Topic: Official Sales Thread

[Chozo Ghost]

Wii Sports Resort cracks the Top 10 in Japan this week.  Say whaaaa?!

That is like if Disco somehow inexplicably made a come back.

[Kairon]

Wii Sports Resort cracks the Top 10 in Japan this week.  Say whaaaa?!

That is like if Disco somehow inexplicably made a come back.

*pumps fist*

[Disco Stu]

Wii Sports Resort cracks the Top 10 in Japan this week.  Say whaaaa?!

That is like if Disco somehow inexplicably made a come back.

*pumps fist*

Seriously people, my username has nothing to do with disco music and everything to do with the fact that my name is Stuart and I love The Simpsons.  Not that I have any problem with disco as a style of music.

[Louieturkey]

Wii Sports Resort cracks the Top 10 in Japan this week.  Say whaaaa?!

That is like if Disco somehow inexplicably made a come back.

*pumps fist*

Seriously people, my username has nothing to do with disco music and everything to do with the fact that my name is Stuart and I love The Simpsons.  Not that I have any problem with disco as a style of music.

*pumps fist in solidarity*

[Ian Sane]

Wii Sports Resort cracks the Top 10 in Japan this week.  Say whaaaa?!

That is like if Disco somehow inexplicably made a come back.

*pumps fist*

Seriously people, my username has nothing to do with disco music and everything to do with the fact that my name is Stuart and I love The Simpsons.  Not that I have any problem with disco as a style of music.

I never assumed your real name was actually Stu.  I figured you just thought the Simpsons character was funny.

[Mop it up]

Dragon Quest X is a straight up MMO, with a persistent world that requires server hosting that's much more extensive and therefore expensive than what other games use.

Honest question, how much does it cost to run such servers? Since technology has increased dramatically over time, I had always figured that in this day and age, running servers of all kinds was dirt cheap, but I've never done any research on that. I already feel that $50-60 for a single game is expensive, and so charging a fee simply to play a game feels like a big ripoff and is something I'd never do. Especially since we're talking about a game that's already made and just needs to be translated.

I wonder how easy it would be to convert the game to a system more like MHT, where there are designated meeting areas. I actually have no interest in the MMO aspect of it, and so I'd prefer if it were like that because then I could choose to play only with my friends and not have to meet randoms. Letting you play offline would be ideal for the US release as well. If Nintendo pick it up, maybe they'll make such changes so that the game actually has a chance of selling.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't know specifics, but the cost is enough that Square Enix or Nintendo wouldn't be willing to just eat it. They get your $50-60 one time, but have to continue operating the servers for a much longer time. To change the game to not require it would also require an investment, one that there's no guarantee they'll get back given how niche the series is in the west.

I honestly think there's a good chance the game is never released outside of Japan.

[Luigi Dude]

I don't know specifics, but the cost is enough that Square Enix or Nintendo wouldn't be willing to just eat it. They get your $50-60 one time, but have to continue operating the servers for a much longer time. To change the game to not require it would also require an investment, one that there's no guarantee they'll get back given how niche the series is in the west.

Dragon Quest IX managed to sell over 1 million copies in the West thanks to Nintendo's marketing so the series is not that niche when marketed well.  Since DQIX got a big marketing campaign and was a million seller, DQX would probably get a similar campaign as well and if Nintendo and Square Enix are expecting another million in western sales, I could see them making big changes to the western release since they're expecting it to sell similar to DQIX.

[Ymeegod]

Actually, DQIX really didn't do all that well, nintendo overprinted and that's why you'll find fhe game in the bargin bins for $10 or so.  Think it was less than a 1/4 million before the price reduction, JRPGs really don't sell anymore in the states.

As for Mop's question, it's not the server costs that's important but the bandwidth costs is what kills these companies and why subscriptions are so important or P2P item sales.  Also, if you're paying monthly you'll going want patches/updates and that'll require manpower which eats money as well. 

[TJ Spyke]

Actually, the game did sell pretty well. It's first month alone it sold about 124K copies in the US. The game is still full price at most retail stores. The only places that seem to sell it for less are places like Amazon.

[Enner]

Japan Numbers!
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=489026


Media Create Sales: Week 34, 2012 (Aug 20 - Aug 26)

01./01. [3DS] New Super Mario Bros. 2 <ACT> (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} (Â¥4.800) - 68.547 / 981.144 (-54%)
02./00. [PSP] Bakemonogatari Portable # <ADV> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.08.23} (Â¥6.280) - 34.500 / NEW
03./02. [NDS] Pokemon Black 2 / White 2 <RPG> (Pokemon Co.) {2012.06.23} (Â¥4.800) - 33.955 / 2.678.414 (-45%)
04./03. [WII] Dragon Quest X: Mezameshi Itsutsu no Shuzoku Online # <RPG> (Square Enix) {2012.08.02} (Â¥6.980) - 22.457 / 510.374 (-52%)
05./05. [3DS] Tohoku University Aging Medicine Research Institute: Headed By Professor Ryuta Kawashima - Train your Brain Effectively in 5 minutes a day with Oni Training <HOB> (Nintendo) {2012.07.28} (Â¥3.800) - 12.427 / 128.121 (-39%)
06./04. [WII] Just Dance Wii 2 <ACT> (Nintendo) {2012.07.26} (Â¥5.800) - 11.702 / 149.126 (-50%)
07./06. [3DS] Taiko no Tatsujin: Chibi Dragon to Fushigi na Orb <ACT> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.07.12} (Â¥5.040) - 11.140 / 177.728 (-41%)
08./10. [3DS] Kobitodzukan: Kobito Kansatsu Set <ETC> (Nippon Columbia) {2012.07.26} (Â¥5.040) - 8.588 / 68.783 (-32%)
09./07. [WII] Wii Sports Resort with Wii Remote Plus # <SPT> (Nintendo) {2010.11.11} (Â¥5.800) - 8.569 / 1.051.876 (-45%)
10./00. [PSP] Detective Opera: Milky Holmes 2 # <ADV> (Bushiroad) {2012.08.23} (Â¥5.229) - 7.842 / NEW
11./00. [PSV] Tokushu Houdoubu <ADV> (Nippon Ichi Software) {2012.08.23} (Â¥6.090) - 7.425 / NEW
12./09. [WII] Kirby's Dream Collection: Special Edition <ACT> (Nintendo) {2012.07.19} (Â¥3.800) - 7.026 / 186.959 (-46%)
13./11. [PSP] Kuroko's Basketball: Miracle Game <SLG> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.08.09} (Â¥5.230) - 6.908 / 56.434 (-43%)
14./00. [PS3] Rinne no Lagrange: Kamogawa Days - Game & Ova Hybrid Disc <ETC> (Bandai Namco Games) {2012.08.23} (Â¥7.980) - 6.563 / NEW
15./14. [3DS] Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D # <RPG> (Square Enix) {2012.05.31} (Â¥5.490) - 6.164 / 874.431 (-37%)
16./15. [3DS] Rune Factory 4: A Fantasy Harvest Moon <SLG> (Marvelous Entertainment) {2012.07.19} (Â¥5.229) - 5.263 / 140.639 (-37%)
17./13. [WII] Mario Party 9 <ETC> (Nintendo) {2012.04.26} (Â¥5.800) - 5.180 / 534.890 (-50%)
18./12. [PS3] Persona 4: Arena <FTG> (Atlus) {2012.07.26} (Â¥7.329) - 5.102 / 181.578 (-52%)
19./00. [360] The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings <RPG> (Spike Chunsoft) {2012.08.23} (Â¥7.770) - 4.924 / NEW
20./17. [3DS] Little Battlers eXperience: Explosive Boost <RPG> (Level 5) {2012.07.05} (Â¥4.400) - 4.784 / 119.350 (-40%)


Top 20

3DS - 7
WII - 5
PSP - 3
PS3 - 2
360 - 1
NDS - 1
PSV - 1

HARDWARE
Code:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|System | This Week  | Last Week  | Last Year  |     YTD    |  Last YTD  |     LTD     |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 3DS # |     71.373 |    111.857 |     60.781 |  2.920.654 |  1.672.785 |   7.202.797 |
|  PS3  |     11.896 |     16.277 |     33.141 |    753.745 |    818.683 |   8.390.130 |
|  PSV  |     10.880 |     11.298 |            |    455.378 |            |     895.364 |
| PSP # |      9.499 |     13.285 |     31.330 |    538.358 |  1.395.973 |  19.267.742 |
|  WII  |      8.810 |     15.640 |     11.342 |    369.973 |    456.576 |  12.533.194 |
| NDS # |      1.542 |      2.256 |      5.729 |     56.480 |    565.035 |  32.864.966 |
|  PS2  |      1.157 |      1.433 |      1.580 |     39.976 |     53.174 |  21.814.083 |
|  360  |        863 |        978 |      1.393 |     46.822 |     77.117 |   1.582.867 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|  ALL  |    116.020 |    173.024 |    145.296 |  5.181.386 |  5.039.343 | 104.551.143 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 3DSLL |     41.901 |     66.412 |            |    442.699 |            |     442.699 |
|  3DS  |     29.472 |     45.445 |     60.781 |  2.477.955 |  1.672.785 |   6.760.098 |
| DSiLL |        870 |      1.187 |      3.235 |     31.367 |    291.350 |   2.325.686 |
|  DSi  |        672 |      1.069 |      2.384 |     25.113 |    253.768 |   5.859.163 |
|  PSP  |      9.499 |     13.285 |     31.310 |    538.358 |  1.380.489 |  19.091.755 |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nothing note worthy sticks out to me.

[Louieturkey]

Sales look like they went down across the board.  One noteworthy thing you can see is that NSMB2 passed 1 million sales if you include the theoretical digital sales (said to be at 5% of the retail sales a couple of weeks ago).  It'll cross 1 million retail sales next week.

[Shaymin]

Interesting that DQX crossed 500k in Japan. Word of mouth seems to be working for it.

[Mop it up]

It's crazy how much the 3DS is selling. It'll probably pass the PS3 by the end of the year.

[Sarail]

Very, very happy to see Dragon Quest X maintaining sales. I really hope this game makes it to North American shores (and Europe, too!) for the Wii U. I've got to get my hands on this game.

[Mop it up]

I've given up hoping for DQX, there's a lot going against the game. The Wii version is definitely not coming, I already knew that, but even the Wii U version seems highly unlikely. The DQ audience here won't go for an MMO, and Square won't put in the effort to change the game so that it's more like MHT and free to play (no way I'd ever pay a subscription fee). The only way I see that happening is if Nintendo still do the publishing and back the changes themselves, but that seems unlikely given that they wouldn't even touch XenoBlade and The Last Story.

[Kairon]

Oh my giddy aunt you're right! 3DS is doing CRAZY WELL in Japan! Go Go 3DS!!!

[Louieturkey]

I have a feeling the 3DS LL will outsell the lifetime sales of the Vita before the year is out too.

[Luigi Dude]

The only way I see that happening is if Nintendo still do the publishing and back the changes themselves, but that seems unlikely given that they wouldn't even touch XenoBlade and The Last Story.

You do realize Iwata has mandated NOA and NOE have to publish the Dragon Quest games in the West?  Dragon Quest is one of the biggest series in Japan and Nintendo publishing it in the West is one of the things helps keep it Nintendo exclusive.  Why else do you think NOA published both Dragon Quest VI and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 for the DS last year, even though they were trying to focus on the 3DS which made them ignore some of their own games like the 2nd DS Fire Emblem.

This is why Dragon Quest X will come out in the West because NCL will make it come to the West.  This is a game NOA won't be able to refuse.

[Kairon]

The only way I see that happening is if Nintendo still do the publishing and back the changes themselves, but that seems unlikely given that they wouldn't even touch XenoBlade and The Last Story.

You do realize Iwata has mandated NOA and NOE have to publish the Dragon Quest games in the West?  Dragon Quest is one of the biggest series in Japan and Nintendo publishing it in the West is one of the things helps keep it Nintendo exclusive.  Why else do you think NOA published both Dragon Quest VI and Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 for the DS last year, even though they were trying to focus on the 3DS which made them ignore some of their own games like the 2nd DS Fire Emblem.

This is why Dragon Quest X will come out in the West because NCL will make it come to the West.  This is a game NOA won't be able to refuse.

Oh please oh please let this be the case. Oh PLEASE GREAT IWATA-SAN!!! DROP YOUR IRON HAMMER!!!

[broodwars]

This is why Dragon Quest X will come out in the West because NCL will make it come to the West.  This is a game NOA won't be able to refuse.

I can't imagine that Iwata forcing NoA to publish a series that's proven to be unsuccessful in the West goes over well with the investors, though.  I'm sure that goes over even better with a game like DQ X that has a continual upkeep cost and a subscription fee in a culture that has shunned subscription-based MMOs in the past few years.      And with DQ X under-performing at launch compared to other DQ games, I don't know if even exclusivity can justify pouring more resources into that money sink.

Nintendo can throw as much money at Dragon Quest in the West as they wish.  It will never catch on here, and certainly not to the extent the Japanese fawn over it.  The archaic, nostalgia-driven philosophies that govern that series will never make that series more than a minor niche franchise over here.  It will never be what even Final Fantasy is over here.

[TJ Spyke]

Except Dragon Quest IX WAS a success in the west, so it's wrong to say the series has been unsuccessful. The other DS games didn't do that bad either.

[broodwars]

Except Dragon Quest IX WAS a success in the west, so it's wrong to say the series has been unsuccessful. The other DS games didn't do that bad either.

EDIT: According to Silconera (I'm not putting the link up because my Anti-virus software registered a rootkit attack when I went there), DQ IX sold roughly a million copies between NA and EU.  That's...decent, I suppose (especially by Dragon Quest standards), but when the game sells 4 million units in Japan alone IIRC you have to figure that's a disappointment for the local Nintendo branches (especially considering how large the DS install base is).

[TJ Spyke]

The game has sold 1.02 million copies in the US and Europe (http://www.siliconera.com/2011/01/27/heres-how-much-dragon-quest-ix-sold-overseas/), that is without a doubt a success.

[broodwars]

The game has sold 1.02 million copies in the US and Europe (http://www.siliconera.com/2011/01/27/heres-how-much-dragon-quest-ix-sold-overseas/), that is without a doubt a success.

Damn, you beat my edit.  : : :   Seriously, folks, don't go to that link.  Your computer could be at risk.

1 million copies between Nintendo's two largest regions in the world is not terribly great by Nintendo standards, especially with all the marketing Nintendo put into it and the DS's huge install base.  The game sold 4 million copies in Japan alone IIRC, just as a point of comparison.  And as like is not the Wii U will never have the install base the DS has (really, what could?), so I think we can safely say that 400,000 - 500,000 copies per region is probably the series' maximum potential.