Virtua Fighter 5 sales numbers.

Oh. Poor sales? Does that mean... that nobody plays VF?! Well, what else is new! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

Not surprised at all at the crappy sales. Fighting game+PS3=losing combination

It will sell much better on the X360 without a doubt and I will be buying that one myself. Sony can bite me

 

Wait couldnt they just patch version c Too the PS3........for a fee proably...but if they want to keepthier playstation customers happy they better doit.

It's about time tat sega started to care about it's customers.

 

That is a bummer about the sales figures. If anything, I was kind of hoping that since there is a fairly limited number of games available, that many PS3 owners would actually buy VF5, just to have a new PS3 game (and then hopefully many would get hooked). I also believe that the popularity for fighting games in general have declined over the years; especially for the more hardcore fighting games like SF, Tekken, VF, SC. The Mortal Kombat series seems to stay relatively popular for the consoles because it is much more casual, and people still haven't gotten over the cheap thrill of fatalities (lame).

I have a kind of off topic question. How is anyone playing VF5 in 1080p? I have a 1080p television, and when VF5 boots up, the tv automatically switches the resolution to 720p. I discovered this by simply pressing the "display settings" button on the remote controller for the tv. It will say 16:9 1080p, and then once VF5 starts, it switches (automatically) to 720p. Am I missing something? I can't switch the resolution on the game disc itself, can I (?).

 

Go to the ps3 cross menu bar video settings, uncheck 720p and 1080i, leave 1080p checked. This probably needs to be in a FAQ.

 

Ahhh, cool. Thanks KoD

 

There is no need to uncheck 1080i. Only 720P needs to be unchecked.

 

only VF2 & VF4 sold well, the rest never did. I think its the lack of advertisement & the lame porting. Like look at VF3 it sucked on DC, & VF4 EVO was never advertised well & sold for a full game price for people who already bought VF4. VF5 has a lot of features removed! so basically whenever SEGA decides to strip down their game people simply wont buy

 

What you say is somehow false.

The US version of VF4 Evolution on PS2 was sold at a low price, whereas the europeans had to buy it at full price.

I don't really see the connection between advertisement and the fact that a game such as VF will sold, as Virtua Fighter is that kind of game that will be bought by afficionados that already know the arcade game and are willing to play it on their home.

VF5 is not a stripped down game, it's a perfect port of the arcade version with additional bonus. And the so-called missing features (which ones ?) may not be useful.

 

Virtua Fighter 4 sold some 600Gs, Virtua Fighter 4 evolution sold in the mid 200Gs. While so far with Feb numbers only, Virtua Fighter 5 sold 53G.

Now, For the analysis part. Virtua Fighter 4 did have advertisment. They showed the game on many different programs as a commercial. Remember the whole "wanna fight again" quote at the end of the commercial by Vanessa. This is traditionally how most companies advertise. This is how for years Final Fantasy advertised.

Virtua Fighter 4 evolution on the other hand didn't have a commercial. It's only advertisement came via magazines which VF4 also did, and Web based advertisement. For a game without a commercial, 200K isn't bad. Also, especially for a game, that wasn't billed as a new game, but just an UPDATE of an old game. so naturally people who either played the old one and didn't like it, or people who probably felt that the new one's perceived minor changes wasn't worth buying it.

Virtua Fighter 5 does have advertisment. It had a commercial. It's been the background image for Gamefaqs, Gamespot. It had some sidebar advertisement on IGN and other sites. It also was advertised on magazines as well. Finally it had some pseudo advertisment in the form of a 1 week special devoted to it on 1up.com. What more could Sega have done. It was widely regarded as the second AAA title on the PS3. sorry, the only thing I think Sega could have done was to NOT reveal that the 360 version was in production and try to get a lot of people to buy the PS3 and it's version as the only way to play it and then later confirm a 360 version.

So with all that said, I doubt Advertisment is the reason VF5 sold poor. After all, how does Virtua Fighter advertise less than Mortal Kombat, Tekken, or DOA. They all do the same thing.

Quite frankly, the only thing that Sega could have done this generation was A. Remove the perceived Stiffness that the game have legendarilly billed as having. The new quickness of VF 5 helped that a lot. Second thing (and totally my opinion) is that some character's basic moves (not combo) shouldn't be nearly impossible to do, and finally, we are in 2007, It's a Fighting game, a genre that is dying, There just HAVE to be some form of online regardless of how poor it may be to the hardcore fans. If anything, a simple ability to move around with your created character and it's win loss percentage would have at least been a hold over.

Well, there is one other thing Sega could have done, That is release it when Sony had a much higher install base. Something like Next Fall, but we all would be mad wouldn't we??.

 

If they wanted big sales, they should have done either a simultaneous release, or release on 360 first. 360 has the install base. If it was marketed as an "OMG previous Sony exclusive now lead sku on 360!1!1" the 360 fanbase would have snapped it up just to spite Sony. Now, they will have to work on doing a second wave of advertisement. Releasing games as timed exclusives if they don't do that amazing on the first console just doesn't work. Look at Enchant Arms. Nobody cared for it on 360, or when it went to PS3. The lackluster sales of VF5 so far are showing that the game will have to rely on it's depth as a fighter appealing to fighting fans on the 360, not as a buzz game. Their second wave of advertisement has to be even bigger than the first, since the first wave created no buzz.

 

Guys, game was released Feb. 20th in the states. Domestic February sales figures are for the 20th - 28th. Talk about something else...

 

*LOl*God damn fanboys are annoying as fuck.Just stfu with that Stupid shit!We all know VF was never as popular as Tekken in the USA.

 

There are those out there who feel the need to call people fanboys and to hide behind the internet to curse on multiple occasions with a post that has just 25 words. Totally unnecessary.

The topic and this general thread in general isn't comparing Tekken to VF. The general thread topic is how even for Virtua Fighters own recent figures, VF5 is a dissapointment. Which means 600G for VF4, 200+G for VF4evo. That is it. If you want to argue that it's only 8 days of sales, then fine. That is a relavant comeback, if you want to bring up Tekken thats fine only because they are in the same genre and maybe you can compare advertisement by one group vs. the other to try to come to reason why the numbers are the way they are. Simply responding with Tekken, Fanboys, and telling people to shut the fuck up has no bearing on the topic, and is a wasted post.

 

Yo, this is DancingFighterG. After reading this whole thread it's interested to hear what people think about VF. I'm new to VF but I have loved this game since VF4. I will say this. It's hard to gauge how VF has done or will do due to the lack of PS3 in people's homes. I would say that all though I'm not a big fan of XBox, just due to the fact that I don't really play FPS, maybe putting it out on the Xbox at the sametime would not have been a bad idea. I think sega was thinking that since VF has always been on the PS it would only be fair to give PS3 a crack at it first. I'm a big Soul Calibur and Tekken player so I understand both games to a T. I think that they made VF5 more appealing to players that are new to VF. I think right now it's too early to tell how VF5 will do but I can say that in Colorado VF is getting a good look at with people at the least playing the game casual and of course players playing the game competitevly. I know in Texas and Arizona the game is getting some attention too. I think veteran VF players have to give the game time to grow in your communities. Pushing the issue and forcing people to play VF will not do it. Not saying that anyone is doing that but you get my point. I know the veteran VF players here don't do that and I play this game EVERYDAY and the VF community here is very helpful at getting me good at this game. So in the end I would say that patience is a virtua. I feel, at least in the mountain, soutwest region and ofcouse cali this game is going to be huge in about a couple of couple of months. Just my opinion!!

 

100% Gamefaqs forum.

 

The sales that VF5 has had for Februrary considering it only was released in NA are good.

Its hard to believe people don't understand we're talking about an 8 day sales cycle here!

Also this is virtuafighter.com of course you will find fanboy and
fangirls /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif of virtua fighter. Or else why come to the site.

This site promotes and supports the virtuafighter community. By definition "fanboys" of virtuafighter.


The real underneath issue here is will the fighting game genre survive in the long run? Caution FANBOY statement follows:

The VF series is the best fighting game on any console. Even if some of the other fighters Tekken, Soul Caliber or DOA have a larger player base (its not exponentially larger) so if the VF series doesn't have a bright future, then the whole fighting genre is in jeopardy. If VF were to go, it might take a little longer for SC, DOA, Tekken wouldn't be far behind.

The fighting games by definition are competitive. So all of the fighters should make it easier to keep fighting statistics and individual profiles and customization and controller setup.

The future of this genre of games is not in the arcade but competitions at houses, clubs, rented halls, Universities, PPV,metroplexes, convention centers, etc.

Sega, Namco, Team Ninja should add and support features to these games that promote competitions in these new venues.

Notice I didn't mention online. (Online play is not the answer).

Promoting, sponsoring, and advertising VF as a sport that can take place not only in arcades but in a bunch of other venues is a big part of the solution.

VF is a sport, should be promoted like one. Heck I'd like to see it in the Olympics {I know that's probably to visionary for most of you}..

 

There are so many factors that comparing these numbers is more or less pointless. You can't even just take the 53k sales number without a grain of salt.

1) The NDP numbers do not include all retailers. Walmart, which sells more games then almost everything else combined, isn't even included in the data collection.

2) Fighting games are niche products. VF is a niche of that niche. The "good ole days" of fighters are gone. Comparing VF sales to Gears is just stupid. And of course a PC expansion pack out sold everything. There are 8 million active subscriptions to WoW right now. The "install base" of WoW's Burning Crusade is larger then 360 and PS3 combined. Much less the 360/PS3 owners that buy Fighter genre games.

3) As stated, 53k is for one week of sales. You can't compare that to the lifetime sales of VF4. Yes, a large number of the sales are on the front end. Not 85% in the first two weeks though. The first month generally makes up about 50ish% with 85-90% in the first quarter.

4) The small PS3 install base that is still limited to only early adpoters.

5) Consider how many people are holding out for joysticks or a 360 version.

Hell I could go on, but I've got to get some work done.

VF5 isn't going to be a blockbuster. That is just a given. No fighter will. Sure it is a AAA quality title, but the market for it is to small to even sneeze at Gears much less WoW. Combine that with low PS3 install base and only 1 week of sales. I know that my PS3 and VF5 are not included in those figures. After lurking these boards for the last few weeks, I know I'm not alone in that either. VF5 is a game whose sales will be determined far more by word of mouth and community then anything else. Those are sales that come over time.

Mega-blockbuster? Nope
Death'n'Doom? Nope

 

Yo, this is DancingFighteRG. Couldn't agree more masterpo. The fighting game genre is in a changing phase right now where tournaments, gatherings, etc do not happen in arcade anymore at least in America. I know in Colorado all our tournaments happen at venues that I rent or at houses. This is the future of gaming in America which to some degree a good thing because it gives more people who prefer console over arcade play to see what competitive gaming is about. VF5 I believe will be a popular game once people get PS3. It just takes time!!

 

you really cant say that Sega has done anything wrong. it is just the players. Sony has treated sega well since they began making games. Im not completely sure, but i believe that the Ps systems have more exclusive sega games than xbox and nintendo.

And seriously you cant really compare Sales records yet. it has been less than a month since the game has come out. I myself am waiting for the Ps3 price cut, which should probably be coming out in a few months. Im sure im not the only one in this boat. Also, just because VF5 is going to the 360 doesnt increase its chances of going online.

Infact, Online capabilities would only hurt the games chances of becoming better. Why create a scene where you live when you can just play online. That and you have to consider that Most of the people who play online fighting games are button mashers. Very few have actual skill. Also, with a game going online, people could just make macros and use them without suffering any reprocussions.

I have some questions that you guys might be able to answer. Im not trying to make a point, i just want to know the answers so i dont make an arse of myself in an argument.

1. Does X-box have any decent arcade sticks?
2. Does sega have any plans of bringing Vf5 machines to The Us
3. What fighting games, if any have been given the online treatment. I know that the doa series has a few online capable games, but am unsure of others.