SEGASAMMY Q3 financial results - $451 million profit

[CrazyT]

Oh damn, didn't see this thread . *goes deleting post in charts thread*

Great figures

[Aki-at]

Shut your whore mouth!

The sooner you realize the truth the better, don't let it destroy your life like Shenmue has! =[

[Ben]

I really doubt there will be a sequel, but even if the game sold 2 million+ I doubt we'd get one. Mikami isn't even with Platinum Games anymore, for one thing. For another, Platinum Games really doesn't like sequels all that much.

They're not "against" them, but it's not something the company was founded on. They're founded on providing completely new experiences every time.

[Sharky]

You'll be eating your words when they announce Bayonetta 2 later this year =3.

[MadeManG74]

Let me tell you a story about how these 'Shipped' numbers work.

Vanquish may have Shipped 850,000 units, but if they don't sell through to consumers (And i don't think they have to a great degree) two things can happen. In the US the retailers will return the stock to Sega and get refunded for it, meaning Sega pays back the money and is then stuck with all the stock they can't sell. The other option is that Sega has to then fund markdowns and discounts by paying dollar amounts on each unit sold or paying a lump sum.

So basically, yeah, they can ship lots of units, but it doesn't mean it's been a success or that Sega is in the clear.

[Sharky]

That sounds like the stupidest notion ever. If I buy 100 boxes... tissues becuase i want to open a tissue shop and i find out theres no market for tissues. The tissue makers don't suddenly have to pay me back or buy back the tissues.

Who came up with that pos rule?

[Centrale]

Well what did you expect, man?  It's not like you released any collectors' editions of your tissues.  I would have gotten a box if it came with an art book or something.

[MadeManG74]

That sounds like the stupidest notion ever. If I buy 100 boxes... tissues becuase i want to open a tissue shop and i find out theres no market for tissues. The tissue makers don't suddenly have to pay me back or buy back the tissues.

Who came up with that pos rule?

Well Sega could just tell the retailers to go and get stuffed, but good luck selling any games to anyone if they do that, and if retailers don't stock it, nobody can buy it. The retailers hold a lot of power in the relationship.

Not only that, but it's probably better for Sega to do it this way than not ship the games at all, which is the alternative. If they sell it with the promise of markdown support later on or the option to return they can then claim that they 'Sold 850,000 copies' and use that income from the initial shipment.

[Team Andromeda]

That sounds like the stupidest notion ever. If I buy 100 boxes... tissues becuase i want to open a tissue shop and i find out theres no market for tissues. The tissue makers don't suddenly have to pay me back or buy back the tissue

Sorry Sharky mate, But MadeManG74 is quite  and very correct, that is the way it works . That is not to say they never be a sequel mind .

Sometimes it takes 1 or 2 goes to establish a IP or series

[Sharky]

Oh I'm not saying he is wrong, I'm just saying I don't agree with it!
I think it should be retailers own heads if they order to much stock.
Or maybe I'm still angry about my tissue shop.

Either way, I would KILL for a sequal to Vanquish... KILL.
I had so much fun with that game. Even though I rage quit because I couldn't beat Challenge 4.

[Sega Uranus]

Actually, some retailers have already asked SEGA for refunds, that is how I got my copy. ;3

If SEGA were to refuse, then the retailer could then have the choice to block communications with the publisher all together. SEGA does not want to take a risk like that, especially when it is larger groups to get rid of sales bombs before all else.

This is why you do not focus on the story of your games at the last second. We will never be able to catch that very handsome and smooth Russian.

[MadeManG74]

Someone needs to draw a picture of Sam picturing the Russian doing the 'NOTHING AT ALL!' pose like this:

[CrazyT]

I don't get it. If those software numbers are shipping numbers, than does that count to sonic colors as well?

Oh and how do we know those are shipping numbers in the first place :oops: ?

Edit: oh I see now..

[max_cady]

I was frankly surprised by Vanquish's numbers.
Maybe the markdowns had a much bigger impact on sales than I expected.


Update: Ooops, sorry, I hadn't noticed that the converstation had shifted into the retail bussiness(while still relevant to the matter in hand).

On that note, Game retailers are middle men, so they buy the games from the publishers until they either:
A) not meeting sale expectations, thus markdowns are inevitable, thus (trying to)minimizing the loss;
B) the publisher decides to delist the game;

But retailers are getting the short end of the stick, largely because of game rentals and supermarket chains also selling games.

But then again, how much are those numbers from actual physical retailers? I sense that the average Sega gamer is more Internet savvy and doesn't waste time visiting game stores.

[MadeManG74]

^The 'Shipped' numbers would include Supermarket retailers/Mass Merchants (like Target, KMart etc) and online stores (Shipping to their warehouse).