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Gamers to Buy Software First, Consoles SecondNintendo May Need Console-ation in ‘08
Buyers at the large video game retail chains recently predicted that although consoles drove software sales in 2007, the converse will occur in 2008 as soon as supply of the Nintendo Wii catches up with demand. This year, instead of buying the video game console first and then looking for games, consumers will buy consoles to operate the games they most want.
At this point, blog metrics demonstrate that Wii is still reigning supreme. However, Sony’s PS3, written off as a failure a year ago, is beginning to show strength. This statement is confirmed by the buyers.
What games will consumers look for? This list projects the buyers’ guesses for the top-20, best-selling video games of 2008:
| Rank |
Name of Game |
Consoles |
Publisher |
Release Date |
| 1 |
Grand Theft Auto IV |
360, PS3 |
Take Two |
04/11/2008 |
| 2 |
Halo Wars |
360 |
Microsoft |
07/01/2008 |
| 3 |
Spore |
PC |
Electronic Arts |
05/01/2008 |
| 4 |
Saints Row 2 |
360, PS3 |
THQ |
12/31/2008 |
| 5 |
Metal Gear Solid |
PS3 |
Konami |
06/17/2008 |
| 6 |
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue |
PS3 |
Sony |
03/10/2008 |
| 7 |
Smash Bros Brawl |
Wii |
Nintendo |
02/10/2008 |
| 8 |
Fall Out 3 |
PS3 |
Bethesda/Activision |
09/09/2008 |
| 9 |
Starwars: Force Unleashed |
360 |
Lucas Arts |
04/08/2008 |
| 10 |
World of WarCraft, Wrath
of the Lich King |
PC |
Blizzard/ Activision |
09/09/2008 |
| 11 |
Final Fantasy XIII |
PS3 |
Square Enix |
12/01/2008 |
| 12 |
Splinter Cell Conviction |
360 |
Ubisoft |
06/03/2008 |
| 13 |
The Club |
360, PC |
Sega |
02/19/2008 |
| 14 |
Alan Wake |
360 |
Remedy |
12/31/2008 |
| 15 |
Ghostbusters |
PS3, Wii,
360, PC
PS2, DS |
Sierra/ Activision |
10/07/2008 |
| 16 |
Battlefield Bad Company |
360, PS3 |
Electronic Arts |
03/24/2008 |
| 17 |
Army of Two |
360, PS3 |
Electronic Arts |
03/04/2008 |
| 18 |
Kill Zone |
PS3 |
Sony |
04/07/2008 |
| 19 |
Devil May Cry |
360, PS3 |
Capcom |
02/05/2008 |
| 20 |
Starcraft II |
PC |
Blizzard/Activision |
10/01/2008 |
Based on this chart, the PS3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 are pretty much tied, with the Wii a very distant third.
Not only is the Wii behind, but Nintendo’s slated software production is considerably low. Of 66 games coming out this year designed for play on the Wii, only four are supplied by Nintendo. And for the DS, only four of 84 games to be released are produced by Nintendo.
Without a major new hardware release, very few top games driving Wii or DS sales, and virtually no software releases of their own this year, I cannot see Nintendo repeating its stellar 2007 performance.
 Writer's Bio: Lutz Muller is a Swiss who has lived on five continents. In the United States, he was the CEO for four manufacturing companies, including two in the toy industry. Since 2002, he has provided competitive intelligence on the toy and video game market to manufacturers and financial institutions coast-to-coast. He gets his information from his retailer panel, from big-box buyers and his many friends in the industry. If anything happens, he is usually the first to know. Read more on his website at www.klosterstrading.com. Read more articles by this author
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