I guess they are all included. There are many SKUs for Iceborne, a few of the collector's edition comes with the master edition and some with the download cards.
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Media Create Sales: Week 36, 2019 (Sep 02 - Sep 08)
- Thread starter Chris1964
- Start date
A practical example:
TITLE 4 was released on PS4 and its sales were 40% down compared to TITLE 3 on PS3, however including the magical words "great results, with digital and Asia it's probably already at SALES+60%" the game was a huge success.
Even if Iceborne is selling well as digital DLC, how this is good from Capcom's perspective?
The second version always sold as much as the original versions at full price. This new model makes sense in the West, but not in Japan. They are loosing big money.
The second version always sold as much as the original versions at full price. This new model makes sense in the West, but not in Japan. They are loosing big money.
OP
OP
If you have found an SKU that has only the download card of Iceborne without collector's edition point it to me. Neither Famitsu or Amazon have it listed.
Just odd phrasing even if it's a pop meme considering the PS4 literally didn't win this week. It can apply towards MHW if you want.
Same way MHW did its money. Losing sales in Japan to get more sales in the west. They likely make more money in the west selling DLC than releasing a G rank game.
Except when you put it into the context that MHW is their most profitable MH game by far, vastly outselling the combined release/ultimate SKUs of every MH game before it, launching the series to worldwide heights of success that it has never even sniffed at before. They may have ceded much of the Japanese market (and a handheld MH would definitely perform better domestically, no doubt), but to frame that 700k-1M unit loss as "losing big money" while they're raking in record dollars for the franchise seems off to me. I think it's possible to discuss the negative impact of the lack of a handheld SKU on Japanese sales while also not framing it as some grand setback for the franchise. They are not, in fact, losing "big money;" they are perhaps instead burning Japanese money for significantly more worldwide money. The net of that decision is a huge gain.
The "millions" they are losing from G rank in Japan will be offset by the western sales of both MHW and the Iceborne DLC.
A G version make sense in Japan, in the West? Nope, that's why they opted for a digital only release for the expansion, also they have a higher margin with digital compared to a boxed version.
Iceborne DLC is about as expensive as full retail G expansion releases on the 3DS. That and profit margin per unit for digital copies is higher than physical retail copies sold at the same price. Rest assured, Capcom wont be losing sleep over switching to this model. :)
At the same time it would most likely cost more money to make Iceborne because of the more complex graphics etc than the 3DS games.
3DS games are cheaper to make tho, you cant affirm that their profit margins are bigger even with digital.
Were it Japan only, unless the DLC sells quantities roughly or reasonably close to what G versions sold (basically as much as the original game did if not more), I would strongly disagree. West might make up for it sufficiently though.
Don't think budget has any relevance in a Japan only thread, as increased overall sales more than make up for the increase in budget.
And this was a response to someone worried about them selling a cheaper DLC instead of a full price retail game, when the DLC they're selling is about the same price of the retail expansions they used to sell.
Sure, but they are re-using MHW assets, it's not like Capcom made completely and brand new assets for Iceborne for everything.
Even if it's expensive to make, Iceborne is on 3 plaforms vs the usual G version available on only one platform.
Profit margins are bigger on digital by default, publisher cut is 30% while the retail cut is generally 45%.
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No, but we have Capcom's fiscal information which shows a huge increase of profit correlating with Monster Hunter World's release (and then subsequent release on PC). Safe to say they are doing very well.
Oh, right, thanks. Those comments i've seen, but if i remember correctly, i've seen those even after the South Korea/Taiwan charts came into picture, so i didnt connect those comments to the same arguement. Maybe it was more talk about this before though, i'm not sure. We're still missing data from like China, so i guess the arguement can still be used to speculate in =)
Thats true, but that was probably the case going from PSP to 3DS as well (maybe not as big however, but an increase in budget). Capcom would likely have move forward regardless, so i think they're accounting for an increased budget compared to their earning expectations.
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Looking at the link, it seems the download code for Iceborn solo were released on August 6th, 2019. Famitsu never included such cards in their charts. The question now is if they included the Iceborn solo download cards in the MHW: Iceborn total, but it would be weird.
Talking Japan it's only on one and even worldwide it's only really going to be PS4 for now as the PC version is next year and the Xbox split will be small.
But as you say this being a Japan only thread, what increased sales are you talking about? Both MHW and especially Iceborne have sold/will sell less, not more, than mainline MH and G version did on 3DS in Japan.
Not sure why that would be weird. Buying the cards before the official release date is no different than pre-ordering. The sales for all the 'pre-orders' would then be included in first week sales just as any other release.
Best selling games in Japan in August:
It comes from Game Data Library. It's behind a paywall (of 1$), but you have a lot of interesting datas in the report.
- Super Mario Maker 2 (NSW)
- Fishing Spirits (NSW)
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses (NSW)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (NSW)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NSW)
- Minecraft (NSW)
- Pro Baseball Spirits (NSW)
- Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (NSW)
- Azur Lane: Crosswave (NSW)
- Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee (NSW)
- Astral Chain (NSW)
- Super Mario Party (NSW)
- Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball (NSW)
- Yo-Kai Watch 4 (NSW)
- Splatoon 2 (NSW)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (NSW)
- Monster Hunter World (PS4)
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (NSW)
- Oninaki (PS4)
- Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (NSW)
It comes from Game Data Library. It's behind a paywall (of 1$), but you have a lot of interesting datas in the report.
I'm talking about how trying to correlate between the overall increase in budget and sales in "Japan only" is ones going out of their way just paint a negative picture for obvious reasons. I never said it sold better in Japan.
Ah, so you are talking about worldwide sales? Ok, that was not at all clear from your sentence, I read it the other way around...
- You are incorrent. DLC is not as expensive as the G versions.
- Digital sales still get a cut (30% versus 45ish%).
- The profit margin per unit for digital won't cover the the physical margins of G , unless it sells more DLCs than the original sold already. Are the players buying 2 or 3 DLC? How does your math work?
If the West sales will compensate this, fine. But in Japan they are loosing money. I'm not even considering the difference in cost productions because there is no reliable way to measure this.
I'm open to see a different perspective, or the math if you want to get to details. But so far you didn't show any concrete evidence.
My doubt is more because that would mean they're mixing the base game + Iceborn version of the game with the Iceborn solo expansion.
No. The download card is for the expansion only. There's no mixing. That's why the download card is ranked completely separate from the Master Edition.
My apologies, I had yet to see the updated Top 10 that now features the download card and not the Collector's Edition; I thought Famitsu didn't include them at all.
Switch numbers are great. Next year might be peak year for Switch, with a new Mario, Zelda and Animal Crossing. PS5 is releasing late next year I bet, of course is going to do well in the west, but in Japan matching PS3 numbers seem like a huge, almost impossible, milestone now.
Curious as to whether Capcom will eventually try and port MHW over to Switch in a similar vein to the Witcher 3 (complete package with all DLC etc). Would be an easy few million in sales and be good padding for them during one of the off years whilst developing MHW2 (and could be easily outsourced to one of the Switch porting specialists)
It is best to accept Capcom will not release more Monster Hunter titles on Switch in order not to be disappointed, there is nothing that suggests it will happen. At this point this speculation goes to nowhere, we need to move on as Capcom moved on from Switch.
Pretty much. Capcom is uninterested in the Switch for anything other than a dumping ground for ports. Best to just roll with it.
Eh, we had a reliable leaker in King Zell say that a Monster Hunter game was coming for the Switch.
I wouldn't fully count it out yet but don't hope too hard either.
I wouldn't fully count it out yet but don't hope too hard either.
I think you mean Adult Masterpieces. Sophistication is the name of the game.
No to World. Not when they contractually can't release it in Japan, which is the region that'd most want to target with what's NeXt.
Beyond Zell, Max also recently mentioned Capcom had a Switch exclusive MH coming up and it's basically an open secret in the industry. The context was speculating MH might be the 5th Smash DLC fighter.
By most you mean 1 million? Cause if not that's a pretty bad launch for MHWI.