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Gran Turismo 6 Sells 2.37 Million Copies, 72.6 Million For GT Series
- Thread starter Loudninja
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hodayathink
Member
People keep glossing over this, but if you're going to argue that the mistake was not releasing GT6 on PS4 in 2013, then the real mistake was greenlighting Driveclub. Because once you did that, you cannot release GT6 and Driveclub on the same system at the same time.
Something as in show at least some info about the new game.
You'd think they can use some assets with little to no modifications.
I skipped GT6 because I went straight to PS4. I'm sure I'm not the only one.
E: No wait I actually have GT6. I got it for free though.
Why not? Of course not at the exact same time.There's Forza Horizon and Forza.
Aceofspades
Banned
Giving the circumestances, 2.3m is actually more than I thought. Who in the living hell would release a major game on an older console the same week of releasing a new hyped up console.
Im sure GT7 will sell huge numbers though.
Im sure GT7 will sell huge numbers though.
Sort of. There's a lot of complexity to the graphics, although there's a caveat to most things they do well (i.e. very poor sampling for the high resolution). PD has done a very good job of authoring things to be as natural-looking as possible, but a lot of the stuff is low-quality implementations. The games do a ton of things while running at high framerate and resolution, but with quite a bit of inconsistency and instability.
Also, the audio has been something of a technical weak point.
Literally not true, although a lot of AAA multiplats on XB1 have landed a bit below it.
Nah. In addition to achieving vastly better stability on thin geometry, GT5's sample-based AA was critical to keep the dithering from being that much of an eyesore.
GT6's AA does a better job than GT5's on the scene elements that look relatively clean anyway. GT5's was massively better at handling the problem spots, and ultimately provides a far more consistent IQ on the whole.
GT5's AA was more limiting and probably more costly, though.
Yes, although they also mostly missed it by more, which isn't shocking given the high aims.
The extent to which GT6 can be called a 60fps game is contextual. Sometimes it's doing a half-decent job of holding it; in rainy races it can fall in the same range as Infamous Second Son.
Wow, that is surprisingly low number. I expected it to be around 4-5 millions.
For me GT6 felt like very unnecessary game basically GT5,5 with moon racing. I got my copy only because there was shortage of PS4s at launch in my area. Wish they spend their time on completely new next-gen GT, knowing how long does it takes for them to release a game. Vision GT is really cool project though.
For me GT6 felt like very unnecessary game basically GT5,5 with moon racing. I got my copy only because there was shortage of PS4s at launch in my area. Wish they spend their time on completely new next-gen GT, knowing how long does it takes for them to release a game. Vision GT is really cool project though.
gundamkyoukai
Member
They don't get release at the same time .
GT6 and DC would come out a month apart if everything had work out .
Pennywise83
Banned
The Last of Us was released a few months before PS4 was out, and sold greatly (actually, one of the best-selling new IPs of the recent times). I think that the presence of a new hardware had little to do with such abysmal sales. Of course there might have been people distracted by PS4 and leaving PS3 software behind - but PS3 still had a great installed base and it is hard to believe that a drop by several millions of units (from around 10m to less than 3m!) is only due to PS4 launching around the same time.
Last of Us had a 5 month head start before next-gen arrived. GT6 literally came out one week after the PS4 launch.
Wrong. 5 months is a bit more than few months.
hodayathink
Member
Forza and Horizon are a year apart. Driveclub was originally supposed to be a launch game. It would have released a week or two before GT6 (depending on what territory you were in).
There's "around the same time" and then there's 1-2 weeks after the PS4 launch. There was no publicity or mindshare to be had for the game, because everyone and their mother was focusing on the PS4, and it was where Sony was probably spending the vast majority of their marketing time/money (and for good reason).
gundamkyoukai
Member
The sales drop is from many factors , PS4 came out , some people waiting for a port , not cross gen at launch , series fatigue , poor marketing and more .
So it was not really just one thing , when GT7 comes out we will see which of them were the biggest factors from it sales data .
Visualante2
Member
A genre in decline. Still don't understand the prominence cars get at pressers.
Yeah, TloU is not comparable to GT6 at all.
Pretty much during the PS4's launch, GT6 might as well not even existed.
Last gen had a much sharper drop compared to the gen before that.
Then again, it's Pennywise and from his point of view, Japanese games and Sony are always bad and they all should be on 3DS instead.
Pretty much during the PS4's launch, GT6 might as well not even existed.
Last gen had a much sharper drop compared to the gen before that.
Then again, it's Pennywise and from his point of view, Japanese games and Sony are always bad and they all should be on 3DS instead.
Pennywise83
Banned
PS3 versions of Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed didn't suddenly stop selling in 2012 because PS4 was out. GT is (was?) a huge IP and sold consistetly over time (sales are in the first page) around 10-12m units. A drop to less than 3m cannot be solely explained by the fact that a new hw was released - PS3 installed was still active back then (especially in Europe, where actually many PS3 games still charted in 2013). Also, PS4 didn't launch with a racing game, so there wasn't even a direct competitor at the time.
genre in decline? in the last year we have gotten way more racing games than usual.
There's a hell of a difference between coming out 5 months before a new console and 2 weeks after a new console.
I didn't buy a PS4 until 2 months after the launch, but that didn't make me want to drop money on a PS3 game. It's the only GT I've never played.
Not sure about that, TLOU and GTA5 were both in 2013 but still sold well.
Hopefully true
(Edit)
unapersson
Member
I enjoyed GT6 but wouldn't want it as a PS4 title, it was just too much like 5. GT7 should be an opportunity for a fresh start and a big overhaul.
I also think it's a big fantasy to think it would have been anywhere near ready for the PS4 launch.
I also think it's a big fantasy to think it would have been anywhere near ready for the PS4 launch.
Not comparable. TLOU had plently of time to itself in the middle of the year. GTA5 was still a good 2 months before next gen launch and Gran Turismo, despite being a big property, is no GTA.
gundamkyoukai
Member
PS4 coming out would also kill a lot of GT6 legs even more so since it selling so good.
GT games sell at least a few million during year or 2 after release .
Plus like i said they are other factors.
That seems unlikely I'd say. Sony and PD will understand that the bulk of the issue was the release on PS3.
They'll pull apart what they feel the various impacts were and will apply these to how they ensure GT7 delivers expected sales numbers. Vs the overall series GT6 represents (thus far unless GT7 also under-performs) an outlier vs a trend so I fully expect GT7 to have a AAA budget and to be released as a major franchise entry,
Factors to be considered will be:
- impact of releasing on PS3 that late in its lifecycle- clearly one of the big drivers of the low sales
- impact of the huge uptake of PS4 in market - not to be ignored as it took Sony by surprise themselves clearly and sucked attention away from PS3 and its games big time (TLOU as an aside now looks like an outlier as a late release - with strong sales driven by "must experience" critical and word of mouth feedback plus coming of NDs amazing run with Uncharted on PS3)
- impact of areas of criticism of GT5 - damage, lack of innovation, messy GUI, etc
- impact of reduction of interest in US vs increase in Europe (aligned with huge shift to PS4 in Europe)
Overall though I think it's obvious that the big issue was bad timing composed of huge shift of their core fanbase to PS4, lack of differentiation of GT6 to GT5 and loss of market mind-share and interest at release as a result.
The fact GT5 was still bringing in sales shows the interest remains in the franchise and that title, as a strong entry overall, was still enjoying a decent tail.
They do need GT7 to represent a strong entry in the series though and deliver some decent new elements IMHO.
They also need to decide where Driveclub sits next to GT too I reckon.
Jarod McChicken
Member
I agree that no one, including Sony, expected the PS3 market to collapse this fast, but the "PS3 was a mistake" narrative is a little simplistic to me.
After the endless development of GT5, GT6 came out smoothly (announced in may 2013, out seven months later) and even with 2,3 million the game was most likely profitable. GT6 was not late : GT5 was. GT6 on PS3 was logic in terms of reusing the assets Polyphony took so long to create with GT5. Late or not, there was no reason for the PS3 to be deprived of its second GT game.
I'm not so sure also about the "should have been a PS4 launch title" narrative. If you do GT6 for the PS4 launch, well for starters it would not be THAT GT6. No one knows what a GT game at launch could have been. I prefer the scenario where PD take some time to optimize the new gen.
GT6 for the PS4 launch would also mean that Driveclub does not exist, which is nonsense to begin with. It will be way more interesting to see how a GT7 will perform on Q4 2016, in a context where the genre seems to be more and more in decline.
After the endless development of GT5, GT6 came out smoothly (announced in may 2013, out seven months later) and even with 2,3 million the game was most likely profitable. GT6 was not late : GT5 was. GT6 on PS3 was logic in terms of reusing the assets Polyphony took so long to create with GT5. Late or not, there was no reason for the PS3 to be deprived of its second GT game.
I'm not so sure also about the "should have been a PS4 launch title" narrative. If you do GT6 for the PS4 launch, well for starters it would not be THAT GT6. No one knows what a GT game at launch could have been. I prefer the scenario where PD take some time to optimize the new gen.
GT6 for the PS4 launch would also mean that Driveclub does not exist, which is nonsense to begin with. It will be way more interesting to see how a GT7 will perform on Q4 2016, in a context where the genre seems to be more and more in decline.
NFS Rivals was a launch title.
Visualante2
Member
Sales wise.
Kay dude...
gundamkyoukai
Member
Don't think the racing genre was ever big sales .
At least not since maybe the PS1 or PS2 era .
hodayathink
Member
GT5 sold 10 million copies, and GT5 Prologue sold 5 million as basically an overstuffed sampler. Both of those are on PS3.
Pennywise83
Banned
NFS Rivals wasn't a GT competitor.
gundamkyoukai
Member
One game selling good don't mean the genre is selling good .
How many other cars games sell any where near that .
COD and Assassin's Creed came out before the PS4 launch so it was the only version available on day one, and to top it off they offered a way to upgrade your PS3 purchase into a PS4 version for a limited time, so who knows how many people took advantage of that and upgraded.
Visualante2
Member
Which is the exact time frame I am talking about here.
Dragon1893
Member
What a flop by the franchise's standards, not even half of GT5 prologue.
Such a ridiculous decision to not make this cross-gen. I still chuckle when I remember the look of bewilderment on the faces of a couple of dudes at a gaming store when the clerk told them that the new GT wasn't releasing for the new Playstation console.
Such a ridiculous decision to not make this cross-gen. I still chuckle when I remember the look of bewilderment on the faces of a couple of dudes at a gaming store when the clerk told them that the new GT wasn't releasing for the new Playstation console.
It's a racing game. You wrote that there wasn't any at launch.
As I noted it's clearly not just the PS4 element but the overall timing and in many ways most likely the huge shift of interest to PS4.
In the end with hindsight the title was somewhat doomed IMHO. Launching when it did on PS3 with how PS4 launched and too close to (as you note already way too late) GT5 we know for sure didn't work as we can see the results. The alignment of factors really hurt the title.
Launching early on PS4 with the huge focus on Driveclub as a premiere new IP would also have been problematical. I suspect GT6 would have sold better than it did but it would likely have killed DC in the process (particularly if aligned to the launch issues, people would simply have ignored DC I suspect). Myself, I'd have been targeting DC for launch and GT6 (with plenty of development time to add new features/damage, etc) for November 2015 to capitalize on what should have been expected to be a decent install base with a decent driving game demographic already established and DC having found it's niche.
In short though, with Sony committing it to a (doomed with hindsight) late launch on PS3 despite GT5 remaining popular (it's telling they had to try and force people away from GT5 to GT6 by ending online support) and having already committed to focusing on a new racing IP for PS4 launch the title was never going to launch smoothly or perform in line with franchise expectations. They blew it basically (not intentionally of course).
As you say it's going to be all eyes on GT7 and what timing Sony aim for with PD now and how they market and position it to get the franchise back on track: because you don't want what should be an 8 to 10 million unit franchise selling under 3 million that's for sure.
Not at all. The market is practically saturated with simcade racers at this point
Gran Turismo 6 was just released at a bad time. It's probably the best game in the series, and undoubtedly the most fun I'd had with the franchise since Gran Turismo 2 or 4.
Now if it was released on the PS4 simultaneously, that'd be different story ...
hodayathink
Member
Forza 3 is supposedly over 5 million on 360. I do think that the genre is in decline, but the sales numbers were there even in the PS3/360 era (at least at the beginning of it).
Pennywise83
Banned
There wasn't any direct competitor for GT - NFS is not.
What's more realistic:
a) The majority of retailers and consumers didn't buy GT6 on PS3 because you had to wait for a race to load in GT5 and the cars weren't all new
or
b) The majority of retailers and consumers didn't buy GT6 on PS3 because the PlayStation 4, the successor to a 7 year old product, was being pushed in every single way and thus occupying the hearts, wallets, minds, shelf-spaces, TV ads, magazine covers, billboards, website banners, airport seats, subway walls, subway turnstiles, convention spaces, window spaces etc. in fall 2013?
Unless your name was GTA or Call of Duty, you literally had no business launching in fall 2013 on the PS3.
Really irks me when ppl say this. 80 milliion isnt the install base thats the amount of consoles sold. a large portion of them are prob out of service.
And not even in that area consistently. I always hated the mix of old car models and new car models. They should throw all the old stuff out completely. Also the tracks were static as hell.
That stuff really put me off the franchise. PD needs to get their shit together.
Pennywise83
Banned
COD and GTA are in another league entirely, but GT is a freaking huge IP. Each mainline entry sales were consistently above 10m units... Across 15 years of activity.
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