Historically, summer is a slow time for video game sales. While film directors often want to drop their blockbusters into the summer months, game publishers usually want to target the holiday rush. And this year is no different.
We await the official NPD numbers for July but in the meantime, we have the sales preview from EEDAR's Jesse Divnich. Now, considering the availability of "AAA" titles in the month of July (i.e., there really weren't any), the low numbers probably won't surprise you: EEDAR anticipates total software sales to come in at just over $500 million for the month, which would be a 15% decrease over last year. They cite the "weak retail environment" for this decline, and add that the unfortunate delay of several potential gems – Bioshock 2 , Splinter Cell: Conviction , etc. – has caused EEDAR to lower their software projection for the 2009 year, "down to flat." Some may want to attribute this lack of growth to the recession, but EEDAR says this isn't the case; it's simply a combination of "key titles being pushed out of 2009," and in July…well, not much happened. Looking down the road, though, they anticipate that any lost sales in the fourth quarter of 2009 will be made up in the first and second quarters of 2010; EEDAR expects software sales to be up "at least 9%" in Q1 2010.
And of course, when there's no software, there's no real excuse to buy the hardware. The prediction is that hardware sales in July will be down 25% over last year, and the software drought is similar to 2008's, with neither July period producing a million-unit seller. So that's where things stand heading into the holiday season, which should be good for the industry. By the way, for our part, we have a theory: this whole "recession" was artificially constructed using the mortgage/real estate fallout as the culprit, just so the government had an excuse to bail out certain car manufacturers. …well, all I know is that if I have to wait 45 minutes for a table at the Olive Garden at 4:00 on a Wednesday, we ain't in no damn recession.
Gads, who'd have thought that game and hardware sales during the summer months, in the depths of a worldwide recession, would be bad? I mean really, who'd have thunk it?
I expect that Sony's numbers in particular will be awful. A lot of that will be because of so many rumors about impending price cuts or PS3 slim models. No doubt mainstream commentators will ignore the reasons and pronounce impending doom.
Does anyone else see that more rumors of price cuts and PS3 slim rumors actually help MS by hurting PS3 sales in the short term?
Kinda makes you think about where all these rumors – and leaks – might originate? Not accusing, just offering a train of thought.
Nicely worded highlander…
Fully agree, this reminds me of the doom and gloom coming from new agencies concerning gaming in April, which was the biggest snoozefest of the year.
Hey Ben i know this is off topic but if you look at best buy there is a new ten dollar playstation network card. Might wanna check it out.
Let's hope that people are saving there money for some kick ass ps3 exclusives xD
Yeah, i think the rumored PS3 slim and price cut makes people hold on to their money and have wait and see approach.
July may be a stinker for new game releases but it can be a friend to gamers. I hit a Blockbuster sale and got two games for $5 each, and then Gamestop's sale and got a game for $20. $30 for three games aint too bad for World 🙂
I got 3 for just under $40 last week, including (finally) Heavenly Sword.
p.s. If you read my previous correction of one of your posts (kibosh for kabash) , I hope you didn't find it dick-ish; just offering constructive criticism.
p.p.s. I just noticed that the on-screen keyboard on the PS3 is slightly transparent.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 8/11/2009 12:42:36 AM
I hear skis and hot chocolate sales are down in July too. These hard numbers should debunk the myth that gamers never come out of the basement, even during the summer!
Talk about playing it safe. "at least 9%" in Q1 2010? Uh… have they seen what's coming in Q1 of 10? I'd say more like 90% increase.
I wish we had Olive Gardens in Ottawa. They did have franchises here in the early 1990's. We used have Arby's in Ottawa but not any more, either.
July sales will probably be down but i know a few of my friends who refuse to buy anything until this fall and early next year with all the exclusive games coming out. I've just spent money on preordering thats about it.
wow who would of thought it.
they release barely any games in july and then say its been a slow month???????
what did they expect, systems to be flying of the shelf to play last months games?
its simple new game releases console sales.
no new game releases lower console sales.
hell a bloody 2 year old could of told you that.