What am I going to do with all these discs duder?Just once I want to read a report about something I hate in this industry failing.
Just once.
Digital downloads, DLC, pre-orders, season passes.
Just ONCE I want to read that it didn't turn a higher margin than the year prior.
Goddammit.
We're seeing why more games are coming only to PS4/PC.
But it's not a bump.
It's just a larger share of a much smaller pie because last year had Watch_Dogs in the data.
So is it safe to say that more people buy digitally on PS4 than Xbox One? Or are the percentages revenue based rather than unit?
I really want to say it's because of how preorders work on Xbox one compared the ps4So is it safe to say that more people buy digitally on PS4 than Xbox One? Or are the percentages revenue based rather than unit?
PC generates longer legs than consoles, while console sales are more front loaded. Benefits to both.
PC generates longer legs than consoles, while console sales are more front loaded. Benefits to both.
I really want to say it's because of how preorders work on Xbox one compared the ps4
It's real simple with the ps4 but the Xbox one usually has like 3 different versions of the game and 2 of them are unavailable to preorder.
It's so fucked hopefully they fix that
Word.
You can make a PC game today and it'll still be selling 5-10 years from now. Not so with Console games (for the most part).
Given the low Day 1 volume on PC, and given the recent challenges with AAA PC releases and refunds, wouldn't be surprising at all to see everyone go the GTAV route of delaying the PC release.
Word.
You can make a PC game today and it'll still be selling 5-10 years from now. Not so with Console games (for the most part).
Given the low Day 1 volume on PC, and given the recent challenges with AAA PC releases and refunds, wouldn't be surprising at all to see everyone go the GTAV route of delaying the PC release.
That would be solid thinking if ps4 and x1 sales were equal.So is it safe to say that more people buy digitally on PS4 than Xbox One? Or are the percentages revenue based rather than unit?
(most) dlc, pre-orders, season passes okay
digital downloads though? wat?
There is a reason why these things exist. They sell.
You might need to chill out a little.
"People buy things I don't like!"
Easy bro, Easy.
so you just want retail $60 games?
I bet youre fun at parties
You hate...downloads?
Maybe you're never happy because you're a crazy person.
I guess you weren't there for when ccapcoms mobile division pulled in horrible numbers. Lots of schadenfreude in that thread.
What am I going to do with all these discs duder?
Well the easy thing to look at is this
In terms of sales dollars PS4 contributed a 27% of all sales volume while PC did 23%. PS4 did a higher number but its pretty damn close between the two. Only 4% difference.
Now consider that the percentage difference in profit between the two is likely greater than 4%. Its entirely possible that PC was the number one driver of profit for the quarter.
Now without seeing the profit breakdown we can't be sure but PC is likely number one or at least very close with PS4. Both platforms did very well for them this quarter.
That's not necessarily true. The day one Witcher sales were keeping pace with the PS4, and likely at a significantly higher profit margin.
Does ubi have any PC exclusive games?
I don't think that's a good assumption at all. Price differences usually don't let that assumption be anywhere near concrete. If I sell Watchdogs for £7 and make a £2 profit or sell it for £15 still making a profit of £2 with additional fees makes little difference to Ubi. If Ubisoft does a platform specific sale then revenue usually increases too but profit does not increase as much. Price differences in the market make assumptions like this merely guesswork.
On topic the take away points from that table are:
Mobile saw a massive increase for Ubi.
PC saw an increase in revenue too.
XB1 revenue is really low, at last gen levels, both the PS3 and 360 matched it.
Might and Magic franchise at least.
That would be solid thinking if ps4 and x1 sales were equal.
That's not necessarily true. The day one Witcher sales were keeping pace with the PS4, and likely at a significantly higher profit margin.
Rockstar has always had a strange relationship with the PC platform. Late ports, loaded with DRM, they are really outliers.
But if you go to less of an outlier, like Assassin's Creed, one can very easily see why Ubi would want to avoid day/date in the future after Unity, and go back to their previous PC delays. For a normal title, day 1 PC sales aren't as meaningful on PC as they are on Consoles, but the tail is much more important. So getting the PC version right at launch (especially with STEAM refunds now) will become much more a focus than getting it out day/date.
led in particular by a better-than-expected performance by Assassin's Creed® Unity
Its not debatable with this quarter in any way shape or form lol. This is sales revenue not units.
I wonder how that happened, for such a shit game.
I know it's not units. I'm saying it is debatable in any quarter though. When you have price differences in the market you cannot make such assumptions because profit margin can be the same even with added fees when the price of games are different. If a platform specific sale is on too it skews numbers in either direction. It's not a sound assumption. To say revenue is the same and 4% more profit when you have difference in prices in the market.
Xbox One pretty disappointing. Same as 360, and gap between it and PS4 has grown.
It's actually really interesting that it goes PS4 > PC > Everything else. Wouldn't have expected that
Just remembered that AC was also marketed with Xbone during this time. Crazy.
Makes sense why AC is back with PS4 again.
Rockstar is an outlier, but their delayed ports have also had strong, and long lasting, sales success on the PC platform.
CDP is also an outlier. You can't look at anything CDP and project that to the larger market. CDP has a very unique and special place within the industry and the PC gaming community.
But if you go to less of an outlier, like Assassin's Creed, one can very easily see why Ubi would want to avoid day/date in the future after Unity, and go back to their previous PC delays. For a normal title, day 1 PC sales aren't as meaningful on PC as they are on Consoles, but the tail is much more important. So getting the PC version right at launch (especially with STEAM refunds now) will become much more a focus than getting it out day/date.
How is this possible considering the mad discounts that are usually offered not long after release?
PC carries a higher profit per sale.
A digital game sold on Steam accounts for 70% revenue for the publisher, while a game sold at physical retail accounts for 29% revenue for the publisher.
I'm not so sure mainstream AAA games are that great of an example either.
It's a different demographic, so games like Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty really struggle on the platform.
Source?
I'm not so sure mainstream AAA games are that great of an example either.
It's a different demographic, so games like Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty really struggle on the platform.
Why the hell are new games so much more expensive on digital stores than in retail if publishers make much more money from digital sales?A digital game sold on Steam accounts for 70% profit for the publisher, while a game sold at physical retail accounts for 29% profit for the publisher. Considering how a much higher ratio of games are sold digitally on PC than on other platforms it'll net more profit per copy sold. Even a $60 game discounted for half price on Steam would give more profit than a full priced retail game.
Source?
Eh AAA games have plenty of life on the PC platform and don't really struggle. Its just expectations have to be different. You can in the long run sell literally millions of copies of even AAA games. Plenty have done so. Its just your launch month sales will not be the same type as console.
PC volume is about the long haul. Make a solid port, and just watch the steady flow of money come in. Its not the same as console, where honestly a game is made or broken by really the opening few months of sales. PC is about years of steady volume.
Which is why it makes sense to delay on PC and get it right...
Source?
Why the hell are new games so much more expensive on digital stores than in retail if publishers make much more money from digital sales?
Then new games should be a $50 digital $60 physical to make it more fair. You pay more for the physical product because you own it physically and it costs more to produce.
70% revenue for all digital games through Steam. Nowhere even remotely close to that for a retail product. If you have your own platform like Origin or Uplay, you see a 100% revenue return.
You can sell a PC digital game for half the price as a console game and see the same amount of revenue return.
It's mainly just common sense.
A physical console game sees profits split between publisher, platform holder, manufacturing, distribution, and retail outlet.
PC is generally just a split between publisher and retail outlet, Valve eats the distribution costs.
What's the percentage for digital console games?
They are selling better on PC than XB1? Wow.
Xb1 numbers recently has been horrible regarding software sales (TW3, AK, Project Cars) what's going on?
I'm baffled how high the PC sales are considering almost everyone complains about Uplay, ubi ports, etc.
They are selling better on PC than XB1? Wow.
Xb1 numbers recently has been horrible regarding software sales (TW3, AK, Project Cars) what's going on?
FTFY
EDIT:
It's also not fixed amounts; digital copies have a flat rate percentage on whatever it ends up being sold at. Retail copies incur fixed costs, so a bomba title being fire saled makes less revenue for everyone proportionately.
Why the hell are new games so much more expensive on digital stores than in retail if publishers make much more money from digital sales?
Then new games should be a $50 digital $60 physical to make it more fair. You pay more for the physical product because you own it physically and it costs more to produce.