The high review scores for Heavy Rain resulted in a big pre-order surge and because it's a PlayStation 3 exclusive, this has in turn caused a rise in PS3 hardware sales.
As reported by Punch Jump , sales of the 250GB PS3 have jumped 160% this past week at Amazon.com; it currently ranks #5 on in the online retailer's games division. Not surprisingly, in this same period, Quantic Dream's highly anticipated title is the #1 product in that same division; Heavy Rain officially launched yesterday to scores of anxious and enthusiastic gamers. So far in 2010, the PS3 has been performing well after finishing 2009 with a bang. Sony announced that they sold around 6.5 million units in the third quarter, which marks a significant increase from the 4.5 million it sold in Q3 2008. All told, the worldwide PS3 sales number sits at 33.5 million, and with another huge exclusive dropping next month, we should see the console continue to rise. God of War III is a more mainstream title than Heavy Rain and many PS3 owners will tell you they bought the machine for the express purpose of playing the third GoW entry. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but we still say you're missing out if you pass on Heavy Rain .
How important is an excellent exclusive? …at this point, should we even have to ask that question?
Nice. It was already encouraging to see the positive reception for the game, but evidence that it is also a system seller is very, very good.
I agree.
I knew Heavy Rain would sell well, but I had my doubts about it being a system seller.
Perhaps people are tired of shooting stuff and are willing to give something different a go?
Either way, a big congratulations from me to Quantic Dream for pulling off a risky yet highly rewarding project.
Highlander, there is no evidence that Heavy Rain is a system seller.
John's stats show that the 250G has had a high increase at Amazon. I would give the lion's share credit to that statistic to the fact that the PS3 120G is in high demand, and experiencing shortages, thus consumers are now gobbling up the 250G model.
PS3's have been flying off the shelves for the past few months, and it has not been because of anticipation for the release of Heavy Rain.
Now, if Heavy Rain came out 6 months ago, when there was no PS3 Slim models, and the 80G still cost $399.00, and PS3's started selling like mad at that price point coinciding with the release of Heavy Rain, then you'd be on to something.
I concider the "system seller" a mythical entity. Similar to a unicorn, or a fiscally conservative democrat (that comment was for Jawknee).
The true "system seller" was the price drop.
Last edited by MyWorstNightmar on 2/24/2010 4:38:04 AM
MyWorstNightmare: Not a chance in hell. Game systems do NOT sell without software (or a gimmick, like the Wii). Gamers aren't stupid as consumers; if there was no software on the horizon that they'd want to play, it wouldn't matter if the PS3 was $9.99.
Nobody buys things they don't want. And the primary reason someone buys a game console is to play games they want to play. It's why there are marked sales surges when MGS4 came out, when KZ2 came out, when LBP came out, and when Uncharted 2 came out. It's hardly coincidence. With Heavy Rain and God of War III in the first quarter of 2010, people want a PS3 more.
Of course a price drop matters, and there are other factors to take into account (Blu-Ray, PSN, reliability, etc.) But in the end, without the game software, hardware doesn't move.
I have to say I somewhat agree with Nightmare. Somewhat.
I believe it all comes back to what Sony was saying in the days of Phil Harrison. It isn't one title that sells PlayStation, it's the number of quality franchises. With all the great games available and the bucket loads on the way, the advertising, the price cut, and most importantly the games are the system sellers.
I do believe that a single game can make a gamer buy a system, it happened to me. Gears of War was the straw to break the camel's back and had me pick up the 360.
Here's your PS3 system seller(s):
1 – Final Fantasy XIII is days away
2 – God of War III
3 – New IPs like Heavy Rain
4 – "New" PS3 price point
Ben, in my original post, never did I insinuate that people will by a console that doesn't have good software. I was simply addressing the jump to conclusion that high 250g sales mean that Heavy Rain is to thank. I was pretty clear that I think there are two other more likely factor involved.
Why did PS3 consoles sales lag for the first 2 to 3 years? It had great software to play didn't it? Could it have been the price point? Nawwwwww, couldn't be.
I always had faith in this game being a system seller, since day one I heard about the game. Glad to know i was right.
And how important is an exclusive? Well, i think exclusives are the biggest deciding factor when new gamers are looking for a console to buy. That is why marketing is important. Which is why Sony is destined to come out on top of the 360 this generation. Primarily because of Sony's first party studios.
Last edited by geovanwitdakick on 2/23/2010 9:56:25 PM
Cant go wrong with a PS3 now. Theres a huge backlog of awesome exclusives to play for those who are just getting one, and a ton more to look forward to this year.
I must admit, I am very happy to read this news… Whilst Heavy Rain is "ground-breaking" in many respects it is not perfect, but I think the potential for this genre will get stronger and stronger in time to come.
I said it in a previous post a while back, the "interactive drama", if done right, may one day generate the same excitement as a major summer Hollywood blockbuster we see yearly… and generating the same amounts of money too 🙂
Generally I think, it is all heading in the right direction!
Q!
"make.believe"
I wonder how long it'll take for all the "HR is overrated" comments.
I'm sure they have flooded the crappy websites already.
I dare not look
me either, no fanboy fool is gonna wreck this game for me by posting spoilers they saw on youtube.
Amazon has a ton of trolls for some reason.
Wonder who pays those trolls for their posts…?
Something tells me you don't wonder very much.
I'll give you a spoiler of the question who pays these people for their posts. SPOILER ALERT>>>> MONEYSOFT and probably SQUARE ENIX.
You really don't want to look. This game has obviously pissed off the Xbots something fierce…maybe the constant run of PS3 exclusive superiority has finally touched a nerve.
MGS4…meh, just a movie…who cares…
LBP…meh, kiddie game…
Killzone 2…not as good as the archaic Halo 3…
Demon's Souls…just a ghay RPG…
inFamous…who cares…
Uncharted 2…uhhh…
Heavy Rain……goddamnit……..
God of War III…umm…
Gran Turismo 5…GODDAMNIT…
It's a little funny, actually.
Do these XBots actually play games anymore? Apparently not, so they spend their days slamming the awesome PS3 exclusives.
Last edited by cLoudou on 2/24/2010 1:00:52 AM
Ben….
Greatest… reply… EVER!!!!
360 fans are too busy waiting for Halo Reach, Fable 2 and Gears 3. All good games, mind you, but that's really it in the way of 360 exclusives.
Crackdown 2 as well, and for some odd reason they act like FF XIII and Lost Planet 2 are exclusive to them.
PS3 still has GT5, GoW III, Modnation racers, Agent, Killzone 3, Infamous 2… AND those are just the exclusives!!!! Not to mention the EA Sports line, Dead Space 2, Batman Arkham 2, Force Unleashed 2, etc etc.
Xbots fans are getting more and more insecure about their devotion to MS. I'm all for love of all consoles and great games, but their mindless rants and comments are just ridiculous.
And Ben…
you managed to summarise all that perfectly with that reply. Bravo.
If I had a nickle every time that happen…
Too true Ben, they are realizing that their run is done and you can't long support a company that relies almost solely on 3rd party studios. It used to make sense to support the box, now it makes more sense to either A) go multiplat, or B) Make the best game possible on the best system. Especially now that PS3 and Xbox sales are even.
@ben,
Wow, in one short, sharp reply, you both stated the facts and skewered the Xbox fanbois brigade. If this post was a diamond, it would be a 100 caret flawless round cut brilliant stone with perfect clarity.
I honestly didn't think HR would be a system seller because I usually see the general public as brainless dolts, glad to be wrong this time as the game deserves cred and many sales. Much respect to QD. Can't wait to play the sucker.
Yeah same here, I was thinking along the exact same lines, definitely glad to be wrong this time!
No, most of the brainless ones are on that other system. We've got some duds on the PS3 also but to a lesser extent.
so who wants to bet heavy rain will be the best selling ps3 exclusive for the year besides GOW3 and GT5?
ill drop in with a fiver.
Sex sells. 360 demographic are mostly male teens. Tell one of them PS3 has a game with nudity and they foam at the mouth.
I knew you could sell systems, Heavy Rain!!!!!
Quanticdream, it's time for you guys to start celebrating a job well done!!!!
And break out the fireworks!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, that is a HUGE increase. To be honest I didn't expect HR to cause such a high hardware sales increase! I'm glad to have been VERY wrong.
Never underestimate
Very good news indeed.
Picking this up tomorrow…
Scared of all the trolls now giving the game away…
Will need to stick on this site for the next little while (as if that's a hardship) until I finish my first run through.
Well done Sony for bringing us some grown up entertainment.
didnt sony say something about ps3 supply shortages. As long as they have enough to cover demand when god of war 3 hits then they wont have much to worry about 360 wise. Natal? yeah, most gamers prefer to sit and relax when playing a game. i do see a plus though, these kids playing modern warfare 2 or any FPS would be to tired to talk crap after "running" around in game.
This article made me wonder what the 360 console sales will be like with the release of Halo: Reach. I mean, don't Halo fans already have a 360 along with all other Halo related games?
Unless its sales spike when Halo fans with broken 360's decide it's time to replace their faulty console. I think that's a little more true than other speculations.
As for God of War, GoW III is the first PS3 entry in the franchise so fans who want to experience it MUST get their hands on that beautiful black box that does everything.
Anyways, I doubt that the same number of people are getting replacement PS3 consoles just to play GoW III. I said it before and I'll say it again, MS should've stuck with software, cos they sure as hell suck when it comes to hardware.
Halo: When MS has nothing else they REACH for it again.
Not an actual quote but Bungie says They're not through with Halo yet. Of course, MS will never let Halo die. Once Gears goes MP, if it ever does, it's over for MS.
MS likee the milk.
MS got incredibly lucky with Halo.
I read an article about how it was gonna be a Mac exclusive shooter. Would've been interesting to see where that went, whether it would still have been popular or not.
The only decent game MS has made as a first party studio is Forza, and it STILL cannot stand against Gran Turismo. Not in the eyes of racing enthusiasts anyway.
MS is currently gambling all their money on the success of Natal. I personally don't think it's a worthy gamble.
Playstation is gambling on new IP's, exclusive sequels, 3D gaming and motion controls. I think in the long term, Sony really have their act together.
PS3 once played catch-up to 360 and Xbox Live, but now MS has to play catch-up with superior hardware and exclusive titles. Lets see how Halo Reach, Fable III, Crackdown 2 and Alan Wake hold up against God of War III, Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3, FF Vs XIII, FF XIV, Infamous 2, Uncharted 3 and Modnation Racers over the rest of 2010.
And my guess is, from the way Sony is going, we ain't seen nothin' yet!!!
DanceMachine,
I think the Natal gamble will actually work for Microsoft and I'll tell you why.
It is gimmicky, it is supposedly done without a controller, it is voice activated again supposedly, and those points are points towards it in the fact that the PS Arc controller or whatnot doesn't have, and that is all that the Xbox die-hards need.
How many times have you been to a forum site and heard Xboxers touting something that for all intents and purposes sucks but they wave the flag because Sony doesn't have it? Hell, how many times have they acted like something both systems have is a Microsoft exclusive?
It is an amazing phenomenon but Microsoft is a company that has built a following in this country by crushing competition and selling inferior goods to consumers and by making it near impossible to see what makes their software tick.
The rabid fervour of die hard Microsoft supporters will carry them around on whatever hair brained idea they have simply because.
It's actually not because of Heavy Rain. It's because Amazon have limitations for the 120 Gb PS3. Although the 250 Gb, there are plenty. I think it's one 120 Gb, and three 250 Gb.
glad to hear this cause one of the spokesman for ms Aaron greenberg said that 360 is going to outsell the ps3 this whole year
read the article on vgchartz
http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=7157&mp=1
What the hell? This guy thinks 360 has DOUBLE the install base of the PS3? By my count, including busted consoles, they are dead even.
time to break out the champagne!
now heavy rain is out there and dusted i hope quanitc dream can go all out and deliver on what heavy rain was suppose to be.
sony have been advertising it as every single decision you make changes the game but from what i have seen and read that could not be further from the truth.
it looks like certain aspects in the game will effect the game but not every single decision like sony have been touting.
id be really cool to see quantic dreams next game to finally realize what sony have been advertising it as and truly have every single decision you make game changing.
like in the demo where you have to fight the hooker, you cant barge in and beat the crap out of the guy you have to knock.
it be really cool if they totally opened it up and say you quietly open the door sneak in grab a bottle and smash it over his head knocking him out.
something like that, more open and less scripted, play the game the way you want to.
fight the hooker's man, not the hooker.
I knew HR would be a system seller, went to Gamestop today and they have a sign saying sold out of Heavy rain and PS3 systems 🙂 that was amazing, glad i preordered HR.
Waiting for a xbot to say oh well the new fable 3 is coming soon blah blah the first one was great they killed the other one though it looked like a orginal xbox game….
have a few friends coming over this weekend cause they want to prove to me that HR sucks LOL I can't wait to prove them wrong I think more and more they are really getting jealous hmm told them to buy a ps3 but no they said it would never sell and not have any good games. They still think they are getting HR for their console and same with GOW III I love when they live in their fairy tale land.
Man, I feel sorry for your friends. Clearly, X(fail)360 has blinded your friend's judgement. Wait till you show them God of War 3, I'm pretty sure they will break down and admit defeat. Their once prefect fairy tale land will be destroyed by Kratos's fury and rage. If they do try putting in the GOW3 disc into their xbox, they will see their xbox ripped open from inside out by kratos, as its a great insult for Kratos for attempting to play him with a clearly inferior gaming system. Lol
Last edited by SaintX on 2/24/2010 2:32:18 AM
@Robochic,
I hate to say it but I think you need to find more friends with working brains
You know,……one's with PS3's!
LMAO
Im surprised by this. This is very good news indeed. When i was at best buy, Target and Walmart there weren't many PS3s around. Best Buy had a few 250GB models but Target and Walmart were out.
Last edited by Jawknee on 2/24/2010 2:33:53 AM
@SaintX
Ya I know totally agree, it's just so funny how they are really thinking GOW III is releasing later this year on the 360 HA! While they play their halo, fable 3 and well Halo I'll be playing kratos in the land of Awesomeness.
Well if you do care for your friends, and truly believe that there is still light at the end of the tunnel for them, redemption or somewhat. Gather them together at your home, and gather all the truly epic ps3 exclusives and go through those games with them. Show them what the ps3 can do, show them what they are missing and best yet show them the kind of epic games and things that the xbots can only dream of. If they still think Xbox is a better console and still believing that GOW will be coming to xbox, then God help them. Lol