COD4 conquers Spain, Germany News

An interesting view of where the battle lines in the european "console wars" seems to run:

In Germany, the PC and Xbox versions are outselling the PS3 version by what seems to be a narrow margin... but in Spain, the PS3 version of the same game sells more than the Xbox version, and lots more than the PC version, which ends up at 8th place... odd.

Also pretty strange that there are no other Xbox 360 games on the list at all, in neither territory? If software sales is a guideline - and it is, as that's where the profits are - ehen the real winner of the "console war" must be Sony and the PS2! Also interesting that the spanish list has three PS3 games and one Xbox 360; the PS3 must be doing very well in sunny Spain.

I bet the list would have looked very different if the original Xbox was still around...

COD4 PS3 out sells COD4 360 in Spain. They really don't like the 360 down there do they?

They also torment bulls for fun..go figure ;)

Also pretty strange that there are no other Xbox 360 games on the list at all, in neither territory? If software sales is a guideline

Mind, the 360 is a US/UK phenomenon, mainly.

"If software sales is a guideline - and it is, as that's where the profits are - ehen the real winner of the "console war" must be Sony and the PS2!"

A snapshot of console sales in Germany and Spain tells us little about the 'console war' overall. You would need to take the console sales over ALL regions for a sufficient period of time to get an idea of how the console 'war' is progressing.

Yaz:

"A snapshot of console sales in Germany and Spain tells us little about the 'console war' overall. You would need to take the console sales over ALL regions for a sufficient period of time to get an idea of how the console 'war' is progressing."

I agree that sales over time gives a better view of the situation - but I think the sales figures for games is more imortant than the sales of the consoles. For instance, lots bought the original Xbox just to mod it and use it as a media center, and that cost Microsoft a lot of money, as the hardware was subsidized.

It could also very well be that some people buy the PS3 only (or primarily) for the blu-ray drive and the media center capabilities (like playing videos, photos and music from a media server), but don't follow up with actually buying any games for the console, and that would be equally bad (for Sony). Maybe some people buy it to install linux on it; that is absolutely possible and would be very bad for Sony's profits from the console.

I would like very much to see some numbers - software sales, preferably - for the entire european region. Anybody have any links to this?

On the other hand; I think even such statistics could be misleading, as there have been very few games worth getting for the PS3 up until now, so naturally it must have performed weakly so far. But that could mean that there's a fair bit of pent up consumer confidence, just waiting to be released as new, decent games hit the market in time for the holidays. Whereas the lucky Xbox 360 owners have been fed really good games all year; so they are less likely to be craving new games in the same magnitude that PS3 owners do. In fact, they probably have the exact oppsosite problem: too many great games to choose from :)

I bet Mass Effect will put the Xbox 360 back in the lead next week - it will be very interesting to see how well Drakes Fortune does compared to that highly anticipated title.

It is not a "war", of course, but it is still interesting to watch the ebb and flow of the competition across territories.

I agree with UncleLou on this one. I want to buy a 360 for Christmas, and i'm considered weird (I live in Greece).
Oh well, it's the only way to complete my WiiPS3X360 model i'm preparing :P

PS: The wife is going to kill me for sure :(

I don't take much notice of charts in these countries, especially third world countries like Spain, they probably only sold 93 copies of COD4 on PS3, 81 copies on 360 and 76 copies on PC. so its hardly a dominant market. And don't get me started on Germany who had games like Ninja Gaiden ruined for the rest of Europe!

The PS3 is really kicking the ass of the 360 in Spain .Its selling between 5 and 10 times more depending on the week so go figure ...even with the one year of advantage it was clear the PS3 would catch up in no time here .

"Mind, the 360 is a US/UK phenomenon, mainly."

It's fun how some talk about "US/UK" and beeing "just US and UK", and seem to forget that this two countries alone sell more than the rest of the world combined.

If you "bend it like beckham" you can throw a party, because I read that in North Korea, PS3 is kicking 360's butt, by 5 - 1 (yeah... in units). Bangladesh is also Sony's land....
And the Wii... it's really a flop by "analising" these charts.

Hey dllord Juts because a country (like most) dosn't like a perticular consol that much (ie 360) it dosn't make a 3rd Wolrd counrty. (expecially since they an afford the more expensive PS3)

If you visite Bolton in the Uk you will see what a 3rd world country looks like...

P.S miiiguel's comment above is full of shit, North America is a big market, Japan is a big market, the EU is a big market, Uk is not compraed to them.

The Germans have the right idea. PC first! Keep it alive.

It's fun how some talk about "US/UK" and beeing "just US and UK", and seem to forget that this two countries alone sell more than the rest of the world combined.

Have I said anything about specific figures? Grow up. I replied to the other poster, who was wondering why there aren't 360 games in the charts.

Germany is a huge market, split around 50/50 for all consoles combined (with the Wii and the DS having the lion's share) and the PC. The 360 isn't doing nearly as well here as Microsoft hoped, and it's no coincidence that MS announced Halo Wars specifically for "the Germans", in what was more a lapsus than an official statement, and recently announced to reduce efforts in Japan and concentrate more on (continental) Europe, where the PS3 is threatening to leave them in the dust.

LOL, the country where I come from just got the status of 3rd world country. Thanks mate!

I can explain the reason why in Spain there is such PS3 dominance. It's basically because the original Xbox didn't have an impact (I don't think it even sold 100.000 consoles there) and the PS2 had a massive, massive market (mostly due to Pro Evolution Soccer and GTA), most people don't even know the 360 so if you check the sale figures for PS3 I think they are now approaching the 500.000 consoles.

Also the US is the biggest console market by far, it doubles or probably triples the UK one.

and the PS2 had a massive, massive market (mostly due to Pro Evolution Soccer and GTA)

Sounds like a good game if you mix the two. What do you call Hooligans in Spain?

UncleLou: lighten up dude, don't get mad (read some Asian charts, you'll get happier).
What impact this have on gamers "fun meter", will Mass Effect be a huge disappoitment because Spanish gamers play PES08 on PS3 ?

I wont be having any fun with my ACE 6 (that just arrived) because PS3 is such a huge success ?
I doubt.

Like Spain, here in Portugal and some other countries the idea of video game is "Playstation", my sister, my father, all say "Miguel don't play Playstation so much" - it's the non-gamers idea of video game (and that's why only the well known games that sell well on this). On the other hand you have UK and US who are a level above. They do know better.

And it's a honest opinion, not a pro anlgo-saxonic "sound bite", I clearly notice this when I talk to a portuguese video-gamer and a UK. UK are waaaaay better informed.

off-topic:
Grow up ?
Heck no! Thank you, very much!

off-topic 2: I have 2 great Live buddies from Germany! They're cool!, And they kick serious ass on CoD4 and Halo! (and for some reason they both said they buy all their games in Holland...)

UncleLou: lighten up dude, don't get mad (read some Asian charts, you'll get happier).

Huh? I am just incredibly tired of fools like you who have to turn every thread into a console war. I don't care one bit (apart from an interest in the industry as such) who sells more of what and where. I am not surprised that you don't understand that...

A "third-world country" where the public health service works better than the dear old NHS...

(salaries here are crap though)

It's not a matter or beeing patriotic or less so, UK/US video-gamers (generally) are better informed than Continental Europe, that's a fact.

miiiguel have somewhat a point but there is another one.

Retailers have more shelf space for Sony consoles, in a way its funny seeing the repetition of PS3 and PSP titles as the Xbox and Wii section are small, that have a impact on sales.

Also I take gamers rather use Amazon.uk that waiting for the slowpoke.jpg national releases that can range to weeks later from the UK release, worst is even the tax and shipping cost the price end up being the same as picking it up on the shop.

true..., I buy all my games from Amazon.uk.
Flawless service.

I don't really know what miiiguel is taking about tbh. When I was in Spain my friends liked more or less the same type of games that people like over here. I don't see any more knowledge or experience.

You say it's a fact. How can you say that? Have you got any data supporting that fact or is it just your personal experience? In fact I would say that in Spain the knowledge of Japanese RPGs is more extended than here just because as a kid you mainly watch japanese series and people go crazy for things like Dragon Ball, Final Fantasy or Metal Gear Solid. If you check the top charts of the main european countries you are going to find more or less the same titles in different positions and may be different platform.

I lived in Barcelona for a year, and spent 3 weeks in London..., so I might be wrong. But what you claim backs up what I said, I mean "japan is so cool" is a bit ninties..., UK/US players got over that (generaly speaking).
IMHO, Japanese games are a bit passe.

Who knew those Spainiards liked their wrestling so mucho.

Likewise, I'd imagine the PC platform's German popularity correlates with them being the leading piraters worldwide.

Germany is one of the higher piracy countries if you measure it in (loss of) money, but not nearly anywhere at the top when it comes to percentages, not even in Europe, let alone worldwide.

You're also confusing cause and effect.

@dllord

Spain a third world country?! Maybe you should stop skipping school you little troll...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_World