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[overthehill99]

I would love to play the DLC Take2. I was almost considering buying the game used for 360, but I'd rather not double-dip......ever.


If it comes (which it seems like it will) I'd totally buy it.

 

[J-Rzez]

You missed the "GTA is a Playstation franchise"

But, what about all the "360 sells software like mad" to go with the higher install base? Anyone can pick whatever side they want to go with. But, considering the 360's prior dominance of multiplatform sales and higher console base, I expected much more, and that evidence is a little more telling.

Shipped vs. Sold is getting pretty old too.

 

[Liabe Brave]

Look, I wouldn't be surprised if the sell through amount was disproportionately in PS3's favor (When scaled to the amount of consoles sold), but I see very few scenarios in which there is as many PS3 versions of GTA4 sitting in consumers homes as there is 360 versions.

Surely not exactly as many, but even you are unsurprised by the prospect of unbalanced attach rates, and they don't have to be very off to really bite into 360's absolute sales lead. A true 50/50 split would require attach rates of 23% 360 and 33% PS3; identical rates for both systems (at 27%) would result in sales of 58/42. That's about 7.6m to 5.4m in absolute units.

So bounding case the absolute gap is just over 2m units. I don't think the best case is true parity--I strongly suspect the "50/50" figure is well-rounded--but even attach rates at 25% 360 and 30% PS3 would give a 55/45 split.

 

[WickedCobra03]

'B b b b b but ps3 is the doomed !1!!1!1!OnE!!11'


Can I have my DLC now.

Same. I got the PS3 version cause I was not really a fan of the double pack on the Xbox.


But anyways, I think this is just a pre-cursor to them announcing a summer or fall release of the DLC.

 

[painful fart]

Shipped vs. Sold is getting pretty old too.

You bet. Almost one year after the release you can be pretty sure that what´s shipped is shipped in response to demand.

 

[Forsete]

 

[Pterion]

Oh snap!

 

[Nemo]

Nope, still being ridiculed.



Wait... I thought that "nothing is ever exclusive".

http://kotaku.com/5070516/sony-says-nothing-is-ever-exclusive

"I would much rather that we were investing money into making sure that we've got great R&D and we start producing games like LittleBigPlanet," he adds, "rather than paying other people a huge amount of money to stop people playing their product."

"I would much rather that we were investing money into making sure that we've got great R&D and we start producing games like LittleBigPlanet," he adds, "rather than paying other people a huge amount of money to stop people playing their product."

 

[Karma]

U.S. as of the end of 2008

360 - 3.29m
PS3 - 1.89m

Japan (Famitsu)

360 - 63K
PS3 - 196K

U.K. (ELSPA Sales Awards)

360 - 600K-999K (>600K in the first month)
PS3 - 600K-999K (>600K in three months)

Japan (Famitsu)

360 - 63K
PS3 - 196K

U.K. (ELSPA Sales Awards)

360 - 600K-999K (>600K in the first month)
PS3 - 600K-999K (>600K in three months)

From this it seems clear he was talking Shipped not sold.

 

[Liabe Brave]

From this it seems clear he was talking Shipped not sold.

From the 13m total number it was clear that it was all about shipped.

That doesn't mean the enduser sales are necessarily very different. By the sales numbers you quoted, it's very likely that the entire gap between the versions is due to the U.S., with a 360 lead of 1.4m. That equates to about a 56/44 split in enduser sales, definitely close enough that rounding to "50/50" is likely; remember that he used the term "approximately".

(Note that the 360 sales lead is probably higher than this, since we don't know total enduser sales and my split figure is going off the 13m shipped.)

 

[Beer Monkey]

Years ago I'd have never imagined a GTA game where the "playstation" version didn't sell the vast majority of the copies.

 

[RubberJohnny]

From this it seems clear he was talking Shipped not sold.

From this it seems clear he wanted to be diplomatic.

 

[Link]

From this it seems clear he wanted to be diplomatic.

Exactly.

 

[herod]

From the 13m total number it was clear that it was all about shipped.

For real, there are 5.5M copies in the channel? Surely this is a massive fail?

 

[gtj1092]

From this it seems clear he wanted to be diplomatic.

Was he also being diplomatic towards Europeans?

 

[_Angelus_]

The whole graph needs to be red though. 360 ROD/Sony monetary losses.

 

[donny2112]

For real, there are 5.5M copies in the channel? Surely this is a massive fail?

There are other territories besides U.S., Japan, and the U.K. Those are the three biggest in general, though.

 

[hc2]

Kind of related, just saw this on current.com:

To celebrate the upcoming releases of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Resident Evil 5, the Guinness World Records folks released some records the two franchises set.

GRAND THEFT AUTO RECORDS
• Most Successful Entertainment Product Launch
On April 29, 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV generated $310 million of sales worldwide in one day, five times the revenue generated by The Dark Knight in its first 24 hours of release.

• Most Controversial Video Game Series
The GTA franchise has been the most consistently controversial game franchise in history. Over 4,000 stories news stories have been published about it, with accusations ranging from glamorized violence, alleged connection with real-life crimes, and the presumed corruption of gamers. Numerous lawsuits have also been leveled against Rockstar Games. GTA IV was evened banned in Thailand!

• Largest Voice Cast in a Video Game
GTA IV boasts a total credited cast of 861 voice actors, including 174 actors playing named characters, DJs, and TV voiceovers. Many of the additional 687 voices were volunteered by people who just wanted a chance to be heard in the game.

• Highest Production Budget
In an interview with The Times in April 2008, GTA's producer Leslie Benzies estimated that production costs on GTA IV reached $100 million, smashing the previous record of $70 million set by Sega's Shenmue.

• Largest Grand Theft Auto Environment
GTA: San Andreas features the largest playing area in the series. Up to four times larger than the other GTA titles, it contains three cities, 12 towns, and many miles of virtual countryside with an area of roughly 17 square miles.

• Largest In-Game Soundtrack
GTA IV features 18 radio stations playing 218 licensed tracks, beating the previous record of 156 songs set in GTA: San Andreas.

RESIDENT EVIL RECORDS
• First Live-Action Move Trilogy Based on a Video Game
Starring supermodel Mill Jovovich, Resident Evil (2002), Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) have garnered critical acclaim for its crossover from video game to the big screen. The science fiction horror films are based on the same gaming series developed by Capcom.

• Highest Grossing Game-Licensed Movies
As a franchise, Resident Evil has generated a staggering $276 million at the box office since 2002. During its U.S. run, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil: Apocalypse grossed $147 million and $129 million, respectively.

http://current.com/items/89880424/guinness_list_of_resident_evil_and_grand_theft_auto_records.htm

 

[donny2112]

• Highest Grossing Game-Licensed Movies
As a franchise, Resident Evil has generated a staggering $276 million at the box office since 2002. During its U.S. run, Resident Evil: Extinction and Resident Evil: Apocalypse grossed $147 million and $129 million, respectively.

So the first Resident Evil movie was free to all? I got scammed into paying for my ticket.

 

[Liabe Brave]

For real, there are 5.5M copies in the channel? Surely this is a massive fail?

No, there wouldn't be nearly that many. Last I heard the UK market was about equal to continental Europe, so there's a few million sold to customers that aren't in the numbers posted on the page, and the rest of the world would account for a piece too.

That might still leave a couple million in channel, but for a game of this scale that isn't unlikely. Pretty much any store that has ever carried a single video game will have this one: not just game shops but groceries, mom'n'pop generals, warehouse clubs, gas stations, vending machines in Akihabara.... You get the gist.

 

[Lightning]

Exclusives, no, they don't pay for (so they say). Exclusive content? They have and will continue to do so. (Mirrors Edge, Bioshock, etc.)

I still believe Sony are lying. I just can't help but think MGS4 has a money hat tied to it. No way did all Sony executives come out of E3 07 touting MGS4 exclusive over and over again (SCEA still goes on about it in some of their NPD PR) without a pretty damn certain guarantee that it would be exclusive. Not to mention Konami were hesitant about exclusive until that point, after it, they debunked every single rumor over and over again.

Kojima even dangled the carrot which ended up being a phone game (That was so damn funny, Kojima is so awesome)

 

[KGKK]

I still believe Sony are lying. I just can't help but think MGS4 has a money hat tied to it. No way did all Sony executives come out of E3 07 touting MGS4 exclusive over and over again (SCEA still goes on about it in some of their NPD PR) without a pretty damn certain guarantee that it would be exclusive. Not to mention Konami were hesitant about exclusive until that point, after it, they debunked every single rumor over and over again.

Kojima even dangled the carrot which ended up being a phone game (That was so damn funny, Kojima is so awesome)

That he is. Man I love him. Can't wait till his next game. It is suppose to be a FPS right? Will this be the first FPS Japanese made game? Well I guess MGS4 can count as you can play the whole game in FPS mode.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

The amount of weight people around here put into PR comments is just ridiculous. And yes, anything anyone says is PR.

 

[StuBurns]

I still believe Sony are lying. I just can't help but think MGS4 has a money hat tied to it. No way did all Sony executives come out of E3 07 touting MGS4 exclusive over and over again (SCEA still goes on about it in some of their NPD PR) without a pretty damn certain guarantee that it would be exclusive. Not to mention Konami were hesitant about exclusive until that point, after it, they debunked every single rumor over and over again.

Kojima even dangled the carrot which ended up being a phone game (That was so damn funny, Kojima is so awesome)

Sony have huge investments in MGS4, they have in-game adverts for their consoles and their phones.

They're also funding the MGS film, quite possibly why it's not on 360, and probably never will be.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Sony have huge investments in MGS4, they have in-game adverts for their consoles and their phones.

They're also funding the MGS film, quite possibly why it's not on 360, and probably never will be.

Yeah, Sony even advertised the game months in advance on tv with their commercial montages as well as create a limited set of BC-compatible MGS4-packed-in 80GB PS3, essentially MGS4 for free at the time, day and date with the system.

 

[MobiusPigeon]

(neutral) MobiusPigeon
Feel free to safely ignore my opinions on anything Sony-related. Thank you!
(Today, 01:34 AM)

eh? so you're trying to say they shipped less on ps3?

 

[Mario]

The amount of weight people around here put into PR comments is just ridiculous. And yes, anything anyone says is PR.

Not to mention it is very easy to get misquoted.

 

[Son of Godzilla]

Not to mention it is very easy to get misquoted.

(neutral) Mario
is pro-corporation and anti-consumer
(Today, 08:46 PM)

 

[Quasar]

One curiousity is the 50/50 (U.S/RoW) geographic split. Is that normal for a AAA title? Normal for a GTA game?

 

[MrDaravon]

I wonder if this means that the DLC exclusivity simply didn't matter that much, or that it DID matter, and that the split would be in Sony's favor if it wasn't exclusive.

 

[StuBurns]

I wonder if this means that the DLC exclusivity simply didn't matter that much, or that it DID matter, and that the split would be in Sony's favor if it wasn't exclusive.

I think most PS3 owners don't also have a 360, and vice versa. It's only the people with both where it's actually a choice.

Considering the install base, and the 360 version being the slightly better basic game, with exclusive DLC, I'm surprised the 360 version didn't outsell it 2 to 1.

 

[donny2112]

Considering the install base, and the 360 version being the slightly better basic game, with exclusive DLC, I'm surprised the 360 version didn't outsell it 2 to 1.

If Microsoft had dropped the price like they did in September before GTAIV's release, it might've been a much sharper advantage. Remember that the 360 didn't really take off in Europe until the September price cut, and it was stagnating (again) in the U.S. before September.

 

[Buttchin]

NPD=/=world

also doesnt equal target and walmart if i remember correctly. though i doubt that would change the ratio much.

 

[donny2112]

also doesnt equal target and walmart if i remember correctly.

Target is tracked directly. Wal-Mart is estimated for. There are no "missing" sales.

 

[Scottlarock]

I think most PS3 owners don't also have a 360, and vice versa. It's only the people with both where it's actually a choice.

Considering the install base, and the 360 version being the slightly better basic game, with exclusive DLC, I'm surprised the 360 version didn't outsell it 2 to 1.

from all evidence the 360 outsold the ps3 but this dude says they are 50/50 so who do we believe? is the truth 60/40 and this guy saying 50/50 to not start any trouble? because that what sales from tracking units are saying, unless alot of ps3 sales come from non-tracking units, or retail have a bunch of unsold units. which will mean some crazy clearance sales in a month or two.

 

[StuBurns]

from all evidence the 360 outsold the ps3 but this dude says they are 50/50 so who do we believe? is the truth 60/40 and this guy saying 50/50 to not start any trouble? because that what sales from tracking units are saying, unless alot of ps3 sales come from non-tracking units, or retail have a bunch of unsold units. which will mean some crazy clearance sales in a month or two.

We don't really have any idea outside of Japan and the States what a game sells though do we?

 

[gutter_trash]

i bought GTA4 for the 360 originally and traded it in for the PS3 version,
the AA was too boosted on the 360 and created too much blur for my tastes to the point that the fences, trains track shadows and frills got over-blurred
but that's just me

 

[Scottlarock]

We don't really have any idea outside of Japan and the States what a game sells though do we?

we will see in a couple of months, if places have crazy deals on PS3 version of it.

 

[gtj1092]

Who is this guy trying to avoid trouble with? I don't get it. Is he going to hurt Sony's feelings thus making up numbers on the fly. You think Sony was on his mind when he made the statement.

Plus about 50/50 can range anywhere from 55:45 to an exact 50:50 split. Does it pain people that GTA actually performed well on the Ps3? And contrary to popular belief, yes there is a hugely populated land mass on the other side of the Atlantic. And seeing how he also stated that the split between europe and america was also 50/50, I don't see why this is so hard to fathom.

 

[donny2112]

we will see in a couple of months, if places have crazy deals on PS3 version of it.

Um, the game is almost a year old. If they were going to try to clear out stock, it probably would've already happened by now.

 

[Buttchin]

Target is tracked directly. Wal-Mart is estimated for. There are no "missing" sales.

still walmart is a huge company to only "estimate"

I mean i still trust NPD numbers as they are as accurate as anyone can get considering is mostly walmart that throws off the true sales.

 

[Scottlarock]

Um, the game is almost a year old. If they were going to try to clear out stock, it probably would've already happened by now.

I disagree, they are still showing 13 million sold and if PS3 is half of that (unless thats wrong) the PS3 sales that we know don't match that or even come close. I'm expecting amazon deal of the day sales. Europe PS3 sales would have to way outsell 360 sales which I don't believe. I think the dude was playing it safe by saying 50/50

 

[StuBurns]

I disagree, they are still showing 13 million sold and if PS3 is half of that (unless thats wrong) the PS3 sales that we know don't match that or even come close. I'm expecting amazon deal of the day sales. Europe PS3 sales would have to way outsell 360 sales which I don't believe. I think the dude was playing it safe by saying 50/50

Why don't you believe the PS3 version way outsold the 360 one in Europe? Isn't the install base a little bigger in Europe? And the attach rate per format in the US show a PS3 favor, so where the install base is actually bigger, if that PS3 preference was also consistent you would expect a much bigger PS3 number wouldn't you?

 

[Rhindle]

I disagree, they are still showing 13 million sold and if PS3 is half of that (unless thats wrong) the PS3 sales that we know don't match that or even come close. I'm expecting amazon deal of the day sales. Europe PS3 sales would have to way outsell 360 sales which I don't believe. I think the dude was playing it safe by saying 50/50

As noted above, their platform sales breakdown in their financial report shows that sales are pretty close to parity. So the guy isn't making shit up.

I don't think they massively overshipped the PS3 SKU either. The only real explanation is that PS3 software is selling much better in Europe, even though the installed bases are roughly equal.

This isn't unique to Take 2 either. Other publishers have been reporting surprisingly close platform breakdowns as well.

 

[Scottlarock]

Why don't you believe the PS3 version way outsold the 360 one in Europe? Isn't the install base a little bigger in Europe? And the attach rate per format in the US show a PS3 favor, so where the install base is actually bigger, if that PS3 preference was also consistent you would expect a much bigger PS3 number wouldn't you?

the install base is not bigger in europe. they were selling better than 360 until 360 price drop, but the 360 also had a 1 year head start. I doubt at this time anywhere in europe where there is more PS3 than 360s than maybe france or germany which UK would easily counter...

 

[StuBurns]

the install base is not bigger in europe. they were selling better than 360 until 360 price drop, but the 360 also had a 1 year head start. I doubt at this time anywhere in europe where there is more PS3 than 360s than maybe france or germany which UK would easily counter...

I was just going on the numbers on Wiki, either way, it's far closer in Europe than it is in the States, and the PS3 attach rate is higher in the States, so if that's the same in Europe it should have sold more on PS3 here.

 

[Scottlarock]

As noted above, their platform sales breakdown in their financial report shows that sales are pretty close to parity. So the guy isn't making shit up.

I don't think they massively overshipped the PS3 SKU either. The only real explanation is that PS3 software is selling much better in Europe, even though the installed bases are roughly equal.

This isn't unique to Take 2 either. Other publishers have been reporting surprisingly close platform breakdowns as well.

I respect your opinion, but everyone thought the ps3 version would sell more (even patc her) so I can imagine the buyers of walmart/target/sears/gamestop also thought the PS3 version would sell more and bought more. maybe I'm wrong, but I just feel the retail stores thought it would do better. IMO of course, and no ban bets because I'm just arm-chair quarterbacking

 

[Son of Godzilla]

As noted above, their platform sales breakdown in their financial report shows that sales are pretty close to parity. So the guy isn't making shit up.

I don't think they massively overshipped the PS3 SKU either. The only real explanation is that PS3 software is selling much better in Europe, even though the installed bases are roughly equal.

This isn't unique to Take 2 either. Other publishers have been reporting surprisingly close platform breakdowns as well.

Uh, link? The breakdown was completely lopsided in 360 favor. Like 2.5:1.

 

[donny2112]

Just throwing out an idea here. There are three versions of GTAIV: PS3, 360, and PC. We know PC sales in December for the U.S. We also know that EU = PC-land and GTA-land. With that in mind ...

GTAIV:

360 - 6 million
PS3 - 5 million
PC - 2 million (95% being non-U.S.)

If you take out U.S. and U.K., I wouldn't be surprised to see PS3 GTA IV outselling the 360 GTA IV by somewhere between 3:2 and 2:1.

Does that sound reasonable now?

 

[AranhaHunter]

Just throwing out an idea here. There are three versions of GTAIV: PS3, 360, and PC. We know PC sales in December for the U.S. We also know that EU = PC-land and GTA-land. With that in mind ...

GTAIV:

360 - 6 million
PS3 - 5 million
PC - 2 million (95% being non-U.S.)

If you take out U.S. and U.K., I wouldn't be surprised to see PS3 GTA IV outselling the 360 GTA IV by somewhere between 3:2 and 2:1.

Does that sound reasonable now?

Not really. Your PC number is way too high and your non US percentage is ridiculous. If T2 says it's about 50/50 between 360 and PS3 WW shipment, then it's about 50/50, IDK why that's so hard to understand, sell through to consumers is another matter and possibly the 360 GTAIV outsold the PS3 one but I don't think that's what the thread is about.