MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 11:24 AM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

I could be wrong, but I don't think MGS 4 did what it needed to do for them to get what they wanted out of the investment. They were throwing numbers like "9 million" out in articles talking about what it would take to cover development costs, but MGS 4 isn't coming anywhere near that. What's more important is that the drop off in Japan from week one to week two is the biggest software drop off since people started keeping track of such things. MGS 4 was only 3rd this last week in Japanese software sales.

Most people are keeping an eye on this for the obvious reason: If Konami doesn't get a return on their investment from the smaller install base of the PS3, they'll be forced to look at the Xbox and perhaps the PC as ways to extend the life of the game.

So far MGS 4 is a hit, but not a blockbuster hit, and for development costs, a hit isn't good enough.

**Moses Shuttlesworth** · 06-24-2008, 11:36 AM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Bornindamecca

So far MGS 4 is a hit, but not a blockbuster hit, and for development costs, a hit isn't good enough.

You obviously haven't played it, or for that matter know the story like the back of your hand to say it's not a blockbuster hit. Most reviewers give it a 9.6-10, and it's EASILY the best game I, along with many others have played.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 12:46 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Moses Shuttlesworth

You obviously haven't played it, or for that matter know the story like the back of your hand to say it's not a blockbuster hit. Most reviewers give it a 9.6-10, and it's EASILY the best game I, along with many others have played.

Calm down, dude. This is a sales discussion, not a quality discussion. In most cases "hit" refers to purchases, not critical reception. Be rational. Why would I follow that statement up with a comment about development costs if I was referring to critical review?

**Altimus** · 06-24-2008, 12:47 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Obviously this game is a blockbuster hit. It moved over 75,000 PS3s in a matter of days in Japan.

Also sold 250,000 in the first couple days over there. It end of June sales mark will be really high.

**TheDutchDad** · 06-24-2008, 12:52 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

I guess it depends what you would classify as a "Blockbuster" hit?

Also, what are the numbers compared to say, GTAIV, which was on both consoles of course. Was having GTA on both consoles the reason it sold in astronomical numbers? If so...I can see MGS becoming an XBOX title as well. I can only hope so really.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 12:53 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Altimus GTR

Obviously this game is a blockbuster hit. It moved over 75,000 PS3s in a matter of days in Japan.

Also sold 250,000 in the first couple days over there. It end of June sales mark will be really high.

The reading comprehension level must be dipping around here. I already classified blockbuster in this discussion, but I'll be more specific. They were hoping for Halo or GTA 4 type numbers, not Assassin's Creed type numbers.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 12:56 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Mercurial23

I guess it depends what you would classify as a "Blockbuster" hit?

Also, what are the numbers compared to say, GTAIV, which was on both consoles of course. Was having GTA on both consoles the reason it sold in astronomical numbers? If so...I can see MGS becoming an XBOX title as well. I can only hope so really.

That's exactly my point.

**Pared** · 06-24-2008, 01:00 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Bornindamecca

The reading comprehension level must be dipping around here. I already classified blockbuster in this discussion, but I'll be more specific. They were hoping for Halo or GTA 4 type numbers, not Assassin's Creed type numbers.

You're definitely reaching here.

Considering the installed base of PS3 systems around the world, what you're saying is practically infeasible. If the PS3 system had the same installed base of the 360 I'm sure the numbers would be higher. Needless to say, it's obvious they're looking for a large adoption rate among current owner and the game to spur system sales... and it's currently doing both.

You can't expect comparisons to multi-system games to be met with much credible fanfare.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 01:05 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Pared

You're definitely reaching here.

Considering the installed base of PS3 systems around the world, what you're saying is practically infeasible. If the PS3 system had the same installed base of the 360 I'm sure the numbers would be higher. Needless to say, it's obvious they're looking for a large adoption rate among current owner and the game to spur system sales... and it's currently doing both.

You can't expect comparisons to multi-system games to be met with much credible fanfare.

It's impossible for me to be reaching, because these aren't my numbers. I read these predictions or "hopes" on one of the gaming websites, I think it was Gamespot. What you describe is the conundrum they are in. The development costs exceeded the profits of a practical reception and crossed over into "well if you want those numbers, you're going to have to multi platform it" territory, which is why I bring it up.

You're talking about moving systems which is extremely irrelevant to the point I'm making, because I'm talking about Konami, not Sony. For instance, Altimus said they moved 75,000 playstations. Great. How many copies of the game is that?

Exactly.

A drop in the bucket for what they need to truly reap the rewards of the game.

**TheDutchDad** · 06-24-2008, 01:07 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Bornindamecca

It's impossible for me to be reaching, because these aren't my numbers. I read these predictions or "hopes" on one of the gaming websites, I think it was Gamespot. What you describe is the conundrum they are in. The development costs exceeded the profits of a practical reception and crossed over into "well if you want those numbers, you're going to have to multi platform it" territory, which is why I bring it up.

You're talking about moving systems which is extremely irrelevant to the point I'm making, because I'm talking about Konami, not Sony. For instance, Altimus said they moved 75,000 playstations. Great. How many copies of the game is that?

Exactly.

A drop in the bucket for what they need to truly reap the rewards of the game.

See...now you're talking logically...and that never seems go well around here.

**Altimus** · 06-24-2008, 01:11 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Bornindamecca

It's impossible for me to be reaching, because these aren't my numbers. I read these predictions or "hopes" on one of the gaming websites, I think it was Gamespot. What you describe is the conundrum they are in. The development costs exceeded the profits of a practical reception and crossed over into "well if you want those numbers, you're going to have to multi platform it" territory, which is why I bring it up.

You're talking about moving systems which is extremely irrelevant to the point I'm making, because I'm talking about Konami, not Sony. For instance, Altimus said they moved 75,000 playstations. Great. How many copies of the game is that?

Exactly.

A drop in the bucket for what they need to truly reap the rewards of the game.

Well being the fact that most of the systems moved this month were shipped with the game you do the math. Those were also not yet added to the games sold this month.

Reading comprehension? I'm not even going to reply in this thread anymore. All of a sudden everyone is a insider and a business analyst in the game industry.

**Pared** · 06-24-2008, 01:12 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Link to this article?

Moving systems in Japan is a big deal, whether you know it or not. Considering they would sell close to that in a month... and now sold it in a few days is a big deal. For Sony, sure... but it's still a big deal. I see your correlation with Konami's expectations though...

I'm sure they don't expect these sales overnight. We haven't even given the game 2 weeks and these reports are early and from ONE SECTION of the "gaming world."

Considering the scope of the game and the data on the disc, an Xbox360 version wasn't possible. So saying it should have been multi-platform is irrelevant. Hideo said it himself that they were finally able to "complete his vision" with this game and the system's capabilities. Blu-ray obviously played an important factor here.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 01:16 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Altimus GTR

Well being the fact that most of the systems moved this month were shipped with the game you do the math. Those were also not yet added to the games sold this month.

Reading comprehension? I'm not even going to reply in this thread anymore. All of a sudden everyone is a insider and a business analyst in the game industry.

Frankly, I think the discussion will be better for it. Your biases are clouding your ability to deduce facts and stay on topic. Facts are, I've made no judgments or analyses of my own. I replied to article that Pared cited, and cited another two articles and brought up a question. My personal video game business acumen has nothing to do with it.

**Bornindamecca** · 06-24-2008, 01:23 PM

Re: MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

Originally posted by Pared

Link to this article?

Moving systems in Japan is a big deal, whether you know it or not. Considering they would sell close to that in a month... and now sold it in a few days is a big deal.

I'm not discussing hardware, I'm discussing software. After this point, I'm just going to pretend that you guys never mentioned system sales, which are right up there with the price of tea in China as far as the issues I'm discussing are concerned.

Originally posted by Pared

I'm sure they don't expect these sales overnight. We haven't even given the game 2 weeks and these reports are early and from ONE SECTION of the "gaming world."

Which is exactly why I cited the article claiming that MGS 4 has had the biggest week one to week two drop off in Japan out of all software sales.

Originally posted by Pared

Considering the scope of the game and the data on the disc, an Xbox360 version wasn't possible. So saying it should have been multi-platform is irrelevant. Hideo said it himself that they were finally able to "complete his vision" with this game and the system's capabilities. Blu-ray obviously played an important factor here.

I mentioned PC as well. People look at this as a Xbox vs. Sony issue, but it's really about the viability of exclusives in the current market, particularly if you're working with a smaller install base. As an aside, I've seen plenty of precedent for "we can't do this" in games and then six months later "we figured out a way to do it" so forgive me for siding with the rest of the gaming media and entertaining the discussion of a multi platform Metal Gear.

MGS4 sells 1 million copies in its first week... in just Europe.

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