What does ""shipped" really mean?

[PhoenixMaster]

In the context of when a publisher announces their game have shipped a certain amount of copies world wide, what does this really mean? Originally I thought it mean't shipped to retailers, not copies actually sold to people. However, Square Enix has announced that Nier: Automata has shipped one million copies, and they include digital sales.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nier-automata-shipments-and-digital-sales-pass-1-m/1100-6449192/

This is not to downsize Platinum Game's great achievement here, heck no. I bought Nier: Automata (The Black Box Edition to btw) and I just love the game. But when a company says a game has shipped this amount of copies, it is acted by everyone like its actually the number of units sold. I would like some clarity in this shipped vs sold to customers definition. Thank you.

 

[Plokite_Wolf]

Could be preorders and standard mail orders?

 

[PhoenixMaster]

Afaik generally it's an estimate based on perceived demand + preorders. Not as impressive as actual # sold, but still no publisher would produce/ship out too much more than they anticipate selling. ET should be burned into all of their minds even still to this day.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

My understanding was that shipped meant "sold by the publisher to retailers", and "sold through" meant sold by the stores to end users. Generally when they boast about "shipped" numbers, it means they expect to sell a lot of units, but haven't yet, whereas when they say "sold" they are talking about copies sold to consumers.

 

[Worgen]

This is what shipped means. I don't know where you're getting your wrong definitions.

 

[PhoenixMaster]

My understanding was that shipped meant "sold by the publisher to retailers", and "sold through" meant sold by the stores to end users. Generally when they boast about "shipped" numbers, it means they expect to sell a lot of units, but haven't yet, whereas when they say "sold" they are talking about copies sold to consumers.

And yet some companies like Square Enix are combining their digital sales figures with shipped figures recently. It's quite a head scratcher honestly.

 

[Bobular]

Maybe they're arguing that they've shipped codes to the digital retailers?

Probably though its just some marketing guy doing mental gymnastics to make their numbers seem higher then someone elses.

 

[lacktheknack]

It's when the game is paired up with the gamer in a Tumblrite's headcanon.

 

[RaikuFA]

This is what shipped means. I don't know where you're getting your wrong definitions.

 

[bobdark]

Only "shipping" i know

https://youtu.be/VdtTfQJCO2Y

 

[CritialGaming]

This is what shipped means. I don't know where you're getting your wrong definitions.

If I'm honest with myself. This was my first thought when I read thread title too.

The internet has done things to me.

 

[Baffle]

This is what shipped means. I don't know where you're getting your wrong definitions.

I watched a horse do that to another horse once. There was only one survivor. (Me.)