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NPD Sales Results for April 2010

F

Flying_Phoenix

Banned
Y2Kev said:
Monster Hunter is not unknown. That is kind of weird to say. Both Freedom Unite and Tri a have had gigantic advertising campaigns and prerelease demos. The game doesn't sell well because it doesn't appeal to the western audience. I don't think it will ever be huge. It's not all that dissimilar from dq IMO.
Click to expand...

It's a game without a market. It's playing style seems to fit PC users more, but even then it seems to have too much Japanese aesthetics and design to accomodate the market.

lawblob said:
Nothing, just like a flippant comment about Nintendo's racketeering in the 80s has nothing to do with what the company does today. But that didn't stop you, now did it?
Click to expand...


Um okay so this is how this conversation has worked out so far:

You: "If it was up to Nintendo they'd ban the rental game market, a market that has people purchase games legally with very little profit for publishers and Nintendo's pocket compared to buying new games at retail. Because they tried doing that nearly twenty five years ago."

Me: "So because they tried banning used games nearly twenty five years ago when the game market was in its infancy and when the company had completely different corporate culture and people pulling the strings they'd do so today? That doesn't make sense since, unlike most publishers, Nintendo isn't against the used game market, a market that similar to the renting market as it has people legally play full games that harms the console manufacturers royalties (only to a much worse extent)."

You: "Then explain why Nintendo makes it so hard for people to transfer their Virtual Console games to other Wii's, something that has more so to do with ridiculous piracy prevention measures than going after an alternative legal game market for playing games that results in them losing a lot of profit in royalties."

Me: "What does that have to do with anything?"

You: "Just like how you commenting against me saying that Nintendo would be unlikely to follow some of their decisions they made 25 years ago when the company and gaming market was as different as possible?"

Seems understandable.
 
S

Segata Sanshiro

Member
Hah, I seem to remember having a battleship full of people drive up my ass for predicting 150k lifetime in NA for MH3. Granted, this is just the first month, but I'm feeling pretty comfortable with that prediction now.

North America doesn't want Monster Hunter, and there was nothing special about 3 or the Wii that was going to change that.
 
C

CadetMahoney

Member
professor_t said:
I don't know why everyone is surprised by the PS3 numbers. If it hadn't been supply-constrained, it would have moved about 450k units. I mean, can you even imagine the pent up demand after all of these months of shortages??
Click to expand...
lawblob said:
The demand must be absolutely throbbing
Click to expand...
:lol

So is the supply constrain officially over or what?

perfectchaos007 said:
Playstation family according to NPD's reported numbers sold under 250K units of hardware. Wow.
Click to expand...
It's a bad indicator. Farewell PSP.
 
W

wizword

Banned
Monster Hunter isn't a niche game. It is an action rpg. It should appeal to western audience. The fact that it released on hardware like psp is the reason why it sold like shit. Than they released it on another place where 3rd party games die from the get go. People expect that an action rpg to do well on wii? I wouldn't say it would sell dramatically better on xbox 360/playstation 3. But it shouldn't do worse than 200k combined between the two consoles. The audience that would buy the game is on those two consoles and not on the wii.
 
Brofist

Brofist

Member
Segata Sanshiro said:
Hah, I seem to remember having a battleship full of people drive up my ass for predicting 150k lifetime in NA for MH3. Granted, this is just the first month, but I'm feeling pretty comfortable with that prediction now.

North America doesn't want Monster Hunter, and there was nothing special about 3 or the Wii that was going to change that.
Click to expand...
Exactly. It's not the level of difficulty or the console MH is simply not popular in America.

Not sure why some are trying to play off the difficulty as the main factor. I'd like an explanation as to why a game like Demon's Souls, which by all accountability is at least as difficult a game if not more, without a franchise name backing it, overacheived.
 
Eteric Rice

Eteric Rice

Member
wizword said:
Monster Hunter isn't a niche game. It is an action rpg. It should appeal to western audience. The fact that it released on hardware like psp is the reason why it sold like shit. Than they released it on another place where 3rd party games die from the get go. People expect that an action rpg to do well on wii? I wouldn't say it would sell dramatically better on xbox 360/playstation 3. But it shouldn't do worse than 200k combined between the two consoles. The audience that would buy the game is on those two consoles and not on the wii.
Click to expand...

Have you ever played Monster Hunter?

Anyway, hopefully word of mouth helps the game out some.
 
M

markatisu

Member
wizword said:
Monster Hunter isn't a niche game. It is an action rpg. It should appeal to western audience. The fact that it released on hardware like psp is the reason why it sold like shit. Than they released it on another place where 3rd party games die from the get go. People expect that an action rpg to do well on wii? I wouldn't say it would sell dramatically better on xbox 360/playstation 3. But it shouldn't do worse than 200k combined between the two consoles. The audience that would buy the game is on those two consoles and not on the wii.
Click to expand...

The MH audience is platform independent, its the same people who buy every MH game that comes out, that is how it tracks in Japan for consoles and all other locales.
 
G

Gamer @ Heart

Member
Skiesofwonder said:
I don't think you guys understand, Monster Hunter Tri had the following:

  • Free Demo at every Gamestop around the country
  • Bundled with Classic Controller Pro
  • Huge (and very good I might add) TV and Print Advertising Campaign
  • Part of a major franchise (well mostly Japan only but still...)
  • Tons of spots on the Nintendo Channel
  • Only major Wii Release of April
  • Large amount of hype among the Wii hardcore
  • Great graphics
  • Free online and Wii Speak support
  • Positive reviews
  • Backed by Nintendo

If Monster Hunter Tri numbers are released and they are below 100k, then it was a complete and utter disappointment in NA. Anybody saying otherwise is an idiot or a delusional fanboy.
Click to expand...

You're an idiot. It doesnt matter what outside factors come into play, you have to looks at the game first and foremost. Tri is as hardcore of a game as you can get. Its super Niche as every MH's prior sales show. Capcom was generous with 500k, outside of Japan. If tri even gets near 1/6 of that estimate in its first two weeks on sale, its as good as we should have expected and hoped for.

It is no bomb.
 
B

Brazil

Living in the shadow of Amaz
selig said:
Then let me ask you:
Why did 3rd parties fail to give the Wii NORMAL "hardcore" games? It is either ultra-violent stuff like Madworld, or it is niche stuff like MH3 (and go play it, it IS niche stuff in terms of its unforgiving gameplay).

The only 3rd-Party game that I consider to be a "normal" "hardcore" game released this year is Silent Hill: Shattered Memories...and that was abandoned by Konami themselves. And just in case someone asks, "normal" "hardcore" games means games that reach a broad audience, have a big enough budget and are not party-games. See Splinter Cell, se Bad Company, see Alan Wake, see God of War 3. 3rd Parties arent making such games for the Wii, when it is what would sell (obviously, not NOW anymore :/).

I believe MH3 deserves a lot of sales, but to call it a bomb is just dumb. When Mario Galaxy 2 sells only 200k, you can call it a bomb...
Click to expand...
I don't care about the rest of the third parties. I already gave up on them on the Wii years ago. The only thing I cared about was Monster Hunter. I am completely aware of what the situation on the Wii is, therefore I clearly am not being rational about this :lol I'm just pissed off :(

I had high expectations for the game - even if you think they were unreasonable -, so, yeah, I can call it a bomb. But I didn't. I don't like that term.

I'm not talking about you, but I find entertaining how, after the numbers are released, GAF always comes out of the cave and acts like they already knew everything beforehand, and that everyone who thought otherwise is completely stupid.
 
M

markatisu

Member
Hopefully we get a Top 10 or something for each platform (I know wishful thinking) cause I would really like to see where MH3 places in the pantheon of Wii Titles.
 
W

WickedLaharl

Member
kpop100 said:
I'd like an explanation as to why a game like Demon's Souls, which by all accountability is at least as difficult a game if not more, without a franchise name backing it, overacheived.
Click to expand...

yeah after reading the last few pages i don't think you'll get a reasonable explanation. :lol
 
N

neutralgamer02

Member
markatisu said:
The MH audience is platform dependent, the people who buy the handheld MH games don't come out for the console games, that is how it tracks in Japan for consoles and all other locales.
Click to expand...

Fixed.

I didn't buy the wii version, and I loved the psp game. Monster Hunter just works well as a handheld game.

The portable version of monster hunter is bigger than the console version can ever imagine. The console version struggled to get over 1 million in Japan. Psp game has shipped 4 million in Japan alone and still going strong.

Also, I would argue that monster hunter has been the biggest third party game on the psp in the US after gta. (I mean by exiting the psp fan base, not so much sales. I think the game did 200k - 250K LTD in the US) I wouldn't call the psp version of monster hunter niche in the US.
 
S

Sinatar

Official GAF Bottom Feeder
Hey Sales Nerds, how did Just Cause 2 do? Did it chart at all last month or is it an epic failure?
 
C

CartridgeBlower

Member
Why are people saying this is 'recession' related? What about the past 12-16 months where things seemed to be doing pretty well? I was under the impression April was always a slow month...
 
E

EDarkness

Member
kpop100 said:
Exactly. It's not the level of difficulty or the console MH is simply not popular in America.

Not sure why some are trying to play off the difficulty as the main factor. I'd like an explanation as to why a game like Demon's Souls, which by all accountability is at least as difficult a game if not more, without a franchise name backing it, overacheived.
Click to expand...

Well, for my own situation, I tried Monster Hunter and I really don't like fiddling with the camera and the controls just aren't my thing. I told my roommate to avoid picking it up since I knew he'd be crying in frustration. That said, I did recommend that he pick up Demon Souls, as it seemed more like his speed. For me it's not the difficulty of the game itself, but the controls just don't do it for me. If they're gonna make a game like this for the States, they're gonna have to change that aspect of the game.
 
G

greepoman

Member
CartridgeBlower said:
Why are people saying this is 'recession' related? What about the past 12-16 months where things seemed to be doing pretty well? I was under the impression April was always a slow month...
Click to expand...

What kind of idiot uses what happens in the past to support current and future events? It's dark outside right now so I have to assume that the sun was destroyed :lol :lol
 
M

markatisu

Member
neutralgamer02 said:
Fixed.

The portable version of monster hunter is bigger than the console version can ever imagine. The console version struggled to get over 1 million. Psp game has shipped 4 million and still going strong.

Also, I would argue that monster hunter has been the biggest third party game on the psp in the US after gta. I wouldn't call the game niche in the US.
Click to expand...

No the biggest 3rd party game in the PSP after GTA would be Dissidia or Crisis Core if I remember correctly

You remove Japanese sales from any MH and you get shit regardless of the country
 
D

donny2112

Member
neutralgamer02 said:
Also, I would argue that monster hunter has been the biggest third party game on the psp in the US after gta.
Click to expand...

Why would you argue such a factually incorrect viewpoint? Madden, Need for Speed, Midnight Club 3, Crisis Core, and many others would've sold more on PSP than Monster Hunter.
 
A

AceBandage

Banned
CartridgeBlower said:
Why are people saying this is 'recession' related? What about the past 12-16 months where things seemed to be doing pretty well? I was under the impression April was always a slow month...
Click to expand...


It is a slow month, but this was a huge drop for everything, hardware and software, even over the past April NPDs.
 
C

chubigans

y'all should be ashamed
Sinatar said:
Hey Sales Nerds, how did Just Cause 2 do? Did it chart at all last month or is it an epic failure?
Click to expand...
Did OK in the states, but really well in the UK, with the dev team responding to sales saying they'll make more JC games in the forseeable future because they love the IP.
 
S

Segata Sanshiro

Member
neutralgamer02 said:
Fixed.

I didn't buy the wii version, and I loved the psp game. Monster Hunter just works well as a handheld game.

The portable version of monster hunter is bigger than the console version can ever imagine. The console version struggled to get over 1 million in Japan. Psp game has shipped 4 million in Japan alone and still going strong.

Also, I would argue that monster hunter has been the biggest third party game on the psp in the US after gta. I wouldn't call the psp version of monster hunter niche in the US.
Click to expand...
I would argue that Midnight Club, Need for Speed, Final Fantasy Crisis Core, Star Wars Battlefront, an assortment of Madden games, and well, around 40 other games have all been bigger third party games in the US after GTA.
 
D

donny2112

Member
chubigans said:
Did OK in the states, but really well in the UK, with the dev team responding to sales saying they'll make more JC games in the forseeable future just 'cause they love the IP.
Click to expand...

Fixed.
 
N

neutralgamer02

Member
donny2112 said:
Why would you argue such a factually incorrect viewpoint?
Click to expand...

I clarified my post as you posted that. I wasn't talking about sales. I was talking about how much people have followed the game in the west compared to any other third party game since gta. Dissidia sold very well, but I don't think any psp owner would argue that the game is more popular than monster hunter. More people have played monster hunter, even though it sold way less than dissidia. Check the downloads, and english patches.

Capcom bringing the game over to the US wasn't to satisfy the niche audience.
 
D

donny2112

Member
OldJadedGamer said:
Neither HD system was supply constrained this month. Where was all the pent up demand people were talking about last month?
Click to expand...

Wii was supply-constrained for two years, and it took about 2-3 months to catch up. PS3 was supply-constrained for ~3 months, so comparitively, it would've caught up in ~1 week. Wasn't there a lot of supply that last week in March? There you go.

Warning: Do not take the reasoning found in this post seriously.
 
K

Kasumi1970

my name is Ted
TheUsual said:
I haven't seen a PS3 in stock at my local Walmart since late January while the 360 and Wii's have been stocked.
Click to expand...
I have seen a PS3 in stock at my local Walmart, Best Buy and EB.
 
V

Vizion28

Banned
Oh lawd, people judging a Wii game sales based on the first month from release. You'd think people who follow video game sales trends would know better by now.
 
I

InsaneZero

Member
Pretty slow thread to complement a pretty slow month.

Monster Hunter is eternally doomed to be nothing more than a niche property, it seems. SSFIV disappoints too, considering the sales of SFIV. We have all failed Capgod.
 
A

AceBandage

Banned
Vizion28 said:
Oh lawd, people judging a Wii game sales based on the first month from release. You'd think people who follow video game sales trends would know better by now.
Click to expand...


Well, to be fair, MH isn't the kind of game that will have long legs like say Boom Blox or de Blob.
 
B

Brazil

Living in the shadow of Amaz
Vizion28 said:
Oh lawd, people judging a Wii game sales based on the first month from release. You'd think people who follow video game sales trends would know better by now.
Click to expand...
You'd think people who follow video game sales trends would know that only Nintendo games and casual stuff like Just Dance have legs on the Wii by now.
 
A

Attack You

Member
Well, regardless of Tri's ultimate fate, I guess I can take solace in MH being an import-friendly game so that I won't feel totally abandoned if (when?) the series becomes Japan-exclusive.
 
D

DeadGzuz

Banned
OldJadedGamer said:
Neither HD system was supply constrained this month. Where was all the pent up demand people were talking about last month?
Click to expand...

The 360 wasn't but the PS3 has been going in and out of stock. It's OOS now on Amazon.
 
J

JudgeN

Member
People are spinning MH3 numbers hard, before today everyone said it would do great because it followed Wii guide to success. Being a good game with lots of advertisement correct? Now everyone playing the niche card.
 
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