It's not all sunshine and lollipops, though, as Pachter questions the profitability of GTA IV's Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content. The conclusion of some fancy math is that 50% of Xbox 360 GTA IV owners will have to purchase the DLC for Take-Two to generate cash from the deal, which Pachter believes is "not highly likely." Taking GTA IV out of the equation, Pachter continues to make his case for the EA buyout of Take-Two by saying the company continues to lose market share and revenues. GTA IV unleashes panic on Liberty City beginning April 29.
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(Page 1) Reader Comments
But the succes of GTA on the PS2 was mostly because of the gigantic install base, and because the game appealed both the hardcore and casual gamers.
I don't think this game is going to pull Halo numbers. Just my two cents... no bashing or anything.
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I think the reason it sold so well was because GTA is the pinnacle of sandbox games. The series has refined everything about the genre (including the visuals with this new offering) and gained a large following because of this. The fact that it was on PS2 does help (since the install base is practically everyone on the face of the earth), but all those buyers could have just as easily bought any one of the other thousands of titles available.
The only thing that would affect the numbers would be if the game for some reason sucked.
Also, Fernando, you love to cite the PS2's install base as the cause for everything, but keep in mind that that monstrous 100+ million base wasn't always around - certainly not at the time of GTA3.
But GTA3 did't sell that amount in just 1 year... the game had extremely long legs, growing at the same speed as the PS2 hardware sales.
I seriously believe the only game that will beat this is just possibly Wii Sports, simply because Wii Sports came with most Wiis and Wiis sold incredibly.
If not, this will even pass wii sports and become the best selling gamne of the generation.
People without PS3s or 360s are sitting waiting to buy either one just for this game. Not to mention, unlike Halo which pretty much appealed to either Americans and / or 360 owners, this game appeals to everyone, from Japan, and Austrailia to Europe and America. There is NO WAY ON EARTH THIS GAME COULD SELL LESS THEN HALO 3
Innovation + Fun = Win
Gimmick + Fun = Wii
I don't think it will be the lowest selling GTA to date, but i do feel that its sales will be a step backwards from San Andreas. The series, developer, and publisher have taken a lot of flak between now and then (and Hot Coffee is only part of that equation)
And, I wonder if the DLC will really work for such a massive game. I mean, I dont think many people could hope to completely play through all that a GTA offers, and paying for Saints Row 2, even if inferior, may be a better idea than paying for more GTA.
And MS' comments about "the full GTA experience" is a bit funny - because by that logic, the 10 million people who bought the 360 in 2006, when the only "great" exclsuive was Gears, should have waited and bought the PC version for the "ful experience" of that game, and at a lower retail price as well!
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The only problem I see is with the DLC, and mainly because its being launched so quickly - if the DLC were to come 18 months later, say, it would sell tons. I would think people would be saturated with a game as massive as GTA - I could be wrong perhaps, not the biggest GTA fan around.
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I imagine that would be enough to generate cash from the deal.
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Rather, Microsoft simply fronted them the money as an advance, so they have to 'repay' the money against DLC sales. That is why Pachter is saying they have to sell an ungodly amount of DLC before they will ever see any more money off of it.
This means Take Two got some upfront cash to offset their awful quarterly losses before the GTA4 release, and Microsoft was able to nail down a AAA exclusive without paying anything (other than lost interest on the advance) over the long term.
Also, I can totally see GTA selling that many copies, but perhaps not in just six months. I could very well be wrong, though?
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Fernando, Halo 3 is a minor, it is a specific game aiming at a specific type of gamer, fps fans. Either FPS fans, Americans, 360 owners or Halo fans will pick this up, its hardly likely you'll get your mum interested in playing Halo as you would GTA or Wii games.
That comment is daft. GTA is not only popular worldwide, its on both consoles, which is a bonus, it has a huge fanbase, it has never sold badly, even on PSP it was popular, really there is no reason for GTA to underperform.
Even people who know nothing about gaming know about GTA or Wii. Try mentioning Halo to a few mothers and see thier responces, while the GTA name may be negative because of its 'kill' and 'violence' routine, it is known worldwide.
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Mortal Kombat has the same stigma as the GTA name, but I don't think those games are regularly cracking even a million units anymore. Things fall from grace eventually.
I think the real question is will the media bite again regarding GTA's violence and create another firestorm or will they let it slide, as it's become old hat?
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Heck, on PS2 alone it was making big cash :)
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We'll see. Looking at the new Xbox 360 price in the UK I might have to get this if the reviews tell me its better than San Andreas.
As for 9 million? Easy. If not then it'll definitely do above 5 million. Probably do better on the 360 too considering how popular both GTA and the Xbox are to yanks. Be interesting to see how it does in GTA's homeland of the UK, what with the PS3 being stiffer competition.
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I'll take a lifelike city over bland buildings/trees for miles.
I think I just appreciate the exploration value, living in quite a large open area myself. Screw missions I just like the big sandpit that the series is.
And not as large as GTA3? Christ that game was tiny. Way to make me not want to play :----(
Originally, this didn't bother me much because I figured that GTA4 would be expanded upon with sequels (similar to Vice City and San Andreas) once the engine and process are perfected... With the imminent purchase by EA looming over the studio, I'm not really sure if those features will ever be developed... instead of a rushed new city to be released every year ala Sims games.
I truly would like to see a game as expansive in size and content as GTA:SA (even if the graphics aren't that great... I don't care about that) with the physics and systems of GTA4. Eventually?
No way, the Game industry hasn't sold out. You can't only play arthouse/indy games yet when the best experiences are still made by major game studios...the tools aren't there for the indy's to compete yet.
Go ahead and get your head start on the psuedo intellectual indy/stuck up/ ponce/ game dev click though.
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"One's things for sure, I'm not gonna buy it. I'm more of an Indy-Core gamer. "
"It's not all sunshine and lollipops, though, as Pachter questions the profitability of GTA IV's Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content."
So he's thinking that the console that has 7+ game/pre console ratio, those people aren't going to buy the content? Hell I have 6 games and I'm going to buy the exclusive content, if it makes the game last even longer its worth the money even more. If it stupid stuff like clothes or weapons than I can only see the non-profit happen. Pachter you're guessing to much, just sit down and just keep whispering to yourself that "EA is going to buy TT2".
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-it's 15mill for Vice City(Consoles + PC combined),
-12 mill for SA(PS2)
-and 12 mill for GTA3(Combined again).
It will definitely sell at least 5 mill but nine seems a tad bullshit imo.
As for SA: The size sucked utter balls. It was alright when all the mission revolved around the same city but since 25% of them required you to run across the whole FUCKING state, the game was slightly impossible without the jetpack/hydra cheat.Small cities FTW.
Crackdown sized Liberty City would be perfect.
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But I seriously doubt this game will perform badly, especially now that theres no blacks in it for all the racists to complain about, and how they wanted mafia style back, well its back now, hope your happy people, cos now its Russian mafia.
It was very disconcerting.
Oh and there are black characters too.I've played SA for so long that if I see another fucking African-American face again, I'll take out Sasha and go on a killing spree.