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[saelz8]

A quick glance at the PC games sales total for 2007 shows that computer game software only generated a bit over $910 million in retail revenue. In 2006 PC game sales totaled $970 million.

But should the industry be worried by this $60 million drop? Not really, says NPD analyst Anita Frazier. She noted that looking at the retail sales doesn't give us a complete picture, especially as the method of distribution on the PC is increasingly shifting towards digital and away from retail.

"The PC games market is greatly impacted by digital downloads and subscriptions, so there is an undetermined amount of PC games industry revenue that isn't reflected in retail sales. As we've seen from a number of our studies, the PC continues to be a top platform in terms of total game playing time, so I don't think this slight decline in retail sales is anything more than a reflection of a shifting of distribution channels," Frazier explained.

Although NPD doesn't currently have any data or estimate for the amount of revenue generated by digital downloads and subscriptions on the PC, Frazier added, "This [console vs. PC sales gap] isn't really a new phenomenon. Video games software sales, and even just the console portion of that figure (at retail) have been greater than PC retail sales every year that we've tracked (1995). Yes, the video games (console & portable) retail sales have really exploded, but again, until we can get a measurement of dollars spent online, we won't have the true picture."

Source

Top Selling PC Games of 07!

1. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade* – Vivendi (Blizzard) – 2.25 million
2. World of Warcraft – Vivendi (Blizzard) – 914K
3. The Sims 2 Seasons Expansion Pack – Electronic Arts – 433K
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare* – Activision – 383K
5. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars* – Electronic Arts – 343K
6. Sim City 4 Deluxe – Electronic Arts – 284K
7. The Sims 2 – Electronic Arts – 281K
8. The Sims 2 Bon Voyage Expansion Pack – Electronic Arts – 271K
9. Age of Empires III – Microsoft – 259K
10. The Sims 2 Pets Expansion Pack – Electronic Arts – 236K

 

[Illuminati]

I told you all to buy Guild Wars, I did my part!!!

 

[ghst]

Steam: ruining retail figures since November 2004.

 

[FLEABttn]

I told you all to buy Guild Wars, I did my part!!!

But I like good games =(

 

[Kyoufu]

I don't think piracy is to blame here. Its WoW addicts not getting to play anything but WoW!

 

[Illuminati]

But I like good games =(

Obviously you are part of the problem. Now go back to playing the Sims.

 

[QVT]

It's WoW. Why buy anything? In fact, can't you just download the game for free with subscription anyways? Or go on from one of those 1.99 trial discs? Who the fuck buys the whole game?

 

[USD]

Make way for digital distribution.

 

[Zombie James]

Sim City 4's still selling?

 

[Odysseus]

wow and sims. mostly wow.

healthy market

 

[AlphaSnake]

You know you're fucked when one and two year old games are still topping the charts.

 

[ethelred]

They were at 60 million before 2007? Who knew.

 

[Zombie James]

You know you're fucked when one and two year old games are still topping the charts.

Outside of maybe CoD4, every game on that list has modest-to-low system requirements.

 

[Mrbob]

2.25 million burning crusade?

Hot damn.

 

[DiddyBop]

cod4 is just a runaway success,doin great across all platforms across the entire globe,even japan. WW figures will surpass halo 3 when its all said and done.

 

[dLMN8R]

Amazing how ignorant the console kiddies still continue to be. Yeah, take 6 platforms and combine them together and they have roughly 6 times the revenue of one platform, surprise surprise!

The fact that the near-billion in sales for PC games alone does not include subscriptions for WoW or other games, does not include online sales for those PC gamers staying away from GameStop's suckage in droves, and does not include the ever-growing digital distribution method is nothing short of impressive.

 

[Lion Heart]

Starcraft 2..We will see pc gaming in the Billions

 

[FLEABttn]

Obviously you are part of the problem. Now go back to playing the Sims.

WoW and TF2, but thanks.

To be fair I did buy the original Guild Wars and stopped a week later. Couldn't stand it.

 

[ethelred]

Amazing how ignorant the console kiddies still continue to be.

You keep telling yourself that.

 

[ToxicAdam]

In the last 18 months, two BIG PC game sellers (Best Buy and Wal-Mart) have dramatically reduced their shelf space for PC Games.

It wasn't too long ago (right before next gen hit) that Best Buy had three full rows of PC software .. now they wedge it in 1 1/2 - 2 aisles (good luck getting around someone that is browsing the aisle).

Wal-Mart used to have 2 full rows too .. Now they have half a row, and most of the games are shovelware or clearance games. They have all the new games packed in a 10 foot section.


--- ---


Prediction time: NPD will announce DD sales for PC in tune to 600 million dollars. Making the total share of PC games at 1.5 Billion dollars. A small increase over last year.

By the end of 2009 the two halves will be equal.

 

[A Black Falcon]

I told you all to buy Guild Wars, I did my part!!!

Already have it and all of the expansions. I would say that it's the best game released since 2004 (when I first played it in the open alphas/beta). And yes, more people should get it.

Anyway, this doesn't surprise me at all. For instance, while I got GW and GW: Factions at retail, I got Nightfall and Eye of the North through digital distribution (GW's built-in NCSoft store). Digital distribution is absolutely killing retail PC game sales.

 

[The Friendly Monster]

Outside of maybe CoD4, every game on that list has modest-to-low system requirements.

So?

You know you're fucked when one and two year old games are still topping the charts.

PC gaming is a stagnant market, I blame the usual suspects WoW and bittorrent.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

In the last 18 months, two BIG PC game sellers (Best Buy and Wal-Mart) have dramatically reduced their shelf space for PC Games.

But it's in preperation for Microsoft's big Games For Windows push where it'll be better treated like a unified platform with its own unique marketing and shelf cases..... Right? Anyone? *crickets*

Steam is where it at. Retail pc games can die for all I care.

I think I bought 3 or 4 retail PC games in 2007... (two of which were MMO CEs) and nearly 20 on Steam, a few via other DD.

 

[Lazy Jones]

Burning Crusade number seem low considering ten million people play it worldwide.

 

[Zzoram]

We already know that the total revenue generated by WoW in 2007 was $1.1billion. As for DD, I know that a lot of people are buying stuff on Steam.

I strongly suspect that the reason Valve doesn't publish Steam numbers is because they are actually doing very well. The fact that their catalogue keeps growing speaks to them being able to sell software. They just don't want the retailers to know the $ amount of sales they are taking from them :lol

 

[ToxicAdam]

Burning Crusade number seem low considering ten million people play it worldwide.

These are only NA numbers.

 

[Zzoram]

Burning Crusade number seem low considering ten million people play it worldwide.

That Burning Crusade number does seem low. Didn't it sell 2.4million in the first day? Or was that world wide?

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

Burning Crusade number seem low considering ten million people play it worldwide.

Pretty sure they let you download and buy it online around the summer.

Think the CEs got a free trial access of some sort to give to friends online as well.

 

[legend166]

I hate PC talk on GAF.

On one hand you've got PC gamers with their eyes closed continuing to insist there is nothing wrong with the PC market; and on the other hand you have console gamers that think PC gaming is completely dead and useless.

Both are wrong.

 

[DeadTrees]

Borys is gonna have a heart attack unless somebody puts a dollar sign in the thread title.

 

[Lobster]

Well thats not really fair since compared to 2006, less good PC games were released in 2007.

 

[No Means Nomad]

The fact that Orange Box isn't on the NPD list at all despite being such a huge success speaks volumes for the state of digital downloads, and this articles and the original posters overreaction to a shift in game medium.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

That Burning Crusade number does seem low. Didn't it sell 2.4million in the first day? Or was that world wide?

Blizzard Entertainment® today announced that World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade™ has broken the day-one sales record to become the fastest-selling PC game ever in North America and Europe, with a worldwide total of nearly 2.4 million copies sold in the first 24 hours of availability. The Burning Crusade, the first expansion set for World of Warcraft, was simultaneously released in North America, Europe, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia on 16 January, and on 17 January in Australia and New Zealand.

Blizzard had supplied more than 4 million game boxes to retailers worldwide, and more than 5,000 stores throughout the world had their doors open at midnight to welcome thousands of expectant players.

Day-one sales totals on both continents were similar, with an estimated total of nearly 1.2 million copies sold on the first day in North America and an estimated total of more than 1.1 million copies sold in Europe within the first 24 hours of launch.* By the end of the first day of availability on both continents, a total of more than 1.7 million players had already logged in and upgraded World of Warcraft to play The Burning Crusade.


+

March 7, 2007 -- Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that World of Warcraft®: The Burning Crusade™ sold through approximately 3.5 million copies within one month following its mid-January launch in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.* This includes nearly 1.6 million sold in Europe, and more than 1.9 million sold in regions that play on North American realms, including more than 100,000 copies in Australasia. World of Warcraft's worldwide subscriber base now numbers more than 8.5 million and is continuing to grow as new and returning players join existing players in the game.

Blizzard previously announced that this first expansion set for World of Warcraft sold through nearly 2.4 million copies worldwide in its first 24 hours - more than any other PC game in history had sold within an entire first month of availability.* With approximately 3.5 million copies sold through, The Burning Crusade has now established the new one-month record for PC-game sales.

 

[calder]

I bought 3 boxed copies of WoW and 2 boxed copies of BC. And I upgraded the third WoW account to BC in game. Also bought maybe 4 games on Steam (TF2, Portal, Sherlock Holmes, some adventure games) released in 2007 I think.

So I'm either doing my part or single handedly killing PC gaming, not sure which.

 

[KevinCow]

Outside of maybe CoD4, every game on that list has modest-to-low system requirements.

You'd think other PC game developers who want their games to sell would take a hint.

 

[Arthas]

What's new? Half my games nowadays are downloaded from my isp's entertainment service and charged directly onto my monthly internet bill. Let's see NPD track that.

Realistically pc software derived revenue is colossal if you looked at all distribution channels.

For example, how much windows and windows related software did microsoft alone sell worldwide in 2007?

How much revenue did blizzards wow bring in in 2007?

What about steam?

Those are rhetorical questions by the way. You get the picture.

 

[TheDuce22]

Maybe other pc devs should take a lesson from blizzard and focus on making games for medium to lower end machines.

 

[WinFonda]

WoW is keeping the PC market somewhat healthy at least. Blizzard really has its finger on the pulse of PC gamers.

 

[dLMN8R]

Maybe other pc devs should take a lesson from blizzard and focus on making games for medium to lower end machines.

Maybe PC gamers should get a clue that their PC that they bought 1-2 years before the 360 ever came out isn't going to match the 360's power, but if you've built a PC since the time that the 360 came out or later, you'll easily handle games on the 360's level of quality.

Every single hardcore PC game out in 2007 - Crysis, BioShock, Unreal Tournament 3, STALKER, World in Conflict, and more - every single one of them followed the same rule. Get a PC in the last year, you're rocking on high details. Get a PC in the last 1-2 years, you're good to go on medium details. 2-3 years? Low/medium is fine. And for every single game except for Crysis, you're good even with a 6800GT that's nearly 4 years old on low details.


But wait, there's more.


Go take a look at Diablo 2's requirements. I dare you. Notice something funny? The minimum requirements for Diablo 2 - the absolute bare minimum requirements - were for a 3 year old system. And that's for a freaking 2D game that came out when 3D was first starting!

Rose colored glasses. Every single person bitching about game requirements has them, and needs to become aware of them.

 

[The Friendly Monster]

WoW is keeping the PC market somewhat healthy at least. Blizzard really has its finger on the pulse of PC gamers.

I don't think healthy means what you think it means.

 

[Spire]

Steam for the motherfucking win. Brick and mortar PC distribution can wither and die for all I care, I wish every PC game were available via Steam.

 

[Slavik81]

This thread title is going to throw people off. People don't read that close.

I told you all to buy Guild Wars, I did my part!!!

I bought Nightfall in '06. There were no Guild Wars games worth buying in '07.
I'm waiting until they bundle up all 4 games together, so I can compete my two accounts in one fell swoop.

 

[SapientWolf]

The fact that Orange Box isn't on the NPD list at all despite being such a huge success speaks volumes for the state of digital downloads, and this articles and the original posters overreaction to a shift in game medium.

Orange Box alone only needed to sell around a million copies to make up the difference, and that's not even counting other digitally distributed games.

 

[TheDuce22]

The requirements listed on the package arent always realistic. For example I meet the minimum requirements for Tabula Rasa but that shit was completely unplayable even on the lowest settings. When Blizzard releases a game you can be pretty damn sure it will run on your 3-4 year old PC with an acceptable framerate, and often times it still looks better than the unplayable competition.

 

[dLMN8R]

The requirements listed on the package arent always realistic. For example I meet the minimum requirements for Tabula Rasa but that shit was completely unplayable even on the lowest settings. When Blizzard releases a game you can be pretty damn sure it will run on your 3-4 year old PC with an acceptable framerate, and often times it still looks better than the unplayable competition.

For most games, this is not the case anymore. BioShock, UT3, Crysis, and every other major release actually had reasonable specs listed. Meeting the required specs netted you a fully playable low/medium detail game, and meeting the recommended specs gave you a fully playable medium/high detail game. Heck, even Stranglehold was good on this front.

 

[Spoit]

The fact that Orange Box isn't on the NPD list at all despite being such a huge success speaks volumes for the state of digital downloads, and this articles and the original posters overreaction to a shift in game medium.

That whole get-TF2-early by buying on steam probably helped it a lot. Certainly enough to keep me from buying QWET that month

 

[Teknopathetic]

I'm loving reading all the posts that completely misinterpret what this article is trying to say.

 

[AstroLad]

More a reflection of the limitations of NPD numbers when it comes to PC game sales (and I applaud NPD for owning up to those limitations very clearly) than anything else. I've been saying it for a while re Crysis and all other sales. There's almost no point in discussing NPD numbers for PC games--the picture is that incomplete.

Of course this is not what I expect any of the discussion to focus on, or even mention.

 

[Jive Turkey]

Steam: ruining retail figures since November 2004.

Yep...I'm part of the problem too.

Then again Steam is awesome so I'm also part of the solution.

 

[The Friendly Monster]

Orange Box alone only needed to sell around a million copies to make up the difference, and that's not even counting other digitally distributed games.

Or the ones from last year.

But anyway was Orange Box really such a huge success?