GCD: Games Chart Discussion

[Neon Ignition]

This weeks UK Top 40 which confirms that Rayman died at retail:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-05-uk-top-40-modern-warfare-3-sales-increase

1 1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DS, PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
2 5 FIFA 12 PS3, Xbox 360
3 2 Assassin's Creed: Revelations PC, PS3, Xbox 360
4 5 Just Dance 3 Wii, Xbox 360
5 4 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim PC, PS3, Xbox 360
6 3 Saints Row: The Third PC, PS3, Xbox 360
7 7 Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call DS
8 New entry Mario Kart 7 3DS
9 9 Battlefield 3 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
10 10 Super Mario 3D Land 3DS

[Flabio]

Zelda isn't setting the UK alight either it seems. Still think there's a chance Just Dance 3 could nick the Christmas number one as well (which I only want to happen because Paddy Power paid out on CoD being number 1 already, and it would sting them hard to have to pay out twice...)

[nakamura]

It's no surprise that Zelda isn't doing well. It is on a console that looks crap on a HDtv, had an overly long start and still has a rather childish image.
Rayman is no shock either, it was never a big enough series to sustain itself years later.

[Flabio]

It's doing well in Japan and the US though. Just seems to have not been taken to by the Brits.

[nakamura]

Japan and Nintendo seem to go hand in hand and the US still has I would say a larger core demographic of gamers. Almost every UK gamer I know plays just Xbox 360 and a mixture of FPS,sports and racing games.
Not basing that on anything bar my own thoughts mind.

[Neon Ignition]

In the UK I think the Wii has slipped into it's demise already, Zelda simply came along too late in its life. Most people I know who get a Wii now do so due to it being free with a mobile contract

[Flabio]

The sales of Just Dance 3 show there's definitely some sort of market for a particular kind of Wii title (there's no WAY the 360 Kinect version is more than a small amount of the total sales there), but yeah, as far as core goes it might well be dead in the UK.

[EvilBoris]

Poor Rayman. I guess it isn't surprising though, if a game that is critically acclaimed doesn't even get bought by core gamers, then it doesn't stand a chance in hell with the rest of the world.
Thought it might be picked us a gift type buy by parents, but even then they probably buy their 9 year olds COD.

[Neon Ignition]

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-07-japan-chart-mario-kart-7-soars-zelda-plummets

Japanese charts:

Nintendo begins to dominate more and more of the Top 10 as the 3DS builds steam, Mario Kart using some real clout. Next week see's Monster Hunter arrive with only the Vita's release the following week to act as a threat to the system.

1.Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo, 3DS): 423,619 - NEW
2.Gundam Extreme VS. (Namco Bandai, PS3): 349,756 - NEW
3.Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo, 3DS): 73,907 (Life to date: 634,868)
4.Assassin's Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft, PS3): 39,947 - NEW
5.Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo, Wii): 32,191 (227,169)
6.Fortune Street (Square Enix, Wii): 27,640 - NEW
7.Kirby's Adventure (Nintendo, Wii): 27,352 (282,917)
8.Power Pro Kun Pocket 14 (Konami, DS): 24,512 - NEW
9.Kamen Rider Climax Heroes Forze (Namco Bandai, PSP): 23,327 - NEW
10.The King of Fighters XIII (SNK Playmore, PS3): 21,525 - NEW

Huge leap for the 3DS

1.3DS: 205,962 (Last week: 120,920)
2.PlayStation 3: 40,668 (34,031)
3.PSP: 39,547 (33,151)
4.Wii: 31,071 (20,148)
5.DSi XL: 2899 (2237)
6.Xbox 360: 1660 (1678)
7.PS2: 1500 (1294)
8.DSi: 1516 (993)
9.DS Lite: 21 (35)

[Flabio]

Those 'life to date' figures do show how much smaller the Japanese market has become compared to the western ones though. Some games in the UK chart have over a million sales in the UK alone.

[dataDave]

Almost every UK gamer I know plays just Xbox 360 and a mixture of FPS,sports and racing games.

Since the dawn of Mortal Kombat the majority of people in the UK have always played the **** games, nothing changes.

[nakamura]

Is the gaming bubble about to burst?

[averybluemonkey]

I'm curious why those three genres are seen as inferior? It's not exactly like Japanese gamers are well known for having open minds and broad tastes. Until the last few years if it wasn't built in Japan they weren't interested and historically they have never liked the genres that the West has been good at making, such as actual role playing games for example.

[dataDave]

I personally see FPS games as inferior due to over-saturation, and the fact that the majority/crowd/mob/casuals always play some of the worst out there - try getting some of my CoD friends on Counterstrike and they will literally **** their pants. For racing games I'd certainly always opt for a Japanese developed title - however Burnout did have a good run a few years back. Footy games (FIFA/PES) don't really count, and if you're an American sports games count even less because in the grand scheme of things no one else in the world really gives a **** about the NFL/NBA/NHL/NASCAR.

RPGs, yeah, Japan have really dropped the ball over the past few years. I blame the Square-Enix merger and the lack of competition in that market (much like how wrestling became **** immediately after the WWF-WCW merge). Now SE are trying to go after the Bioware/Bethesda/Blizzard crowd by making their games the same and it's failing for them badly.

[Neon Ignition]

UK Top 10 which shows the impact the recent heavy price drop on Skyrim has had on its sales.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-12-uk-top-40-skyrim-dethrones-modern-warfare-3

1-Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2-Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
3-Just Dance 3
4-FIFA 12
5-Assassins Creed: Revelations
6-Battlefield 3
7-Professor Layton and the Spectors Call
8-Saints Row The Third
9-Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
10-Mario Kart 7

Rayman finally popped his head above the line coming in at 39th