GTA DLC "would have outsold Killzone"

By Tom Bramwell Published 20 March, 2009

Greenberg oils up for another round.

Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has said that Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is "the most successful game add-on content we've ever launched" on Xbox Live.

The exclusive GTAIV expansion, which reviewed well despite a relatively high price point (1600 MSP), "would have outsold Killzone 2" in February if it had been at retail, Greenberg added in an interview with Gamasutra.

Rockstar Games has not released any specific sales figures or projections for Lost and Damned to date, but Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter recently said it was likely to sell 2 million copies by the end of 2009. And Microsoft paid up front for its exclusivity, remember.

Although Lost and Damned is Microsoft's biggest single success in terms of unit downloads, the DLC revolution marches on. Rock Band recently passed 30 million songs downloaded, and on a purely anecdotal level the interest from Eurogamer readers in add-ons like Fallout 3 Operation: Anchorage and the Tomb Raider episodes, based on page stats, has been more considerable than many full-price releases reviewed within a similar period around release.

Elsewhere in his discussion with Gamasutra, Greenberg also puffed out his chest about Xbox 360's February NPD sales figures for the US, which point to a year-on-year increase of over 50 per cent in hardware sales, and once again said that the PS3 business was "declining, it's been described to me as hemorrhaging at retail right now, and it just keeps getting worse".

"What we're finding in our research is that a large portion of the volume we're driving with Xbox 360 purchasers is actually PS2 owners choosing Xbox for the next generation. We're switching people from the PlayStation brand over to the Xbox brand," he claimed.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (56) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • bad09 #1 3 years ago

    GTA sells well, who'd of thought....

    Mind you if I stole the biggest exclusive (even though it was only timed in the end, people still couldn't wait!) Sony had last gen I'd crow about it to :)

  • homerramone #2 3 years ago

    Didnt they pay $50M for it.

    So even if they shift 2M copies they still wont have recouped what they paid for exclusivity ? (Let alone dev costs!)

  • Quint2020 #3 3 years ago

    It doesn't matter how much MS paid for it or how much they make back from it, if it makes people moving to current gen systems for GTA IV buy a 360 instead of a PS3 it's done it's job.

  • bad09 #4 3 years ago

    "It's not stealing if you're paying for it. ;) "

    I'm sure Sony didn't think so ;)

  • bad09 #5 3 years ago

    "And so would Milli Vanilli come back tickets. "

    Then Sony could blame poor sales on the rain! \o/

    / gets coat, goes to work

  • NotSoSlim #6 3 years ago

    I do hate this guy...GTA vs a game that needed to proves itself following a piss poor original game

  • superjag86 #7 3 years ago

    Just would like to point out that Killzone 2 was released on 27th Feb compared to the mid-Feb release of GTA: L&D

  • Artemis_Matsas #8 3 years ago

    @bad09

    LOL!!!

  • gareth886 #9 3 years ago

    How much is the DLC in real terms?

  • mcbi4kh2 #10 3 years ago

    @^
    http://uk.xbox live.ign.com/points.html

  • X #11 3 years ago

    Remember it's only the FIRST DLC and I'm sure the 50m covers all of it. Not to mention what they get from the DLC sales they got an edge in the copies sold on 360 over PS3 which made them some money too possibly due to some extent because of the promise of it.

  • jaguarwong #12 3 years ago

    "How much is the DLC in real terms?"
    £13.60

  • Dizzy #13 3 years ago

    "Didnt they pay $50M for it.

    So even if they shift 2M copies they still wont have recouped what they paid for exclusivity ? (Let alone dev costs!) "

    $50M was for several DLCs. It also was a down payment to R* so R* was sure of profit and risk free (hence the high quality of the DLC IMHO, they took their time). If the DLC sells 2M and the next one as well it will mean quite a good profit for MS *and* probably a lot of happy GTA owners/players. Dev costs have nothing to do with this, that is R* concern (and I am sure with $50M they are very happy).

  • R.P_McMurphy #14 3 years ago

    He's just such an incredible prick it's hard to fathom. Ugly too.

  • SHPanda #15 3 years ago

    "Mind you if I stole the biggest exclusive (even though it was only timed in the end, people still couldn't wait!) Sony had last gen I'd crow about it to :)"

    It's not a timed exclusive, it's completely exclusive for Xbox 360.


    "Didnt they pay $50M for it.

    So even if they shift 2M copies they still wont have recouped what they paid for exclusivity ? (Let alone dev costs!)"

    They paid $50m for two episodes of content, the next due out around autumn time, and I'd say the $50m was more than well spent. What dev costs are there? It's not made by Microsoft, it's made by Rockstar, their dev costs will come out of the $50m they were paid to make it.

    Some people really need to use their heads and think for a second, it's not all about unit sales, even forgetting the 2m copies of TLAD they will sell and the lets just say another 2m copies of the next DLC, there's then the 2m copies of GTA IV that those DLC buyers guaranteed MS over Sony, there's the console sales that MS then received due to people wanting to get GTA IV and it's DLC for 360, there's LIVE subscriptions (probably not a huge amount but every little helps none the less) that will have increased so that people could buy this and play it online. There's the people who won't have bought the 1600 point packs and will have paid for 2100 or more and so MS will have made more money that way too. It also got MS and Xbox 360 a hell of a lot of publicity too, which is priceless.

    Personally I'd say it was $50m well spent, also remember this deal was made at a time when the dollar was far weaker against the pound that it is now, so it would have worked out as about £25m, so it's really not as much as you'd think. (Not that I'm saying £25m isn't a lot of money).
    Edited by 1 at 20/03/09 @ 09:50

  • Vanmunt #16 3 years ago

    blimey, somebody found out how to write in bold....

    ha ha... good work!!

    (edit remove piss take!)
    Edited by 1 at 20/03/09 @ 11:07

  • El-Dev #17 3 years ago

    DLC and a Halo add on for 2009, no wonder it only costs £129.99.

  • septimus #18 3 years ago

    Welcome to ignore SHPanda.

  • Steroyd #19 3 years ago

    Why are companies publically bragging about DLC? -_-'

  • Widge #20 3 years ago

    :o

    Greenberg! You bitch!

  • Olemak #21 3 years ago

    Huh. GTA DLC also would have outsold Halo Wars. So what's his point?

    Seems tp me he's getting defensive about Microsoft's exclusive lineup this year, which extends to.... well, Halo Wars and GTA DLC is pretty much it, isnt it?

  • JHuxley #22 3 years ago

    A game that costs south of £15 outsells one that costs £30? I am shocked.

  • muscleblade #23 3 years ago

    @Olemak

    Halo 3 ODST. And dont forget the best looking versions of all multiplatform titles aswell.

  • des #24 3 years ago

    Street Fighter outsold Killzone too

  • metalangel #25 3 years ago

    Is the next one gonna sell, though? Everyone I know who got TLAD has been disappointed and feels it was overpriced.

  • maximusfarticus #26 3 years ago

    @Olemak

    Yep, that just about sums it up. Microsoft are ahead at the moment, but the reason that Greenberg and all the xbox owning special needs kids on this site are shitting their school shorts is that they know they've used up all their weapons already. They can't cut the price anymore, they've got no big games coming out, except yet another Halo shit fest, so that's it, they've nowhere else to go, all they can do it sit back and watch Sony catch em up and pass em. Can't wait to see you xbox cunts crying into your warm milk I really can't.

  • Steroyd #27 3 years ago

    Nice to know we can have a lovely discussion on this topic without fanboy- oh...

  • PrivateJoker #28 3 years ago

    If you read this article and felt something stirring inside you, you need to get the fuck out more.

  • Wyrm #29 3 years ago

    Why is Microsoft so proud? They didn't make GTA, just waved some money around.

    People shouldn't care about the hardware, they should care about the games, bring on the single format.

  • Widge #30 3 years ago

    You have to bloody hold onto your discs if you decide to upgrade your PS3 HDD and want to have your trophy list intact!

  • sneetch #31 3 years ago

    @Wyrm
    Why is Microsoft so proud? They didn't make GTA, just waved some money around.

    People shouldn't care about the hardware, they should care about the games, bring on the single format.

    The hardware manufacturers should care about the hardware. Why do people think that companies like Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony should ignore the business side of things?

    That said, I'd like a single format too, to stop all these bitchy "news" stories from the various corporate mouth-pieces.

  • Triggerhappytel #32 3 years ago

    Statistics man; it's all very well sucking yourself off over this but we need stats to back your claims up.

    And ofcourse TLaD would have outsold Killzone 2 had it been at retail; you're talking about an extension of the biggest franchise in gaming vs. a comparative newbie which does well but not incredibly. It's like saying Wii Fit 2 will outsell the next SingStar.

  • GamesConnoisseur #33 3 years ago

    ^^ Of course, I agree that GTA is much bigger franchise and naturally MS would love to spin that a 'mere' DLC add on is doing 'better' than full retail release that is heavily promoted to boot.

    All of them are guilty of trying to talk up their hardware/software as all at the end of the day is out to make as much money as possible.

    Still have to say that TLaD is doing better than I had thought previously, and every extra sale for X360/MS is a sale potentially lost to Sony. That why MS is doing this to stop being dominated as they did the last gen, now we are seeing a more equal share and why is this a bad thing?!

  • Emth #34 3 years ago

    I'd say console gamers and developers are suffering overall due to the lack of a single format. Maybe next gen?

  • El-Dev #35 3 years ago

    "declining, it's been described to me as hemorrhaging at retail right now, and it just keeps getting worse".

    I know, I was in the Sony Centre yesterday and the assistant told me their 360 sales were non-existant basically.

  • miiiguel #36 3 years ago

    "Can't wait to see you xbox cunts crying into your warm milk I really can't."
    Yes you can, you've been waiting for more than 2 years now.

    there's nothing on TV, he took her to a movie
    but she's the one for me, he took her to a movie
    we're at number three, he took her to a movie
    but so did I

  • AusFreelancer #37 3 years ago

    @ Fart - Ahhh dude, most consoles sales have been in decline.....something to do with the economy, and people not having enough space for more wiis.

    I like how he says "would of".....still both sides are full of shit, its expected.

    LOL!!!! @ miiigel
    Edited by 1 at 20/03/09 @ 11:34

  • Spekingur #38 3 years ago

    Well, now since E3 and them big conventions are done we can all see that X360 has nothing to offer... oh, wait... those conventions aren't done yet... where you normally see big announcements from MS.

  • Skooch #39 3 years ago

    "A game that costs south of £15 outsells one that costs £30? I am shocked."

    Wrong! You need to original disc to play the DLC so for returning players or new players it adds up to more.

  • AusFreelancer #40 3 years ago

    Actually I'm shocked people are still playing GTAbore - unlocked 2nd island and can't bring myself to finish it.

  • AusFreelancer #41 3 years ago

    @ Fart - That's because people are buying Jaspers to replace their RRODs.......I kid, I kid. Sounds fair with a price drop and alll. Have to say though they would sell 1 more if they had Jasper arcades here in oz.

  • threepy #42 3 years ago

    360 solds 29 million, PS2 sold something like 160 million? I don't think they've converted them all yet...

    Microsoft are getting a little too cocky now.

  • des #43 3 years ago

    " Ahhh dude, most consoles sales have been in decline.....something to do with the economy, and people not having enough space for more wiis."

    Not really,unless you consider Sony consoles as most

    see this






  • influenceuk #44 3 years ago

    @ El-Dev

    "declining, it's been described to me as hemorrhaging at retail right now, and it just keeps getting worse".

    I know, I was in the Sony Centre yesterday and the assistant told me their 360 sales were non-existant basically.

    I would assume that 360 Sales in a SONY store would be non-existent seeing as i would doubt an Sony Store would sell the 360!

  • Triggerhappytel #45 3 years ago

    @ influenceuk

    I think he was taking the piss.

  • HuggyAtHome #46 3 years ago

    ...or on commission. You really expect a Sony employee to tell you the truth?? Doh!

  • AusFreelancer #47 3 years ago

    "Didn't you hear? The cool kids all diss the 360 for E74 codes now! ;) "

    That or wrap them in towels.....

    Still to have the balls to say "would have" without solid numbers.....just as bad as showing CGI as "in-game-footage"...well almost.

    @des - Shite that is bad - then again are those numbers could be outta Greenberg's arse without a proper source.
    Edited by 2 at 20/03/09 @ 13:15

  • El-Dev #48 3 years ago

    Influenceuk, slap yourself.
    Edited by 1 at 20/03/09 @ 13:14

  • theindustrialone #49 3 years ago

    miiiguel,

    excellent quote!

  • EvilBob_leeds #50 3 years ago

    Why are you guys happy about this exclusive buying? Sorry to paraphrase myself, but if MS hadn't have stumped up this cash TLaD would've got developed anyway - Rockstar have already developed the engine, as far as they're concerned TLaD is money for old rope. Ultimately the upshot is;

    a) Microsofts gaming division are $50m poorer (but hope to recoup that from people moving to the 360 just to play the DLC)

    b) 360 owners are no better off than if MS had've just kept the money, and worse off than if MS had spent the money developing a decent new title.

    c) PS3 owners don't get the DLC. Or at least not yet.

    Good first/second party exclusives are console shifters. Zelda. Gran Tourismo. Halo. All guaranteed to sell their respective consoles. IMHO the reason that Killzone isn't a console shifter on anywhere near the same scale is that it's the first decent iteration (aside from the plot, which is admittedly gash), and hence didn't have a fanbase to build on. Killzone 3 will have.

    @Ausfreelancer and farticus

    You're not alone. I got bored a little after the coke bust mission - haven't really been back to it. I reckon if they'd kept in the RPG lite elements from San Andreas there'd be more impetus to keep playing.

  • AusFreelancer #51 3 years ago

    @ EvilBob_leeds - Scrap the whole RPG rubbish completely. Vice City was the pinnicle of the series, it was actually FUN. Bring back the alien icons which made you do the massacre missions I say.

  • cyber_nicco #52 3 years ago

    @AusFreelancer

    "@ Fart - Ahhh dude, most consoles sales have been in decline.....something to do with the economy, and people not having enough space for more wiis. "

    In the article he is quoted as saying that according to NPD figures, Xbox hardware saw a 50% rise (year on year) in February. How is that a decline in sales?

  • cyber_nicco #53 3 years ago

    "Have to say though they would sell 1 more if they had Jasper arcades here in oz. "

    Your profile says you are in the United Kingdom.

    :p

  • HiredMan #54 3 years ago

    I love these threads. The emotional investment from frothing fanboys on all sides of "teh conzole warz" is like comedic viagra to me :)

  • El-Dev #55 3 years ago

    Everyone should realise that what Greenberg is actually saying is:

    "In a console war we once claimed to have been based on games now solely is based on numbers, so when Halo expansion sells 8m copies will be a triumphant victory for MS despite us now offering nothing new to our ever so loyal cutomers. We deny all claims that Bill owns 7m copies of Halo 3 and the 6,999,999 he gave to charity weren't counted in our sales figures."

  • AusFreelancer #56 3 years ago

    Fart - "It's not unreasonable to assume he might have just accepted the account creation defaults though. ;) "

    That's right......and i'm not "currently playing nothing" ;)

    cyber - "In the article he is quoted as saying that according to NPD figures, Xbox hardware saw a 50% rise (year on year) in February. How is that a decline in sales?"

    My bad, was reading the article late and night, and skimmed that part in my rage :p