Let's Talk - "Game & Console Sales Statistics"

Ever since the next-gen consoles have come into play the gaming industry, and those who are supporting it's various offerings have been throwing out huge numbers like nobody's business. Microsoft sold so many millions of Xbone consoles, Sony sold so many millions of PS4 consoles, and now "Killzone: Shadow Fall" has sold 2,500,000 copies!!! Wow folks, just wow. I'm here tonight to tell you that while numbers mean a lot in this world of ours they don't always speak the truth. Sure Microsoft, and Sony did good for themselves in selling millions of units, and sure Guerrilla Games sold a lot of copies of the latest Killzone entry. It doesn't mean jack sh*t to us gamers though. You have to take a look at certain underlying factors to really see how these companies did with their sales, and how well they did in impressing their audience. Sony, and Microsoft for example want you to forget that some of their freshly shipped, and consumer bought consoles met an early demise due to hardware failures. They also want you to overlook the fact that both consoles, while new are currently lacking in the game department, and that gamers are often times ditching the "Next-Gen" experience for some retro gaming as a result. Not everyone is happy in next-gen wonderland as it may seem, and I can guarantee you a lot of gamers aren't satisfied with the latest offerings regardless of their purchases. The question in the end is how good are these products, really.

When it comes to Guerrilla Game's latest sales statistics it is the same story, just a different day. Their impressive 2,500,000 copies of "Killzone: Shadow Fall" sold are more than likely attributed to first day game + console purchases. Players didn't know exactly how good, or bad the game was going to be. They had no way of knowing if it would live up to their expectations, or not. They simply wanted something next-gen to play, and as we all know the FPS genre is a booming sensation now. When you factor in the sales stats saying that at least 2 million plus PS4s were sold on day one, and the fact that nearly that many copies of the latest Killzone entry sold as well then the picture becomes a little more clearer. For sh*ts, and giggles you should also subtract 2,500,000 from the current number of sold PS4 consoles. It just doesn't add up in Guerrilla Game's favor, and doesn't reflect the obvious gamers' opinion of the game. There's also the trading in of "Killzone: Shadow Fall" to consider as well as the actual number of gamers who play it online. In my personal opinion it definitely looks as if most of the sales numbers came from those willing to take a gamble on the game the same day that they bought their PS4, and that maybe some copies sold after the console's debut.

Now let's talk player numbers in regards to the latest Killzone's online. Being the poor gamer that I am I opted to buy "Killzone: Shadow Fall" a little later on after my PS4 Xmas present was gifted to me. In fact I picked up a "used copy" in early 2014. Shortly after getting the game, and learning the ropes of my new PS4 I went directly into the "Killzone 4: Shadow Fall" multiplayer. What I found in the way of player numbers was a far cry from the lobby numbers in CoD:GHOSTS. On the best day "Killzone 4: Shadow Fall" would see in-game traffic in the low thousands per game mode. On a poor day it would be only in the upper hundreds on some of the more popular modes, and only in the high tens in the less popular modes. This is definitely not jiving with the impressive 2,500,000 number that Guerrilla Games threw in our face, and is not in the slightest reflecting the fact that the game is "Popular". Why did Guerrilla games throw that number out there then, you ask? It's simple. They want to sell more copies. They think that by throwing out huge numbers it will catch your attention, and make you think that the game they are selling is worth buying.

With that being said though "Killzone 4: Shadow Fall" is not all that bad. I did have my own complaints at first regarding the multiplayer, but after spending some more time with it it was alright for the most part. Of course there are still some things that could be fixed, but overall Guerrilla Games did good with their game design. I will say that the in-depth grief report system is a sight for sore eyes. Sony should take notes from this development studio, because they know how it's done. Aside from all this unbiased kiss assery my point remains that numbers don't always tell the truth in regards to what is going on. Numbers often lie in the favor of those pushing them out there. Think of it as numerical propaganda. People want to make money, and they'll do anything to impress those that have it even if that means throwing out sales statistics that mean diddly sh*t to the media. It's how the world of consumerism has always worked.

The thing I hate about this the most is that companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Guerrilla Games are trying to force feed us bullsh*t. While numbers are not truly in Microsoft's, Sony's, or Guerrilla Game's favor when it comes to things like the popularity status they don't have to lie to us to win us over. They simply have to work at improving upon their offered products, and fix the problems that need fixing. It's as simple as that. If you do right by the consumer your sales will increase monumentally, trust me. People will be stampeding each other just to get what you're selling if what you are selling is the priceless experience that they've always hoped for. The problem is, and always will be that companies want to offer you less for more. They don't want to pour in the hard work, and money needed to attract the larger, and more dedicated crowd. In turn they only piss off, and alienate those who placed their trust, and money in their offered services/products in the first place. If companies such as Microsoft, Sony, and Guerrilla Games would realize that they are only hurting themselves by betraying the consumer, and give it their all to gain their trust back they could make so much more money than they do now. They're just to greedy to realize it.

Moral of the story folks. Money talks, and bullsh*t walks. If this world of manipulated consumerism, and biased/bought out media (aka, propaganda) continues it will snuff out the entertainment industries that we all once enjoyed. Keep that in mind when you pony up the dough for your next gaming, or entertainment related purchase. Speak with your wallets as that is what will get these greedy ass corporation's attention the most. Hit 'em where it hurts. Right square in the bank!

Your Last Samurai,
Brad (OtakuDante)