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January 2016 NPD (U.S. Hardware) Predictions - Closes February 9th

RexNovis

Banned
Y'all are forgetting one thing about SFV. It basically being designed around the idea of increased ARPU via character packs and costume packs. It's being treated like a long term money making platform. We've seen this focusing on increasing ARPU a few times this gen already when publishers are concerned about a potential unit sales decrease over prior entries (see Halo 5 and UC4 microtransactions). While it might sell less units than SFIV it stands a chance of being significantly more profitable.

Edit: Beaten by Bgamer

Wondering if MS feels a bit similar in terms of Halo 5 (digital/more DLC backing up what was lost in retail sales vs. its predecessors).
 

ethomaz

Banned
Y'all are forgetting one thing about SFV. It basically being designed around the idea of increased ARPU via character packs and costume packs. It's being treated like a long term money making platform. We've seen this focusing on increasing ARPU a few times this gen already when publishers are concerned about a potential unit sales decrease over prior entries (see Halo 5 and UC4 microtransactions). While it might sell less units than SFIV it stands a chance of being significantly more profitable.

Edit: Beaten by Bgamer
I don't think Halo 5 will ever cover what ir didnt sell... it is a huge difference.
 

Welfare

Member
I don't think Halo 5 will ever cover what ir didnt sell... it is a huge difference.

The REQ system is really popular. A portion of the money made from them went to increasing the HCS prize pool, which at last update (December 3rd) was over $2,000,000 (original was $1m). They also recently added a lot of options for people to buy with real money, going all the way to a $99 option. Halo 5 also has the best player retention in the series since Halo 3.

The ARPU for Halo 5 is most likely the highest in the series. As long as the game continues to sell, add content, and get good word of mouth, it'll more than make up the drop of total sales from Halo 4.
 
Going to find the post. It was on the competitive Halo forum by one of the heads at 343.

Here it is, this is Josh Holmes.

Very interesting. Its entirely possible micro transactions may help off set the loss in total sales volume by quite a bit. I dont see how it could ENTIRELY make up the gap as Halo 3 for example will sell several millions of more copies LT than Halo 5, but if retention is that good it could help a lot.
 

Vena

Member
Very interesting. Its entirely possible micro transactions may help off set the loss in total sales volume by quite a bit. I dont see how it could ENTIRELY make up the gap as Halo 3 for example will sell several millions of more copies LT than Halo 5, but if retention is that good it could help a lot.

I know a lot of my uni friends, who crashed really hard on Halo 4 and were left with a bad taste in the mouth, are very positive on Halo 5 and the way it handles maps vs. req packs. I think they've all spent at least another 20$ on top (for those who have picked up the game, still a few have 360 still) and I don't think they ever bought map packs in the past since most, if not all, of our play was local or friend multi.
 

RexNovis

Banned
Going to find the post. It was on the competitive Halo forum by one of the heads at 343.

Here it is, this is Josh Holmes.

Retention rate measures % of players regularly playing so I can see how %age wise it might be up there because basically only the hardest of hardcore Halo players bought it this time. Halo 3 was MASSIVE and its retention rate is all the more impressive despite the crazy high numbers it was pulling sales wise. It lot easier to maintain a high retention rate with a smaller more dedicated fanbase than it is with a massive audience. So, like most MS PR this gen, that statement might be true but it is substantially less impressive/meaningful than what they seem to imply when putting it into the proper context.

That said I have 0 doubt Halo 5 has some insanely high ARPU and stands a chance to be the most profitable game in the series to date its just adjusted to a much smaller market base than it has had in the past in order to do so. Nothing wrong with that. Its incredibly unlikely that Halo will ever put out the units sold figures weve seen from past entries again.
 

ethomaz

Banned
Going to find the post. It was on the competitive Halo forum by one of the heads at 343.

Here it is, this is Josh Holmes.
I'm just guessing now but less players means that population is more hardcore and less casual... that put the retention at high % levels.

I don't think the population playing and buying these micro transaction will ever cover the revenue/profit lost with the low sales.

We are talking here at something like 7 million copies difference lifetime unless Halo 5 get a huge boost in sales before Halo 6.
 

Welfare

Member
I'm just guessing now but less players means that population is more hardcore and less casual... that put the retention at high % levels.

Yeah, the more hardcore audience bought the game at launch and stuck with it. This is much better than what Halo 4 accomplished with trying to cater to the casuals and then having what has to be the lowest retention rate in the series. It's the smaller victories.

I don't think the population playing and buying these micro transaction will ever cover the revenue/profit lost with the low sales.

We are talking here at something like 7 million copies difference lifetime unless Halo 5 get a huge boost in sales before Halo 6.

7 million? How low of a LTD do you think Halo 5 has right now or will have later, and which game are you comparing it to? Halo 4 was the last main game, and it's doubtful if it even hit 10 million sold, and if it did, a majority of those copies were sold for much lower than $60. The digital release even fell down in price really quickly, hitting $30 within I wanna say half a year. Might've been earlier than that. Halo 5 is still $60 digital which really surprises me and it's hovering around $40 at retail, when Halo 4 was around that or lower.

Halo 5 is most likely making either the same amount or even more money for MS at this point in the games life than Halo 4 did, and later on, it's only going to get worse for Halo 4. Halo 5 is a bad mark on the series in sales figures, but it is making up for it in ARPU.
 
If the player retention for Halo 5 is based on no of players in relation to sales then it's not a particularly great stat.

The plus side is that the player base is more likely to buy into micro transactions.
 
MS marketing brainstorming
fV80Ecw.jpg
 

Ryng_tolu

Banned
Oh, almost forgot to make my software prediction!

Well, boring month for sure, i at least hope Paper Jam will do fine, but why not:

1) Call of Duty: Black Ops III (XBO; PS4; 360; PS3; PC)
2) Star Wars: Battlefront (XBO; PS4; PC)
3) Lego Marvel: Avengers ( 360; XBO; PS4; PS3; 3DS; Wii U; PSV; PC)
4) Madden FNL 16 (PS4; XBO; 360; PS3)
5) NBA 2K16 (PS4; XBO; 360; PS3)
6) Fallout 4 (PS4; XBO; PC)
7) Minecraft (360; XBO; PS4; PS3; PC)
8) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4; XBO; 360; PS3; PC)
9) Minecraft: Story mode: a Telltale Game Series (360; XBO; PS4: PS3)
10) Tom Clancy’s Rainbow SIX siege (XBO; PS4; PC)

Lego Marvel: Avengers < 200K [Retail]
Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam > 60K [Retail]
Final Fantasy Explorers < 50K [Retail]

Imo, Lego is the harder to guess, the "kids audience" is moving from old gen, for example in UK the PS4 version was the best selling version, but i think in the US the 360 version will still win.
 

Chobel

Member
Gotta be something involving Quantum Break.

QB bundle (with or without AW) doesn't sound interesting at all, unless it involves a price cut, but then anything bundled will be interesting.

--------------------------------

EDIT: Oops almost forgot to put my prediction:

[3DS] 85K
[PS4] 179K
[WIU] 50K
[XB1] 145K
 

Alo0oy

Banned
Doesn't Uncharted 4 come out in April as well? That would be a great month for both.

The Uncharted bundle won't do shit, Sony are making the same mistake MS did with Halo, they're pricing the bundle at a premium.

Oh, almost forgot to make my software prediction!

Well, boring month for sure, i at least hope Paper Jam will do fine, but why not:

1) Call of Duty: Black Ops III (XBO; PS4; 360; PS3; PC)
2) Star Wars: Battlefront (XBO; PS4; PC)
3) Lego Marvel: Avengers ( 360; XBO; PS4; PS3; 3DS; Wii U; PSV; PC)
4) Madden FNL 16 (PS4; XBO; 360; PS3)
5) NBA 2K16 (PS4; XBO; 360; PS3)
6) Fallout 4 (PS4; XBO; PC)
7) Minecraft (360; XBO; PS4; PS3; PC)
8) Grand Theft Auto V (PS4; XBO; 360; PS3; PC)
9) Minecraft: Story mode: a Telltale Game Series (360; XBO; PS4: PS3)
10) Tom Clancy&#8217;s Rainbow SIX siege (XBO; PS4; PC)

Lego Marvel: Avengers < 200K [Retail]
Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam > 80K [Retail]
Final Fantasy Explorers < 50K [Retail]

Imo, Lego is the harder to guess, the "kids audience" is moving from old gen, for example in UK the PS4 version was the best selling version, but i think in the US the 360 version will still win.

Lego always did better on the PS4 in the UK, you're confusing it with Disney Infinity.
 

Vena

Member
Lego Marvel: Avengers < 200K [Retail]
Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam > 80K [Retail]
Final Fantasy Explorers < 50K [Retail]

Too high, except Lego, I agree there.

FF:E =< 45k
M&L: PJ =<60k

Also LEGO break down seems unusual given past precedent in NPD and I don't think a few months would have made that large of a difference:
(Aug) 5.) Lego: Jurassic World (360, 3DS, Wii U, PS3, Xbox One, PS4, Vita)
(Sep) 7.) Disney Infinity 3.0 (360, Wii U, Xbox One, PS4, PS3) (for reference on children)
 

Ryng_tolu

Banned
The Uncharted bundle won't do shit, Sony are making the same mistake MS did with Halo, they're pricing the bundle at a premium.

That's true, but Halo bundle was $100 more expensive. I think should help more, but i agree that all considering that bundle won't do much.

Lego always did better on the PS4 in the UK, you're confusing it with Disney Infinity.

Nope.

Code:
03	(NE)	360	LEGO JURASSIC WORLD	(WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE)
04	(NE)	PS4	LEGO JURASSIC WORLD	(WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE)
05	(NE)	XBO	LEGO JURASSIC WORLD	(WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE)

Too high, except Lego, I agree there.

FF:E =< 45k
M&L: PJ =<60k

I am more optimist about Mario and Luigi, it has an intere month of sales after all. If sells less than 60K... that's fucking bomb.
 

DieH@rd

Banned
The Uncharted bundle won't do shit, Sony are making the same mistake MS did with Halo, they're pricing the bundle at a premium.

I think there is a good chance they will also release standard bundle [black console + game]. They did the same standard+premium treatment for Battlefront.
 
The Uncharted bundle won't do shit, Sony are making the same mistake MS did with Halo, they're pricing the bundle at a premium.



Lego always did better on the PS4 in the UK, you're confusing it with Disney Infinity.

A limited edition console for 50USD more than the standard price? You are right they all bombed. Except Destiny. And Batman. And Star Wars. Wait a minute....
 

Unknown?

Member
The Uncharted bundle won't do shit, Sony are making the same mistake MS did with Halo, they're pricing the bundle at a premium.



Lego always did better on the PS4 in the UK, you're confusing it with Disney Infinity.

Yeah but the BO3 bundle was $429, now there's a non limited bundle for $349. I suspect they'll do a standard UC4 bundle as well.
 
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