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NPD December 2011 Sales Results [Up5: Star Wars: The Old Republic Sales]
- Thread starter EviLore
- Start date
It's hard to get numbers for anything that isn't a new release, so I suspect January will also be barren.
Aside "between 1.2 to 1.5 million"; nothing else.
The thing is that Nintendo released their own sales data around a week before NPD (which is were the around 1.2 million estimate started); so I wonder if that could be new trend from them, instead of waiting for NPD and make some press release around it.
First part is up: http://gamasutra.com/view/news/39669/NPD_Behind_the_numbers_of_2011.php
Found an error, let me know. Thanks. More tomorrow.
Found an error, let me know. Thanks. More tomorrow.
For 3DS, we had at least 1.5 millions estimated. And then creamsugar said that it sold almost as well as 360. So, it has almost been the best selling console this Christmas
dragonfart28
Banned
Devs need to start pumping out some 3DS titles that are sequels to their DS counterparts.
http://indiegames.com/2012/01/17/estimated-2011-hardware-unit-sales.png
Very explicit charts. Thanks a lot jvm !
Wii hardware is getting eaten like flesh off a corpse.
edit : beaten
Very explicit charts. Thanks a lot jvm !
Wii hardware is getting eaten like flesh off a corpse.
edit : beaten
gaming_noob
Member
:O
The Playstation Family (TM) could not beat the lone wolf 360. Good thing we will have a new member in the family soon.
specialguy
Banned
So is the chart actually NPD data or just jvm's "estimates"?
Psychotext
Member
I'd imagine it's based on the calculated totals we've been forced into doing for most of the year.
Every NPD thread has just been awful every since they cracked down on the spreadsheet release. But yeah it only gets worse each month.
Have Uncharted numbers leaked by any chance?
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
For 3DS, we had at least 1.5 millions estimated. And then creamsugar said that it sold almost as well as 360. So, it has almost been the best selling console this Christmas
Good design choice on the shadows showing 2010 totals. Many bar charts look very ugly and unreadable, this is very clear.
Edit: jvm, that is.
Ok, good... but why did you quote me? XD
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
I... don't know.
:O
Surprised that the PSP drop was so low. Hardware sales are only down because of a huge drop in DS sales (mostly made up by the 3DS sales) and a large drop in Wii sales. So much for the doom and gloom people were spreading in this thread and that other thread!
EDIT: Big drop for the PS2 as well, but that's to be expected from a system that just had its 12th holiday season.
Because I do not have official NPD totals, you should consider these jvm's estimates. I have some modest benefits that the average GAF member does not have, however.
Psychotext
Member
3DS US sales estimates (from NPD):
So, up to November 2011 the 3DS was around 2.4/2.5 million.
Both Nintendo and Gamasutra/jvm agree that after December's sales, the 3DS was at 4+ million units.
Which puts 3DS sales in the US for December 2011 at around 1.7 million; so yeah it seems the 3DS sold as much as/close to the 360.
- 03/2011: 398k [$250 - Launch]
- 04/2011: 194k
- 05/2011: 97K
- 06/2011: 143k
- 07/2011: 114k
- 08/2011: 235k [$170 - New price]
- 09/2011: 260k
- 10/2011: 250k
- 11/2011: 795k
So, up to November 2011 the 3DS was around 2.4/2.5 million.
Both Nintendo and Gamasutra/jvm agree that after December's sales, the 3DS was at 4+ million units.
Which puts 3DS sales in the US for December 2011 at around 1.7 million; so yeah it seems the 3DS sold as much as/close to the 360.
06nbarnhill
Member
3DS US sales estimates (from NPD):
- 03/2011: 398k [$250 - Launch]
- 04/2011: 194k
- 05/2011: 97K
- 06/2011: 143k
- 07/2011: 114k
- 08/2011: 235k [$170 - New price]
- 09/2011: 260k
- 10/2011: 250k
- 11/2011: 795k
So, up to November 2011 the 3DS was around 2.4/2.5 million.
Both Nintendo and Gamasutra/jvm agree that after December's sales, the 3DS was at 4+ million units.
Which puts 3DS sales in the US for December 2011 at around 1.7 million; so yeah it seems the 3DS sold as much as/close to the 360.
Wish they would put estimates in the OP. They use to while waiting for hard numbers. So annoying that we pretty much know what it sold.....but to find out you have to trawl through the whole thread.
A Human Becoming
More than a Member
Very. A lack of DS numbers is not a huge loss, but no 3DS sales figure unacceptable.
AndrewDean84xX
Banned
Why does this NPD thread not have sles figures for the top 10 and 3DS?
06nbarnhill
Member
Press releases did not give enough info to extrapolate all the numbers.
We have estimations throughout the thread. 3ds is 1600-1700k.
They really should update OP thought.
Indeed. I just want to know how DS is doing to see if there is a possibility of a price cut soon since I want a DSi XL, but not at the current pricing.
Petrae
Member
Legacy NDS numbers were tepid. If Nintendo was going to base a price cut on sales weakness and poor YOY, then I'd say that one would be likely if Nintendo wants to move remaining inventory... especially now that 3DS numbers are getting close to where they want them.
Great work as usual. However, I have a particular issue with the way you phrased something in the article.
Both the Wii and DS are at the end of their life cycle and the latter has its successor out on retail shelves. Saying the decline of DS hardware in December (or for the whole year) is a contributing factor to the lack of growth is a little disingenuous without the proper context don't you think? There's always going to slow shift from the handhelds in North America compared to say Japan and I don't think it's doom and gloom when you combine the sales of the DS and 3DS for December 2011 and compare it to the sales of the DS for December 2010. Almost the same number of total handhelds were sold so obviously people are still interested in the Nintendo handhelds.
If anything I think the hardware sales in December 2011 shows that consumers are being more price conscious. November and Black Friday saw massive price cuts and deals for hardware but in December they were gift card deals at best and I feel that really hurt everyone.
Petrae
Member
Which puts 3DS sales in the US for December 2011 at around 1.7 million; so yeah it seems the 3DS sold as much as/close to the 360.
It was close, yes, but X360 did edge by 3DS. It can be argued that the 3DS had the most impressive month of the hardware competitors.
I won't disagree, but I think that it is important to consider that the 3DS only did as well as it did because Nintendo swallowed its pride and cut the price and 3DS software (IIRC) is still not filling the gap left by NDS software. I don't see why there has to be a bust period between booms, and I would have appreciated Nintendo launching the 3DS earlier to smooth out the transition. Similarly, they've got themselves in a real pickle with the Wii falling so quickly and the Wii U not even close to launching.
And as to your last point:
Here Wii U pricing is going to be extremely interesting to watch. I don't see how they'll hit $250 at launch again. If the consumers really are price conscious now, will they still be that way in a year? Will the software win them over? Can't wait to see it play out.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
I've already covered why there is a boom bust when talking Nintendo market leadership.
They don't think things through at all. They release hardware, and hope for the best. Launching whatever software they had waiting in the wings along the way.
That's one of the only ways I can explain the rise and fall of the Wii. That and an almost childlike ideal of what spurs game development. Once the Wii had the marketshare Nintendo devs slacked off and focused on their next hardware. No one came to pick up the slack and the Wii market died on the vine.
06nbarnhill
Member
Stuff like this makes me lol.
They act like Wii had some meteoric rise then cataclysmic fall. Fact is that it debuted at the top then maintained that for four years....an eternity in console time. There was no massive drop in Wii sales either to the point that it would justify the " Wii market died on the vine" comment. ....it just fell back to the middle of the pack.
Not saying that software over the last year hasn't been terrible but the doomsday stuff is really all hyperbole. Wii took the generation by the throat and strangled it for four years to the point that no one else has a shot in hell of catching up. This was 360's best December is half Wii's best and if you look at top software chart for the gen as I recall 8/10 games were Wii games and last I checked overall Wii total software was just about tied with 360.
People don't give Wii nearly enough credit.
(yes its a rant and a bit OT but bare with me....needed to vent)
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Yeah, I'm not exactly what one would call a Wiihater.
But the honest truth is the Wii market is pretty much dead. Few games release, fewer sell, and hardware has taken a nosedive.
Not my fault that a dead Wii market is equal to a thriving PS3. That just shows how bad the PS3 has done actually. Sells the same unit number as a dead platform.
To my knowledge the Wii in the end couldn't beat the PS2 while it was well underway in doing so. I think Nintendo abandoned the platform on the 'core' side when Metroid: Other M bombed. They kept releases coming somewhat, Other: M bombed and the well dried up. So compared to what the Wii could've been if Nintendo kept releases coming(imagine a DQX-like Pokemon MMO on the system...) it failed.
At almost double the price, though. That extra $100+ makes a difference to cost conscious consumers.
06nbarnhill
Member
[Nintex];34347168 said:
They really aren't comparable. I think both just about hit saturation. However, wii hardware never went through a revision that would make people want to rebuy it. Plus it is far more reliable. I personally went through 3 ps2's. People can say its not significant but I do believe it is.
Not saying wii shouldn't have had better software at the end of its life cycle but really.....so it ended a year earlier than it should have....I hardly call it a failure. TBH as well.....people claimed Nintendo abandoned the core from day 1 so that hardly a good argument as to why its now selling good rather than great.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
And the Wii has sold about double the units in America.
Yeah, that has to be great to them. Selling at parity with a platform that the industry considers dead.
Your first point in regards to the price cut is definitely correct and I don't think anyone would argue that. But going towards the launch of the 3DS the buzz was overwhelmingly positive and I think Nintendo tried to capitalize that and priced it at a premium point which wound up biting them in the ass and most likely had a negative effect on any kind of momentum or build-up the system had. In regards to the software I think that's a bit more debatable. Super Mario Land 3D and Mario Kart 7 are definitely 'evergreen' titles that will continue to sell well for years to come and probably the first true system sellers for the 3DS. 2012's line-up for the system is definitely looking to take advantage of the new owners, Nintendo leading with things like Kid Icarus, Luigi's Mansion 2 and Animal Crossing plus there's some major third party support with Resident Evil Revelations, Metal Gear Solid and Mario & Sonic at the London Olympics. Not saying they'll all be great sellers or reach numbers close to SML3D or MK7 but I think it's going to be a steady stream of well-known titles to keep the momentum going.
I'm not sure why there's a bust in the transition phase either. If you compare NA to Japan, the DS is pretty much dead in its entirety over there and allows the 3DS to take the spotlight for handhelds.
I doubt the Wii U will sell for anything less than 299.99 either and I would probably expect 399.99 but hope that this includes the killer-app game that Wii Sports was for Wii. But I agree that we need more details from E3 and especially what games will be available for launch.
In regards to price conscious consumers I think that's an interesting discussion. I think the revision of the Xbox 360 into the Slim model combined with the Kinect accessory was for all intents and purposes a second launching of the Xbox 360 hardware as far as the general public is concerned. The insides are the same as far as you can play the same game but the outside is different and comes with a different gameplay mechanic that neither of their competitors offered. Even though it was priced at 299.99/399.99 it may have been the sweet spot for what the uninformed consumer thought was a justifiable price for such a device. Compare this to the Playstation 3 hardware revision and the Move we can see even with a small price drop Sony couldn't even outsell Nintendo's dead system.
On an aside, do you have access to the information on what the average selling price of the Xbox 360 was in November and December? I would guess that in November it had to be around the 140 range or so since there were so many 4GB barebones sales everywhere but I would be interested in seeing the data for this.
bigtroyjon
Member
I would guess that you need to add $100 to that number. Some 4gbs sold for $140 or so but that wasn't the average for all consoles and I'm sure the Kinect bundles and 250gb Reach/Fable bundle sold better than the 4gb considering the much higher value they offered.
Yeah, now that you mentioned it and thinking back there were some great 199 holiday bundle deals for BF but I think (and am just guessing) that were probably still more 4GB arcade units sold at a really low price point. Either way though I'm interested in finding out!
Petrae
Member
That wasn't the case for November. The 4GB standalone SKU led all hardware SKUs in that month. Not sure for December, though. That may have changed.
Nope but they might've brought over Xenoblade earlier or considered keeping Pikmin 3 on Wii instead of Wii U. The New Super Mario Bros. Mii game they showed could've also easily been released for Wii as a New Super Mario Bros. Wii sequel.
Who said Sony's 2011 sales were great? You're arguing against your own straw man.
bigtroyjon
Member
Lead sku doesn't mean the majority sku. I'm sure 4gb Kinect+250 game bundle was greater than bare bones 4gb, right?
Petrae
Member
I was talking in terms of units sold (over 600K in November; next was Wii w/NSMB & Mario CD). Revenue might be a different story.
I laughed out loud at this, now my co-workers now I'm not working, thanks. =p