This is something that seems to be becoming a trend in this generation..
In the last gen we had games that were console movers, in other words these games made people buy a console.. only for the single game..
So far in this generation we have seen around 4 ‘console movers’ that failed to move consoles and it looks like MGS4 may be the next one… There were huge expectations around GT5, GTA, Halo and Guitar Hero but out of all of those only Halo really moved consoles and that was only in the States…
According to Chart-track (the guys who monitor sales in the UK) the sales of the PS3 only spiked by 7% which was far below previous expectations.
However it seems to be doing well in Japan by pushing PS3 sales up 700% to 77k units and instantly become the top selling PS3 game in the country…
In related news Nintendo released some new DS colours over the same weekend in Europe and their sales exploded… So maybe Microsoft and Sony should be looking at released new colours for their consoles…. anyone for a shiny red Xbox 360? Or is that tempting fate?
Source: Gamesindustry.biz
Last Updated: June 18, 2008
Chevron
June 18, 2008 at 12:48
But GT5 isn’t out yet.
JimBob
June 18, 2008 at 12:58
The PS3 has outsold the Wii in North America for rpoan;y the first time, sales are up eightfold in Japan compared the week before the game came out, and Europe/Others sales this week are in spitting distance of the Wii. The UK is the odd one out. Also, about 1.3 million in first-week sales for this game should give 3rd parties a little more confidence in the PS3.
But the notion of a system seller is misguided. You need a handful of MGSs or Halos over a few months to really move hardware – there aren’t too many people who will buy a system for one game.
darthdad
June 18, 2008 at 13:01
Well said JimBob, but please lets focus on the negatives here rather…..
LazySAGamer
June 18, 2008 at 13:11
Hi JimBob,
I haven’t seen the results for the US sales so far.. I will go look but please feel free to post the link
Banana hammock
June 18, 2008 at 13:14
Yeah, i was checking figures on this cause it didn’t make sense. But it seems to be a UK only thing. The European PS3 sales more than doubled, US more than doubled and Japan was like 8 times.
And that’s for less than a week. If you think it’s going to move a million consoles then no it’s not system seller, but a couple of weeks of excellent sales does make it a system seller.
kabraal
June 18, 2008 at 13:20
Yeah I agree with JB. My opinion is still that most people won’t buy a 5k console to play one game. Maybe to play 5 games but 5 games are spread out release wise, so expect console sales growth to stay pretty consistent throughout the next year.
No use in comparing this with the last generation. Close to the end of the previous generation you had a R1200 PS2 with AAA titles like GT4 and GOW2 releasing. At that price point, you’re going to move consoles with AAA releases. The PS3 is still way to expensive for it to spike big time with new AAA game releases. The 360 is probably nearing the “comfort zone†for one game to make a difference.
That all said, this article refers to UK sales only. From what I’ve read, MGS4 did cause quite a spike in hardware sales in the US and Japan, much more noticeable than GTA4. But those sales will most likely return to normal within the next week.
JimBob
June 18, 2008 at 13:41
Only VG Chartz so far:
http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=1325
But anecdotal evidence is that the bundle has been pretty much sold out throughout the US, so I think they may not be too far wrong.
ewie
June 18, 2008 at 15:20
One of the big reasons why is everybody have been waiting for the bundle with the 80 gig and more importantly BC is included.
Gazza ZA
June 18, 2008 at 16:07
I agree with ewie, and also, if your not a metal gear fan or for that matter haven’t played the first 3 games I don’t think it’s a system seller, I’d love to know what the ratio of “new adopters” is.
Gazza ZA’s last blog post..The full Deal on the Cagney Burnout Pradise Update.
Gazza ZA
June 18, 2008 at 16:08
The non BC of the 40gig is a huge turnoff even if the gunmetal grey is sooooooooo much nicer
Gazza ZA’s last blog post..The full Deal on the Cagney Burnout Pradise Update.
Tan365
June 18, 2008 at 17:15
For ur own benefit… u really should play MGS4 regardless
larch
June 18, 2008 at 23:05
Pity the spitting distance is a mile away 😛
larch’s last blog post..Final Chapter of Inuyasha Manga Published