August is far from a bad month to release GW:EN, in fact it's a great month... there is no direct competition - and the only other major title being released (for PC) this month is BioShock, which is so different from GW:EN that it is unlikely to attract many people who would otherwise have purchased GW:EN.
AND Direct Competition means games of the same GENRE not necessarily the same platform. So you are right on that point but it does not take away from the fact that indirect competition can be just as damaging.
And judging by the amount of other games on the ballot this month, I can see a few putting GW:EN off a month or two before buying it.
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Now if the release date were the 31st of November it would be a different story...
It wouldn't matter. There are so many good games coming out the end of this year that they all have to fight for attention.
13 Aug 2007 at 03:03 - 35
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Originally Posted by Omega X
Sure, people have their preferences when it comes to genres. BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER MUCH WHICH PLATFORM ITS ON. Gamers are gamers period. That dribble would have been true a decade ago when Console AND PC games were different beasts. But it is no longer the case. Console Gamers are PC Gamers now and vice versa.
Games are now multiplatform. PC game makers who once before thought that they would NEVER touch consoles are now making them for multiple consoles AND PC. So that line you drew is non existent to tons of people who cross it daily.
As for who will buy what, for every person you name who only plays PC and I will name 5 people who play multiplatform.
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Now let me quote you:
"That is some high quality BS right there."
It does matter which platform the game is released on, because a lot (likely the vast majority - although I've never seen any numbers) of gamers are not rich bastards with a high-end PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii in their homes all at once, but rather with just one, sometimes two of the above. So does it matter that GW:EN is a PC game and nearly every one of the, supposedly, interesting titles to be released this month (which does not include Enemy Territory Quake Wars by the way) are not? Hell yeah.
As for claiming that console and PC gamers are exactly the same nowadays. Everything, from the industry itself to the statistics, prove you wrong. The vast majority of PC games remain completely different from anything you'll see on consoles, although I'll admit many mainstream games are now multi platform (albeit with significant PC gameplay changes, which wouldn't be necessary if the PC and console gamers were the exact same people, now would it?). Then there's NPD statistics, which clearly show that the consumer base for PC games is quite different from that for console games. Not only are the most popular genres entirely different, but also the average age of PC gamers is measured to be significantly higher. Look it up if you want to see for yourself, that's what google's for.
Also, I'm sure you can mention 5 people who play games multi platform for every person who plays PC games exclusively. That's not an argument for anything you've mentioned by any means though. Oh yeah sure you can come up with 5 (probably a whole lot more) people who play both PS3 and Wii, or PC and Nintendo DS, versus 1 PC exclusive gamer. Who couldn't? The real question is: could you bring forward 5 PC+Console (not handheld) gamers, versus 1 PC exclusive? Maybe if you restrict it to America, but even then it seems highly unlikely.
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Originally Posted by Omega X
It wouldn't matter. There are so many good games coming out the end of this year that they all have to fight for attention.
How wouldn't it matter? I'm saying that GW:EN would sell a lot worse if it was released in November, because that's when the real big titles start hitting and huge numbers of (hopefully) quality games will appear on shelves worldwide. So how doesn't it matter? It does in every possible way! Releasing GW:EN now means it faces off against relatively few good titles and meager competition and has a good chance of selling well, much better than if it were to appear towards the end of November.
13 Aug 2007 at 03:13 - 36
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Originally Posted by Omega X
/Rant on
That is some high quality BS right there.
Sure, people have their preferences when it comes to genres. BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER MUCH WHICH PLATFORM ITS ON. Gamers are gamers period. That dribble would have been true a decade ago when Console AND PC games were different beasts. But it is no longer the case. Console Gamers are PC Gamers now and vice versa.
Games are now multiplatform. PC game makers who once before thought that they would NEVER touch consoles are now making them for multiple consoles AND PC. So that line you drew is non existent to tons of people who cross it daily.
As for who will buy what, for every person you name who only plays PC and I will name 5 people who play multiplatform.
/Rant off
You're confusing platform with genre--which is what the post you quoted is referring to. There are many people who play games from a single genre exclusively, or refuse to play games from a specific genre--someone who absolutely hates RPGs is never going to buy EotN, so it doesn't even enter his mind as a choice to buy.
13 Aug 2007 at 06:56 - 37
Guild Wars and Metroid are two of my favourite game series. I ain't gonna be sleeping much when they come out (days within each other).
13 Aug 2007 at 07:37 - 38
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Originally Posted by Omega X
/Rant on
That is some high quality BS right there.
Sure, people have their preferences when it comes to genres. BUT IT DOES NOT MATTER MUCH WHICH PLATFORM ITS ON. Gamers are gamers period. .
Sry, have to disagree. Take me and my brother for example. Im 28 he's 25, we're currently roomates and have 4 computers, a PS3, WII, and 360 in the home. He plays console games exclusively. Sports, Action, and Strat games. I on the other hand play PC games and handheld games (with few exceptions), I play mostly RPG's then Strat, then action. I'd say 80% of my games nowadays are MMO's, 10% are DS or PSP games, and another 5% are non MMO RPG's for PC. the other 5% is a rare console game here and there. The thing is Genre DOES matter for gamers. I'v been a gamer my WHOLE LIFE. I have preferences though. Most of my gamer friends (have picked up a ton throught NYC life and 9.5 years of the military) have their own Genre preferences as they dont have the time, patience, or reflexes for everything out there. Saying Genre doesn't matter for competition on a game is the only BS i'm seein around here.
13 Aug 2007 at 10:03 - 39
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Originally Posted by Droniac
How doesn't it!?
Will a PC gamer be interested in Metroid Prime? No. Will an online gamer be interested in BioShock? No. Will an RPG fan be up for Stranglehold? No. A lot of people like to stick to specific genres, or to what they know, and as such the fact that GW:EN is releasing in a month when there is no direct competition whatsoever means that GW:EN has free reign and is likely to sell a lot better than if it were to be released alongside other, similar, games.
Furthermore - why would you even talk about sales figures when there aren't any yet? August is far from a bad month to release GW:EN, in fact it's a great month... there is no direct competition - and the only other major title being released (for PC) this month is BioShock, which is so different from GW:EN that it is unlikely to attract many people who would otherwise have purchased GW:EN. Now if the release date were the 31st of November it would be a different story...
If someone wants to miss out on games like Mass Effect or Metroid Prime, just because they don't like the system, they're not gamers, they're fanboys.
13 Aug 2007 at 13:41 - 40
I can only speak for myself.
I own a PC and a Wii. I haven't bought anything Wii related since Zelda in December...
GWEN is first on my list of wants. I've been looking forward to this game since PCGamer first announced it.
I'll wait and see on Bioshock. I'm still not convinced it's really going to be that different from say, oh, Deus Ex.
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