Topic: More on 2003 Sales

[Bloodworth]

Nintendo's full press release, restating the sales info from yesterday with some more GameCube numbers and staggering GBA numbers as well.

Reported by Daniel Bloodworth

Source: Nintendo Press Release

Quote
NINTENDO SALES SKYROCKET IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD

Nintendo GameCube: the Only Home Console with Positive Growth in 2003

REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 15, 2004 – Around the world and around the block, Nintendo has taken a leadership position in the video game industry. Hardware and software sales in 2003 made significant leaps over 2002, and Nintendo's success bumped Microsoft's Xbox to the No. 3 position in the 2003 console wars.

Global holiday sales for Nintendo GameCube™ in 2003 outpaced 2002 by a whopping 70 percent, and Nintendo anticipates it will meet its global sales target of 6 million Nintendo GameCube systems this fiscal year.

Nintendo estimates for 2003, Nintendo GameCube U.S. hardware sales increased by more than 35 percent over 2002; Sony's PlayStation 2 dropped by about 25 percent and Xbox showed no relevant market growth. In December alone, Nintendo GameCube hardware sales soared 69 percent over December 2002, compared to a drop of about 30 percent for PlayStation 2. Again, Xbox showed little change.

U.S. sales got a boost from a Sept. 25 price drop, which brought Nintendo GameCube to an MSRP of $99.99. Now Nintendo GameCube has nearly 6.8 million units sold in the U.S. since its 2001 launch. And Mario Kart®: Double Dash!!™ has become the fastest-selling Nintendo GameCube game in the United States, selling more than 1 million units in just seven weeks.

"With the price drop for Nintendo GameCube and strong games across the board, we expected to have a good holiday season, but these numbers surpassed even our best projections," explains George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance have become the engines powering the video game industry this year."

The hand-held Game Boy® Advance also saw double-digit increases in the United States, with nearly 2.5 million units sold in December, an 11 percent increase over December 2002. Nintendo sold more than 8.2 million Game Boy Advance systems in 2003, an increase of 18 percent over 2002 and the most sold in one calendar year in the 14-year history of the Game Boy. In 2003, the Game Boy Advance outsold PlayStation 2 by nearly 2 million units.

Nintendo also led the way during the holiday season's software boom. The 2003 sales for Nintendo GameCube software increased 63 percent over 2002, while Xbox software increased 54 percent and PlayStation 2 software increased 23 percent. Nintendo expects to continue riding the wave of success through 2004, with a steady flow of strong software titles, including Final Fantasy®: Crystal Chronicles™ in February and Pokémon Colosseum™ in March.

[nolimit19]

"with nearly 2.5 million units sold in December"

[Kyosho]

I'm curious if any of you are IGN Insiders.  There was a poll released with what companies thought of the 2003 gaming year.  Nearly 50% thought 2003 was bad.  And then another poll which was "what system would you put your resources into" had the PS2 beat on the GC by at least 4x.   So all this means is just Nintendo can't be slacking nor can they take the easy way out.  They have to battle harder.  As usual, the GBA is Nintendo's best selling product.

[Bill Aurion]

Actually, I believe the second part of that survey asked developers which console they were concentrating on, not just putting resources into...That softens the blow quite a bit...

[DarkSyphor]

I guess now Nintendo is going to try its best this year 2004
but at least Nintendo did alright  

[Kyosho]

snipped from IGN

"Into what hardware will you place your resources for 2004"

Unsurprisingly though, according to the polls, Nintendo's company is on top for the rankings for software development.  

[mouse_clicker]

Obviously the PS2 is the system to put your resources in- you can't ignore a console that has a user base twice as big as its competitors' combined.

[VoodooMerlin]

One thing that you can't forget. Video gaming may be your own hobby or recreational pastime, but it's also big business. If you were a game developer you'd want to put your product where it will do the numbers. With it's massive install base, you can't blame 'em for going PS2 first. It's an old system, it's overpriced......but it still sells huge.

[KDR_11k]

Publishers love the PS2 because even crap sells on it. Developers hate the PS2 because of the retrictions placed by the hardware.

[jaz013]

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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Publishers love the PS2 because even crap sells on it. Developers hate the PS2 because of the retrictions placed by the hardware.

Money talks. You can overlook these restrictions if you know that your 6 months developed game will sell at least enought to make profit. Besides, I think GC owners are much more selective on the software they get (i don't know why, but I still think GC owners are much more "hardcore").

[mouse_clicker]

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Besides, I think GC owners are much more selective on the software they get

It's not that we're selective, it's just that since we're all Nintendo fans, we'd much rather buy a Nintendo game than a mysterious 3rd party title that may or may not be good at all.

[oohhboy]

"I" wouldn't say that. It is just that overall we tend to have more of an eye for quality and we know what we want. Sure we buy our Nintendo titles, but we just simply do not like crap.

If I was a total Nintendo fan I would have more of thier titles in my collection, but I am not. I look for the best of the best and games that have that X factor. If a Nintendo games doesn't have that X factor I won't buy it.

But that doesn't stop me from going to a friends house and play a game I would have not otherwise have played. If it is fun I will play it. But it has to be special if I am to buy it.

[Plugabugz]

People with a gamecube are largely more niche, and want that "extra something" which the PS2 doesn't really cater for.

That said there are people with both consoles, but having played both, I find the games i'd buy on my cube are more targeted to what i like (aside the fact that it's my cube in the first place ).

[KDR_11k]

jaz: The devs themselves usually don't see a cent of the money generated by sales. It all goes to the publisher or their employer, the employees rarely get more money for better sales. That's the gamble the publisher does for the dev house: The devs get a steady income while the publisher becomes rich if the game sells good or takes a hit if it doesn't. Dev houses producing games that don't sell get dissolved pretty fast, though.

[jaz013]

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
jaz: The devs themselves usually don't see a cent of the money generated by sales. It all goes to the publisher or their employer, the employees rarely get more money for better sales. That's the gamble the publisher does for the dev house: The devs get a steady income while the publisher becomes rich if the game sells good or takes a hit if it doesn't. Dev houses producing games that don't sell get dissolved pretty fast, though.

Well, you are repeating what I just say. If you as developer sees that a game in the PS2 is more likely to be published that releasing the same in GC, the most of the games would be developed for the first. And what makes that a publisher decide to go on with a game?, well, the security that the game would at least generate some money. If you know that even poorly-make games sells, then you publish all the games you can, so in the numbers be the safety of income. That easy. It's like the cinemas, if a movie is really bad, but still many people is willing to see it, they proyect it, even lefting out some other good movies.

[thecubedcanuck]

"If I was a total Nintendo fan I would have more of thier titles in my collection, but I am not. I look for the best of the best and games that have that X factor. If a Nintendo games doesn't have that X factor I won't buy it."

this is the way I look at it as well. It is also the main reason that I havent purchased very many Nintendo exclusives for the cube, I simply dont feel that Nintendo's games are any better than many of the competitions anymore.
At one time a Nintendo game was guarenteed great, IMO that just isnt the case anymore.

[Kyosho]

agreed as well,

I've returned several 1st/2nd party exclusives because I thought they weren't keepers including Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine.   Right now, I have my eye on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Tales of Symphonia from the EB upcoming games list.  And that's it.  Does anyone else see a semi-shortage of titles? Im sure Harvest Moon will be fun... but not my cup of tea.

[KDR_11k]

Well, it's only a shortage if you dislike about 90% of the good games. Maybe you should check your preferences and choose another device if you're unhappy with the selection on your current one.

[mouse_clicker]

I don't mean this derisively, but if you guys honestly don't think Nintendo's games are very good anymore, or aren't any better than the competition, sell your Gamecube and get an XBox or PS2. I say that because it's silly to own a Gamecube if you don't like Nintendo's games, seeing as there's so little 3rd party titles to turn to on it. There's no reason to own a console you're not going to play, and your money would be much better spent on a different console that you will play. Most of all, though, don't complain to us about how you think Nintendo's declining- you are perfectly capable of fixing that problem, and you know it. No one is forcing you to own a Gamecube or play Nintendo games.

[Jale]

Quote
Originally posted by: Kyosho
As usual, the GBA is Nintendo's best selling product.

Thats probably because Nintendo has a near-monopoly on hand held gaming at this moment in time.

[mouse_clicker]

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Thats probably because Nintendo has a near-monopoly on hand held gaming at this moment in time.

And with Bandai giving up on the Wonderswan, Nintendo has even more of a strangehold on the handheld market.

[thecubedcanuck]

Mouse

When I bought my gamecube I didnt know I wouldnt like as many Nin flagship titles as I once did. I thought I would like the next Mario game or the Zelda, I didnt like either one. As a result of my experience, this will probably be my last Nintendo console, unless third party support increases a lot for the N5. The reason being I am still a huge fan of Nin hardware.

[nolimit19]

yea most of nintendos big games have sucked big this generation...at least compared with past efforts. i wont buy another console though....they just havent messed up THAT bad yet.

[mouse_clicker]

Cubed: How can you like the hardware? Hardware doesn't mean jack squat if you don't like the games! And since you obviously don't like the games, sell your Gamecube, make some money, and spend it on a PS2 or XBox. If you already have one or the other, or better yet both, buy some games you know you will like. You're not getting any sympathy from me that you've been dissapointed. It's your own fault you've kept your Gamecube so long after being let down. I couldn't care less about why you bought the console in the first place, the only thing that matters is you obviously don't like it now. You've always had the option to get rid of your Gamecube, yet you haven't, and in my eyes that gives you no right to complain. If you don't like the console, don't keep it- it's that simple. The same goes for Kyosho and nolimit, as well.  

[Kyosho]

Most of all, though, don't complain to us about how you think Nintendo's declining- you are perfectly capable of fixing that problem, and you know it. No one is forcing you to own a Gamecube or play Nintendo games.

We are prime examples of what Nintendo needs to improve on.  Has the thought ever occurred that we bought it in hopes that it will be a step closer to how the SNES once was? My dad bought me the NES the month it came out.  I still have the old gray vintage hardware in my closet.  If anything, after been a fan of Nintendo this long, I have a right to *complain* about things that I want out of Nintendo.  Complaining improves things.  Blindly praising every Nintendo game as a monument success is not.

Every Nintendo generation gets worse and worse, but I've stuck it through this long.  Maybe finally hope will return its favor, and Nintendo will bounce back next generation.  

So in my eyes, you're just a kid who is overly content with your system.  You obviously have little to no understanding of the industry via the general consumer.