PlayStation Network Games (excluding PSOne classics) have grossed an estimated US$49.4 (±R354 million) during the second half of 2010. This is according to the Research & Analysis division of analyst firm Forecasting & Analyzing Digital Entertainment (FADE), a strategic market research and consulting firm focused on electronic entertainment and the emerging download and mobile game markets.
After a rough start in the digital market, with most major titles debuting on Xbox Live Arcade first, Sony’s digital platform has seen significant growth, especially among multi-platform titles. FADE estimates that year-over-year growth during the 2nd half of the year was 40%, greatly outpacing Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade 18% increase. PSN finished the year on a high note, with an estimated US$9.3 million in revenues in December.
Ubisoft’s ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ – a timed exclusive on PSN – was the best-selling title for the 2nd half of 2010 with 190,000 units sold. The Behemoth’s ‘Castle Crashers’ was the top-grossing game for the 2nd half of 2010, earning US$2.1 million from an estimated 143,000 units sold.
Multiplatform releases on PSN closing parity with Xbox Live
Multi-platform sales have had a rocky history on PSN, as digital blockbuster ‘Battlefield 1943’ sold over 1.1 million copies on Xbox Live Arcade, while the PSN version has just crossed the 500,000 unit mark.
“In 2009, Microsoft enjoyed a 2:1 sales advantage for multi-platform titles launching simultaneously. Today, that advantage is nearly even with first-month typical sales being 55/45 among new titles like ‘Costume Quest,’ ‘Pac-Man CE DX,’ and ‘X-Men Arcade,'” said Benjamin Schlichter, Director of Research & Analysis at FADE.
PSN Plus Hits 100,000+ Estimated Monthly Users
As per the Top-10 and FADE’s regular monthly reports, free titles offered by Sony as part of the PSN Plus subscription are seeing numbers of downloads that suggest a growing number of users are participating in the service. Time-exclusive title ‘Sackboy’s Prehistoric Moves,’ a prelude to LittleBigPlanet 2, saw an estimated 72,000 downloads in December, with many coming from Plus members.
Top selling PSN titles by units sold, July-December 2010
1. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (Ubisoft) – 190,000 Units
2. Castle Crashers (The Behemoth) – 143,000 Units
3. ZEN Pinball (Zen Studios) – 127,000 Units
4. Dead Nation (Housemarque) – 122,000 Units
5. Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 (SEGA) – 113,000 Units
6. Critter Crunch (Capybara Games) – 100,000 Units
7. Blacklight: Tango Down (Ignition Entertainment) – 97,000 Units
8. DeathSpank (Hothead Games) – 97,000 Units
9. Pac-Man CE DX (Namco Bandai) – 96,000 Units
10. Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse (Telltale Games) – 80,000 Units
Loading ...
