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When $1B in Online-Game Sales Isn't

Posted by simoniker on from the pinky-held-to-face dept.

jvm writes "On Curmudgeon Gamer a new analysis article by Kyle Orland examines the recent announcement by the NPD Group that sales of "online-enabled console games" reached $1 billion dollars last year. A rudimentary analysis of the numbers behind the numbers shows that at least a third of those online-enabled games probably aren't being (and probably can't be) played online."

5 of 26 comments (clear)

  1. Discrepancy between blurb and article by Pluvius · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The article does say that these online-enabled games aren't being played online (which makes sense), but not that they can't be played online (which doesn't). What it says is that not everyone has the hardware and/or server subscription required to play online.

    Rob

    1. Re:Discrepancy between blurb and article by Metal_Demon · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well actually if you look at the X-Box many games are "online-enabled", but can't be played online. They just let you keep track of a score or have a buddy list or some crap like that. So in other words there are in fact games that are online-enabled and can't be played online.

      --
      Trust Your Technolust
  2. Re:That's Nothing! by jvmatthe · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think that the official NPD reports cost several hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. I haven't actually investigated myself, but this is what I've been told when I've asked friends (in the game industry) about them.

    That said, there are apparently occasional leaks that allow you to get some of the raw data itself.

    --
    Curmudgeon Gamer: Not happy
  3. PSO/GC by whiteSanjuro · · Score: 5, Informative

    Phantasy Star Online (Ep 1 & 2) is not the only game for GameCube that has official Internet support. PSO Episode 3 also does.

  4. Re:Sports games online... and others too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That reminds me of when my roomate was playing NFL 2k4 on Xbox live.

    The guy he was playing against intercepted one of his passes. Then, he kept showing the instant replay of the interception over and over again. After about two minutes of watching that replay over and over from different angles and hearing the guy talk shit to him, my roomate turned it off.

    If I did that to him while playing it in the same room, I'd better be ready to dodge a flying controller and a few fists.

    Online games need a "shock player for being an ass" option.