped off.
Great googly moogly, look at the 360 go! It's stolen the Wii's mojo.
So, no big bump for the 3DS with Zelda? Yeah, it's looking like the system's in a little trouble.
However, generational trends don't always hold up. And there's a big X factor this time... namely, that the thing launched at a time when smartphones are hugely popular, and are (mostly) cheaper than the 3DS is now. The DS didn't have that competition at the start.
At any rate, it'll certainly be fascinating to see how things turn out.
I know the DS sold twice as much, but it's also less than half the price of the 3DS.
Edit: Hm, looking at Verizon's product list, I'm a little surprised at how many of the just released Android models are $250-$300. Though the ones that have been out at least a few months are much cheaper.
Edit edit: And yes, the price and the economy are two more factors different with the 3DS and the DS. The system might do better when it gets cheaper... or maybe not. The PS3 never did recover the PS2's fantastic momentum when its price stopped being stupid. Of course if the price is the problem for the 3DS, it will absolutely be a problem for the Vita.
It doesn't help that they released it in the spring. Consoles release during the holidays for a reason.
JUNE 2011 US GAME SALES
OVERALL DOLLAR SALES
Total retail sales: $1.03 billion (-10%)
Total non-PC retail sales: $995 million (-10%)
Non-PC hardware: $366.6 million (-9%)
Total software: $508.9 million (-10%)
Non-PC software: $469.5 million (-12%)
Accessories: $158.9 million (-11%)
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6323657/la-noire-duke-nukem-top-slumping-june-sales-npd?tag=topstory;title
I think the problem is that I have Sprint, and their discount for people that have Sprint already is only $150 off any phone. That brings the HTC EVO 4G down from $450 to $300. If I was a new customer it would be $99.
Which slightly pisses me the fuck off.
(I don't want to change services because I pay $30 a month for unlimited everything)
What, really? That's insane, considering the other guys' phones are vastly cheaper and it's so easy to switch over. Grandfathered-in unlimited data plans excluded, of course.
I wonder if it's because I'm on the SERO plan. Bah!
I was in the middle of my contract, so I just bought a used EVo 4G off Ebay and activated it. A bit under $200. Quite wonderful.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/
I write about video games and stuff. It is fun. Sometimes.
Yeah that's what I'm going to end up doing. There's a new one on there for $150.
Sign a 3 year contract and you get an iPhone 4 for "free"... at least here in Canada. And since you usually have to sign a contract for the best packages anyway, it's not like locking in is a big deal.
Personally, I have zero interest in my DS these days and even less interest in getting a new dedicated handheld console since getting my iPhone a couple years ago. I find that I rarely have the drive to finish handheld games in the first place (sitting hunched over a small screen hurts after a couple hours), so the smaller, bite-sized games on the iPhone are perfect for my needs.
I'm really interested to see what happens in the handheld market once the Vita releases and some more good games hit the market for the 3DS. They have a steep hill to climb with smartphones dominating the market with great games that are exponentially cheaper than their dedicated counterparts. Personally, I think dedicated handheld consoles are a waning market. They may still do decently, but Nintendo is not going to see the success the DS had again unless they decide to get into the smartphone market.
If a Zelda remake of the most popular game in the series didn't turn the system around, Star Fox & Kid Icarus certainly won't. Looks like it's up to Mario.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
What's funny is that for me, Megaman Legends 3 is the killer app on 3DS. I'd buy a 3DS and MML3 the day it released... but that game's future is uncertain. Other than MML3, there aren't any other games currently announced that really interest me.
Seriously though, one huge problem with the 3DS and its lack of sales is definitely the price. But then again, Iwata, in his constant strange honesty, pretty much said they priced it due to the high praise during E3. This was a Sony PSPGo bad call, in my opinion.
But then again, we can't call doom yet, as the true test will be this holiday. The new Mario Kart and Mario game 'should' be the games to give it a boost and start the upward trend similar to what the DS did.
But if the holiday is a bust, then Nintendo should really start worrying.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
Oh shit. Gotta apply to Silicon Knights in that case!
Yeah they SO looked interested in what he was saying.
This is how I feel. Regardless of the economy, the holiday season is the best time of the year for video games/consoles. We'll see how it goes... Do we know if they Vita has an actual street date yet, or is "holiday 2011" still the word on the street?
EDIT: Sorry, still getting used to the new forums and then I got kicked off.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
I am trying to come up with a good reason I need one....y'know, to tell the wife. I got my shiney 3DS, so I can't use the "I need a new handheld for trips and such."
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
"labido"
I'm sure that's where he was going.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!