NPD Game Sale Chart: November 2005

[zmweasel]

@petewhitley your argument doesn't make sense unless you think at some point GTA is going to outsell Mario Kart.

As of the end of November, Liberty City Stories *has* outsold Mario Kart DS. Which game ends up with more unit sales when both have run their retail course remains to be seen.

-- Z.

thank you captain obvious

Just pointing out that Pete's argument does make sense, and that "at some point," LCS *has* outsold MKDS. And it should certainly remain in the lead through the end of the year.

Cool your ad hominem jets.

-- Z.

[classicb]

Just pointing out that Pete's argument does make sense, and that "at some point," LCS *has* outsold MKDS. And it should certainly remain in the lead through the end of the year.

Cool your ad hominem jets.

-- Z.

"i get it" but thanks for making sure

[zmweasel]

Just pointing out that Pete's argument does make sense, and that "at some point," LCS *has* outsold MKDS. And it should certainly remain in the lead through the end of the year.

Cool your ad hominem jets.

-- Z.

"i get it" but thanks for making sure

Quick Q: why is "I get it" in quotation marks?

-- Z.

[JJNova]

Just because I am an asshole, I would like to point out that Gamespot apparently didn't update, as NPD Funworld posted incorrect information on their site, then had it pulled and replaced with the correct information. On the 'corrected' list, GTA Liberty City Stories held the number 7 position, and Mario Kart DS the number 10 position.

November Top 25 Software Sales

US Top 25 Videogame Titles
Rank Title Publisher

Rank Title Publisher
1 XBX STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II LucasArts
2 PS2 STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II LucasArts
3 360 CALL OF DUTY 2 Activision
4 PS2 MADDEN NFL 06 Electronic Arts
5 PS2 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2 THQ
6 360 MADDEN NFL 06 Electronic Arts
7 PSP GTA: LIBERTY CITY STORIES Take 2 Interactive
8 PS2 TONY HAWK AMERICAN WASTELAND Activision
9 GCN MARIO PARTY 7 Nintendo
10 NDS MARIO KART Nintendo
11 PS2 50 CENT: BULLETPROOF Vivendi
12 PS2 CALL OF DUTY 2: BIG RED ONE Activision
13 360 NEED FOR SPEED: MOST WANTED Electronic Arts
14 PS2 SOUL CALIBUR III Namco
15 PS2 DRAGON BALL Z: BUDOKAI TENK Atari
16 PS2 NBA LIVE 06 Electronic Arts
17 PS2 BLITZ: THE LEAGUE Midway
18 PS2 NEED FOR SPEED: MOST WANTED Electronic Arts
19 PS2 RATCHET: DEADLOCKED Sony
20 PSP STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II LucasArts
21 360 PERFECT DARK ZERO LTD ED Microsoft
22 PS2 SOCOM 3: US NAVY SEALS Sony
23 PS2 GUN Activision
24 PS2 THE MATRIX: PATH OF NEO Atari
25 XBX CALL OF DUTY 2: BIG RED ONE Activision

And as interesting as all that sounds, you also have to remember the note that comes at the bottom of NPD posting.

Note: Ranked in terms of $$$ sales.

So maybe Mario Kart did outsell GTA, but remember that you are comparing a 35 USD price tage to a 50 USD price tag. So in short...

500,000 MKDS = 350,000 GTA

If they sold the same amount of copies, then GTA would come out ahead in terms of gross revenue.

[stressboy]

Oh, and I'd like to note that I said some of your loyal PlayStation fans, before anyone says my comment was trolling. Not all PS fans. The fact is, if you want more of the same, the PS2 is where you'd want to go.

Yeah I know the PS2 is just like a giant vortex that sucks in all the "more of the same" titles and the new and original stuff never has a chance.

Aren't you the one that said he was banned from Gamefaqs?

[Griking]

Frankly I could care less which sells more by the end of the year. But I'm sick of the anti-Sony/pro-Nintendo rhetoric on these boards, in that there is just blatant dis-information spread by these Nintendo fanboys.

Actually the Anti-Nintendo/Pro-Sony people can be quite annoying as well.

[Biff_McFresh]

Actually the Anti-Nintendo/Pro-Sony people can be quite annoying as well.

Indeed, all shapes and forms are annoying. Can't we all coexist in harmony?

[goatdan]

Sports games that are rehashed yearly are eaten up on the PS2. Madden, for example. Any platformers that are rehashed early are eaten up on the PS2. Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter for example. The majority of franchises on the PS2 consists of sequels.

Mario hasn't been rehashed 20 times? There might be more than one Ratchet and Clank, but it is a new game series for the PS2. The first Super Mario Brothers had three sequels on one console. Mario Party has had how many sequels so far? 7. Over two systems. Four on the GameCube, and three on the N64. If I'm not mistaken, it's been one a year.

And there are also franchises that aren't rehashed on the same hardware too often. Metal Gear Solid has had two installments on the PS2, but it is already being looked at as a great PS3 game. So...

Your point is what? That you don't like Playstation?

I know Nintendo puts out a lot of games based on current franchises, but you usually only see one Mario Kart per generation. You only see one Smash Brothers per generation, one Mario platformer, et cetera. Madden is also on the GameCube, but it sells substantially on the PS2. This is not because the PS2 has sold 5 times as many systems. Madden on the PS2 sells well over 5 times as many as it does on the GameCube.

What's wrong with Madden? Nothing. It's a football game. If you want to play a football game, it's now your only choice.

And believe it or not, the GameCube is for the most part a *kiddie* system. Yes, sorry everyone, but there is a ton of kids who own the thing. Maybe because it's cute. Maybe because the games have nice, cute graphics. Maybe because Grand Theft Auto isn't on it. But it's a kid's system that happens to have a few adult games on it.

And you know what? Six year olds, in general, don't care about football as much as 25 year olds do. So if you are an older gamer and you want a football game, it only makes sense that you will be buying it for your PS2 or Xbox and not your kid's GameCube.

But I have to stop celebrating for a second and ask: 5th place (Mario Kart DS) over 7th place (Liberty City Stories) is "wiping the floor"?

Also, Liberty City Stories debuted on the charts in 4th place--one place higher than Mario Kart DS's debut. Gasp!! Does one place higher count as "floor-wiping," or does it need to be two?

I was really wondering the same thing. It could be argued that it is a better showing for the DS because there is more software that people are wanting for it and the people that bought the PSP did so because they knew GTA:LCS would be awesome... but that means that Sony sold an assload of hardware based on one game, while it took Nintendo a lot more to get that far. What will happen when Sony starts cranking out the quality releases?

It's the same as the killer app argument that I hate. Making a really good type of game won't mean that the last really good type of game that was like it is forgotten. When they were making Headhunter for the Dreamcast, it was often hailed as the "Metal Gear Solid killer." What's the point? Metal Gear Solid is going to be a damn good game, and even if Headhunter came out with as much fanfare, people wouldn't play it and decide that Metal Gear Solid sucked suddenly.

Mario Kart beating Grand Theft Auto in the sales charts is about as useful as noting that the sales of Disney Princess for the Game Boy Advance being number one was a huge blow to Pokemon Emarld, as Princess was released in 03. But it is also now only $12.00.

Apples? Meet oranges.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

So...you guys must all be stockholders, right?

[Joker T]

At least Soul Calibur 3 is selling

[max 330 mega]

all i can say is im hellaglad to see mario kart wiping the floor with GTA.
also really happy to see mario party 7 make the list too.

Hooray! The umpteenth sequel in a kart-racing franchise has mildly outsold the umpteenth sequel in a free-roaming action franchise! Hooray!

But I have to stop celebrating for a second and ask: 5th place (Mario Kart DS) over 7th place (Liberty City Stories) is "wiping the floor"?

Also, Liberty City Stories debuted on the charts in 4th place--one place higher than Mario Kart DS's debut. Gasp!! Does one place higher count as "floor-wiping," or does it need to be two?

-- Z.

needs to be two.

[Xizer]

Six year olds, in general, don't care about football as much as 25 year olds do.

Oh please. EVERY 6 year old boy wants to grow up to be the world's next football super star. It's beginning at this age that every little boy plasters up a bunch of football posters in their room.

[Tanis178]

reading this thread makes me think that christmas stress is really getting to some people, how about a little love for your fellow man/woman? i think it's time for a "trash each other because i've got nothing better to do at x-mas" forum

[Arcade Antics]

Opinions? Agree, disagree?

Since you asked for it...

Who cares? Buy and play what you like, the end.

[zmweasel]

needs to be two.

And could you explain how you came to define "wiping the floor" as two places higher in terms of unit sales on a since-corrected list that ranks Liberty City Stories *three* places higher in terms of money, which is what everyone involved cares about?

-- Z.

[zmweasel]

So...you guys must all be stockholders, right?

There seems to be plenty of room on Digital Press to discuss all aspects of the video game hobby, including the unavoidably important financial aspects of such: best-sellers, price points, et cetera. Why disparage the people who wish to engage in such conversations?

We might not be stockholders, but as gamers, our hobby and our gaming choices are most certainly affected by what's selling and what isn't. Why don't you consider that subject worthy of discussion?

-- Z.

[zmweasel]

Six year olds, in general, don't care about football as much as 25 year olds do.

Oh please. EVERY 6 year old boy wants to grow up to be the world's next football super star. It's beginning at this age that every little boy plasters up a bunch of football posters in their room.

Purely anecdotal, mind you, but I've never seen a poster of a football, or of a football player, in the room of a pre-teen boy. Must be a red-state thing.

-- Z.

[Phosphor Dot Fossils]

Why don't you consider that subject worthy of discussion?

Oh, it's worthy of discussion. So answer me this: why does it seem like it frequently turns into a mudslinging match?

[zmweasel]

Oh, it's worthy of discussion. So answer me this: why does it seem like it frequently turns into a mudslinging match?

Because too many gamers have attached their egos, if not their stock portfolios, to their consoles. But it's been that way since the days of the Atari 2600 and the Mattel Intellivision, and the Plimpton-starring TV commercials that started us down the long, ugly road to today's rabid Internet fanboyism.

Is "max 330 mega" tweaked because I'm asking him to better define why he feels that Mario Kart DS is "wiping the floor" with Liberty City Stories? (A difference of "two places" is quite arbitrary, not to mention that one game could be two places ahead of another if it had sold two more or two *million* more copies.) I don't know, but I hope he's not. I'm not attacking the individual, just questioning his ideas.

-- Z.

[icbrkr]