I haven't seen any store in Belgium where since the 20th december, the game wasn't on display on like 1/4 th of the available space to put PC games on. There must have been like 50 copies on display when I bought SW:ToR at Saturn for 39 euro (game incl 30 days free).
Also, most retail charts show the amount of copies bought by retail shops. Not the amount of actual game copies sold to players woh have already left the retail shops.
My friend buys everything boxed and I buy my games from steam. He says one day in the far future steam will go bust and i wont have access to my games lol Is it possible for a big company like steam to go bust which would make me to loose access to all my games?
A friend of mine got his Steam account hacked temporarily and for some reason all his games were inaccessable for a period of time, but he eventually got them back. That's as far as worrying news about Steam went for me.
Anyway, I read on one forum that people in the UK don't have as easy access to credit cards that Americans do so many were forced to buy several months (via time cards) of a game they couldn't try first in order to play it, which makes EA's practices seem even more ridiculous, but I don't know how widespread that phenomenon is/was or if it affected sales to a large degree.
i always buy boxed copies, same with movies and music etc. i just like actually having a physical thing not something that i can't hold lol, i know strange but if i spend cash i want an actual copy that i can hold in my hand :P
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." - Lewis Thomas
that's exactly what i was thinking HA. so much for the WoW killer. People are already at level 50 and crying for more end game content of which the devs haven't even started yet. Not gonna have a good first six months without longevity.
Lol, is it just me who senses a growing desperation in hanging onto the "physical box sales" bit?
There is no reason whatsoever to assume that box sales and digital sales are not proportional lol. If anything, box sales should keep on longer because the word travels faster on the internet and the DL crowd tend to be more forum savvy than the box people who might lean more to getting their info from the mags.
To put it bluntly, a harassed dad is much more likely to buy a shiny box for his junior who likes those computer games than some fiddly download thing on the internetz.
Adittionally, box sales are dependent on physical stock being replenished, so many box buyers have to wait till new boxes arrive... while DL buyers don't have problems with supply. If anything, DL purchases should drop much faster than physical ones.
In my case my wife bought me a boxed copy of SWTOR for Christmas but I haven't broken the seal yet. (She even purchased the Atlas to go along with which has some really cool maps in it.)
Now that the rush has died down a bit I'm thinking about setting up an account and logging in though.
Back on topic, makes sense, the Christmas sales are over, people who were interested in playing have all made their buys, and now its to see if they can draw in a steady influx of new players like WOW managed to do for so many years, literally replacing those who left the title and adding to the total.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I'm just surprised at the total lack of advertisement for SWTOR in the UK. It's no good copying the World of Warcraft strategy of waiting several years before having TV adverts, you need to hit the ground running now to make an impact and BioWare seem to be doing the opposite.
In my case my wife bought me a boxed copy of SWTOR for Christmas but I haven't broken the seal yet. (She even purchased the Atlas to go along with which has some really cool maps in it.)
Now that the rush has died down a bit I'm thinking about setting up an account and logging in though.
Back on topic, makes sense, the Christmas sales are over, people who were interested in playing have all made their buys, and now its to see if they can draw in a steady influx of new players like WOW managed to do for so many years, literally replacing those who left the title and adding to the total.
That was my first thought too, but the article refers to relative sales (compared to other games) rather than absolute ones (the actual number of copies)...
It's normal that a game's sales decline after the release, but a good word-of-mouth can offset this to a large degree... especially if it's a game with a marked social component and which you can play with your friends. This is obviously not what is happening here.
My friend buys everything boxed and I buy my games from steam. He says one day in the far future steam will go bust and i wont have access to my games lol Is it possible for a big company like steam to go bust which would make me to loose access to all my games?
A friend of mine got his Steam account hacked temporarily and for some reason all his games were inaccessable for a period of time, but he eventually got them back. That's as far as worrying news about Steam went for me.
Anyway, I read on one forum that people in the UK don't have as easy access to credit cards that Americans do so many were forced to buy several months (via time cards) of a game they couldn't try first in order to play it, which makes EA's practices seem even more ridiculous, but I don't know how widespread that phenomenon is/was or if it affected sales to a large degree.
Posting from my phone so I can't make it a direct link but it talks about a supply problem.
Of course, people from many countries in Europe (and elsewhere) are ordering online from the UK as everything is cheaper there. (Movies, PC games, console games, etc...).
So if they limited the boxes there's no wonder it's sold out in the UK.
[UPDATED] Leo Olebe, BioWare’s Director of Marketing posted a Tweet that may explain some of the drop in sales volume. Remember how supplies were limited to ensure a good launch of the service? Yep:
@LeoOlebe@askajedi We limited the supply upfront so the game is very hard to find right now. We’re getting more out there for y’all ASAP!
Posting from my phone so I can't make it a direct link but it talks about a supply problem.
Of course, people from many countries in Europe (and elsewhere) are ordering online from the UK as everything is cheaper there. (Movies, PC games, console games, etc...).
So if they limited the boxes there's no wonder it's sold out in the UK.
[UPDATED] Leo Olebe, BioWare’s Director of Marketing posted a Tweet that may explain some of the drop in sales volume. Remember how supplies were limited to ensure a good launch of the service? Yep:
@LeoOlebe@askajedi We limited the supply upfront so the game is very hard to find right now. We’re getting more out there for y’all ASAP!
i don't know why he thinks its hard to find, the stores around my area still have lots of them on the shelves. maybe he means just in certain areas.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." - Lewis Thomas
Posting from my phone so I can't make it a direct link but it talks about a supply problem.
Of course, people from many countries in Europe (and elsewhere) are ordering online from the UK as everything is cheaper there. (Movies, PC games, console games, etc...).
So if they limited the boxes there's no wonder it's sold out in the UK.
[UPDATED] Leo Olebe, BioWare’s Director of Marketing posted a Tweet that may explain some of the drop in sales volume. Remember how supplies were limited to ensure a good launch of the service? Yep:
@LeoOlebe@askajedi We limited the supply upfront so the game is very hard to find right now. We’re getting more out there for y’all ASAP!
i don't know why he thinks its hard to find, the stores around my area still have lots of them on the shelves. maybe he means just in certain areas.
Some of the big UK sites sending out international orders are out of stock.
For example, Amazon.co.uk is out of stock until January 10th.
But perhaps it isn't the answer to everything. We'll see...
I wonder how many digital copies they would have sold if they were on steam and put the game for 25% off during chistmas sale
hmmmmmmm
i dislike EA but luckily they shoot them selves in the foot a lot
Playing: PO, EVE Waiting for: WoD Favourite MMOs: VG, EVE, FE and DDO Any person who expresses rage and loathing for an MMO is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.
Posting from my phone so I can't make it a direct link but it talks about a supply problem.
Of course, people from many countries in Europe (and elsewhere) are ordering online from the UK as everything is cheaper there. (Movies, PC games, console games, etc...).
So if they limited the boxes there's no wonder it's sold out in the UK.
[UPDATED] Leo Olebe, BioWare’s Director of Marketing posted a Tweet that may explain some of the drop in sales volume. Remember how supplies were limited to ensure a good launch of the service? Yep:
@LeoOlebe@askajedi We limited the supply upfront so the game is very hard to find right now. We’re getting more out there for y’all ASAP!
i don't know why he thinks its hard to find, the stores around my area still have lots of them on the shelves. maybe he means just in certain areas.
I'll put it this way........
Some place like La Junta, CO should have plenty of copies left since the total population is less than 8k
Places like Atl, Ga. will not with a population of 400k+ or NY boasting around 8mil.
Chain retailers tend to come up with a base number all stores should get then send extra to stores that seem to sale higher volume on video games in general.
This is why you end up with plenty of copies on shelves in a place like La Junta and end up with 0 left in a place like NYC or ATL or even London.
After getting my 1st copy, I looked for another boxed version of the game for my son, who has been playing more than I expected he would. I could not find one in any of the Gamestop retail stores nor at the Best Buy near me. I think boxes simple ran out . . . I bought the digital version. I would be interested to see total sales of the game, just to verify my theory.
that's exactly what i was thinking HA. so much for the WoW killer. People are already at level 50 and crying for more end game content of which the devs haven't even started yet. Not gonna have a good first six months without longevity.
The game wasn't targeted at power gamers. Their cries will fall on deaf ears and the rest of us will be more than happy to see them leave and darken someone else's digital door. Gotta love power gamers whining about lack of content for their play style in a casual game. If they're stupid enough to buy that kind of game, then they deserve all the unpleasantness they get.
P.S. In the scheme of things, I don't think it really matters if this game dethrones WoW. It's already a success and if it maintains that success, then the rest of it doesn't really matter at all.
Comments
Weren't EU retail sales capped?
Seems I recall hearing that... and folks complaining about it. Widget sales tend to plummet after you've run out of widgets.
I haven't seen any store in Belgium where since the 20th december, the game wasn't on display on like 1/4 th of the available space to put PC games on. There must have been like 50 copies on display when I bought SW:ToR at Saturn for 39 euro (game incl 30 days free).
Also, most retail charts show the amount of copies bought by retail shops. Not the amount of actual game copies sold to players woh have already left the retail shops.
Buying boxed copies are so last decade.
A friend of mine got his Steam account hacked temporarily and for some reason all his games were inaccessable for a period of time, but he eventually got them back. That's as far as worrying news about Steam went for me.
Anyway, I read on one forum that people in the UK don't have as easy access to credit cards that Americans do so many were forced to buy several months (via time cards) of a game they couldn't try first in order to play it, which makes EA's practices seem even more ridiculous, but I don't know how widespread that phenomenon is/was or if it affected sales to a large degree.
i always buy boxed copies, same with movies and music etc. i just like actually having a physical thing not something that i can't hold lol, i know strange but if i spend cash i want an actual copy that i can hold in my hand :P
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
that's exactly what i was thinking HA. so much for the WoW killer. People are already at level 50 and crying for more end game content of which the devs haven't even started yet. Not gonna have a good first six months without longevity.
Lol, is it just me who senses a growing desperation in hanging onto the "physical box sales" bit?
There is no reason whatsoever to assume that box sales and digital sales are not proportional lol. If anything, box sales should keep on longer because the word travels faster on the internet and the DL crowd tend to be more forum savvy than the box people who might lean more to getting their info from the mags.
To put it bluntly, a harassed dad is much more likely to buy a shiny box for his junior who likes those computer games than some fiddly download thing on the internetz.
As for the mags vs vox pop:
metacritic
critic score: 87
user score: 6.1
Adittionally, box sales are dependent on physical stock being replenished, so many box buyers have to wait till new boxes arrive... while DL buyers don't have problems with supply. If anything, DL purchases should drop much faster than physical ones.
In my case my wife bought me a boxed copy of SWTOR for Christmas but I haven't broken the seal yet. (She even purchased the Atlas to go along with which has some really cool maps in it.)
Now that the rush has died down a bit I'm thinking about setting up an account and logging in though.
Back on topic, makes sense, the Christmas sales are over, people who were interested in playing have all made their buys, and now its to see if they can draw in a steady influx of new players like WOW managed to do for so many years, literally replacing those who left the title and adding to the total.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I'm just surprised at the total lack of advertisement for SWTOR in the UK. It's no good copying the World of Warcraft strategy of waiting several years before having TV adverts, you need to hit the ground running now to make an impact and BioWare seem to be doing the opposite.
That was my first thought too, but the article refers to relative sales (compared to other games) rather than absolute ones (the actual number of copies)...
It's normal that a game's sales decline after the release, but a good word-of-mouth can offset this to a large degree... especially if it's a game with a marked social component and which you can play with your friends. This is obviously not what is happening here.
Really, there is no way to sugarcoat this.
where did you hear that rubbish?
Just in order to pretend to be objective, I agree that this could be the case as well...
Posting from my phone so I can't make it a direct link but it talks about a supply problem.
Seems about right given the time of year and the games that have sold better than the only MMO in the list.
Kids games, casual games and console games - it's exactly what you'd expect over the Xmas period.
Of course, people from many countries in Europe (and elsewhere) are ordering online from the UK as everything is cheaper there. (Movies, PC games, console games, etc...).
So if they limited the boxes there's no wonder it's sold out in the UK.
[UPDATED] Leo Olebe, BioWare’s Director of Marketing posted a Tweet that may explain some of the drop in sales volume. Remember how supplies were limited to ensure a good launch of the service? Yep:
@LeoOlebe @askajedi We limited the supply upfront so the game is very hard to find right now. We’re getting more out there for y’all ASAP!
i don't know why he thinks its hard to find, the stores around my area still have lots of them on the shelves. maybe he means just in certain areas.
"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."
- Lewis Thomas
So what? WoW and others grew over years too.
Some of the big UK sites sending out international orders are out of stock.
For example, Amazon.co.uk is out of stock until January 10th.
But perhaps it isn't the answer to everything. We'll see...
I wonder how many digital copies they would have sold if they were on steam and put the game for 25% off during chistmas sale
hmmmmmmm
i dislike EA but luckily they shoot them selves in the foot a lot
Playing: PO, EVE
Waiting for: WoD
Favourite MMOs: VG, EVE, FE and DDO
Any person who expresses rage and loathing for an MMO is preposterous. He or she is like a person who has put on full armor and attacked a hot fudge sundae.
Its to be expected the sales will drop after launch, but I must say that drop for box is pretty large, even taking that into consideration.
I'll put it this way........
Some place like La Junta, CO should have plenty of copies left since the total population is less than 8k
Places like Atl, Ga. will not with a population of 400k+ or NY boasting around 8mil.
Chain retailers tend to come up with a base number all stores should get then send extra to stores that seem to sale higher volume on video games in general.
This is why you end up with plenty of copies on shelves in a place like La Junta and end up with 0 left in a place like NYC or ATL or even London.
After getting my 1st copy, I looked for another boxed version of the game for my son, who has been playing more than I expected he would. I could not find one in any of the Gamestop retail stores nor at the Best Buy near me. I think boxes simple ran out . . . I bought the digital version. I would be interested to see total sales of the game, just to verify my theory.
The game wasn't targeted at power gamers. Their cries will fall on deaf ears and the rest of us will be more than happy to see them leave and darken someone else's digital door. Gotta love power gamers whining about lack of content for their play style in a casual game. If they're stupid enough to buy that kind of game, then they deserve all the unpleasantness they get.
P.S. In the scheme of things, I don't think it really matters if this game dethrones WoW. It's already a success and if it maintains that success, then the rest of it doesn't really matter at all.