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Germany is not Europe's top market News
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Robert Purchese
Update: Gfk Chart-Track in the UK has contacted GamesIndustry.biz to admit that the press release it issued earlier today had been written using incorrect data.
The company is expected to release a correction shortly. It is understood that Germany is not a bigger games market than the UK. This is the second time in as many weeks that GfK Chart-Track data has been publicly questioned.
Original Story: Sales-tracker Media Control GfK has revealed that Germany has replaced the UK as the largest European videogame market.
The UK sagged to second as sales dropped by 20 per cent year-on-year for the first-half of 2009. Graphs for France and Spain frowned, too.
Smiley graphs, on the other hand, belonged to Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands. The Portuguese bought a significant 16 per cent more games YOY.
GfK highlighted Wii Fit as the best-selling game of 2009 in the UK, Germany and Austria. Nintendo's exercise revolution enjoyed big sales in Italy, Sweden and Finland as well.
SingStar (Finland), COD4 (Finland), GTA Liberty City Stories (Sweden), Pokemon Platinum (Germany, Austrai) and FIFA 09 (UK) all also posted strong Euro performances.
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Vice.Destroyer
17/08/09 @ 10:14
+12
Oh dear. Not that I mind these news from a jingoistic point of view. But seeing how Germany has got some of the strictest videogame violence laws in the world, are we slowly going to see a situation develop where developers will just produce a version light on violence, to satisfy german censors, and not bother giving us the ability to hack peoples heads off, with unreal amounts of gore?
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20charactersmax
17/08/09 @ 10:27
+7
That includes PC then doesn't it. Also interesting that sales are down 20% in the UK considering that many european gamers have been importing games from the UK thanks to the low pound.
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colostomyexplosion
17/08/09 @ 10:27
+3
What about the UK plus Ireland, still bigger than Germany? I'd guess that the manufacturers treat the two as one.
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+1
Wow this really surprises me actually! I wonder how much bigger it would be if some games were allowed to be sold normally. Like Gears 1 & 2, Dead Rising, Crackdown etc etc. Even when the games are sold here and they're censored, I bet they lose a lot of sales to Austria and the UK with people wanting the uncut versions. Thats what I do anyway!
EDIT: Ooh and also, it seems UK games are waaaaaay cheaper too, even factoring in the exchange rate. I rarely see a new game here in Germany for less than 69.99 in places like Gamestop. Which is why I have stopped going there.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 17/08/09 @ 11:30
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Agent_Orange
17/08/09 @ 10:47
0
Maybe it is something to do with the amount of big games that have come out this year... There has not really been one game that I have been looking forward to out yet out this year.
I think games like Anno 1404 etc are more popular in Germany than the UK which have been released this year! |
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StooMonster
17/08/09 @ 11:16
+2
"US is still the main market people target"
Even thought it's a smaller video game market than Asia and Europe? Who are these 'people'? UK has been largest market in Europe for a long time, with most revenue per person in EU and highest attach rate in the world, in fact by many measures UK is a larger market than Japan; so Gordon Brown's economic meltdown must really be biting for sales to decline so rapidly. However, I am sure once the economy eventually recovers -- ha ha hahahaha -- the UK will regain the crown of largest video game market in Europe.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 17/08/09 @ 12:17
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0
"Oh dear. Not that I mind these news from a jingoistic point of view. But seeing how Germany has got some of the strictest videogame violence laws in the world, are we slowly going to see a situation develop where developers will just produce a version light on violence, to satisfy german censors, and not bother giving us the ability to hack peoples heads off, with unreal amounts of gore?"
Wait, what, you mean the industry would need to come up with something else than juvenile gore and easy violence? And you don't want this to happen?
Edited 3 times,
most recently on 17/08/09 @ 12:21
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+2
But seeing how Germany has got some of the strictest videogame violence laws in the world, are we slowly going to see a situation develop where developers will just produce a version light on violence, to satisfy german censors, and not bother giving us the ability to hack peoples heads off, with unreal amounts of gore?
Eventually? Probotector! Ah, no. I don't think that's likely as the US is still the main market people target. Combined the US, UK, France, Sweden etc. are still a whole lot larger than Germany. But consider the tradeoffs: Censor the game for Germany, gain the German sales, don't censor the game for Germany and get a few token sales from gore fanatics while the rest of the gamers don't care that the game isn't as violent as possible. Besides, they can just release a censored local version like they always do. It would be nice if it did something against the growing trend of hyperviolence though, games aren't exactly making themselves more mainstream by including levels of violence that would make most people throw up. However, I am sure once the economy eventually recovers -- ha ha hahahaha -- the UK will regain the crown of largest video game market in Europe. I'm not that certain, Germany has a much larger population after all (80M vs 50M) so the number of potential gamers is higher, they just need to be turnd into gamers which seems to be happening slowly. Germany has strict videogame violence laws AND slows the release of new games down by demanding German dubbing. This should be punished people, not encouraged! The dubbing isn't really mandatory, publishers just choose to do it. I've seen plenty of undubbed games, especially those coming from Nintendo. |
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0
What surprises me about this news is how few European online gamers you meet on Xbox Live. The majority of the ones I've met were playing sport games; tennis and football. Maybe the whole violence censoring is purely an extension of the European games culture. In England and America we have a slightly deeper routed love and need for violent entertainment. It's a shame that only gamers and the games industry understand that enjoying violent games has absolutely nothing to do violent behavior.
I wonder if Germany's strict laws on this are an attempt to counterbalance the fact that the nation, in games and movies, is often depicted as one of the most violent nations in recent history. Or maybe we've got it all wrong, and these restrictions on violent games has made Germany a completely violent free zone! Maybe the whole country goes around hugging each other and the police are on a permanent holiday!!!! |
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Vice.Destroyer
17/08/09 @ 12:30
0
Wait, what, you mean the industry would need to come up with something else than juvenile gore and easy violence? And you don't want this to happen?
@Domovoi Ha. No. That is not what I want to happen. You have to consider this and I am sure our german eurogamers will back me up on this. Even 18-rated games are censored to a degree that is almost laughable for a game that should only be accessed by adults. The vs mode in Resident Evil did not get classification in Germany. Over the years there were many examples of censorship that makes little sense, when they have age ratings in the same way that we have over here. Also, we don't just have violent games. But I would like to have the choice of being as violent as I can, when the mood strikes me. But I'll be able to cope, if it were to be that scenario. |
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+2
Wait....the country that bans a game for even the slightest bit of violence is outselling the rest?
"Banned" (wrong word anyhow) games can still be legally sold to adults, they just can't be put on display in rooms that minors can enter, or advertised in mags that are also sold to minors. And many violent games (take GTA IV as a recent example) don't get banned, but get a normal +18 sticker. Don't believe anything you read about German ratings/"cenrsorhsip" laws you read in the (English-language) gaming press, it's 99% nonsense.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 17/08/09 @ 13:31
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0
Also, we don't just have violent games. But I would like to have the choice of being as violent as I can, when the mood strikes me. But I'll be able to cope, if it were to be that scenario.
I think that'll always be the case. You can always turn to Japan for however violent or depraved you want your games to be. But I'd personally enjoy it if publishers were forced to stop going "Huh, just make it something with bald space marines and a lot of decapitations, because that crap always sells" and had to find something that appeals to gamers other than violence. |
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kangarootoo
17/08/09 @ 12:41
+3
@geeza2020
What has belief got to do with it? The facts are freely available to anyone with an internet connection. |
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Vice.Destroyer
17/08/09 @ 12:42
+2
@Domovoi
But there are loads of games that don't use violence as a selling point. And are good. And can be enjoyed by adults. |
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kangarootoo
17/08/09 @ 12:44
-1
The level of violence in a game is not what sells it.
A game series that has violence as a specific selling point (Ninja Gaiden for example) might put gamers noses out of joint if a sequel won't let you fly heads, but any new release isn't judged on how much gore it contains and the absence of said gore won't bite into sales by any realy degree (all else being well). And has been said, the market that cares about exploding heads is shrinking as a proportion and will continue to do so. |
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-1
But there are loads of games that don't use violence as a selling point. And are good. And can be enjoyed by adults.
Yes, there are. But far fewer than games with lots of violence. And they rarely get the marketing, the press attention, or the high profile launches. Games with over the top gore are just incredibly overrepresented, and I'd like to see that change. |
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metallicorphan
17/08/09 @ 12:56
0
lets be honest now though,the games haven't exactly been that great for this year...and sales dropping 20% but we are still 2nd,well...see how we do for second half with October and November looking good,and definitely see how we do next first half,seen as though all the best games have been delayed for then(Bioshock 2,Mafia2 etc)and ME2 due then
and anyway,Germany are alright(now)...i do feel for them when they have sucha such a title banned for stupid reasons,so good on 'em but we'll always have '66 ;) |
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StooMonster
17/08/09 @ 13:29
+1
@geeza2020: if one can be arsed to Google ... the very first hit I got was "Europe second-largest gaming market:Nielsen research reveals US ranks third behind Asia and EU in consumer spending on software "
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6191774.html Do you believe in Nielsen? |
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StooMonster
17/08/09 @ 13:36
0
@ KDR_11k: I'm not that certain, Germany has a much larger population after all (80M vs 50M) so the number of potential gamers is higher, they just need to be turnd into gamers which seems to be happening slowly.
UK population is 61-million (est July 2008) not 50m, Germany 82-million; although UK is forecast to overtake Germany by 2050, and get even more crowded in the South-East. However, the point of my manic laugher -- ha ha hahahahaha -- was to ridicule the idea that the British economy is going to 'recover' in any meaningful way in a generation. So you are right, Germany will be the leader for a long time, a very long tax-raising service-cutting eventually one day UK national debt reducing time. ;) |
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-1
"lets be honest now though,the games haven't exactly been that great for this year...and sales dropping 20% but we are still 2nd,well...see how we do for second half with October and November looking good,and definitely see how we do next first half,seen as though all the best games have been delayed for then(Bioshock 2,Mafia2 etc)and ME2 due then
and anyway,Germany are alright(now)...i do feel for them when they have sucha such a title banned for stupid reasons,so good on 'em but we'll always have '66 ;) " I taste bitterness..... "What about the UK plus Ireland, still bigger than Germany? I'd guess that the manufacturers treat the two as one. " Why not include Iceland (close enough to IReland innit) and the Shetland Islands as well? And who cares?
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 17/08/09 @ 14:39
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AphoticCosmos
17/08/09 @ 15:18
+2
We shall fight them on the servers, we shall fight them on the forums, we shall fight them on the #IRCs. We shall never surrender.
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mezzomorto
17/08/09 @ 16:12
0
Well, after all the jingoistic (thanks Vice. Destroyer, I always liked that word!) comments, the UK still reigns supreme it seems.
@ SYS64738, this whole topic and some comments are based on the distinction and to some extent rivalry between two countries so why not point out if the "UK" data also includes data from the small country neighbouring the UK. Also, Ireland does tend to get "absorbed" into UK data a tad more than say Iceland (I blame the Cod Wars!). |
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Bravestinsane
17/08/09 @ 16:34
+1
This is Brilliant new.
Now the Government is getting less Tax from us maybe they will swoop in and force game companies to stop ripping us of and give us good prices, even prices fair prices. One can dream... one can dream |
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-2
I'm disappointed that the news is not true. No matter how ludicrous some of Germany's rules are (which I gather some are from other people's comments here and elsewhere) I would choose to live in Germany/Austria over Ireland/U.K. any day. [I live in Ireland and go to Austria a few times a year (such as right now).]
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 17/08/09 @ 17:58
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davymackie
17/08/09 @ 20:34
-7
sneetch
17/08/09 @ 11:16 Ah, no. I don't think that's likely as the US is still the main market people target. Combined the US, UK, France, Sweden etc. are still a whole lot larger than Germany. ============================================================ = that didnt stop them starting world war 1 & 2. |
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Marshall2008
17/08/09 @ 22:58
+1
Unless you make a game with loadsa porn in it then it just ain't gonna sell in Germany seeing as they are too shit scared to let their public violent games because of 'THE WAR'. BTW don't mention it.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 18/08/09 @ 00:00
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