I just want to underscore a point regarding the NPD numbers. Ever since Gears of War launched a few years ago and gained massive sales numbers, and then Lost Planet, we have come to expect blockbuster sales in the first month of triple-A games. So when we see Modern Warfare 2 with 1.87million sold for the PlayStation 3, we forget to realise that the console has reportedly half of the install base of the 360 - despite being shocked by Modern Warfare 2 selling twice as much on that platform. So a comparison based solely on figures is less than honest. The ratio of sales to hardware is however fair and the game performed similar on both platforms. We should analyse figures in the same perspective for all multiplatform games.
Now to my next point. I've been reading references to GOW3 and GT5 in every sales article with the rest of Sony IP exclusives. Let's settle this - IP exclusives, especially on Sony's platform, haven't got a good record of producing a sales figure that matches the level of quality in development in these titles. For years now people still produce a bullet-point list of exclusives that in their eyes are sure to be the reason why consoles will be flying off the shelves. Yeah, well now we know better don't we. My point being, the same target demographic that would be interested in GOW3 and GT5 should already be interested in the PS3.
The console does just about "everything" and has a software library that arguably is better than any other platform and all that for just $299. So if the 360 can still rival PS3 sales, nevermind beat it, then what does it say about our expectation that GOW3 and those incoming Sony exclusives will drive hardware sales? Are the same hardcore group (GoW fans) willing to wait 4+ years and a $199 price point before getting the game?
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