Author Topic: GTA: Chinatown < 90k units - Analysts STFU (Read 2049 times)

chronovore · « **on:** April 20, 2009, 01:03:15 AM »

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/gta-chinatown-wars-sales-a-disappointment

Quote

Rockstar and Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars sold under 89,000 units during March in the US, according to the latest investor note from Cowan and Company.

The firm had originally suggested the game could sell as many as 2 million units in if first year of sale in the US, but has now slashed forecasts to just 500,000 units.

"Despite a strong critical reception, Take-Two's GTA: Chinatown Wars sold a very disappointing 89,000 units in March, well below our more recent 200-250,000 estimate and far below the 400-450,000 we thought the title might sell upon its release," wrote Doug Creutz.

Although sales did not meet expectations, Cowan suggested it was an indication of the difficulties third-party publishers face in the Nintendo market, and not due to the quality of the title.

"Take-Two exported their most valuable IP onto the most widely distributed gaming platform, and created the most highly-rated title in the history of that platform," detailed Creutz. "We knew there were some uphill challenges due to the demographics of the platform, but believed there were enough core gamers/adults owning a DS that the title could still perform very well.

"However, either the demographics are more challenging than we thought, or core gamers did not view the title as an essential purchase due to the nature of the platform.

"We believe the experiment was a worthwhile one for Take-Two, and still expect the title to be profitable (though likely marginally so). However, the disappointing first month sales reinforce our view that achieving meaningful success on Nintendo platforms remains a very difficult proposition for third party publishers," he added.

US sales results from The NPD Group last night revealed that March software sales for the US were down 17 per cent to USD 792.83 million, comared to USD 952.14 million for the same period in 2008.

So my takeaway from this is ANALYSTS DON'T KNOW SHIT. Also: Much with ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, and Psychonauts, mainstream game reviews DON'T COUNT FOR SHIT.

Metacritic-wise, GTA:Chinatown is apparently the highest-rated DS game, evar. And it amounted to a hill of beans.

Bocsius · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2009, 01:39:41 AM »

Grand Theft Auto not popular on a device marketed at kids and soccer moms. Who knew.

Veidt · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:27:50 AM »

GTA on DS?

pilonv1 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:40:17 AM »

depends if this sells like a normal ds game (ie not front loaded, consistently over time). if it doesn then it bombed.

i wouldn't be surprised if this ends up well over 500k by years end.

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #4 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:46:07 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on April 20, 2009, 02:22:31 AM

More than you can say for the other corpses of great games that are clogging the DS's drain.

What games are you talking about here?

Cormacaroni · « **Reply #5 on:** April 20, 2009, 02:54:10 AM »

analysts don't seem to know that all the teen crim wannabes out there can just download DS games.

Bildi · « **Reply #6 on:** April 20, 2009, 03:16:32 AM »

Is this a classic-style GTA?

I would have thought most of the current GTA fanbase came on with GTA3 and so wouldn't be very interested in a overhead-style GTA.

Madrun Badrun · « **Reply #7 on:** April 20, 2009, 03:19:30 AM »

Quote from: Oscar the Grouch on April 20, 2009, 02:22:31 AM

Everyone thought it would be crap before reviews hit so even the hardcores were blindsided.

This is a good point. I wasn't expecting anything from the game but now that I hear it's great I might pick it up.

bork · « **Reply #8 on:** April 20, 2009, 03:56:24 AM »

What did the PSP games sell like in comparison? What about the GBC/GBA games?

Quote from: Bildi on April 20, 2009, 03:16:32 AM

Is this a classic-style GTA?

I would have thought most of the current GTA fanbase came on with GTA3 and so wouldn't be very interested in a overhead-style GTA.

Yeah it is, and I think that may have played a part in things, too. I enjoyed the older games, but I couldn't get into Chinatown Wars at all. Would love to see a 3D remake on PSP though!

Crushed · « **Reply #9 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:13:55 AM »

It really doesn't SEEM like a classic GTA though. It feels more like GTAIII from a top-down perspective.

Kestastrophe · « **Reply #10 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:20:15 AM »

I've tried both of the GTAs on PSP and I just cannot get into them. The controls are simply terrible. The driving is decent at best, but the shooting and everything else is terrible.

cool breeze · « **Reply #11 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:20:33 AM »

Quote from: Crushed on April 20, 2009, 10:13:55 AM

It really doesn't SEEM like a classic GTA though. It feels more like GTAIII from a top-down perspective.

I agree and that was my thought when I first played it. Actually, you could play GTA3 from a top-down perspective and that is closer to Chinatown Wars than GTA2 is.

Quote from: Kestastrophe on April 20, 2009, 10:20:15 AM

I've tried both of the GTAs on PSP and I just cannot get into them. The controls are simply terrible. The driving is decent at best, but the shooting and everything else is terrible.

The only thing lost in the transition from PS2 to PSP GTA games is tight camera controls, which does matter, but I didn't think it stopped me from enjoying game. If there was any problem with the PSP games, it was that they didn't try and change the gameplay to be better on PSP; only the controls were changed.

chronovore · « **Reply #12 on:** April 20, 2009, 07:45:39 PM »

But the thing is, there weren't any kiosks with GTA:Chinatown loaded that I could see at Best Buy, Target, Gamestop, etc. So the idea that GTA fans are trying it out, then refusing to play based on controls, camera management, or whether or not it /feels/ like their favorite GTA doesn't come into play.

The first topic response above, about kiddies and soccer moms (and grandparents, actually) seems sadly closest to reality: the HUGE demographic of DS owners does not consist of people who self-identify as "gamers." And for once the "M-Rated" label on a DS title may have been respected by stores and consumers.

Say, I wonder if additional warnings about the game went out with the shipment, as a means of protecting Nintendo from parental backlash...

Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich · « **Reply #13 on:** April 20, 2009, 07:53:47 PM »

I'm fairly convinced that anyone who's even remotely interested in GTA and owns a DS just went ahead and pirated the game.

chronovore · « **Reply #14 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:04:41 PM »

Is pirating on DS that much easier than pirating on PSP?

Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich · « **Reply #15 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:10:17 PM »

yeah, you don't even need to mess around with the hardware or any loaders or whatever--just copy over your games, pop in the microSD card into the flashcart, and you're done.

Don Flamenco · « **Reply #16 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:14:24 PM »

I would have bought Henry Hatsworth, if it weren't for the annoying as fuck voices

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #17 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:31:17 PM »

Quote from: chronovore on April 20, 2009, 08:04:41 PM

Is pirating on DS that much easier than pirating on PSP?

yes - no hardware mod needed, just buy a $20 flashcard and an $8 2GB Micro SD to put in that flashcard

to put a game on the card you just put the Micro SD card on your computer then drag n drop in Windows Explorer

demi · « **Reply #18 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:32:58 PM »

Then apply protection circumvention codes

Extract using DS Lazy, and replace the ARM7 file

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #19 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:33:29 PM »

theoretically of course

Don Flamenco · « **Reply #20 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:58:20 PM »

Quote from: Synthesizer Patel on April 20, 2009, 08:31:17 PM

Quote from: chronovore on April 20, 2009, 08:04:41 PM
Is pirating on DS that much easier than pirating on PSP?

yes - no hardware mod needed, just buy a $20 flashcard and an $8 2GB Micro SD to put in that flashcard

to put a game on the card you just put the Micro SD card on your computer then drag n drop in Windows Explorer

Seems like windows is the real problem. If they made windows illegal, nobody could drag and drop files any more.

Howard Alan Treesong · « **Reply #21 on:** April 20, 2009, 08:59:10 PM »

Quote from: Kranz Fafka on April 20, 2009, 08:58:20 PM

Quote from: Synthesizer Patel on April 20, 2009, 08:31:17 PM
Quote from: chronovore on April 20, 2009, 08:04:41 PM
Is pirating on DS that much easier than pirating on PSP?

yes - no hardware mod needed, just buy a $20 flashcard and an $8 2GB Micro SD to put in that flashcard

to put a game on the card you just put the Micro SD card on your computer then drag n drop in Windows Explorer

Seems like windows is the real problem. If they made windows illegal, nobody could drag and drop files any more.

File Explorer is the Pirate Bay of DS ROM hacking

pilonv1 · « **Reply #22 on:** April 20, 2009, 09:16:37 PM »

Quote from: demi on April 20, 2009, 08:32:58 PM

Then apply protection circumvention codes

Extract using DS Lazy, and replace the ARM7 file

i wasn't aware any games needed you to do that?

cool breeze · « **Reply #23 on:** April 20, 2009, 09:19:37 PM »

Quote from: Arbys Roast Beef Sandwich on April 20, 2009, 07:53:47 PM

I'm fairly convinced that anyone who's even remotely interested in GTA and owns a DS just went ahead and pirated the game.

At the time of release, I had 2 DS systems (one DS, one DS Lite), two flash cards (one slot-1, one slot-2) and I still bought the game. I don't know if I should feel good about that.

demi · « **Reply #24 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:17:13 PM »

Quote from: pilonv1 on April 20, 2009, 09:16:37 PM

Quote from: demi on April 20, 2009, 08:32:58 PM
Then apply protection circumvention codes

Extract using DS Lazy, and replace the ARM7 file

i wasn't aware any games needed you to do that?

Plenty, but they've been fixed in new firmware updates

chronovore · « **Reply #25 on:** April 20, 2009, 10:54:02 PM »

This just in: Nintendo says, "GTA: Chinatown Wars sales are in line with other AAA titles - JUST ACCEPT THAT WE'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN SELL S/W on OUR SYSTEM. kthxbye."

News:

Author Topic: GTA: Chinatown < 90k units - Analysts STFU (Read 2049 times)