Grand Theft Auto IV Didn't Boost Console Sales

The ominous news was delivered by two separate analysts firms, Lazard Capital Markets and Wedbush Morgan Securities, as part of their monthly NPD preview report.

"We do not believe the recent release of GTA IV has generated meaningful incremental demand for the Xbox 360 or PS3 platforms," said Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets.

Analyst Micheal Pachter added that further price cuts could do more than GTA IV to boost console sales.

[Silogon]

Of course it didn't, it's old hat. It's the same game as it was nearly 8 years ago only with new graphics sheen and less pop up. Why would anyone buy a console for this game when they can have the same experience on a lesser system for peanuts?

Gta is old news. Something new needs to come along and break the mold and trend of these games and it's not fps or wiiware games, either.

[Hydrolex]

boosted console failures.

PS3 60GB freezes
Xbox 360s 3 red ring of death

GTA IV was disappointing in my mind. I expected more for this gen

[Silogon]

Teh only thing I can honestly think of when it comes to the failure that is Gta4 is the fact Rockstar had to leave out all the innovative stuff for microsofts 50 million dollar payday patch content.

Has to be. There is no way this is the complete Gta4 experience. No way. This is taking it back to even before Vice city, man. You can't do anything on it and I think the content is going to be just that.

[Imallvol7]

If GTA can't do it, I wonder if MGS4 can do it?

[Megaton]

Well, if Amazon selling out of the MGS4 80gig bundles within hours (or was it minutes?) of availability is any indication, I think it's going to move a console or two.

[Bob Dole]

It sold out in seven minutes and crashed the whole site.

[deeznuts]

With GTAIV, if you had at least one, you're ok. With MGS4, if you didn't have "that" one, you have to go get it. It should move consoles.

Also, lots of people held out waiting for 80GB to even make it back onto the market.

[Silogon]

No, it won't. Mgs4 is going to sell to the 14 million ps3 users and that's it. Not even 3 million copies will be sold when it is all said and done, I believe.

Games are dying out for a faster approach and those are casual games and they're good in moderation but not to base a system around. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo dropped the ball when it comes to their loyal consumers. the hardcore gamer.

All of them failed and this is why we need a new console maker in the loop to maybe light a fire or spark and get things in the right direction.

[Captain Tuttle]

MGS4 is an important game but I don't think it'll significantly increase sales of the PS3, especially in this economy. Now a big price drop on the other hand...

[ATLRoAcH]

...was going to gain sales from GTA IV it would have been the PS3. It didn't because of the price. What will sell PS3s? This years game lineup and price drops. Emphasize the price drops.

(edit) @ Silogon

I don't know what will happen but I sure as hell wouldn't underestimate MGS4.

[Captain Tuttle]

One game won't move consoles until the price goes under $200 and even then it's not a given.

[kewlkat007]

It's after it satisfies its FANBASE is when you can really judge a game and it's Longevity.

Pre-orders and first months sales are by the fanbase and hardcores. then who knows.

Maybe gamers have gotten desensitize to the violence in GTA nd just don't find it as fun anymore.

[theKiller]

they payed 50 million for DLC and was hoping for a more hardware shift toward 360 than ps3 and in the end it didnt more a single console more than the usual!

MS execs probably having a face like(check the picture below) that about their 50,000,000$

EDIT

@Kleptic below me

u r not completely right!!!
yes most of the people who bought a ps3 or 360 at launch r the ones who is knowing that their favorite franchise will make an appearance exclusively on their console, but those people called hardcore fans, there is also the normal fans that just dont have enough money or just waiting for his game to make an appearance before he/she buy the console!! and trust me there is millions waiting for MGS4 including me, but unfortunately the price is not good enough for me just yet so am still waiting for another price cut and then the first game i will buy is MGS4!!

[Kleptic]

wasn't this somewhat predictable?...multiplatform titles rarely make a significant boost, especially for one console (MS acted like it would make 360 sales skyrocket because of the DLC)...

the game sold well though...MGS4 will most likely share a similar situation...pretty much everyone ready to buy it already owns a PS3...so it did 'boost' sales of the PS3, it is just that it started at launch...

established brands are hard to correlate with console sales at the games release window...console sales take off with price cuts and out of no where IPs...Gears of War is an example...GTAIII (arguably an established brand, but III was crazy different at the time) is an example...big sequels are definitely a huge part of increasing console sales, but since they are already well known, they sell the consoles for months or even years before the game releases...

remember the interviews back when the PS3 launched?...most where buying it for MGS4 and FFXIII...neither of those games will show a massive increase in PS3's selling at their release windows...just massive software sales...

Games like Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, and Killzone 2 though may fall into a different category...while Gears is probably more well known than both others combined...they are somewhat off the radar of the general PS2 owning public...if they make huge increases in technology and are overall fantastic games, people will be buying the respective systems like crazy...

but more than anything...both companies need a price cut to compete with the Wii...the Wii sold more than the PS3 and 360 combined in April, and most likely again in May...despite GTAIV's release...take more of a hit for production costs...it will get the general buzz entirely away from the Wii...Could you imagine if the 360 and PS3 fell to $199 this fall?...and for whatever reason Nintendo was arrogant enough to think they still had the demand to compete, and left the Wii at 250?...that would be beyond funny, I wish it would happen...

[muddygamesite]

good point. it seems casual games will be the death of the gaming industry.

[Crazyglues]

Because MGS4 is indeed a system seller, I personally know of 6 of my friends who are finally getting PS3's because of MGS4...

Already we are starting to see madness surrounding the MGS4 PS3 80gig bundle - Like the fact that Amazon only sold them for one hour and the whole site went down.

The amount of people who have sat on the sidelines waiting for a really amazing game like MGS4 is huge, and the numbers will show that...

MGS4 is about to push the PS3 to huge system sale numbers.. Mark my words... this game is going to sell systems.. no question about it.

If the numbers where not more then double what they where for last month I would be shocked...

I expect MGS4 will be huge. HUGE... It is also only on PS3.. so it will be a system seller.

JUST WATCH AND SEE MGS4 is PS3's Halo.

[sak500]

I agree with kleptic on Mgs4 not being system seller. I dont know what these droids mean by judgement day, probably end of ps3 or the one and only AAA game on ps3.

[Kleptic]

you might be misunderstanding me...it is a system seller...I am saying that it most likely won't drastically boost console sales for June...most, not all, but most who want the game already own a PS3...sales will go up...but I don't think its even going to be enough to outsell the Wii in all territories...

[Lord Vader]

I dont think any one game will move a console at today's prices.

[Play B3yond]

If there was a warriors sequel to a crappy game console that just came out id buy the system just for that game...but no other game, only the warriors

[Real Gambler]

If any fans were waiting for MSG to buy a PS3, then for sure they will jump on the gun metal PS3. So I expect a small surge for about two weeks.

[name]

MGS4 is an exclusive that people have been saying they're waiting for in order to buy a ps3. You hear that and say it's not gonna do anything?

[v1c1ous]

but don't be dissapointed when it's not the land-slide you are expecting :/

i guess this gen has taught a few gamers to "take it in moderation"

[cmrbe]

MGS4 will sell more PS3 than GTA4 did because
1. MGS4 will innovate more and a better game overall imo.
2. Its a exclusive.
3. Alot of PS hardcore fans will jump on the MGS4 bundle to upgrade especially with Rumble and 80gig model coming back.

[kewlkat007]

GTA have been the top selling game on the PS2 the last 5 years.

GTA appeals to more gamers because of the nature of the game.

MGS usually satisfy the Hardcore and fanbase, anything Extra will not be big.

GTA will move more consoles in the long run.

[RobertGonz69]

MGS4 will.

[Killzownz84]

Once the Bush economy is over and Obama comes and restores the American economy THEN and only then will we see major Console sales!! Ahhh how i miss the booming democratic 90s when game consoles sold huge month after month.. Dont worry, once Obama gets in and cleans up after bush's huge mess, the economy will then pick up and then people will be buying consoles.. Right now gas at $4.00 a gallon, people wont be spending on games like they did in the great 90s!

[cmrbe]

I hope you yanks are right with Obama. He comes off as an idealist and green in my view. America is in alot of trouble right know and i hope for you sake as well as the world a rookie senator will be able to clean up the mess left by Bush. I really do hope so.

[Armyless]

Obama is a Bolshevik. If you know anything about economics, you know that his socialist policies are one step from Labor Party Marxism.

Educate yourself.

[Bleyd]

that Obama wants to increase tax on gas right? How do you think that will solve any economic problems?

[aaquib5]

First it's the second coming that's going to massively boost hardware sales for both consoles, and now it's just another game???

1 lesson learned: Analysts are dumb. A 7 year old kid on the Internet can make better, more realistic predictions.

[jackdoe]

While it may not have pushed consoles, GTAIV still sold a hell of a lot of copies on the PS3 and 360.

[DICK]

mgs4 aint gonna help the ps3 iff the biggest game off this generation gta iv didnt helped the ps3 or xbox 360 what make you think mgs4 is gonna do it the mgs games where never system sellers the onley reason dey sold good last gen was due 2 the ps3 fanbasse the mgs games r aimed @ hardcore fans not casuals

[mindedone]

but the hype got to me and I bought this game. (i know, I've been sleeping on the series.) I don't think it's gonna pull in as much as gta potentially could have. have there even been tv adverts?

(i apologize for the semi-wall of text, I'm on my phone writing this)

[yourmomsux]

who cares if it boosted console sales or not.it does not affect my gaming life while i play it.just quit worrying about that sh*t.i mean seriously.

[Syronicus]

Because it was a multiplatform title. Typically they don't push any one console so this is no real suprise.