Sims 3, WoW Top Retail PC Sales for 2009

[robrob]

It's interesting that most of the games on there are games that are sold outside of Steam, neither The Sims nor any Blizzard game are available on Steam. MW2 was the hit of the year and despite the popularity of L4D and L4D2, neither show up on there.

Lets look at it this way, PC gaming revenue was $538 million for 2009, going by NPD. L4D2 sold 1.3 million PC copies in it's first two weeks, at an average price of $50 a pop, that's $65 million. It would be impossible for it not to be in the list.

It leaves me really wondering on how big of a chunk of the PC gaming market Steam has.

 

[BloodyThoughts]

I'm just waiting for 2011 when I imagine the list will just be WoW, Diablo 3 (hopefully), StarCraft and then the Sims.

Yeah, I know. I am getting sick of waiting for Diablo 3. I am pretty sure Blizzard postponed it more than Halflife 2: Episode 3. So they better have a game that replaces the blood of christ.

or be way better than Diablo 2...

 

[Doug]

Retail sales? I'd like to know how we fare with Digital Distribution included.

And people wonder why everyone claims PC gaming is dying out. And does it really count to have 3 different versions of the same game (more or less) as separate products? I mean I know they're different SKUs but come on now.

I think if digital distribution were counted things might be a bit different but Valve continues to be mysterious about their steam sales figures and thus we'd never get an accurate number.

By the same token, the top Xbox 360 games by sales are:

-------- 2 Halo games --------
# Halo 3
# Halo 3: ODST
---- 2 Gears of war games ----
# Gears of War
# Gears of War 2
-------- 3 CoD games ---------
# Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
# Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
# Call of Duty: World at War
---- 3 non-related games -----
# Grand Theft Auto IV
# Forza Motorsport 2
# Fable II

In fact, the only platform without alot of repeats is the PS3 (Uncharted 1/2 did both feature in the list).


As for why Valve remain slient on there sales... I really don't know - I have a suspection its just because the vast majority of publishers don't want them handing out the info on sales to the general public, but I could be wrong and they might just be jerks.

And do bare in mind that NPD haven't exactly been making it clear how many games are bought digitally on the PC, because for reasons beyond me, they lump portables, PC/Mac, and mobile phones are lumped together for their figures (no, I don't know why). About the only estimate I could find for the % of DD games sold is 25% [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/24987/Stardocks_Wardell_Digital_Distribution_Will_Save_PC_Say_Retail_Publishers.php], and an estimate of 70% of that been done by Steam. So, without the Steam figures, about 20% of all sales are not accounted for - assuming they even get figures from the other DD sources.

 

[matrix3509]

It kinda of pisses me off that MW2 got on this list, after so many people were "supposedly" going to boycott it, then pissed all over their own integrity by buying it anyway.

 

[Baron Khaine]

It kinda of pisses me off that MW2 got on this list, after so many people were "supposedly" going to boycott it, then pissed all over their own integrity by buying it anyway.

Yeah, cos everyone who bought it was totally in on the boycott. Infact, I think they boycotted the boycott, cos you know, everyone is on internet forums nowadays, just boycotting things, left right and centre.

 

[matrix3509]

Call me short-sighted, but I don't know (personally) of a single fellow PC gamer who bought MW2. Of course I don't know every PC gamer in the world, but at some point people are going to feel cheated out of something they usually get for free.

 

[Dommyboy]

Buying games? This is almost as mad as Sparta.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

Ha.


All I can really say.

 

[Gladion]

Buying games? This is almost as mad as Sparta.

Congratulations, you're the coolest person I've met today!

 

[Flour]

Using data from the NPD is a bit misleading as it only deals with brick and motar sales in North America

I was going to ask about this.

I found it impossible to get recent European sales data, there are a few references to unexplained numbers, mostly for 2008 but it's never said for which countries it is and if it includes PC and/or hardware sales.

 

[CK76]

Electronic Arts should be grateful in these lean times for them that they have something like the Sims.

 

[Dommyboy]

Buying games? This is almost as mad as Sparta.

Congratulations, you're the coolest person I've met today!

Thank you, I'll add that to my wall of achievements next to the praise my avatar has received.

 

[Gladion]

Buying games? This is almost as mad as Sparta.

Congratulations, you're the coolest person I've met today!

Thank you, I'll add that to my wall of achievements next to the praise my avatar has received.

Thank lord you can at least afford something like that.

 

[matrix3509]

I remain proud that I haven't bought it or pirated it.

Although I did play it at a friends house, and frankly, I don't think I was missing much.

I played it on the 360 for like ten minutes, and it inspired so much of a "meh" feeling inside of me, I didn't even feel like saying "meh".

 

[feversk]

Ha, I bought 5/6 of those top 10 games.

I still regret buying the Collector's Edition of The Sims 3. I played it for a few hours and got horribly depressed over my mortality. I also regret buying the CE of SPORE. That game is so boring it's not even a game. Why am I a sucker for the CEs?

On the other hand, the CE of The Wrath of the Lich King is one of my greatest "trophies". I started WoW this year. So... Yeah.

 

[ffxfriek]

that surprises me. it really does

 

[Nivag the Owl]

Pssh I actually don't believe this. People are still buying Spore? Really? And Modern Warfare 2 isn't even on the list. Although thinking about it, I haven't bought it either so I don't see why everybody else should.

 

[samsonguy920]

Methinks NPD just farted in their chair, by completely disregarding digital sales. I was wondering why MW2 was so low but then put retail into the equation. Steam might be mum on their digital sales but Activision knows what they've sold through Steam and they'd be happy to share. Those rankings would make a big change if digital was included. Which these days it should. Retail ain't what it used to be.