When Nightmares attack: NPD September 2010 and more

It's been a long time since I posted an NPD report. But this report will come with 2 extras that will cause speculation that will make you scream more than the cutscenes of Metroid Other M.

Normally, I would use tables for the NPD hardware or software. Not this time. Here are the raw numbers of all, but the PSP and PS2

360- 483,989
PS3- 312,000
Wii- 254,000
DS- 403,000

A combination of Move and Halo 3 is what brought down the Wii for the first time ever. I think it's time to CELEBRATE THE END OF NINTENDO! That's right. Even though it will take a long time before ether system truly outsells the Wii, we're still declaring ether Microsoft or Sony the Winner.

As for the software?

Halo Reach (360) - 3.3 million
Madden NFL 11 (360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP)
Dead Rising 2 (360, PS3, PC)
NHL 11 (360, PS3)
FIFA 11 (360, PS3, PS2, PSP, NDS)
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)
Mafia II (360, PS3, PC)
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (PS3, 360, NDS, Wii)
Metroid: Other M (Wii)
Modern Warfare 2 (360, PS3, PC)

Not much to say, except how the heck did Metroid make the list? Also, games will more likely be bunched together instead of being separate SKUs. Halo Reach is number 1 followed by Madden NFL 2011. Dead Rising 2 is number 3, with NHL and FIFA right behind. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep comes in with Mafia II and Spider-Man right behind. Metroid other M is the lone Wii-exclusive title with Modern Warfare 2 rounding out the top 10.

Now some Nightmares. First off, Sony. Rumor has it that Apple, makers of the iPod, iPhone, iPad and iAmamillionare, is said to be buying out various companies. The Kaufman Brothers speculate that EA, Netflix and Facebook are on Apple's to-buy list. But more came out when this came up.

But it today emerged that financial wires have also nodded to Adobe, Disney and - wait for it - Sony.

Sony. Sony of all people to be bought out by Apple? The last thing we need is an iPlaystation or an iVaio or a iWalkman, which unfortunately has ended its production. Of course, that is just speculation when in the NY times article, no mention of Sony.

Now for Microsoft. Despite being number 1 again since the Price Drop and the new model, CNNMoney reports that the Microsoft brand may be dying and not just the X-Box brand itself.

Microsoft has been late to the game in crucial modern technologies like mobile, search, media, gaming and tablets. It has even fallen behind in Web browsing, a market it once ruled with an iron fist.

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Outgoing Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie called out Microsoft's lost ground in a blog post over the weekend.

"Our early and clear vision notwithstanding, [competitors'] execution has surpassed our own in mobile experiences, in the seamless fusion of hardware & software & services, and in social networking & myriad new forms of internet-centric social interaction," he said.

It's not like Microsoft didn't foresee the changes ahead. With a staff of almost 90,000, the company has many of the tech world's smartest minds on its payroll, and has incubated projects in a wide range of fields that later took off. Experiments like Courier (tablets), HailStorm/Passport (digital identity), and Windows Media Center (content in the cloud) show the company was ahead of the game in many areas -- but then it either failed to bring those products to market, or didn't execute.

Is the house of Windows falling apart? Are people throwing rocks into Windows? What problems are in the X-Box and Windows department?

With Xbox, Microsoft succeeded at innovating: It created a competitive video game brand for hardcore gamers. But even Xbox was outdueled by Nintendo with the Wii, which outsold Xbox by appealing to casual gamers.

Then there's the epicenter of the Microsoft universe: Windows. Microsoft likes to point out that its operating system is its biggest consumer brand and Windows 7 has been selling rapidly. Its new version has sold 240 million licenses in a year, making it the fastest-selling OS in Microsoft's history.

But Windows' momentum isn't from consumers. In fact, consumers are a worry for the Windows division, because they have dramatically slowed their purchases of PCs in recent months.

Rather, the fast sales are coming from businesses, which significantly delayed their purchases of new Windows licenses because Windows Vista was bug-ridden mess. Then the recession hit. A years-overdue corporate PC refresh cycle is now happening all at once.

In other words, regular consumers don't give a rat's ass about Microsoft.

Next NPD, if it comes out, may be doom and gloom for any one company, or all of em. Can you figure out which one? Stay tuned, and remember to join the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear if you can, or watch it this Saturday.

Works Cited:
Computer and Video Games
The New York Times
CNN Money

NPD's fallout: Angst if you do, Angst if you don't

Folks, if you remember last week, the NPD announced that they were no longer posting up the hardware and software sales to the public. It hurt me so much that I didn't post up any numbers that have been shown. But the NPD has finally released its reason why. And sure enough, it makes me mad

She explained, "We’ve long acknowledged that our reporting of monthly point-of-sale purchases (covering new physical sales of hardware, software and accessories only, not used game sales) did not represent 100 percent of the consumer spend on the industry."

NPD said earlier this month it would stop reporting specific U.S. monthly hardware sales figures and video game software sales figures, although the group said it may release some unit sales data on a case-by-case basis. The firm still reports dollar-sales figures from retail.

The majority of the industry's consumer spend still happens at physical video game retailers, said Frazier. But business models based on digital downloads, virtual item buys, mobile apps and subscription models are generating more and more revenue for game companies.

100%? Digital Downloads? HOW DARE YOU! How am I to prove my overly-bias attitude towards a game console if you decided not to show the sales figures of every system released that month? Oh I am angry at the fact that you took away my reason to be a jerkass. And don't you dare pull your "Unnecessary Angst" on me.

"Since new physical sales at retail have been down for some months now, the news that the industry is beleaguered has been widely covered, and it has caused unnecessary angst for many," Frazier said.

NPD reported last week that combined digital, used and rental game sales were between $2.6 and $2.9 billion for the first half of the year, in addition to the $3.7 billion spent at physical retail on new games, hardware and accessories for the period.

Oh you just didn't. YOU JUST DIDN'T. HOW DARE YOU!

Now am I to brag that the Playstation 3 outsold the Wii if you refuse to release the numbers? This makes me so mad that I want to start a Video Game variation of the Tea Party

Works Cited:
Gamasutra

NPD: This is the end my friends

Normally, today would be the day when the NPD would release its data, both Hardware and Software. When the NPD released its data, the respective fanboy who hardware is number 1 would get bragging rights over the others. Lately, it has been Microsoft, but most of the time it's Nintendo.

But it seems that starting this month, the NPD may no longer show the public the sales numbers of its hardware and software, period.

NPD's monthly public report on video game software and hardware sales in the US will change this month. The most noticeable alteration will be the removal of hardware and software unit sales. The company will still provide a monthly list of the top ten selling "physical purchases" (i.e. brick-and-mortar retail) on consoles, but by title and not by individual platform SKUs -- meaning multi-platorm games will be clumped in one sum. The company will also continue to provide notes from its analyst, which may contain software sales figures. If this format seems familiar... congratulations, you're a reader of the weekly UK Chart-Track sales data.

That alone is gonna bring down fanboys left and right. How are we to prove our doucheness if we don't have any proof that our system is doing better? Or which version of a multiplatform game is selling better?

Folks. It's pretty obvious.

THE INDUSTRY IS OUT TO GET YOUR FANBOYISM! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

"This post also reminds you to join the March to Keep Fear Alive"

Works Cited:
Joystiq

Extra Life/Game Over: A relic is broken

Folks, this week is Sonic 4 week. Sonic 4 has released on the Wii and iPhone and will also release on the 360 and PS3. But something within me has sparked an outrage, which brings us to the Extra Life/Game Over segment

First off, a Game over to SEGA for breaking the Sonic Cycle. That's right. We look at the Sonic Cycle for Hype and Hope and it gets shattered when it doesn't meet our expectation. It's a religious symbol of the Sonic fan community.

But when SEGA decided to release a good Sonic game on Consoles for once, I got steamed. A Sonic game that is good?

It may not be the be all end all Sonic game that professed enthusiasts like myself have been waiting 15 years for, but Sonic 4 is a fun, frenetic download for fans and newcomers alike. "Game Informer review"

Sonic 4 is short, but sweet and well worth downloading"IGN Review"

It's deserving of your time and your money despite its length. But more importantly, it's deserving of the name 'Sonic The Hedgehog 4'. That was always going to be this game's biggest challenge, but it's succeeded with aplomb"GameRadar

SEGA. What are you doing? You just broke a sacred code of shame. You just wrecked the Sonic Cycle. Now how am I gonna get disappointed at a video game character who looks almost like Mickey Mouse's long lost brother? SEGA, you better mess up Sonic Colors or I will throw a fit bigger than whoever yelled about Final Fantasy XIII on the X-Box 360.

Speaking of Final Fantasy, an Extra Life to SquareEnix for finally causing Final Fantasy to jump the shark. And oh boy. IT's a doozy.

Final Fantasy XIV is in no way, shape, or form ready for commercial release. We suppose there is potential down the line for the experience to improve with patches and tweaks, but that doesn't justify why the game is in such shambles at launch. "GameTralers review"

While there's a lot to consider when building your ideal class, there's far too little interesting structured content to chew on, resulting in an experience that quickly grows tedious and tiresome. "IGN Review"

It's a shame they weren't put to use in a game worthy of the Final Fantasy brand. Certainly, Final Fantasy XIV will improve as features are added, yet the failures go beyond the superficial. Updates may address a multitude of flaws, but "fun" is not a feature that can be added with a simple patch."Gamespot review"

SquareEnix, thank you for filling in a gap that SEGA destroyed. In return, we have forged a new cycle called "The Final Fantasy cycle." The cycle goes like this

1) SquareEnix announces new Final Fantasy: People hype it

2) Final Fantasy gets tons of videos: People hype it to hell as the best game

3) Reviews come out not so good: People swear off of Final Fantasy, till the next announcement

But I'm warning you Square. My bout with SEGA went sour because of Sonic 4. Don't you dare make Final Fantasy XV the best game ever or you will feel my rage. And I guarantee it

Note: All reviews(With the exception of the GameSpot review of Final Fantasy XIV) can be found off of Metacritic

Wow. Has it been that long since my last post?

So yeah. It's been awhile since my last post. But we can state this in a few posts

1) GoG.com came back online days after it shut down. For what was panic, it did cause people to flip out over the fear of losing their content.

2) The 3DS's release date is said to be in March. Rumor has it that it will cost more than a PSP did in 2005. Personally, I think that's actually a good idea because the last thing you need are kids demanding mommy to get a 3DS and a copy of Spongebob 3D

3) NBA Jam will feature the return of Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as Al Gore. Also featured are President Obama and Vice President Biden. No word on why Michelle Obama isn't in the game. I assume she faints at the sight of a Basketball. Also for you Tea Partiers, we have George W Bush, Dick Cheney, John McCain, and everyone's favorite Mama Grizzly Sarah Palin. Next thing you'll know Sarah will quit the game halfway to protest Obama's goal tending tactic.