Early sales trends

[Alberts]

@Alberts the reason for delay is to make it compatible with pc.Change of formats,extensions etc. so it just takes time.

That's a much more reasonable reason, but the question then is one about the nets mode they released and the testing of the game. The impression I got from the nets was that the game looked really polished on the PC, but quite frankly a bit ragged and chewed up for the consoles. That is, the game has clearly been made from the start with more than just the Xbox 360 and PS3 in mind.

 

[Snowy]

The PC delay is for two major reasons, sales increase via Steam and a decrease in piracy that would kill the console versions. PC versions are a big undeniable risk to the bottom line with little upside - FIFA sells less than 10,000 legitimate copies in India. It was all I could do to make sure that there was a PC version released at all - our previous title has a PC version fully developed that was not released. The compromise position is a delay

He gets it. You don't.

Next question?

 

[Alberts]

He gets it. You don't.

Next question?

So it's a matter of the sales side not playing ball with the modern research then? That's fine, that makes far more sense as I would assume that Ross would have actually known about the current knowledge on piracy thanks to them negotiating with steam (who have been a beacon in a dark time for those who don't like seeing the consumer get trampled by companies chasing their own shadow).

FIFA on the PC being mentioned though is quite funny as EA don't produce the same versions for PC and the consoles, largely due to the difference in market share from what I know of the situation (console games tend to sell better than PC games for their market). Again though, use of intrusive copy protection and stopping people being able to purchase a game within their region are just about the only two things that research has shown to drive piracy across many platforms. To put it in the words of Gabe Newell:

We think there is a fundamental misconception about piracy. Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem,
If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate's service is more valuable.

He literally gets it, and he gets it in huge profits thanks to his company actually understanding the market.

 

[Chief]

Not sure what's going on with GFK as we were definitely higher than the 34 from last week and this week there is no way we'd be out of the top 40.

I am not sure where GFK get their data, I know NPD in the US has issues with not all retailers being in the survey, perhaps GFK are the same? (We are not in supermarkets.)

It's 90% of retailers, so you generally add 10% to all the numbers. If you're not in supermarkets that would affect you quite a bit, as all the others are and they are big players: The supermarkets are hugely powerful at retail now.
They're currently trying to get digital sales added to the GFK numbers, but it needs publishers to agree to give up their numbers, and at the moment no-one's willing.

 

[Frostyvegi]

The point being missed, which I can't find the exact post from Ross, that you can't release on a digital platform within 2 months of a physical release on PS3 or XBox 360.

I did find, however..

Digital release will not be at the same time as retail, it is not permitted.

Digital release on all platforms will be some time after retail release.

Unfortunately there has to be a delay between console release at retail and digital. The next-gen has relaxed this requirement but that does not help us this time around.

The thing is, had they released PC digitally at the same time as XBox/PS3, they would have had reduced XBox/PS3 sales (hey, I'm one that bought PS3 only because I couldn't wait and was always going to get PC version as well) as well as the potential to loose sales overall due to people having easier access to pirateable digital release. Added to that fact that they probably would not have released physical PS3/XBox copies in certain markets that they have been able to do under the strategy they have done would have made a noticable difference to sales.

 

[Chief]

Attempt to limit piracy.

Source? I thought the official answer on this was that it was delayed to incorporate Steam wasn't it?

Just before you blow the guy out the water, who is asking some excellent questions.

 

[Alberts]

The point being missed, which I can't find the exact post from Ross, that you can't release on a digital platform within 2 months of a physical release on PS3 or XBox 360.

I did find, however..







The thing is, had they released PC digitally at the same time as XBox/PS3, they would have had reduced XBox/PS3 sales (hey, I'm one that bought PS3 only because I couldn't wait and was always going to get PC version as well) as well as the potential to loose sales overall due to people having easier access to pirateable digital release. Added to that fact that they probably would not have released physical PS3/XBox copies in certain markets that they have been able to do under the strategy they have done would have made a noticable difference to sales.

as the potential to loose sales overall due to people having easier access to pirateable digital release

Again, that is a myth. The research has clearly shown time and time again that piracy is only an issue if distribution to the customer is a problem.

It will be good to see the PC version when it comes, it just seems odd in this day and age that they didn't use the PC version as a way of testing the water first, as distribution to my knowledge for PC games is generally cheaper (particularly if it's a digital only option originally). With steam they likely would have had a cheaper method of getting the patches out to us, could do so quicker and could have used a PC release as a beta testing phase with us for the new game, much like now, but without needing to deal with both PSN and Xbox Live to do it.

I don't know, I guess I just get sick of the same ol' line about "PIRACY ARRRRR" being screamed about by some video game companies when the research has shown time and time again that the only real driving force for it is to do with distribution issues and the lack of availability, not price like so many try to paint it as.

 

[Offie]

Would have thought PS3 and 360s are far easier to release for as everybody's 360 is pretty much the same spec, whereas virtually no 2 PC's are the same.

I might be wrong, but I think consoles are now a bigger market too?

 

[Chief]

Hmm. You are very close to winning a prize, but I don't agree that piracy is solely about distribution. I don't believe it is as big an issue as many make, but I don't think it is just down to distribution. Many cases will come from "free vs pay" and people will choose free. Why wouldn't you?

I love your ideas about trialing on the cheaper PC platform: many are doing "early access" programs at the mo, where you buy the PC game ahead of time slightly cheaper than final release because you are, effectively, becoming part of the beta program. Reviewers are also not touching these with scores, doing early previews with them, so you're not being judged by anyone.

Particularly with niche games like Cricket games, I think this would be an excellent way to do it. Loyal fans playing the PC version year on year and printing off a console version every 2 years, totally polished and wonderful.

 

[Snowy]

Source? I thought the official answer on this was that it was delayed to incorporate Steam wasn't it?

Just before you blow the guy out the water, who is asking some excellent questions.

The post from Ross I quoted above

 

[Alberts]

Hmm. You are very close to winning a prize, but I don't agree that piracy is solely about distribution. I don't believe it is as big an issue as many make, but I don't think it is just down to distribution. Many cases will come from "free vs pay" and people will choose free. Why wouldn't you?

I love your ideas about trialing on the cheaper PC platform: many are doing "early access" programs at the mo, where you buy the PC game ahead of time slightly cheaper than final release because you are, effectively, becoming part of the beta program. Reviewers are also not touching these with scores, doing early previews with them, so you're not being judged by anyone.

Particularly with niche games like Cricket games, I think this would be an excellent way to do it. Loyal fans playing the PC version year on year and printing off a console version every 2 years, totally polished and wonderful.

This is the thing, but using the PC version as an early release beta test, they can in the future work on sharpening the work before it even makes it to consoles, and by doing so can limit the issues with needing the patch the game later by releasing games which should have less core bugs, leaving on console specific issues to be the main focus of later patches. I do hope going forward they seriously consider this stream.

What's more is that steam has allowed many smaller companies to not only subsist, but thrive in the digital environment, and valve themselves believe that piracy is, has and will likely always be a case of poor distribution and service models, and this is something they have not only stuck by, but demonstrated through their incredible success in the last decade.

Hopefully they can work out some finer details with steam for future versions to allow themselves to take advantage of features like open betas for PC versions to be able to show us what they've been working on while it's in progress, so we can discuss and act as a large beta market for their alterations before the what seems to be a hard and expensive process of getting them onto the consoles begins.

 

[livestrong136]

Hey, BIGANTSTUDIOS, I just want to thnx you for releasing the first region free cricket game, I live in Canada, so thankyou soo much.

 

[geezajob]

Big problem in the uk was for the casual gamer because it was not easy to get a copy week one unless you pre ordered the game! There was no uk promotion what so ever.

 

[Kiko_97]

That and for those who do see it in store, why would they pay ?50 for something they hadn't heard of? Price needs to be brought down significantly i'd say. There's no way i'd go out and buy a sports game i'd never heard of (no matter how much I love the sport) if it would set me back ?50. The only people it sells to in the UK are those who are well informed

 

[AniketMehta]

Hi guys.
In my opinion piracy is about an attitude of people towards a game.
If u r a true fan u will always buy the game regardless of the price and never use a pirated version.
I am even buying an Alienware Laptop For this game so won t i buy the game too ????
And also the Ps4 Controllers..
But the main point is the love for the game.
Big Ant Studious You are the best developers on the planet.After 3-4 years . DON BRADMAN CRICKET 2017/18 will be better than Even Fifa 17/18.
And you guys have set quite a high benchmark for the future cricket games .

I sincerly believe that the PC version will make everyone Throw Cricket 07 Away(If not already done).

Also 1 Question will OCULUS RIFT be integrated in the game??? PLZ reply BIG ANT STUDIOUS.
It will be a dream experience to play a Carrer Mode With Ur player with oculus rift AND Pro mode as well....
THX FOR A GREAT GAME