MULTI The May NPD Charts or: How the US learned to stop worrying and love Diablo 3

[Omyakha]

Blizzard action RPG Diablo 3 was the best selling game at US retail during the month of May, even without taking into account digital sales, according to the latest set of NPD data. Max Payne 3 debuted in second place, followed by Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Prototype 2 and NBA 2K12. Other new entries in the top 10 included Rebellion-developed shooter Sniper Elite V2 at seven and Capcom fantasy role-player Dragon's Dogma at nine. Here's the chart in full:

1. Diablo 3 - NEW
2. Max Payne 3 - NEW
3. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - NEW
4. Prototype 2
5. NBA 2K12
6. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
7. Sniper Elite V2 - NEW
8. Battlefield 3
9. Dragon's Dogma - NEW
10. Just Dance 3

According to NPD analyst Anita Frazier, PC game sales were up 230% compared to last year, which is especially impressive considering that software sales are down overall. Diablo III’s position at number one marks the first time that a PC-only game has topped retail charts since Starcraft II in July 2010. The feat comes as no surprise considering Blizzard’s previous announcement that more than 6.3 million people own Diablo III.

Courtesy of IGN and Eurogamer.

 

[Necrokiller]

Max Payne 3 - Less than 450K
Blizzard showing Rockstar who's the boss (sm1)

 

[Gizmo]

The ghost of PC gaming rises from the grave to haunt us one last time.

 

[Chandoo]

Yikes, MP3 sold almost half of what LA Noire did last year. That ain't good.

 

[Radical]

450K only?!

DAFUQ!!!

(On the PC or overall?)

 

[Shyber]

The ghost of PC gaming rises from the grave to haunt us one last time.

Actually it's cyclic. PC hits its peak during the console generation transition, which has begun.

 

[Journeys End]

a PC game takes the top spot....thats something fresh

 

[Necrokiller]

450K only?!

DAFUQ!!!

(On the PC or overall?)

All three platforms.

Actually it's cyclic. PC hits its peak during the console generation transition, which has begun.

Actually its just Blizzard being Blizzard.

July NPD: StarCraft II Outsells Every Console Game | Game|Life | Wired.com

 

[Shary Bhallu TC]

D3 Abuses will lead to ban slapped the other games

Next year gonna be all the more awesome with games like CoH2 and G2 being released! WOOOO

 

[Chandoo]

Actually it's cyclic. PC hits its peak during the console generation transition, which has begun.

But it's 1 game .. that pretty much everyone knew was going to do well.. nothing surprising or earth shattering there. Now if Cabella's Deer Hunter for PC ships the same amount as the console counterpart next month that's worrysome.

 

[Omyakha]

Actually it's cyclic. PC hits its peak during the console generation transition, which has begun.

That doesn't explain Starcraft 2's success 2 years ago. There's also the fact that both these games, Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, were developed and published by the same company.

 

[Shary Bhallu TC]

^
We will likely see the same kind of dominance with Heart Of The Swarm too which could release later this year

 

[hasanJ]

Its Blizzard (sm1)
Their games are bound to sell because they are just so good

A similar scenario will take place next year with the release of Heart of the Swarm and i cant even imagine what an eventual Warcraft 4 will do to the sales charts

[MENTION=1054]Shyber[/MENTION] Even if Wings of Liberty was launched in 2008 or 2007 it would still garner the same sales because of the dedicated Fan Base for the franchise

 

[CerebralTiger]

But it's 1 game .. that pretty much everyone knew was going to do well.. nothing surprising or earth shattering there. Now if Cabella's Deer Hunter for PC ships the same amount as the console counterpart next month that's worrysome.

This.

Nothing extraordinary here. Blizzard games sell well. The OP states a similar run for Starcraft II.

Its Blizzard

Their games are bound to sell because they are just so good

And/or because they take so freakin' long to produce a sequel that hungry fans go bat-sh*t crazy over them every time they're released.

 

[hasanJ]

And/or because they take so freakin' long to produce a sequel that hungry fans go bat-sh*t crazy over them every time they're released.

Max Payne 3 took 8 Years and Fans were batshit crazy over it

Starcraft2 spent 3 Years in just Multiplayer Beta Testing because the Balance of the 3 Races is crucial for E-Sports
Its not like EA and CNC where the entire game was produced in 3 Years

 

[CerebralTiger]

Max Payne 3 took 8 Years and Fans were batshit crazy over it

Max Payne is a different story. When Remedy sold the license over to Take-Two, they practically didn't do anything with it until much later. It was originally scheduled for a 2009 release, but was pushed forward to March 2012.

Starcraft2 spent 3 Years in just Multiplayer Beta Testing because the Balance of the 3 Races is crucial for E-Sports
Its not like EA and CNC where the entire game was produced in 3 Years

Fighting games are just as much an E-Sport, and they suffer from balance issues as well. That doesn't stop Namco from producing a Tekken or Soul Calibur game every 2-3 years. Besides, it's not like balance fixes can't be patched into the game.

 

[hasanJ]

Max Payne is a different story. When Remedy sold the license over to Take-Two, they practically didn't do anything with it until much later. It was scheduled for a 2009 release, but was pushed forward to March 2012.

What they did or didnt do isnt a concern
The Game took 8 Years to arrive and the Fans were Batshit Crazy

Fighting games are just as much an E-Sport, and they suffer from balance issues as well. That doesn't stop Namco from producing a Tekken or Soul Calibur game every 2-3 years. Besides, it's not like balance fixes can't be patched into the game.

Now ur gonna compare Balancing Fighting Games to Balancing an RTS?

EA produced CNC every 2-3 Years in the past decade and each and every player on each and every forum of each and every CNC complained about Balance
Issues which required major patches

They released Kanes Wrath 1 Year after CNC and if u load the game right now and play with me i will beat u within minutes using Just One UNIT which is the Nod Scorpion Tank

U think game breaking issues like these can be solved by Patches?
The game mechanics were broken PERIOD

 

[CerebralTiger]

What they did or didnt do isnt a concern

Of course it is. It's developed by a completely different studio now.

Now ur gonna compare Balancing Fighting Games to Balancing an RTS?

Why not? Balancing a fighting game with each character having 100+ moves sounds like a significant challenge to me.

U think game breaking issues like these can be solved by Patches?
The game mechanics were broken PERIOD

Broken game mechanics are another story, but a couple of overpowered units shouldn't be hard to tone down with a patch. Obviously, such games require extensive testing, but 12 years? Keep in mind that Warcraft 3 was released 6 years after WCII. It didn't take 12 years to develop. I wonder why.

 

[hasanJ]

Of course it is. It's developed by a completely different studio now.

Doesnt change the fact that the Game came after 8 Years and in ur own words the fans were Batshit Crazy over it

Why not? Balancing a fighting game with each character having 100+ moves sounds like a significant challenge to me.

Im not saying its not a challenge
But it cannot be compared to balancing an RTS because u might be able to list a lot of well balance fighting games but will not be able to name a single RTS Game as balanced as Starcraft

Broken game mechanics are another story, but a couple of overpowered units shouldn't be hard to tone down with a patch. Obviously, such games require extensive testing, but 12 years? The last game they worked on was Warcraft 3, which was released in 2002. It came 6 years after WCII.

Ur forgetting World of Warcraft which went into development after WC3: The Frozen Throne

World of Warcraft in 2004
The Burning Crusade in 2007
Wrath of the Lich King in 2008
Cataclysm in 2010
Starcraft II in 2010

 

[XxRebellionxX]

It's Blizzard what do you expect of them, Their games are pure mindbogglingly awesome. :wink2: