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MCV:What the official UK Charts this week would look like when digital was counted
- Thread starter ekim
- Start date
Miles Quaritch
Member
HLM2 and Ori doing work, but we do have to remember it's still a pretty slow period for game releases, so while it's impressive to see digital only games hitting the top ten, it's likely not something that would happen during a busier period.
I don't mean to take away from the success of those digital only games, just putting it out there...
I don't mean to take away from the success of those digital only games, just putting it out there...
How does it show that?
BlackBuzzard
Banned
Huh?
Starwolf_UK
Member
Chart-track already tracks 95% of retail so retailers is not the reason:
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/cities-skylines-was-last-week-s-no-1-game-but-nobody-was-counting/0147206 said:
James Hetfield
Banned
It baffles me how many people buy games digitally, especially brand new.
Indie games i understand and when Steam/Psn/XBL do massive deals, like 70% off of RRP. But buying a brand new games day one or a few months old, digitally, is crazy to me.
You can get physical copies cheaper or worst case, the same price. But with trade in value it works out miles better.
Each to their own, but to me it's crazy
Indie games i understand and when Steam/Psn/XBL do massive deals, like 70% off of RRP. But buying a brand new games day one or a few months old, digitally, is crazy to me.
You can get physical copies cheaper or worst case, the same price. But with trade in value it works out miles better.
Each to their own, but to me it's crazy
I think the issue is more that there's no unified methodology, nor does everyone contribute data.
That's true.
But a niche PC exclusive from a small developer leading the tables is still great to see(not because its exclusive, but because its usually a smaller market). Cities Skylines is such an awesome game and will be a contender on some people's GOTY lists no doubt.
Nightengale
Member
TIL Cities and HLM2 is on Xbox One exclusively. /s
well digital releases are like straight to dvd releases, it's an honor to release physically so they get all the buzz, straight to dvd not so much.
AHA-Lambda
Member
Why are minecraft and zombie army trilogy highlighted when they are sold at retail too like GTA dying light etc?
Lanrutcon
Member
...what?
Visualante2
Member
Eye opening. Reminds me of when music charts didn't count digital, they were becoming irrelevant.
I always thought it was because digital distributors like Valve don't release their sales data.
Free games don't really belong in a sales chart.
There are people who aren't interested in trading in their games and who rather have the comfort of not having to change annoying discs. Crazy, I know.
TheSlySoul
Member
Why highlight Minecraft? Its ranking would still be the same.
hurr
Wot? Please elaborate.
Monty Mole
Member
Ugh.
Irrelevant because retail releases don't have their digital sales included either.
king picollo
Member
Digital sales need to be counted. I'd say they are equal if not more important then physical sales these days.
I'd imagine to get digital they'd need to get all the storefronts (Steam, PSN, Live, etc) to release sales numbers which I suspect is trickier than simply getting numbers from retailers for physical units. The retailers give them up for the advantage of getting market data.
The digital storefronts I don't believe have as much reason to share - I mean if you're Valve with Steam or Sony with PSN why would you share that? I can see them sharing lists and rankings but getting actual unit sales I suspect is more of a challenge.
x24hrs2livex
Banned
And people thought MS was stupid for buying up the Minecraft IP.
Surprised The Order isn't on the list. It did chart in the US NPD correct?
Surprised The Order isn't on the list. It did chart in the US NPD correct?
Nightengale
Member
Hot Coldman
Banned
Wow, I didn't expect that kind of disparity at all. I think the industry owes it to itself to gather up its digital data and show what REALLY sells, because this is too interesting.
Cities is doing crazily well.
Cities is doing crazily well.
x24hrs2livex
Banned
Ooooo, well thank you kind sir.
I'll never understand how anyone in the UK can bring themselves to pay the offensive digital prices for console retail games at launch.
lmao
lmao
LiquidMetal14
hide your water-based mammals
Cities doing great. Devs must be pleased.
Visualante2
Member
Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo won't want it to happen. They only stand to lose real estate on the charts if they agree to it. Valve's perspective seems to be, we know PC is healthy we don't need to convince anyone. Hopefully Chart Track and their equivalents can work something out but I'm not too hopeful. How did Apple and others come about to sharing music data with the music charts? I suppose because music is fairly platform neutral there were less vested interests.
Considering most of the games being added are PC games or only available digitally i'd guess not many do.
Basileus777
Member
PC games have no trade-in value, and not everyone trades in their games. And if you're buying a game at launch, there is often no price advantage to going physical.
The Order charted 15th for this week according to GFK Chart-Track in the UK, which isn't too bad considering it's been out for a couple weeks.
Surprisingly it climbed up from 21st position the previous week.
Visualante2
Member
Is this just a general swipe against digital prices or are you commenting on something specific in the chart? All I see are budget releases, some of which don't have much retail presence (Hotline, Ori, Cities). The only surprise to me is that people are buying Call of Duty digitally at 10. I'm not sure if it was on sale last week?
x24hrs2livex
Banned
Appreciate the info. I wonder where Bloodborne will be...already seeing used copies at Gamestop, but I attribute that to casuals
There are a bunch of games that I buy day one and never sell, so I may as well get it digitally, however because the average price of said games is fucking £50-60 on PSN, that is the only inhibitor to me buying digitally outside of me finding deals like the £50 PSN credit for £25 deal back in February.
As you say buying full price months after launch is madness, either day one or wait for that deal, I've been stuck in purgatory with some games for a while.
BlackBuzzard
Banned
In its launch week im positive its taking the nr1 spot. On NPD monthly chart im hoping for top 3.
Yeah, it's in the best value bundles as of last Friday so it should climb again.
Although Rakuten has the best value PS4 now.
Most definitely it must be from people diving in for the first time and finding the game too brutal.
I suspect Bloodborne will have a very strong debut in the UK at least seeing as PS4 is strong there+ people love their "Souls" games. Probably shuffle into the top 2.
CadetMahoney
Member
Aren't reliable digital numbers unobtainable without permission/disclosure from the service providers where all the numbers are stored in their systems (PSN/Live)?
Heh, I think the game will do well for Sony and RAD overall if it keeps being promoted this way.
Folks are genuinely interested in the title (just not at £50)
I was being more general than anything I guess, several games on there that I see costing a lot more on the digital stores than they do in physical form at every retailer I look at (CoD, GTA, DmC "DE").
So did MCV get digital sales data for GTAV, FIFA, Minecraft, and others? Because I'm skeptical that they did. It seems more like they got some numbers from independent developers and added them to the chart. Unless they are more transparent about what numbers they have, I think it's a bit misleading to say this is what the chart should look like.
John Bender
Banned
alexandros
Banned
Indeed. I actually think that seeing a PC exclusive top the charts is important in itself, regardless of the quality of the actual game (which is fantastic btw). It shows that the true state of the market isn't what it seems and that there is a lot of money to be made in PC exclusive titles. The audience is there, developers just need to target it.
Baron_Calamity
Member
For me, its a lifestyle. I don't want physical things cluttering up my house. All my entertainment is digital these days. Music, Books, Movies, and finally games. It was rather weird that it was easier to replace books, movies and music than games.