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Raist · Jan 9, 2008

So I've gathered a few infos here and there about the video game market in France, hope you guys will find it interesting. Those infos come from various sources (listed at the end of the post).

Overview
French video game market represents around 2.4 billion for the year 2007 (1.9 in 2006, 24% increase). It represents about 16% of the entertainment & culture market (on par with music). It employs around 12,000 persons (5,000 for publishers and developpers). There are 35 VG publishers in France.

Demographics
About a half of french houses are considered as "gaming houses" (with an average 1.8 gamer per house).
Average gamer is 25y old, women represent 40% of gamers.
In those "gaming houses", PC has the lead with a whopping 70%, while consoles represent 49%, handhelds 24%, and mobile phones 19% (it still represents a 65 million market).
Intentions of buying a system has grown to 15% (although this growth comes from those gaming houses. It seems that there was no increase of purchase intentions among non gamers).

Hardware
Hardware sales growth : 107% (Q1 2007)
Platform breakdown in "gaming houses" (those are NOT 2007 HW sales numbers) :
Consoles
- PS2 : 33%
- PS1 : 13%
- Wii : 11%
- Xbox : 10%
- NGC : 8%
- PS3 : 5%
- 360 : 4%
Handhelds
- NDS : 23%
- GB (all models included) : 20%
- PSP : 11%

Install bases , LTD (5 million consoles sold in 2007 , a 66% increase from 2006)
- PS2 : over 5.5 million
- NDS : over 4.4 million (2.2 million sold in 2007 alone)
- Wii : Over 1 million (1 million milestone achieved by mid-december)
- Xbox : 750k
- PSP : about 1.2 million as of september (600k in 2007)
- PS3 : 500k
- 360 : 500k (200k in 2007)

Software
There's a 22% increase in software sales (196 million for Q1 alone). PS2 software still represent 60% of sales.
Best software sales, Q1 2007 (income, million ) :
[PS2] FFXII (9.17)
[WII] TLoZ : TP (3.85)
[NDS] NSMB (3.75)

250,000 copies of WoW were sold in 2007. Monthly fees for online gaming represent 75 million.

Well, that's it

Sources (sorry but, they're all in French

):
TNS / SOFRES (french polling organization)
jeuxfrance.com
CommentCaMarche.net
S.E.L.L (french entertainment software publishers syndicate)

Most of the numbers in those articles come from GfK (market research institute, one of Europe's NPD-like institute)

Digital-Hero · Jan 9, 2008

Looks like the PS3 already passing 360 in France. Interesting.

VonGak! · Jan 9, 2008

Nicely done Wii

Kosma · Jan 9, 2008

Great Wii numbers. (12 months in)
PS3 doing ok. (9 months in)
360 meh. (25 months in)

The_lascar · Jan 9, 2008

Raist said:
Install bases , LTD
- PSP : 600k

Stop with this.
The LTD for PSP is 1 195 000 in september.

Raist · Jan 9, 2008

The_lascar said:
Stop with this.
The LTD for PSP is 1 195 000 in september.

Huh, yeah, misread the article. It said they had no LTD numbers for the PSP, but sony claimed to have sold 600k PSP in 2007. I'll fix that.

Kosma · Jan 9, 2008

Nice job on the thread by the way mon ami.

BelligerentOC · Jan 9, 2008

Raist said:
Hardware
Hardware sales growth : 107% (Q1 2007)
Platform breakdown in "gaming houses" (those are NOT 2007 HW sales numbers) :
Consoles
- PS2 : 33%
- PS1 : 13%
- Wii : 11%
- Xbox : 10%
- NGC : 8%
- PS3 : 5%
- 360 : 4%
Handhelds
- NDS : 23%
- GB (all models included) : 20%
- PSP : 11%

I dont get these percents. Does this mean that 13% of gaming owning households only have ps1s?

Raist · Jan 9, 2008

BelligerentOC said:
I dont get these percents. Does this mean that 13% of gaming owning households only have ps1s?

No, it means that 13% of them have a PS1. It does not exclude the possibility that they have another one, tho.

bycha · Jan 10, 2008

Sony will be strong there as always. Nintendo will dominate though.

HK-47 · Jan 10, 2008

Raist said:
No, it means that 13% of them have a PS1. It does not exclude the possibility that they have another one, tho.

That probably really hurts the DS's percentage

Koren · Jan 10, 2008

Thanks a lot...

XBox number are strange...

There's about 10M "gaming houses", so

PS2 : 33%, 5.5M means 1.6 PS2 sold/house with PS2*
Wii : 11%, ~1M so 1 Wii sold/house with Wii
PS3 : 5%, 500k so 1 PS3 sold/house with PS3
360 : 4%, 500k so 1.25 360/house with 360*

NDS : 22%, 4.4M so 2 DS sold/house with DS*
PSP : 11%, 1.2M so 1.1 PSP/house with PSP*

(*make sense to me with defuncts/portables/PSTwo/DSLites/PSPSlim/Elite and such)

But...

XBox : 10%, 750k... 0.75 XBox sold/house with XBox ?
Makes no sense, more people say owning a XBox than units actually sold ?

Psychotext · Jan 10, 2008

Digital-Hero said:
Looks like the PS3 already passing 360 in France. Interesting.

Aye. This is why MS needs to put as much of its advertising money into Europe as possible. Other than the UK they'll struggle everywhere against the PS3.

chaostrophy · Jan 10, 2008

Raist said:
Best software sales, Q1 2007 (income, million ) :

[PS2] FFXII (9.17)

The French have damn fine taste.

reilo · Jan 10, 2008

Software
There's a 22% increase in software sales (196 million for Q1 alone). PS2 software still represent 60% of sales.
Best software sales, Q1 2007 (income, million ) :
[PS2] FFXII (9.17)
[WII] TLoZ : TP (3.85)
[NDS] NSMB (3.75)

Fucking idiots buying stupid licens-- oh, well then. Good job Frenchies!

legend166 · Jan 10, 2008

All these European numbers tell me one thing - Microsoft really dropped the ball with the 360 there, other than in the UK. I mean, if they managed to get strong Euro numbers, they could have been in a fantastic position. I still don't think they would have beat the Wii, but they would have beat the PS3 easy. Now, however, the PS3 still has a chance thanks to Europe.

Too much focus on Japan methinks.

Phife Dawg · Jan 10, 2008

legend166 said:
All these European numbers tell me one thing - Microsoft really dropped the ball with the 360 there, other than in the UK. I mean, if they managed to get strong Euro numbers, they could have been in a fantastic position. I still don't think they would have beat the Wii, but they would have beat the PS3 easy. Now, however, the PS3 still has a chance thanks to Europe.

Too much focus on Japan methinks.

They are trying, I've seen a lot of 360 ads during the christmas shooping period. MS had a 100 price-cut during the launch of the PS3 in Germany - people just aren't really interested in the product for reasons often stated in these threads.

Obaid · Jan 10, 2008

well sony managed to pass the microsoft numbers in germany, france, spain and japan ( haha ). A lot of people thought they need at least two years but they just needed less then 10 months, 7 of them with a 600 price tag. Microsoft is in a similar situation in EU ( minus uk ) like in japan. The product, no matter how good it is and how marketing it gets does not get any attention.

ps. ps3 was totally sold out yesterday in the biggest video game store in hamburg, germany. not a single ps3 was avaulbe and they said they wont get any until next week, same situation with wii and the same stock of 360 like before (after) x-mas.

Xapati · Jan 10, 2008

legend166 said:
All these European numbers tell me one thing - Microsoft really dropped the ball with the 360 there, other than in the UK. I mean, if they managed to get strong Euro numbers, they could have been in a fantastic position. I still don't think they would have beat the Wii, but they would have beat the PS3 easy. Now, however, the PS3 still has a chance thanks to Europe.

Too much focus on Japan methinks.

This is the truth.

Psychotext · Jan 10, 2008

Apparently working out a strategy for Europe is what Don Mattrick has been up to (if he even really exists!). Who knows what they plan on doing though.

Obaid · Jan 10, 2008

Psychotext said:
Apparently working out a strategy for Europe is what Don Mattrick has been up to (if he even really exists!). Who knows what they plan on doing though.

more ads? didnt work
more games? didnt work
price cut? didnt work

i mean a am from marketing my self and even i dont know what you can do more to sell a product. Microsoft can not win with the xbox brand as a part of the mircosoft company from america in europe.

Psychotext · Jan 10, 2008

Obaid said:
i mean a am from marketing my self and even i dont know what you can do more to sell a product. Microsoft can not win with the xbox brand as a part of the mircosoft company from america in europe.

The girls from your avatar might help. :lol

Free with each console?

Shiggy · Jan 10, 2008

Obaid said:
more ads? didnt work
more games? didnt work
price cut? didnt work

i mean a am from marketing my self and even i dont know what you can do more to sell a product. Microsoft can not win with the xbox brand as a part of the mircosoft company from america in europe.

That's not true, they just have to reach the mass market. That's what Nintendo did with Wii Sports and Sony with SingStar, Buzz etc.

Obaid · Jan 10, 2008

Shiggy said:
That's not true, they just have to reach the mass market. That's what Nintendo did with Wii Sports and Sony with SingStar, Buzz etc.

well there is a problem with the mass markt, since xbox has an audience which is 99% hardcore, i mean real hardcore and as we saw with pinata and some other more "casual" games does not work on 360. so what you wanna do? If you have no casual gamer, every casual gamer must buy a system to play your game, now who wanna pay 300 to play a casual game?

Shiggy · Jan 10, 2008

Obaid said:
well there is a problem with the mass markt, since xbox has an audience which is 99% hardcore, i mean real hardcore and as we saw with pinata and some other more "casual" games does not work on 360. so what you wanna do? If you have no casual gamer, every casual gamer must buy a system to play your game, now who wanna pay 300 to play a casual game?

Viva Pinata - I wouldn't call that casual game, it if seems as there's no real target group for that game. I'd call it core game, Rare probably didn't aim at the SingStar/Wii Sports market with that game.
It's Microsoft's problem that they are incapable of advertising these casual games, e.g. Scene It, in an appropriate way. I've never seen any ads for such games. Nevertheless, the only advers I see are for Nintendo products, most times Brain Training or Wii Sports/Wii.

Psychotext · Jan 10, 2008

For what it's worth, Scene It seems to be selling ok. They've beaten their forecasts for it anyway (though that could just mean they had pathetically low forecasts)

.

Xapati · Jan 10, 2008

Shiggy said:
It's Microsoft's problem that they are incapable of advertising these casual games, e.g. Scene It, in an appropriate way. I've never seen any ads for such games. Nevertheless, the only advers I see are for Nintendo products, most times Brain Training or Wii Sports/Wii.

I have to agree that it's MS's problem. Most of the games that are doing well on the PS3 mainland EU charts (like AC, and FIFA) are available on the 360 as well. So unlike in Japan, the explanation that the games aren't there isn't gonna work.

VonGak! · Jan 10, 2008

Obaid said:
more ads? didnt work
more games? didnt work
price cut? didnt work

i mean a am from marketing my self and even i dont know what you can do more to sell a product. Microsoft can not win with the xbox brand as a part of the mircosoft company from america in europe.

Yes there is, they can do what they already are doing which is to rip off those franchises SCE used to win over Europe with like Buzz!, Singstar, Gran Turismo and those Rapper music games (it's not enough just to get the 3'rd party titles like Fifa, NFS, PES, Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution as long as Playstation get them too).

But it will take time because Playstation got the brand recognition for these types of games.

VonGak! · Jan 10, 2008

Xapati said:
I have to agree that it's MS's problem. Most of the games that are doing well on the PS3 mainland EU charts (like AC, and FIFA) are available on the 360 as well. So unlike in Japan, the explanation that the games aren't there isn't gonna work.

Yeah yeah, everybody hates America :lol It surely isn't the product or what types of games the brand is associated with or the core user-base.

That's also exactly why Europeans and the Japanese do not buy American cars (to avoid the ignorant comments; yes American cars do sell in Europe and Japan but here's the point, they do not sell to the same extend).

Obaid · Jan 10, 2008

VonGak! said:
Yeah yeah, everybody hates America :lol It surely isn't the product or what types of games the brand is associated with or the core user-base.

That's also exactly why Europeans and the Japanese do not buy American cars (to avoid the ignorant comments; yes American cars do sell in Europe and Japan but here's the point, they do not sell to the same extend).

well i am from germany and i can guarantee you amrican cars does not sell over here except models like ford fiesta and similar which are designed and produced in europe just under the brand of an american manufacturer. But we should'nt start to talk about the car sales over here, but american cars does not sell over here

reilo · Jan 10, 2008

Psychotext said:
The girls from your avatar might help. :lol

Free with each console?

EA tried with NFS

ro Street with hot girls got chastised for it. The girls were even nude!

VonGak! said:
Yeah yeah, everybody hates America :lol It surely isn't the product or what types of games the brand is associated with or the core user-base.

That's also exactly why Europeans and the Japanese do not buy American cars (to avoid the ignorant comments; yes American cars do sell in Europe and Japan but here's the point, they do not sell to the same extend).

Europe loves their Ford! Can't blame them, the Euro/Aussie Fords are fucking brilliant compared to their shit American counter-parts. Then again, most of Ford's cars are built on foreign platforms by one of their subsidiaries.

â Narayan · Jan 10, 2008

France is a nice place.

Obaid · Jan 10, 2008

U K Narayan said:
France is a nice place.

south france has some great places to go for vocation

have been there a couple of time but french food is kinda horrible

french girls a great as well but they dont speak english or at least don't want to

it is so sad.

reilo · Jan 10, 2008

Obaid said:
south france has some great places to go for vocation have been there a couple of time but french food is kinda horrible french girls a great as well but they dont speak english or at least don't want to it is so sad.

It's okay, they all know how to say "Oh god oh god oh god yes yes yes."

mckmas8808 · Jan 10, 2008

Install bases , LTD (5 million consoles sold in 2007 , a 66% increase from 2006)
- PS2 : over 5.5 million
- NDS : over 4.4 million (2.2 million sold in 2007 alone)
- Wii : Over 1 million (1 million milestone achieved by mid-december)
- Xbox : 750k
- PSP : about 1.2 million as of september (600k in 2007)
- PS3 : 500k
- 360 : 500k (200k in 2007)

Does MS see a problem with this? The PS3 has only been out for what 9 months in France? The HD videogame race is getting interesting in EU it seems.

Obaid · Jan 10, 2008

reilo said:
It's okay, they all know how to say "Oh god oh god oh god yes yes yes."

i bet they will never say that. More probably is:

"Mon Dieu, Mon Dieu, wii, wii, wii"

:lol :lol

Riddick · Jan 10, 2008

So PS3 has been in France for 9 months and outsold 360 that has been there for 24 months. Pretty good. On the other hand Wii that has been there for 12 months outsold PS3 more than 2:1. Better.

Alx · Jan 10, 2008

Microsoft has an image problem in Europe (at least in France it has), you'll be surprised how many people still react like "Microsoft ? Lol windows crashes, blue screen, monopolistic strategy etc". Of course problems like RROD don't help.
It's almost funny to see the PS3 having a much bigger success here while the blu-ray market is almost non-existent and the only games that sell are multi-platform.

iceatcs · Jan 10, 2008

I can start to see why 360 didn't do well most Europe because like many have said about image problem.
I think it is main reason because Xbox Live looks too english and lack of forgein languages, that's why it is popular in English countries like UK/US.

Riddick · Jan 10, 2008

Alx said:
Microsoft has an image problem in Europe (at least in France it has), you'll be surprised how many people still react like "Microsoft ? Lol windows crashes, blue screen, monopolistic strategy etc". Of course problems like RROD don't help.
It's almost funny to see the PS3 having a much bigger success here while the blu-ray market is almost non-existent and the only games that sell are multi-platform.

This. Also 360 has games not so suitable for the european market. For example GOW's gameplay is excellent but I can't stand these macho douchebags holding huge guns and talking like they came out of an 80's action movie. It hurts my brain.

scorp92 · Jan 10, 2008

ca fait plaisir!!

kenmasters · Jan 10, 2008

the main reason for the strength of the playstation brand in europe:

champions league advertising.

the champions league is the strongest brand in europe and every season there are only 6 sponsors with 'playstation' being one of them for the last 10 years.

VonGak! · Jan 11, 2008

reilo said:
Europe loves their Ford! Can't blame them, the Euro/Aussie Fords are fucking brilliant compared to their shit American counter-parts. Then again, most of Ford's cars are built on foreign platforms by one of their subsidiaries.

Mondeo and Sierra ^.^ Two outstanding brans which I have asked for GT5 too include, they are versatile, got cheap spare parts, are roomy and most important they are impossible to kill.

kenmasters said:
the main reason for the strength of the playstation brand in europe:

champions league advertising.

the champions league is the strongest brand in europe and every season there are only 6 sponsors with 'playstation' being one of them for the last 10 years.

That's too easy, let's not overlook other huge events like Le Mans.

Riddick said:
This. Also 360 has games not so suitable for the european market. For example GOW's gameplay is excellent but I can't stand these macho douchebags holding huge guns and talking like they came out of an 80's action movie. It hurts my brain.

A bit like how GeoW fans can't take the metro characters in FF games.

I guess that's what good about Playstation, it got no mascot but instead stay multi cultural.

Raist · Jan 11, 2008

Obaid said:
but french food is kinda horrible

wait, WHAT ? Where are you from mate ?

DeadGzuz · Jan 11, 2008

How is HDTV penetration in France?

What are the local console prices there?

Rapping Granny · Jan 11, 2008

WOW the 360 is hated up there.

Raist · Jan 11, 2008

DeadGzuz said:
How is HDTV penetration in France?

What are the local console prices there?

Quite low, around 5-10% maybe. That said, there was a study from GfK that mentionned that 8 TV's bought out of 10 during 2007 holiday season should be (this study was published early december) HDTV's.

As for the console prices, it's 249 for the Wii, 399 for a 40GB PS3 (was 599 for launch, still 599 but for a starter pack = 2 controllers and 2 games, then 500 in september for the starter pack) It's quite impossible to find 60GB in France now. At least in the city I live in.
For the 360, the arcade is 279, the premium 299 and the elite 449

Edit : Interesting detail : in France, the PS3 represents 90% of next gen DVD players, all formats included (stand alone, consoles, PC)

Edit 2 : between january and october 2007, the HD market in france represents a 3.1 billion euros income. 90% being TV's, 5% consoles.

Spider_Jerusalem · Jan 11, 2008

Dear Microsoft,

WAAAAAKE UP!!!! Europe isn't only UK!!!!!

DeadGzuz · Jan 11, 2008

Raist said:
As for the console prices, it's €249 for the Wii, €399 for a 40GB PS3 (was 599 for launch, still 599 but for a starter pack = 2 controllers and 2 games, then 500 in september for the starter pack) It's quite impossible to find 60GB in France now. At least in the city I live in.

The 360? Thanks for the info.

I was in Paris a couple of months back, I saw plenty of 360 advertising, more the the PS3 by far.

Raist · Jan 11, 2008

DeadGzuz said:
The 360?

Woops, forgot that

Gonna edit my post

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