MARKET ANALYSIS
The power of ‘event’ game releases
Chart-Track director Dorian Bloch takes a look at the biggest titles which have been released outside of a Friday, how they performed and why some publishers opt for Tuesday street dates
THE FIRST notable Tuesday release was Sega’s Sonic The Hedgehog 2 for Mega Drive, back on November 24th, 1992 (dubbed ‘Sonic 2sday’). However, the practice went out of fashion and ‘event’ titles (released outside of Friday) in the modern era essentially began as of 2007, with the World of Warcraft: Burning CrusadePC expansion. This list (right)shows that usually, the bigger the game, the more it sold in 24 hours as a percentage of week one sales. Plus, ‘event’ titles released on a Tuesday benefit from the extra few days of sales up to Saturday midnight.
There were 26 different games released outside of Friday over the last five calendar years (2007 to 2011).
The number of games released outside of Friday has increased since 2010 (eight games), currently peaking in 2011 (with 11 games).
Handheld titles are
excluded from this analysis as the number of titles launched outside of a Friday tend to be on minor formats for some of the static console titles, like DS versions of Call of Duty. Sony’s PlayStation Vita launched on Wednesday February 22nd, 2012, along with 22 titles. Comparatively, all DS consoles launched on a Friday.
Event titles were originally designed to differentiate key products of the year, so consumers
14 May 4th 2012
could focus on big launch events at retailers such as midnight openings at GAME. But these key releases also benefitted supermarkets, many of whom would already be open for midnight launches.
It is becoming more common for a minimum of two, sometimes three different versions of a game to launch, like standard, special, collector’s and SteelBook editions.
In terms of pre-orders, these non-standard editions have become
The number of video games released outside of Friday has increased since 2007.
“ Dorian Bloch, Chart-Track
more important over time. Often there can be many different editions tailored around a specific retailer.
The biggest titles tend to account for a greater proportion of early sales, with Call of Duty: Black Ops/Modern Warfare 3 achieving over 70 per cent of week one sales on
day one.
In 2012 we have already seen four games released on a Tuesday – Kinect Star Wars, Devil May Cry HD Collection, The Witcher 2 – Enhanced Editionand Prototype 2.
Launch date 2007
16/01/2007 26/09/2007
2008
29/04/2008 29/04/2008 13/09/2008 05/11/2008
2009
22/09/2009 10/11/2009 10/11/2009 10/11/2009
2010
09/02/2010 09/02/2010 09/02/2010 09/03/2010 09/03/2010 11/05/2010 11/05/2010 27/07/2010 14/09/2010 09/11/2010 09/11/2010 09/11/2010 24/11/2010 07/12/2010
2011
15/03/2011 17/05/2011 24/05/2011 24/05/2011 20/09/2011 11/10/2011 11/10/2011 25/10/2011 02/11/2011 08/11/2011 08/11/2011 08/11/2011 15/11/2011 15/11/2011 15/11/2011 20/12/2011
2012
03/04/2012 03/04/2012 03/04/2012 17/04/2012
KINECT STAR WARS
DEVIL MAY CRY HD COLLECTION DEVIL MAY CRY HD COLLECTION THE WITCHER 2: ENHANCED EDITION
360 Tue 50%+ 360 Tue 70%+ PS3 Tue 70%+ 360 Tue 60%+
www.mcvuk.com SHOGUN 2
THE WITCHER 2 DIRT 3 DIRT 3
GEARS OF WAR 3 JUST DANCE 3 JUST DANCE 3 STRONGHOLD 3
UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE’S DECEPTION CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3 ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS HALO ANNIVERSARY
STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC
PC Tue 70%+ PC Tue 70%+ 360 Tue 40%+ PS3 Tue 40%+ 360 Tue 60%+ 360 Tue 30%+ Wii Tue 30%+ PC Tue 50%+ PS3 Wed 60%+ 360 Tue 70%+ PC Tue 70%+ PS3 Tue 70%+ 360 Tue 60%+ PS3 Tue 60%+ 360 Tue 70%+ PC Tue 70%+
BIOSHOCK 2 BIOSHOCK 2 BIOSHOCK 2
FINAL FANTASY XIII FINAL FANTASY XIII LOST PLANET 2 LOST PLANET 2 STARCRAFT II HALO: REACH
CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS GRAN TURISMO 5
WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CATACLYSM
360 Tue 60%+ PC Tue 70%+ PS3 Tue 50%+ 360 Tue 60%+ PS3 Tue 60%+ 360 Tue 50%+ PS3 Tue 40%+ PC Tue 60%+ 360 Tue 60%+ 360 Tue 70%+ PC Tue 70%+ PS3 Tue 70%+ PS3 Wed 60%+ PC Tue 70%+
HALO 3: ODST
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2
360 Tue 60%+ 360 Tue 70%+ PC Tue 60%+ PS3 Tue 60%+
GRAND THEFT AUTO IV GRAND THEFT AUTO IV
WORLD OF WARCRAFT: THE LICH KING LITTLEBIGPLANET
360 Tue 60%+ PS3 Tue 60%+ PC Thu 80%+ PS3 Wed 50%+
WORLD OF WARCRAFT: BURNING CRUSADE PC Tue 70%+ 360 Wed 60%+
HALO 3
UK DAILY SALES ‘EVENT’ TITLES Title
Format Day % of week one
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