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[user_nat]

Are we actually pretending its even possible that CE was higher?

Overall though, not surprised. 4 was already trending downward, and it certainly wasn't good enough to reverse that.

 

[Saty]

If people here would listen to the conference calls publishers have when reporting their quarterly numbers, they would know digital share on XB1\PS4 tops at about 20% and that generally Europe skews lower than that.

 

[Sanpei]

Multiplayer is awesome !

 

[Triggerhappytel]

There's literally no reason for me to choose digital over physical. Physical is better.

Digital is quieter and I'm lazy, so not having to get up to change the disc every time I play something different is convenient. I like both, and they both have their advantages. I used to be a big collector and liked having a lot of cases on the shelf, but nowadays with two kids it's easier to have less clutter and have my collection on the HDD. But the price has to be right, which it rarely is.

 

[QaaQer]

Random pak microtransactions = lots of cash, so I don't think ms is too worried.

 

[leeh]

Oh c'mon, you're saying that you can buy new digtal console games for £16 and you think this is the norm? What world are you living in?

I'm not saying it's the norm, this isn't really on-topic to this thread, just consumer advice. Especially when if you buy in the way I'm saying, it doesn't add to UK charts anyway.

People should game share and buy from the US. Gives you the £16 price I mentioned above! Why wouldn't you with those savings?

 

[Dinjooh]

From the Cheap Arse Gaffer topic it seems that a fair few people buy physical games from the UK and get them shipped to mainland Europe, as here we have a lot of retailer price wars and fast price drops, so games rarely hold their value for too long. I imagine a lot of us just outright buy digital from North America as well, as you can get codes for games very cheap or they actually offer fair prices on digital stores which match retail stores.

Whenever I want to get really offended I just go on the danish PSN store. The prices are almost hilarious.

 

[glaringradio]

If people here would listen to the conference calls publishers have when reporting their quarterly numbers, they would know digital share on XB1\PS4 tops at about 20% and that generally Europe skews lower than that.

Did you not hear that 9 out of 10 of leeh's friends bought it digitally? So clearly digital share tops at least at 90%, if not more than that.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Are we actually pretending its even possible that CE was higher?

No. The Xbox had a terrible launch here in the UK, and while I'm sure the attach rate for Halo:CE was very good, I seriously doubt the opening week sales were >150k.

 

[RichiRamjag]

Oh yeah, that's a given, those are easier games to play than Halo, people who can't "get good" at halo will be trading it in for COD, as people did with Halo4 for BLOPs2 last time these two devs went head to head

Oh give me a break. Now it gets outsold because people can't "get good"?

 

[Bruno MB]

Regarding first Halo sales data figures remember that it was a launch title, so evidently must have sold a fraction of what Halo 5 did. I couldn't find Xbox launch sales but we know that it sold less than GameCube which shifted 52,000 units.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

I imagine a lot of people went digital - I know I did as this is the kind of game I want easy access to at all times without having to switch disks

 

[Asukafag]

Not really surprised it was a pretty mediocre game anyway

 

[leeh]

Did you not hear that 9 out of 10 of leeh's friends bought it digitally? So clearly digital share tops at least at 90%, if not more than that.

900% percent more mate, get it right. It must of sold 1,350,000 digitally. I did the math.

 

[LiquidSolid]

To be honest between Assassin's Creed Syndicate (lowest selling AC game) and Halo 5, I think it's very very clear publishers shouldn't ship broken games in big franchises.

Both franchises were trending downwards anyway, Ubi and MS just helped accelerate that process through their incompetence.

 

[Majmun]

The game seems to be good, so quality shouldn't be the issue here.

Halo is MS' biggest franchise. They need to to something about it. Maybe let another developer tackle it?

 

[alexandros]

Not surprised at all.

 

[get2sammyb]

I mean, on the one hand this is a surprise - but it's not a massive surprise. The big shooters this holiday are Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Star Wars Battlefront, and a lot of people are still playing Destiny.

Halo just isn't the first-person shooter franchise anymore. Having said that, I expect the numbers will be more positive in the US - it's a very 'American' franchise, isn't it?

 

[BokehKing]

Oh give me a break. Now it gets outsold because people can't "get good"?

If people are not having fun, why would they keep it?
I'm just saying BLOPS3 is going to do big #retail wise higher than 150

 

[darkwing]

People still is playing Destiny I think

chasing 320

 

[Palette Swap]

For reference, going by the week 45 thread of last year, Advanced Warfare opened with 250k units on XBO alone (32% of a 780k opening).
If I'm parsing this correctly, that's a bit distressing for Halo in the UK.

 

[PumpkinPie]

When does the game come out? ...Oh, it's out now??

As someone who doesn't watch TV, how are Microsoft advertising the game to me? I've seen or heard nothing about it.

 

[RexNovis]

Assassin's Creed had a weak launch, Halo had a weak launch. Maybe it's time to ask what is going on in the UK if another game fails to connect? Are UK consumers losing confidence in release quality, going digital or simply spending their money else where?

Except Destiny TRK just sold a truckload sooo maybe it's just the games you mentioned not a market crash. Occams Razor and all that.

 

[Grazzt]

I'm not in UK, but 8 out of 10 of my friends bought digital copy.

 

[Anticol]

Oh yeah, that's a given, those are easier games to play than Halo, people who can't "get good" at halo will be trading it in for COD, as people did with Halo4 for BLOPs2 last time these two devs went head to head

Easier games? Can't get good? wow, some people...

 

[gossi]

When does the game come out? ...Oh, it's out now??

As someone who doesn't watch TV, how are Microsoft advertising the game to me? I've seen or heard nothing about it.

A vast majority of people do watch TV.

 

[soxinthebox]

When does the game come out? ...Oh, it's out now??

As someone who doesn't watch TV, how are Microsoft advertising the game to me? I've seen or heard nothing about it.

They've had an ad on the main Xbox One dashboard for a while now.

 

[Primethius]

If people are not having fun, why would they keep it?

People buy games for the campaign too. I doubt the focus of competitive MP had any effect on sales. That didn't have any impact on prior Halo titles (2/3).

Granted, different landscape for FPS titles but I doubt it matters much for first week sales.

 

[darkwing]

I'm not in UK, but 8 out of 10 of my friends bought digital copy.

I think this would be a trend for COD and Battlefront too, more people buying digital copies than retail

 

[Guymelef]

For reference, going by the week 45 thread of last year, Advanced Warfare opened with 250k units on XBO alone (32% of a 780k opening).
If I'm parsing this correctly, that's a bit distressing for Halo in the UK.

Add another 2 millions to AW from digital sales.

 

[Usobuko]

It's tough.

On one hand, you have CS in PC space, Destiny and the other fps games in console space being more prominent than ever. Target audience are spoiled for choices, more so if they haven't jump into next gen yet.

 

[EGM1966]

I imagine a lot of people went digital - I know I did as this is the kind of game I want easy access to at all times without having to switch disks

The digital grasping at straws was crushed earlier. You're late.

The stats for digital publicly available indicate maybe 10% to 15% being generous in UK for mainline console game. 20% if you're being really generous.

Unless H5 has totally broken the mould digital doesn't change its below what you'd expect.

And without actual evidence nobody should be assuming miracles "just because".

 

[Coulomb_Barrier]

Joint lowest scoring mainline Halo, also experiencing series fatigue and subject to small install base, is never going to set the world alight in terms of sales.

 

[RichiRamjag]

chasing 320

That game has gotten good about keeping players addicted. I had to wean myself off of it personally. Week halo comes out, they hit us with the thriller dance and zhalo on xur. Those sly dogs!

 

[hesido]

Attach rate is important too..

 

[MCD]

Expected.

While the game is great, 343 and their stupid attitude ruined everything. No Splitscreen, new characters no one asked for and then there is MCC. MCC killed Halo.

 

[Beefy]

I'm from the UK and no one I know bought Halo. So Halo can't of sold 150k right?

/s

 

[gaming_noob]

MS should seriously consider reviving Perfect Dark since Halo's popularity appears to trending downward.

 

[darkwing]

That game has gotten good about keeping players addicted. I had to wean myself off of it personally. Week halo comes out, they hit us with the thriller dance and zhalo on xur. Those sly dogs!

well, it is Bungie

 

[kitsuneyo]

Good way to take the statement, misquote it, AND use it out of context.

Jokes often work that way!

 

[digoutyoursoul]

I mean, on the one hand this is a surprise - but it's not a massive surprise. The big shooters this holiday are Call of Duty: Black Ops III and Star Wars Battlefront, and a lot of people are still playing Destiny.

Halo just isn't the first-person shooter franchise anymore. Having said that, I expect the numbers will be more positive in the US - it's a very 'American' franchise, isn't it?

It's the third release in the third year of the console. There will be more. 343 has been set up as a Halo studio and for me that's disappointing, there are some talented people there and I would love them to try something new.

 

[Hasney]

Attach rate is important too..

Well, Titanfall did 25k less with a smaller install base and it did the same as vanilla Destiny on XB1.

 

[Bishop89]

Franchise is on the decline, no surprise.

+ the damage from the past two games

 

[Palette Swap]

Attach rate is important too..

Titanfall and AW kind of disprove that.

 

[Majmun]

Joint lowest scoring mainline Halo, also experiencing series fatigue and subject to small install base, is never going to set the world alight in terms of sales.

Well, a yearly COD game scores lower than Halo but still managed to outsell Halo 5.

X1 versions of COD seems to have outsold Halo 5 by a wide margin. And yes, those games can be bought digitally as well.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Except Destiny TRK just sold a truckload sooo maybe it's just the games you mentioned not a market crash. Occams Razor and all that.

I wonder how Destiny existing has affected Halo. I mean, it's been very prominent in gaming culture over the last year and Sony and Activision between them must have spent a shit-load marketing it. Maybe a lot of the Halo audience has just moved on, and are busy playing The Taken King, not really feeling like they need Halo 5 just yet.

 

[EGM1966]

Attach rate is important too..

Of course it is. For example the attach rate of Halo 2 teels me the game was the key exclusive for MS and that the OG Xbox install base was awfully low.

What do you infer from Halo 5s attach rate?

 

[Jawmuncher]

I had a feeling this was going to be the case. It'll still be a big seller. But it's not going to see the same records as 3 or 4. Considering MS hasn't said anything about sales almost a week after launch speaks volumes to me. Since for halo they usually make a big deal on success and records. Oh well I'm still having fun with it.

It does seem like Halo 5 is going to move much like MCC. It'll be big for the people who already have a one. But won't really pull anyone over, or at least not as big numbers people are expecting.

 

[jbluzb]

Do we have PR for total preorders for Halo 5?

 

[OléGunner]

Welp Halo 5 is a semi bomba compared to other mainline Halo releases. Amazing sales for an exclusive game in general though.

I think the game largely appeals to the same core fans and hasn't expanded it's appeal wider since Halo 3. Shooters like CoD are just on another level to Halo in the present day, no doubt Blops 3 outsells Halo 5.

I see a lot of digital arguments which is ridiculous because even if you stretch digital adoption to 30%, that would still only put week 1 sales at 195k.

Lower than Reach and ODST. Crazy shit.