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[cw_sasuke]

I feel same, and have referred this many times in other threads where people call it as home console and compare it with other home consoles instead handheld in sales when it is just an handheld with a output to TV, and also people buy this because of portability as major selling point.

Does it really matter what it is as long as it can be used like a console ? A console is nothing more than a a hardware you hook up to your TV...thats what Switch is doing in addition to being used as a portable.

When you get console quality games on the big screen for console game prices (60)you might as well call your system a console. The difference between what 3DS and Switch are providing is rather big.

 

[Fdkn]

That's nice. You're in a US sales thread though.

He is in a US sales thread where people are throwing out WW LTD estimates of 80 and 100 million for the switch, so I guess the context allows to talk about impressions from outside the US too.


---

Time travel 3 years to the past and the common theme of NPD threads was that consoles were doomed, PS4 and XB1 were frontloaded illusions that would crash and burn in a couple of years when the hardcore had bought the systems and PS4 would maybe top 60 million if it had luck, because those europeans buy Sony system regardless of quality.

Today three months of the Switch selling out while Nintendo ships a paltry amount of consoles means that they've got the new Wii, and every thread is shooting for the moon now.

I'm one of those weird guys that stays in the middleground and never contemplates those hyperbolic and many times filled with wishfull thinking postures, but in my observation the Switch is being bought mostly by previous Nintendo systems owners and there is no blue ocean in sight, so the 3ds numbers are the ceiling I see right now, even if the sales curve is different because the conditions are different.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

I dont know why you think the 3DS is the sales ceiling. The 3DS could not sell at $250, it couldn't sell at $200, The Switch is $300 and they cant make them fast enough.

 

[Frankfurter]

I dont know why you think the 3DS is the sales ceiling. The 3DS could not sell at $250, it couldn't sell at $200, The Switch is $300 and they cant make them fast enough.

What? It's selling right now, 6 years after launch, for $200.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

What? It's selling right now, 6 years after launch, for $200.

There's revisions ranging from $99 to $199.

 

[Frankfurter]

There's revisions ranging from $99 to $199.

So what? New 3DS XL is selling.

Edit: And it's the second highest selling 3DS/2DS SKU. The best selling one is 3DS XL, which was also sold at $199. Wait, except for the original 3DS of course.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Arkhams main point is that the Switch appeal seems to be higher than whatever the 3DS had.. And I agree. People act like the 3DS is like the PS2 and the maximum success level a Nintendo system can achieve nowadays.

The system is already selling well at 300 with... Let's just call it limited 3rdParty offerings. How do you think it'll sell at 200-250 when Pokemon and Co. hit the Switch and motor 3rds embrace the plattform?

 

[Oregano]

I think people underestimate the factor of Switch being a new Nintendo brand. A lot of people only see the 3DS as an extension of the DS brand and not as a distinct product.

 

[Pancakes R Us]

Can the OP please be amended to reflect that Yoshi's Woolly World has two Ls.

 

[Pancakes R Us]

Are you guys surprised by Crash performance or it was expected ?

I think a lot of the haters would've been surprised. There was a lot of naysayers whilst the rumours were around about this game and even around launch.

Crash vindicated.

 

[MatPiscatella]

Please point to another home console aside from the Wii that pushed 100M units without significant 3rd party support.

What does 100 million have to do with anything?

I assume you've already been asked that question at some point, but why is NPD counting Switch as a home console and not a portable system? Does it mean, as far as NPD is concerned, that the portable market will die in the near future?

Debated it a lot internally.

Ultimately, Nintendo calls it a home console one can take on the go. So we went with that.

But really? It doesn't matter. No retailer plans shelf space based on this level, no publisher creates a long-term plan around it. Business planning is always done around individual platforms.

In addition, the market has moved away from having 7-8 viable platforms a few years ago to 4 now, with 1 late in its life. Things have simplified quite a bit, so the distinction between console and portable product groups is nowhere near as helpful as it once was.

My current plan is to stop even talking about the distinction entirely in January.

Can the OP please be amended to reflect that Yoshi's Woolly World has two Ls.

Our fault. Apologies.

 

[LordRaptor]

What is your point ?

That "Nuh uh, there were 3 GTA games on the PS2" is so irrelevant and from left field to the conversation that was being held I literally don't understand why you interjected with that.

Please point to another home console aside from the Wii that pushed 100M units without significant 3rd party support.

The problem with this statement is that third party support today is not the same thing as third party support even last gen, let alone historically.
Its the same problem as saying "If it doesn't have all of the shooters, its not mass market". Shooters might well be a popular genre, but there are multiple other genres that are woefully underserved by current third party output, and customers that are underserved cease being customers.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

Portable sales have been dropping for a long time now, so that's not the most favorable comparison.

The only portable Nintendo has released since the DS is the 3DS. So you have one under performing system. PSP to Vita you could argue but Sony never committed to the Vita as a serious gaming device.

The 3DS was weak in NA, extremely weak. The Switch is not showing signs of having the same softness in this market. The switch is also just a significantly better piece of hardware that does a good job of supporting the West's desire for consoles while meeting Japan's desire for portability. And the revisions will help extend the systems life.

Again, 3rd party support still matters for the life of the system. Just because 1 console succeeded without it doesn't mean the next one will.

No one said 3rd party didn't matter. But the draw of Nintendo systems is Nintendo games. So missing big 3rd party games can be somewhat alleviated by continuous support from Nintendo which they should be better equiped to do as they only have to support 1 system going forward and they have a big library of games from other systems they can remaster to fill gaps. I also think we will see a better third party situation with the Switch compared to the WiiU and they will be able to pad the release schedule with indies.

I don't think it's as dire as you make it seem.

We'll see where we are in a year from now. Either way, this is a better scenario than the WiiU.
Now they just need to actually make market-priced mobile games.

I assume that everything from now on is going to be console priced. I would hope with Indies though they get more aggressive on having sales.

 

[Fukuzatsu]

I mean...if you compare stuff like this you have be somewhat reasonable. You list the handful of 3rdParty games that have been available on Switch in its first couple weeks...but have to list every big games that PS4/XBO did get on their +3 years on the market to prove a point ? I mean come on. No one is arguing that these systems, especially the the PS offer much more 3rdParty content. But it took years for games like Mass Effect, FF, Persona or Red Dead to show up ...some like RDR2 or KH3 arent even out. Some of the biggest games this gen are also based on old gen games and Remasters/Ports like GTA V, Skyrim Remastered or the first Destiny.

Every big Japanese publisher is supporting the Switch and we know that series like Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, Tales Of. SMT and co. are headed into that direction.

But thats not even the point...if your main argument is that because the 3rdParty support on Nintendo console XY is worse than on Playstation that all is bad...i can understand it but i dont think its a solid base for sales/potential discussion. Yeah GTA V is bigger than Rocket League....that doesnt mean that having RL on Switch doesnt improve the 3rdParty offerings on Switch. And even if Rockstar announced GTA V for Switch in 2018 - there will still be plenty of other games that wont be on Switch. Thats just how it is, but that wont stop from 3rds to make money of the system if its a success.

I'm not talking about it just in the context of time from launch, let's be real here. Take Prey as an example, of a third-party game put out after the Switch's launch that didn't come out on it but came out on everything else.

You can make some arguments about how maybe developers didn't have access to hardware early enough to make it feasible, and delayed launches don't make sense, whatever you want, but on Sony and Microsoft's systems it's not even a question, hence the myriad of cross-gen titles when current-gen first began. My point is not and never was that third-party games can't make money on Switch (because I don't believe that to be true), but that, in general, since the Gamecube, support for Nintendo's home systems by third-parties has been, abysmal, to say the least.

That detracts from Nintendo's overall value proposition for their machines, and while they have many great first-party titles, you can argue that it is a hard battle--if only because when the first-party titles aren't great (Star Fox Zero, Paper Mario Colour Splash), it causes much more damage to reputation than for other platforms in the long run (case in point being the PS4's early first-party offerings like Killzone: Shadow Fall).

Switch could get GTA and still being missing a bunch of other games, the salient point is they weren't getting GTA to begin with, doesn't look to be getting any other AAA game released in the past two years, and what they are getting is Skyrim and FIFA. Even the titles you just mentioned for the Japanese third-party support are stumbling. Monster Hunter is getting a brand new game for everything except Switch, while Nintendo's machine gets a port of a 3DS game, and Dragon Quest is getting a 3DS port of the more front-and-center PS4 version, with no updates on a Switch version.

 

[cordy]

Wait, NPD is only for American sales right? Damn, I underestimated how crazy some of these sales might be. That's awesome lol.

 

[FinaruDensetsu]

It is physically a portable. Look at it. You can use it solely as a home console, but it is physically a portable.

It's battery life is also on par with 3DS so I don't see what you're trying to say.

Yup it's 100% a handheld. It just has a TV out. Nobody said the PSP was a home console or hybrid because it had a TV out. This is no different.

It's kinda crazy how many people's perceptions are skewed just because of Nintendo's marketing.

 

[Hero]

It is physically a portable. Look at it. You can use it solely as a home console, but it is physically a portable.

It's battery life is also on par with 3DS so I don't see what you're trying to say.

Honestly, what is the difference in classification? What does it matter? Do you think the people that are causing this to be sold out worldwide are fooled by Nintendo marketing?

 

[FinaruDensetsu]

Does it really matter what it is as long as it can be used like a console ? A console is nothing more than a a hardware you hook up to your TV...thats what Switch is doing in addition to being used as a portable.

When you get console quality games on the big screen for console game prices (60)you might as well call your system a console. The difference between what 3DS and Switch are providing is rather big.

That means you would classify the PSP and PSPgo as home consoles too in its day. It provided home console game experiences for that time as well.

 

[FinaruDensetsu]

Honestly, what is the difference in classification? What does it matter? Do you think the people that are causing this to be sold out worldwide are fooled by Nintendo marketing?

Exactly the opposite.

People AREN'T getting fooled by Nintendo's marketing that it's a home console. That's why it's selling well. You think japan would give two shits about this if it wasn't a portable?

Well there are some people who are fooled here on GAF.

 

[Hero]

Exactly the opposite.

People AREN'T getting fooled by Nintendo's marketing that it's a home console. That's why it's selling well. You think japan would give two shits about this if it wasn't a portable?

Well there are some people who are fooled here on GAF.

I'm still not following why the hell it matters what it's being marketed and/or classified as. Elaborate.

 

[ghostwritingduck]

It's never the first 10-15M units that are really a problem. It's after that which you can really tell if there's legs or not. So we'll see. At this point I don't really see how it pushes 100M lifetime. 60-70? Sure.

Unless you're the Wii U, any Sega system that's not the Genesis, or Vita. That doesn't mean you're wrong about the possibility of the Switch hitting a wall.

 

[Yearsoflurking]

The wii was a very successful fad that struck the right cords;I don't think it tells anything as far as not needing 3rd party support

 

[AdventureRacing]

Time travel 3 years to the past and the common theme of NPD threads was that consoles were doomed, PS4 and XB1 were frontloaded illusions that would crash and burn in a couple of years when the hardcore had bought the systems and PS4 would maybe top 60 million if it had luck, because those europeans buy Sony system regardless of quality.

Today three months of the Switch selling out while Nintendo ships a paltry amount of consoles means that they've got the new Wii, and every thread is shooting for the moon now.

I'm one of those weird guys that stays in the middleground and never contemplates those hyperbolic and many times filled with wishfull thinking postures, but in my observation the Switch is being bought mostly by previous Nintendo systems owners and there is no blue ocean in sight, so the 3ds numbers are the ceiling I see right now, even if the sales curve is different because the conditions are different.

What do you mean by wii level sales though? Do you mean lifetime sales or are you referring to those first few crazy years where it blew everything out of the park. If the latter than there it's unlikely any console or handheld will ever replicate those sales. If you mean selling 100 million lifetime than it doesn't seem so crazy. The wii had a relatively short lifespan and petered out rather quickly. The switch doesn't have to reach those same spectacular highs to end up with similar lifetime sales.

The observation that the switch is only being bought by 'previous Nintendo system owners' doesn't really say much. Between the wii and DS they sold 250 million systems so that doesn't seem like much of a limitation to the switch really.

At this point all long term predictions are extremely difficult to make. The switch remains supply constrained so we're still not sure of its sales trajectory even in the short term. We also don't really know much about its future line-up beyond this year.

I don't see how someone predicting 100 million is anymore out there than predicting 70 million. Right now the switch is showing a lot more positive signs early on than the 3DS but it's hard to make even monthly predictions let alone over 4-5 years.

Personally I think matching the 3DS lifetime is very likely with a possibility at 100 million depending on timing of price cuts and what sort of SW support it gets.

 

[alt27]

What do you mean by wii level sales though? Do you mean lifetime sales or are you referring to those first few crazy years where it blew everything out of the park. If the latter than there it's unlikely any console or handheld will ever replicate those sales. If you mean selling 100 million lifetime than it doesn't seem so crazy. The wii had a relatively short lifespan and petered out rather quickly. The switch doesn't have to reach those same spectacular highs to end up with similar lifetime sales.

The observation that the switch is only being bought by 'previous Nintendo system owners' doesn't really say much. Between the wii and DS they sold 250 million systems so that doesn't seem like much of a limitation to the switch really.

At this point all long term predictions are extremely difficult to make. The switch remains supply constrained so we're still not sure of its sales trajectory even in the short term. We also don't really know much about its future line-up beyond this year.

I don't see how someone predicting 100 million is anymore out there than predicting 70 million. Right now the switch is showing a lot more positive signs early on than the 3DS but it's hard to make even monthly predictions let alone over 4-5 years.

Personally I think matching the 3DS lifetime is very likely with a possibility at 100 million depending on timing of price cuts and what sort of SW support it gets.

Are you forgetting the WiiU? Its nice to cherrypick the best sellers and all, but the Wii wasnt the most recent system. Nintendo dont contstantly get to 100 m unti sales

 

[AdventureRacing]

Are you forgetting the WiiU? Its nice to cherrypick the best sellers and all, but the Wii wasnt the most recent system. Nintendo dont contstantly get to 100 m unti sales

I don't understand how this is a response to my post. No I haven't forgot the wii U and I never implied that every Nintendo console sells 100 million.

 

[Terrell]

Your ranking is incorrect. PS3 has a higher attach rate and has sold more units of software than Wii overall. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not publish these numbers so we don't know exactly how much 360 software has been sold. From announced attach rates we know it was above PS3 for a while, though. If that's still the case (or perhaps even if not), then it's also above Wii in absolute units.

You're right, I got something wrong. Wii tie ratio was low, but total software surpassed 360 in a shorter period of time, based on the only direct comparative numbers that I could find from 2009. (source: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23308)

So if PS3 managed to overtake 360 tie ratio and total software sales across all platforms in its last 4 years, I'm gonna need receipts.

Are you forgetting the WiiU? Its nice to cherrypick the best sellers and all, but the Wii wasnt the most recent system. Nintendo dont contstantly get to 100 m unti sales

Well, considering the consumer response to the Switch, consumers as a whole sure seem to have forgotten Wii U.

But your response doesn't really address the core of what was posted, that there wasn't enough data to make one idea of lifetime hardware sales more likely than another. But like I said, total software sales are the metric that the hardware makers care the most about since it makes them the most money, so....

 

[Ex-Psych]

Isn't the Switch approx 4x more powerful than its predecessor Wii U, which was also a home console?

Nintendo can totally get away with calling it a "home console on the go".

Why does the classification matter so much? It just does both.

I feel this is just another low-key way to belittle the Switch success by simply labeling it as a handheld.

 

[kyser73]

Hey Mat I don't suppose there are any nice charts showing Wii & 3DS demographics, are there?

Isn't the Switch approx 4x more powerful than its predecessor Wii U, which was also a home console?

Nintendo can totally get away with calling it a "home console on the go".

Why does the classification matter so much? It just does both.

I feel this is just another low-key way to belittle the Switch success by simply labeling it as a handheld.

Most of those making a fuss over it being a portable and not a console are Switch fans.

 

[jroc74]

Isn't the Switch approx 4x more powerful than its predecessor Wii U, which was also a home console?

Nintendo can totally get away with calling it a "home console on the go".

Why does the classification matter so much? It just does both.

I feel this is just another low-key way to belittle the Switch success by simply labeling it as a handheld.

To me, only thing that matters is what's is primary function.

And to me that's handheld.

Whatever the primary function is has been one of the defining characteristic of hybrid devices for years.

This isn't something new.

 

[Gotdatmoney]

To me, only thing that matters is what's is primary function.

And to me that's handheld.

Whatever the primary function is has been one of the defining characteristic of hybrid devices for years.

This isn't something new.

The primary function of the switch is to play games. It can sit in its dock forever or run on an AC adapter for charging and never function on TV. I don't grasp why there is a huge argument to say it is or isn't a handheld/console. The who damn marketing point is it's both.

 

[Welfare]

Switch is a hybrid. If certain demographics use it primarily as a portable, fine. Use it as a stationary device, also fine. For marketing, Nintendo has more to gain by saying Switch is a home console on the go than a handheld that goes in a dock for TV play.

 

[jroc74]

The primary function of the switch is to play games. It can sit in its dock forever or run on an AC adapter for charging and never function on TV. I don't grasp why there is a huge argument to say it is or isn't a handheld/console. The who damn marketing point is it's both.

It can function without it's dock.

To play games.

In handheld mode.

Only way that works in reverse is without the Switch screen.

It has a primary function as a hybrid.

I don't get why some are upset by this.
Surface
Dell Streak, Galaxy Note
Even multi function printers

All have a primary function.

 

[sanstesy]

The primary function of the switch is to play games. It can sit in its dock forever or run on an AC adapter for charging and never function on TV. I don't grasp why there is a huge argument to say it is or isn't a handheld/console. The who damn marketing point is it's both.

This nonsensical argument has been going on since its reveal. It's nothing more than concern trolling at this point.

 

[jroc74]

Switch is a hybrid. If certain demographics use it primarily as a portable, fine. Use it as a stationary device, also fine. For marketing, Nintendo has more to gain by saying Switch is a home console on the go than a handheld that goes in a dock for TV play.

Exactly.

 

[Samanosuke Akechi]

Exactly the opposite.

People AREN'T getting fooled by Nintendo's marketing that it's a home console. That's why it's selling well. You think japan would give two shits about this if it wasn't a portable?

Well there are some people who are fooled here on GAF.

You sound very angry that Switch is successful so far. Why is that?

 

[Liabe Brave]

You're right, I got something wrong. Wii tie ratio was low, but total software surpassed 360 in a shorter period of time, based on the only direct comparative numbers that I could find from 2009. (source: http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23308)

Actually, according to that source Wii total software hadn't yet passed 360 in the US, though it had basically caught it and would surely pass in a short time. But since the 360 tie ratio was always higher, and eventually the hardware exceeded Wii, it seems likely that Wii total software in the US was passed again later by the 360. (I highly doubt PS3 ever did so.)

So if PS3 managed to overtake 360 tie ratio and total software sales across all platforms in its last 4 years, I'm gonna need receipts.

I have no idea whether PS3 has caught 360 in terms of either tie ratio or total sales. As I said, Microsoft have never provided total sales, and stopped providing tie ratios after a point too.

However, PS3 definitely has passed Wii in total sales and tie ratio worldwide. According to Nintendo Wii software is at 918m as of March 2017. This post of mine from January calculates PS3 software sales up through March 2016. There's a little estimation at the end since Sony began grouping stuff the past couple years, but it's undoubtedly the case that Wii was passed. (It's very probably the case that 1 billion units was passed.) Given there's still less PS3 hardware shipped than Wii, that makes tie ratio higher too.

 

[donny2112]

My current plan is to stop even talking about the distinction entirely in January.

But ... but ... then we'll lose the 3DS Portable Top 20. (-_-)

 

[slavesnyder]

Switch is a hybrid. If certain demographics use it primarily as a portable, fine. Use it as a stationary device, also fine. For marketing, Nintendo has more to gain by saying Switch is a home console on the go than a handheld that goes in a dock for TV play.

Nicely put

 

[LegendofLex]

I assume you've already been asked that question at some point, but why is NPD counting Switch as a home console and not a portable system? Does it mean, as far as NPD is concerned, that the portable market will die in the near future?

The simple answer is that Switch outputs to a TV and comes with a controller, which checks off all the boxes that you'd need to check for it to be a home console.

But the fun thing about Switch is that it's also got its own screen and a battery, which allows it to be played portably, without a TV, and you can even attach the controller to the system and use it like a handheld.

It used to be that those two designs didn't coincide in a single device. But now they do.

Switch is both a home console and a handheld. It's almost like Nintendo intentionally designed and marketed it this way:

Nintendo Switch is designed to go wherever you do, transforming from home console to portable system in a snap. So you get more time to play the games you love, however you like.

 

[MatPiscatella]

Hey, new article on gamesindustry.biz you all might find interesting.

No, digital isn't cannibalizing retail - NPD
We talk with The NPD Group as it expands its digital tracking with a pilot program in the Americas

Explains some of the challenges around digital, the expansion of NPD's tracking to include all of the Americas, and the interplay between physical and digital.

Basically:

"The data suggests to me that digital is increasing the size of the overall pie, and that both retail and digital are vital parts of the new ecosystem"

Would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[WillySJ3]

Hey, new article on gamesindustry.biz you all might find interesting.

No, digital isn't cannibalizing retail - NPD
We talk with The NPD Group as it expands its digital tracking with a pilot program in the Americas

Explains some of the challenges around digital, the expansion of NPD's tracking to include all of the Americas, and the interplay between physical and digital.

Basically:



Would love to hear your thoughts.

Good article. I agree with your opinion. I'll go spanish now:

Desde la generación pasada he estado comprando más juegos digitales que físicos, sin embargo la cantidad de juegos que tengo acceso es mayor que en aquellos tiempos que era prácticamente obligatorio comprar físico para poder jugar en consola. Normalmente mi collecion de juegos físicos son para aquellos grandes AAA que me interesan, y lo digital cuando se presentan ofertas o para aquellos indies que no llegan físico.

En resumen, compro más juegos que generaciones anteriores por tener la opción de adquirirlos digital, eso no ha hecho que disminuya las compras físicas que hago.

 

[Hero]

Hey, new article on gamesindustry.biz you all might find interesting.

No, digital isn't cannibalizing retail - NPD
We talk with The NPD Group as it expands its digital tracking with a pilot program in the Americas

Explains some of the challenges around digital, the expansion of NPD's tracking to include all of the Americas, and the interplay between physical and digital.

Basically:


Would love to hear your thoughts.

Great read, thanks for sharing, and as always, continuing to participate here!

I think this is a great sign and definitely makes sense, as it's just another avenue for people to buy and play games. It's much easier to get people to buy and play more games if there are many different options to consume games.

 

[MatPiscatella]

it's just another avenue for people to buy and play games. It's much easier to get people to buy and play more games if there are many different options to consume games.

Seriously. If you make it easy for people to give you money, they'll give you money. The more ways a company has to allow people to give them money the better.

Discoverability in the stores still has a long way to go

Agreed. Huge issue. Only way to get deep catalog to sell is to put it on steep discount to make the front page of the storefronts. That's not good enough.

 

[Miniature Kaiju]

Hey, new article on gamesindustry.biz you all might find interesting.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

First off, nice to see you guys expanding into tracking LatAm. Will be looking forward to get some insight into modern Brazilian gaming habits! Country used to be Sonyland up to the PS2 era due to piracy shenanigans, but changed a lot since.

As for digital vs. physical, convenience is still king. Make it easy to buy and use, make it easy to have access to a large catalog of titles old and new, people will buy. Discoverability in the stores still has a long way to go, IMO, and the platforms need to do a better job at personalizing the experience.

 

[Humdinger]

Hey, new article on gamesindustry.biz you all might find interesting.

No, digital isn't cannibalizing retail - NPD
We talk with The NPD Group as it expands its digital tracking with a pilot program in the Americas

Explains some of the challenges around digital, the expansion of NPD's tracking to include all of the Americas, and the interplay between physical and digital.

Basically:



Would love to hear your thoughts.

Interesting read. I'll leave the digital/retail issue for others.

I look forward to weekly NPD reports, whenever you guys can pull that off (sounds like it'll be a while).

I also like that you're including parts of Latin America. Will those data be lumped in with the current NPD data or reported separately?

 

[MatPiscatella]

Will those data be lumped in with the current NPD data or reported separately?

It's a pilot program for now, so it won't be included in regular reporting.

 

[Blanquito]

Good article. I agree with your opinion. I'll go spanish now:

Desde la generación pasada he estado comprando más juegos digitales que físicos, sin embargo la cantidad de juegos que tengo acceso es mayor que en aquellos tiempos que era prácticamente obligatorio comprar físico para poder jugar en consola. Normalmente mi collecion de juegos físicos son para aquellos grandes AAA que me interesan, y lo digital cuando se presentan ofertas o para aquellos indies que no llegan físico.

En resumen, compro más juegos que generaciones anteriores por tener la opción de adquirirlos digital, eso no ha hecho que disminuya las compras físicas que hago.

Translated below in case anyone wants to continue the conversation: [edit] just noticed that google translate does a pretty good job of this one, so my translation was pretty unnecessary. Oh well.[/edit]

Since the last generation I have been buying more digital than physical games, nevertheless the quantity of games that I have access to is greater than in those times when it was pretty much obligatory to buy physical to be able to play on console. Normally my physical game collection is for those big AAA games that interest me, and digital are for when there are sales or indie games that don't have physical versions.

In summary, I buy more games than in previous generations because I have the option of buying them digitally, and this hasn't diminished the physical purchases that I make.

Anyway, thanks for the article Mat. Great info to have, and interesting to see that the industry is growing in that way.

 

[Welfare]

Hey, new article on gamesindustry.biz you all might find interesting.

No, digital isn't cannibalizing retail - NPD
We talk with The NPD Group as it expands its digital tracking with a pilot program in the Americas

Explains some of the challenges around digital, the expansion of NPD's tracking to include all of the Americas, and the interplay between physical and digital.

Basically:

Would love to hear your thoughts.

Would going to a weekly release only be for digital software, or is it a plan to move all of what is reported in the monthly report to weekly?

Ultimately, the aim is to not only go global, but to offer weekly rather than monthly reporting. "We are working with the publishers on understanding the data over the next six months and then will determine next steps for releasing the data," she said. "Our ultimate goal is to move to a weekly digital service. However, it is not something we are prepared to do in the short term."

I agree that digital doesn't eat away at retail, it grows sales beyond the physical purchase.

The existence of digital purchasing actually allowed me to purchase Metro Redux as my local GameStop's had no stock at launch. Pre order copies only.

This quote

We have data that suggests, for example, that millennials and Gen Z game buyers have the highest purchase incidence rates of packaged retail games, likely driven by the way young people use packaged retail games as a form of currency for purchasing new games later when they are sold or traded in.

Describes my early kid and teen years perfectly. Buy games to later sell them for new ones. Nowadays though, the digital convenience and good holiday deals has moved me closer to an all digital library.

All my EA games are digital thanks to EA Access, FFXV had a good $30 deal for Christmas, and multiplayer games like CoD IW w/ MWR and Halo Wars 2 are easier to manage as digital copies. My only retail games are Halo 5 (bought week 1), Destiny Collection, and Skyrim SE. The last two are physical because of Target's buy 2 get 1 free deal last November. I plan on selling those last 2 to go towards a later purchase. Maybe Destiny for 2 and Skyrim to go towards something in November.

 

[joe_zazen]

Just noticed MatP's name is in the credits for Harry Potter Lego 1-4.

I'm such a nerd.

 

[MatPiscatella]

Would going to a weekly release only be for digital software, or is it a plan to move all of what is reported in the monthly report to weekly?

The goal is weekly reporting for everything. Working on a couple issues that will allow this to happen.

Just noticed MatP's name is in the credits for Harry Potter Lego 1-4.

I'm such a nerd.

Heh, I and my team did the Americas volume forecasting as well as the price & decay curve modeling for all of WB's titles, among other stuff. It was much easier back in the days of LHP 1-4 when we were just projecting discs that's for sure.

Basically, we were the "they" when you saw the price drop or something and you said "oh hey they dropped the price on that game".