PC Gamer

[ironkross]

I got my January issue today. I checked out the Sim Column. This month it's about market shares of simulation games. The writer got hold of U.S. POS figures thru 9/05 from NPD Funworld. MS Flight Sim 2004 is head and shoulders above any other game selling 677,300 units for $28.4 mil. Based on Microsoft having the distribution muscle to place the game up on the front shelf of every store in the USA and having a top $ dev team. So it's very hard for other game developers to compete on a tilted playing field.
He mentions SH III, (SH 3 if you will) as having "fared a little better, yielding $2.2 million in only six months." Indeed SHIII is the second sim in sales dollars and units sold listed on his Total US sales chart. 57,500 units sold.
He goes on to talk about some developers abandoning the retail chain and going to "digital distribution" ie. net sales and downloads( "gaining steam in the racing sim world.) He does say don't write off hardcore flight and racing "niche" sims yet as "Numbers don't tell the whole story."

[CCIP]

Ah, some more sales figures.

That's not too bad for a sim. Gone are the days when sims were really popular across the board, but I would honestly be surprised if Ubi had suddenly announced that $2.2 in the US (and surely it made at least as much elsewhere, i.e. Europe) didn't make up for the cost - but I'm sure they're greedy as ever and would rather sell something more lucrative.

I'm sure if an official expansion for SHIII or SHIV was made now, it would make even more money. Even with these modest sales, I think SHIII has raised the profile of WWII sub sims a bit.

[ironkross]

A simplayer's everlasting recurring hope is only for his current game to do well enough for a sequel to be developed.
but I'm sure they're greedy as ever and would rather sell something more lucrative.
While that is true it's also possible our dedication to keep playing/buying is the reason companies like Ubisoft keep rolling out the sims for us.

[benetofski]

There's also an interesting thread at UBISOFT:

http://forums.ubi.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/857101043/m/5261067083

I think they realize that a PC SIM has a much shorter 'lifecycle' these days than when PC Game sales were dominant across all user demographics.

These days, the console based games are the big moneyspinners for UBISOFT and others seeking 'sales volume'!

:hmm:

[timetraveller]

Wow, only 57,500 units sold in 6 months?? I find that figure surprising. I would think 100,000+.

If I remember right, Enigma Rising Tide sold about 250,000 worldwide since it came out. Okay, I know, that's more than 6 months ago, more like 2 years....but SH3 has a wildly more popular following. I question those figures from the guy who wrote the article.

TT

[Driftwood]

If they would publish SHIV or a USN pacific theater expansion pack I believe their sales would increase significantly.

[benetofski]

Wow, only 57,500 units sold in 6 months?? I find that figure surprising. I would think 100,000+.

You are almost right - the last stats I saw was 200,000 World wide - the 57K I believe referred to Continental US Sales...