Surprisingly, videogames rated “Mature” by the ESRB tend to sell better than titles with less restrictive ratings, according to an independent study. It said:
Mature rated titles, comprising 10% of all US retail games examined, have both the highest average Metacritic scores and the highest average gross sales in the United States. This is despite not being offered for sale at some major retailers.
Hopefully, this kind of data will encourage publishers like Rockstar not to edit M-rated games, like their upcoming Manhunt 2. Many large retailers such as Wal-Mart refuse to carry “Mature” games; and several states have attempted unsuccessfully to ban sales of M-rated games to minors.
Another important tip for the gaming industry:
Games which achieved a Metacritic score above 90 grossed sales up to 531% more than the industry average, but were less than 2% of all titles released.
Yes, it’s the good games that sell. Just think, with more BioShock and less Link, the industry might make more money.
Despite online connectivity being a big marketing aspect for these new consoles, 45% of retail games are not utilizing it in any way. 98% of Nintendo Wii games have no online functionality at all.
It seems to me that, even if your game is specifically designed for single-player, there are always ways to use internet connectivity to improve the experience. Why not build in community features, so players can exchange tips and info within the game interface? Think, people. It’s called Web 2.0.
The Nintendo Wii released more than twice the number of retail and downloadable game titles than either the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 during the first 7 months each platform’s launch.
Yeah, and farms produce more than twice the amount of manure than they do food. Same principle.
The report was prepared by Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR), a San Diego, California based interactive entertainment research firm.
Link.
