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Media Create Sales: Week 28, 2014 (Jul 07 - Jul 13)

Alrus

Member
Level-5 was mocked for years for launching failed IP after failed IP, and now their struggles have finally paid off. I could see those studios jumping on in search of similar success.

This is a huge exaggeration, they had two big failure, Gundan Age and Time Travelers. The rest of their new stuff either performed according to expectations or did slightly better while not setting any records. They were mocked because their franchises were fading quickly due to mishandling.
 
Ah, the good old "every game should be released only on Nintendo platforms" stealth argument brought back because of Youkai Watch 2.

The niche games much more in line with Falcom and NIS titles than Youkai Watch that were released on both Vita and 3DS have shown that some kinds of games will sell badly on Nintendo platforms no matter what. The audience just isn't there.

The reason why NIS, Falcom, Compile Heart, Gust, etc develop for Playstation is the same reason why Level 5 published YW on 3DS: they had nothing to gain from publishing in other platforms. It would only increase the risk.
 

Metallix87

Member
Ah, the good old "every game should be released only on Nintendo platforms" stealth argument brought back because of Youkai Watch 2.

The niche games much more in line with Falcom and NIS titles than Youkai Watch that were released on both Vita and 3DS have shown that some kinds of games will sell badly on Nintendo platforms no matter what. The audience just isn't there.

The reason why NIS, Falcom, Compile Heart, Gust, etc develop for Playstation is the same reason why Level 5 published YW on 3DS: they had nothing to gain from publishing in other platforms. It would only increase the risk.

The main thrust of this argument, though, is that Vita is likely Sony's last handheld.
 
The main thrust of this argument, though, is that Vita is likely Sony's last handheld.


When that happens, then they'll move to 4DS because there's no other platform to split audiences.

But until Vita is dead, that's still a good several years away,looking at Japan's length of time in platform support/migration.
 

TheChaos0

Member
PS4 is most likely

We'll see about that. It will be really disappointing and really awesome if this really happened. However, I don't see any signs pointing towards it being a PS4 game. By the virtue of GD1 being a Vita game, so should the sequel. Should is the key word here.

The main thrust of this argument, though, is that Vita is likely Sony's last handheld.

And your point is? Should everyone abandon ship now? Start building audience by releasing on 3DS? Is this what you are trying to say? If this is Sony's last handheld, then the audience from PS Handheld space will naturally transfer to whatever Nintendo releases.
 

TheChaos0

Member
When that happens, then they'll move to 4DS because there's no other platform to split audiences.

But until Vita is dead, that's still a good several years away,looking at Japan's length of time in platform support/migration.

I wonder, if 4DS ends up not being overwhelmingly more power than Vita, could it survive for longer?
 

ZSaberLink

Media Create Maven
There are now seven >200k Vita titles. Only one of them has sold >300k, but five of them came out within the past year. It still looks pretty bad for the future of the system overall, but it's a commendable second year in general considering the failure at launch. It doesn't look like it'll ever really make a "come back" like the PSP did in Japan, but I expect that in the next 1-2 years there will definitely be more and more ~200k titles since they definitely have a market locked up there with gamers who have a specific sort of taste at least. Unless someone comes up with something really special though, I doubt we'll be seeing a 500k title on the system ever, which would be the next big milestone to aim for.

God Eater 2 will likely hit 400K imo with the best edition.
 

Principate

Saint Titanfall
When that happens, then they'll move to 4DS because there's no other platform to split audiences.

But until Vita is dead, that's still a good several years away,looking at Japan's length of time in platform support/migration.

I think it's more about building an audience on Nintendo consoles rather developing for consoles which is no longer a foregone conclusion chances are they could move onto mobile but judging by how antagonistic Japanese developers are to multiplatform releases for handheld games if they're going to pick one they're going to pick the one that makes most sense, which is the real reason. Vita's install base simply prevents that for larger games.
 

Morfeo

The Chuck Norris of Peace
Overall user base means little when the userbase for a game or genre isn't there

Do we really know is the userbase for the traditional japanese-published games arent there? I feel the sales of software on the DS shows that a lot of stuff can sell on Nintendo-plattforms - stuff that arent being made right now.

The 3DS doesn't have bad third party support, what the hell...

No, but compared to the DS its pretty terrible imo.
 

ohlawd

Member
No, but compared to the DS its pretty terrible imo.
meh, I think it's more like DQ and MH are on the system so people are thinking that makes for good support.

couldn't be farther from the truth. the system is lacking in niche shit.
 

TheChaos0

Member
meh, I think it's more like DQ and MH are on the system so people are thinking that makes for good support.

couldn't be farther from the truth. the system is lacking in niche shit.

If it wasn't for Atlus, I wouldn't know what to play on it. There are odd other releases but they are too sporadic (SE for example).
 

Scum

Junior Member
Congrats to Level-5. Take note Nintendo, as well as the rest of you publishers. Go wild and create competition for other established IPs.
 

Nirolak

Mrgrgr
meh, I think it's more like DQ and MH are on the system so people are thinking that makes for good support.

couldn't be farther from the truth. the system is lacking in niche shit.

I feel this is kind of the reality of the industry though.

There's less and less retail titles overall as more and more resources are spent on the titles that remain.

Beyond that, any resources going out the door to "new" markets like mobile, f2p, and PC for Asia are resources that aren't going into dedicated games.

Like Square Enix used to have Matrix make a bunch of DS stuff. Now they have them make a bunch of mobile stuff.

There isn't a major indie scene in Japan to make up for the content output through digital distribution either.
 
Highly unlikely
Right, isn't the main audience for this game Japan? It's not like GR is a system seller so putting the game on a system that the fans of the first game don't even have and a system that will continue to sell like Dog shit until Square enix decides to save it isn't a smart decision.
 

Jamix012

Member
Right, isn't the main audience for this game Japan? It's not like GR is a system seller so putting the game on a system that the fans of the first game don't even have and a system that will continue to sell like Dog shit until Square enix decides to save it isn't a smart decision.

Yeah that's pretty much my feeling.
It's a Japan oriented game with a fan base already on the vita with limited system selling potential. At most, I suppose it's possible they make it a cross platform game.
 

Opiate

Member
I feel this is kind of the reality of the industry though.

There's less and less retail titles overall as more and more resources are spent on the titles that remain.

Beyond that, any resources going out the door to "new" markets like mobile, f2p, and PC for Asia are resources that aren't going into dedicated games.

Like Square Enix used to have Matrix make a bunch of DS stuff. Now they have them make a bunch of mobile stuff.

There isn't a major indie scene in Japan to make up for the content output through digital distribution either.

Further, a lot of closed studios aren't seeing the talent leave the industry entirely, they're mostly just reforming as smaller, indie studios, and typically with a focus on iOS, Android, or PC (the last of those three only if those closed studios are Western). This process produces the same effect as studios actively choosing to move from console to mobile, but does so by force, rather than by choice.
 

sörine

Banned
The niche games much more in line with Falcom and NIS titles than Youkai Watch that were released on both Vita and 3DS have shown that some kinds of games will sell badly on Nintendo platforms no matter what. The audience just isn't there.
I don't see much evidence of that at all. You really think games like Disgaea, Ys or LOH would bomb on 3DS?
 
Crazy for Youkai Watch. Grats Level-5.

And I'm pleased to see some leggy Vita games showing up again, even if it is just through anime exposure.

Vita bump is cool too. Wasn't expecting that for a "value" pack which, imo, doesn't have much value in it.
 
Regarding NIS/Falcom etc., I just don't see why they would make the jump to 3DS at this point. It'd require a paradigm shift of their companies whole being to chase after the audience that Youkai Watch has demonstrated is on 3DS.

A company like Falcom doesn't survive for 33 years and counting without knowing what they're doing. And what they do is make budget-appropriate games for a receptive audience. Something like this week isn't going to change that.

Besides, they've all certainly got a few years left of PS3/Vita development. Sen no Kiseki, for example, was a crazy success in my opinion. Not a Youkai Watch 2 crazy success, sure, but by Falcom's standards a massive hit.

Compile Heart seem well entrenched on Vita now; Falcom too; and NIS are getting there. Honestly, the company I would be most worried about is Gust. They haven't embraced Vita other than ports; Atelier is on the decline and Ar no Surge was a flop. They don't have much to bank on at the moment. But the TK buyout should be at least some stability for them going forward.
 

Mpl90

Two copies sold? That's not a bomb guys, stop trolling!!!
I don't think Yokai Watch 2 is going to change the mind of the NIS, Gust, Falcom of the world. They support Sony platforms, where there is their audience, and their games sell well to that audience. It's true that they could try doing something also on 3DS, but they don't need to, now.

However, if the future has Vita being the last traditional Sony handheld and PS4 being not as good as PS3, if not much worse, I can see them starting thinking about Nintendo platforms much more, because their traditional games don't seem to be what could sell on mobile at all (both gameplay-wise and audience-wise) and because their next handheld could be the only platform that could guarantee good numbers in the next years.

I suppose their first attempts, in the case, will be multi releases, though, since Vita would still be there and PS4 is yet to see, but it could be a decent platform for them as well, and I think they would come around the first year after 3DS's successor has been released...these are all theories, though.
 

sörine

Banned
I don't think NIS or Falcom are going to suddenly dump Vita or flock to 3DS either, I just don't see any track record of failure on 3DS for likeminded or similar games. In fact I see the opposite with franchises like Etrian Odyssey, Rune Factory, Tales, etc.

Falcom or NIS could do well on 3DS, perhaps even better than the market they've built Vita. They won't but it isn't because they couldn't.
 

Arzehn

Member
I'm more impressed by Vita's hardware bump than the 3DS, was there no Youkai Watch 3DS bundle?

Also, people talking about developers flocking to 3DS because of Youkai Watch is pretty funny. Youkai Watch was a flop until the anime caught steam. Unless Falcom (lol) have the next big anime lined up I think they'll stick to status quo.
 

Alrus

Member
Youkai Watch wasn't a flop before the anime...

Well at this point there is no reason for NIS or Falcom to switch platform or even try to develop an audience on the 3DS. They built what they feel is a satisfactory audience on the Vita for their game, they probably don't want to spend ressources building the same kind of audience on the 3DS when money could be better spend elsewhere.

So yeah, while I don't think their game would bomb on the 3DS, they're not going to bother this gen at least.
 

Yagami_Sama

Member
I expected to Yo-kai Watch 2 do a great job in the first week, but its sales were incredible. Almost have the two games in the first and second spot.
Mario Kart 8 still doing well.

Wii Party U, it is almost reaching 800k, quite impressive. And Wii U still ahead of PS3/4 still good. But still need more content in a regular basis.
 

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
I'm more impressed by Vita's hardware bump than the 3DS, was there no Youkai Watch 3DS bundle?

Also, people talking about developers flocking to 3DS because of Youkai Watch is pretty funny. Youkai Watch was a flop until the anime caught steam. Unless Falcom (lol) have the next big anime lined up I think they'll stick to status quo.

Weird definition of a flop you have - so selling a new IP + 400k is considered a flop now ? Because of these ridiculous expectations when it comes to Level 5, everyone acts a if they only produced flop while ignoring well performing titles like Fantasy Life.

How many new IPs selling that much have much bigger publishers like Konami, SE or Bamco produced in the last 5 years ?
 
sörine;121308625 said:
I don't see much evidence of that at all. You really think games like Disgaea, Ys or LOH would bomb on 3DS?

No, but if these companies migrated to 3DS as some people want them to do, these games would probably sell the same or less than what they currently sell. The few instances of niche RPGs more geared towards PSP/Vita audience in both 3DS and Vita usually sold a lot more on Vita, so publishing the game in a system with 6 or 7 times the install base (at the time) didn't mean more sales.

To migrate to another platform, these companies would have some cost added, some logistics to adapt themselves, etc. That means adding risks for no reward.

There is no point in ever migrating to 3DS, unless they are changing their target demographics and making different games. Given that the PS Vita will outlive 3DS, since the former will likely have no successor, the best bet for NIS, Falcom, Gust, Compile Heart, etc, is to remain on Vita while it is still relevant, then assess the market to see where is the best place to migrate, be it the next Nintendo handheld, consoles, PC, mobile, new gaming devices that may appear meanwhile, etc.
 

Celine

Member
There's less and less retail titles overall as more and more resources are spent on the titles that remain.

Beyond that, any resources going out the door to "new" markets like mobile, f2p, and PC for Asia are resources that aren't going into dedicated games.
This generation will be painful to watch.
 

Arzehn

Member
Weird definition of a flop you have - so selling a new IP + 400k is considered a flop now ? Because of these ridiculous expectations when it comes to Level 5, everyone acts a if they only produced flop while ignoring well performing titles like Fantasy Life.

How many new IPs selling that much have much bigger publishers like Konami, SE or Bamco produced in the last 5 years ?

Game launched at 52.901 with a sell through of 40-60%. Before the promotion for the manga/anime really kicked in it was below 200k ltd. I mean I suppose that isn't bad if you look at over that time period.The legs until then were still pretty good, but the first few weeks of sales where it was seen as just a game had to be below expectations for L5.

Flop was the wrong word.
 

sörine

Banned
No, but if these companies migrated to 3DS as some people want them to do, these games would probably sell the same or less than what they currently sell. The few instances of niche RPGs more geared towards PSP/Vita audience in both 3DS and Vita usually sold a lot more on Vita, so publishing the game in a system with 6 or 7 times the install base (at the time) didn't mean more sales.

To migrate to another platform, these companies would have some cost added, some logistics to adapt themselves, etc. That means adding risks for no reward.

There is no point in ever migrating to 3DS, unless they are changing their target demographics and making different games. Given that the PS Vita will outlive 3DS, since the former will likely have no successor, the best bet for NIS, Falcom, Gust, Compile Heart, etc, is to remain on Vita while it is still relevant, then assess the market to see where is the best place to migrate, be it the next Nintendo handheld, consoles, PC, mobile, new gaming devices that may appear meanwhile, etc.
You keep saying there's evidence of lower sales on 3DS for JRPGs but where is it? Etrian Odyssey and SMT have done really well. So did Rune Factory. So did Bravely Default. Tales did better on 3DS than Vita. PXZ did well. Fire Emblem broke series records. You really think Ys or Disgaea or LOH would sell less than they have been on Vita? I'm just asking based on what?
 

mrjohill

Member
sörine;121323505 said:
You keep saying there's evidence of lower sales on 3DS for JRPGs but where is it? Etrian Odyssey and SMT have done really well. So did Rune Factory. So did Bravely Default. Tales did better on 3DS than Vita. PXZ did well. Fire Emblem broke series records. You really think Ys or Disgaea or LOH would sell less than they have been on Vita? I'm just asking based on what?

I think they are talking about stuff like conception 2 which released on both the vita and the 3ds but sales were higher on the vita
 
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