American Sales: BioShock 400k, PS3 43k, 360 64k, Wii 101k

With a 400k debut, Bioshock has a pretty legitimate shot at 1,000,000 units long term. For a sense of scale though - even in week two Madden (across all platforms) - outsold the game.

With the Americas data now in, it is time for the weekly look at Vgchartz sales data. For the week ending August 25, Xbox 360 saw the release of a key release - Bioshock. Additionally, numbers for Madden NFL 2008 in week two across all platforms were quite similar to the debut of Bioshock. That said, it is important to note that Xbox 360 hardware did not see a boost. For more on the current generation hardware sales (PS3,Wii, 360, DS, PSP) as compared to last week, check the chart.

[TriggerHappy]

360 sales went up to only 64K ? But in terms of sales, Bioshock did not fail to impress, it just failed to move more X360 consoles than expected. Hope the coming weeks is good

[MK_Red]

True. I was expecting 360 to sell a lot more with BioShock and Price-cut combined. The same goes for PS3 since I was expecting higher sales. Both 360 and PS3 sales decreased and the only actual rise was for Wii. Something tells me that Boogie had nothing to do with this. It's funny how PS3 and 360 release new and superb exclusives and lower their price to increase sales only to be defeated by the cheap Wii that does almost nothing and it's sales increase automatically.

[TriggerHappy]

I thought this was the push the 360 needed to go back to selling a decent amount of consoles this month, but 64k is not bad considering a lot of people that like fps most likely already have a 360 and not a whole lot of people would buy a new console just for BioShock, myself included.

I heard the game is fun and looks great, but is not Halo or FF series or MGS, you gotta have a solid fan base to move consoles.

[daomay]

I just got back from thailand....

They were saling da wii games for less then a $1 a title...

the wii with mod chip in it were almost the same price as the one at retail....

I almost got myself one...but I think Im just too old for the wii...

[JsonHenry]

Why would anyone BUY a single player only game for a console? I rented the damn thing and loved it. But nothing about it made me want to spend $60 on it.

I can understand PC owners buying it because you can't rent the game on PC, but that seems like a lot of sales for a single player only game. (even if it is one of the best ever made)

[PS360WII]

JsonHenry -

People still very much like the single player only games. Mulitplayer games are not the end all be all of gaming.

[rukusa]

I agree. I thought Bioshock would make the x360 boom in terms of sales.

The PS3 is still holding up pretty nicely though.

[witchking]

BioShock is a fantastic game, and it's going to sell well. The problem is, it's going to sell well to hardcore gamers who have a 360 or PC, and those hardcore gamers who want BioShock already have a 360.

This is not a mainstream game. It's rated M, first of all, so all the teenagers who want to play it have to wait until mom lets them. That seriously cuts into the potential audience.

BioShock is going to sell well, among EXISTING 360 owners... and some folks who pick up a 360 to play Halo 3.

Let's face it: MSFT's entire holiday is based on M games: Halo 3, Mass Effect, BioShock. Halo 3 will sell systems. Period. But a lot of the audience is going to miss out on this based on the ratings and the fact that the ESRB is doing a better job keeping M games out of kids's hands.

If MSFT wants to win in this generation, they need a Halo caliber franchise in the T space.

[Phlapp]

Where are your 'Bioshock is a failure' idiotic comments now then?

Quote Larry 007

'BIOSHOCK is selling NOWHERE except AMAZON
i knew this coming
Poor 2k games.
BIOSHOCK is a massive FLOP
:)
LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL'

Quote Larry007
'an FPS without online isnt acceptable
NOT to mention that it is selling BAD all over the world except AMAZON
lolllllll'

What an @sshole!

[MK_Red]

Awesome news, BioShock FTW! Finally a non-sequel non-yearly-EA-sports non-Wii-Sports game has strong sales. A good new IP that deserves this.

I hope it stays there and outsells those crappy EA games and those old Wii games. It's more than stupid that those year old Wii games (Sports/Play) are up there while games from last month are almost gone.

I'm more than glad to see BioShock sell 400k. I was hoping for 500k but still this is great news.

[ReBurn]

I'm glad to see a new IP rack up some decent sales, and a single-player game doing it just means that there's still a market for the solo mission.

I think that developers have been cheaping out on single player far too often. I don't always want to have to hunt down other people to play with to make a game fun.

[PS360WII]

^^ I'm one of the 400k whoo hoo I'm a statistic! The way 360 sells games they don't need to sell even one more console and they'd still make crazy software sales.
Wii sold 101k! Plus Wii Play over the 2 million marker. EA doesn't know how to make a Wii game yet but lets face it they are starting to forget how to make games for the 360 and PS3 as well.

[jcgamer]

the way 360 software sells, you would think there were 10 million plus consoles sold in North America...this is a brand spankin new game...and it's selling like a successful sequel to an established franchise...very impressive...

[power091999]

I am always happy to see a game that people put honest, hard work into succeed.

Grats to them!

[G_CodeMonkey]

Piracy sucks. Buy or rent the stupid game already, or play the demo. MHO. gCM

[AliC]

To be honest most people who want a Xbox 360 already have one in their homes, of which many of those owners will have snapped up this game.

[ReBurn]

I think that there is still a ton of room in the market for the new consoles. There are people that have different psychological price points, so when the prices drop to those levels you'll see more consoles moving. $350 is still a lot of cash to pay just to play games.

Once the Premium 360 moves below $300 I think you'll see the adoption rate go up. Same for the PS3.

[The Dude]

VGchartz never has correct numbers... They just guess. The Dude wil guess as well. When the actual numbers are released from NPD, mine will be closers...

360 150,000
Bioshock 750,000
Wii 90,000
ps3 29,000

[unsunghero28]

After that comment I think there are a lot of people around here that can come up with a pretty accurate guess of your IQ...

[TheMART]

64k 360 compared to 43k PS3, is 21k a week more.

Over a month that's about 90k more in sales. Thats a lot for those that try to downplay it.

So you enjoyed selling well with the PS3 in July. Thats over now.

January to July the 360 outsold the PS3. July was for PS3, the rest of the year for 360 again.

BIoshock is doing great, and deserves it!

[masterg]

That's all fine and dandy.
But It's world numbers that count buddy.
And we all know who is selling the most there.

[stunt213]

i like to see the world numbers u see 360 sold 2000 with bioshock in japan and ps3 sold about 20, 000.

[rukusa]

Mart youre just embaressing yourself continously with your pessimism.

Truthfully 43k for a consoles that is ALOT more expensive than its direct competitor (which is indeed about 20k ahead) is a great.

Stop kidding yourself, but those are nice Bioshock numbers though.

[The Dude]

The ps3 didn't even out sell the 360 in July.

[Takanohana]

Bioshock is garbarge. You want to know why Bioshock sold that much ?

You can murder little girls.

Thats right, you americans were expecting to do it in F.E.A.R. but there is only one little girl to kill so it didn't sold that well. But now there are dozens of them and creepy american nigger are having so much fun slincing little girl flesh whising they could do it in real life without the, you know, prison thing.

[ParaDise_LosT]

got kills a kitty :(

[Hugh Hefner]

Wasn't VGChartz claiming the PS3 outsold the 360 in July in NA, and when NPD numbers rolled out we saw that it didn't? VGChartz is fiction, and news like this will only spark useless fanboy wars. Sometimes I think you choose the news you post intelligently, but sometimes you seriously let me down.

[tplarkin7]

It is an average guy making guesstimations by extrapolating old and useless data (at best).

Please don't report this garbage as news!!!

[MK_Red]

http://www.vgchartz.com/new...

This is their comparison. They were only wrong about 360 sales and overall, we all know these are estimates, just like Hollywood box office estimates and those estimates are used until actual numbers are reported.

[tplarkin7]

Brett is the owner and creator of VG Chartz and he says:
"Considering the site is essentially run by one person (who also has a full time job and fiancée) and is offered to people for free then I think many have expectations which are far too high. I do my best with the information I have but of course it is not perfect."
"NPD are a professional multi-million dollar data firm. They collect data from most major retailers and provide a very high-level service to their clients who pay a lot for their info, VG Chartz is doing things on a much smaller and less professional scale so as of now, there is no comparison in terms of “accuracy”."
http://www.cinemablend.com/...

[Anything but Cute]

Bioflop? It only sold 400k? AAA killer gen defining app?

[DrRage77]

um, selling 400,000 in ONE WEEK is not really considered a FLOP, since MOST GREAT GAMES sell that many in one month....according to you, every single game that has come out on the 360 and ps3, aside from Gears of War, is a flop......again, 400,000 was for ONE WEEK!!!

[PS360WII]

all this hostility...

I'm pretty sure it was sarcasm. I can only assume that for you said it DrRage most great games can hardly do that in one full month

[DrWan]

Rachet and Clank Future, MGS, and FFXIII

At this point, PS3 move rates is tie to a few things.

1st - number of HDTV ratio in America. BluRay is getting more popular, i was talking to some non-gamer female friends. They were asking me about PSP (remote play capability and MP3 capability), they said eventhough DS is cuter, PSP has more functions that they like since they travel alot abroad. And they mention getting BluRay player for their HDTV and ask me if PS3 is any good as a player. A year ago, very little ppl know what BDs are; change is coming.

2nd - Old Franchise - Reason i posted Rachet, MGS, and FF is because these are established franchise, and PS3 at this point is trying to convert PS2 players. Old franchis will do this, not new IPs, Even if new IPs get good score u will probably see a 10k increase or so not like a 100k increase. 10k increase bc people like us, come on these boards and see what's good and whent to get it. 100k+ sales can happen overnight with release of MGS and FF, u can shift upward 1-2 million units of PS3 worldwide when MGS and FF comes out. (It's done it before for PS2) and since PS3 is tracking PS2 pretty closely with such a high price point and with dev. finally getting the technology right, Killzone, more recently Heavenly Sword, Lair, Warhawk (in terms of internet/server coding advancement) I think PS3 has a bright future. Yes i know about the scores on Lair, but It is nonetheless a good presentation of what PS3 can do.

3rd - obviously, further price cut and bundle deals can significantly impact sales.

[TheMART]

So two of that three games, MGS4 and FFXIII won't be here untill spring 2008 at least. If not summer/later in 2008.

Basically you are saying the PS3 won't pick up sales untill well in 2008.

Uhm... Then it may step out of business right away. If the 360 keeps selling this rate and WILL go up with Halo 3, the installed base of the 360 gets such a mass that the PS3 is a nonfactor anymore. Like the PS2 had the advantage last gen compared to the XBOX 1

[DrWan]

Mart, this normal for PLayStation generations though, I am not sure how old you started gaming, but PS1's FF7 did not arrive until a year (and even longer for the US version) after PS1 came out, and the PS2 was in the same situation for FF10. PS3 is now also in the same situation, I dont see anything wrong with that trend.

The main reason I am not too concern about Halo is because it only matters to Xbox gamers. I alot of the PS2 gamers don't really care about Halo. In general, there are more PS2 gamers for PS3 to convert then there is for xbox to convert.

Taking off sales in 2008 is not a bad thing. It's not like PS3 sales have fully stop right now, right? But selling a few million units just in Japan ALONE when the new FF alone can shift the the 'console war' significantly. I am not sure if if FF will be on simutaneouse release date.

But I think you will see the first wave (and the weakest wave) of advancement when Rachet is released, because it is least popular of the 3 that I named. However that number may not be properly illustrated due to holiday time when all console numbers will be inflated anyways.

[kewlkat007]

"this normal for PLayStation generations though"

But what is not NORMAL for PS GEN is Stiff COMPETITION...

This is where the rejuvenated Nintendo and MS comes into play.

[DrWan]

PS1 and PS2 had its shares of competitions, but you are right about more stiff competition, but we will see what happen. PS3 is a more quality machine, and if the price come down and the system moving franchise start to come out, I would say there will be fierce competition for MS and Ninteno as well. Eventhough N is going unoppose right now, I am just wondering how many people this generation will own a Wii + one more HD machine. I think most will do that this generation with exception to the soccer moms.

But, yes, we will see what happen when those 3 comes out.

[Night4ll]

This whole console war thing is stupid... I'm pretty sure almost none of you have money invested in either of the three companies, so whats the big deal...

I'm new to the N4G scene, and I thought I could get my news about what games to buy from here, but all I see are pointless arguments that will never be resolved.

If u have any of the consoles, just enjoy what u have, get the games u want, and stop complaining... there's very little real news on this site, and it's because of u guys...

[snoop_dizzle]

sadly many people are too crazy to listen to you but yeah i agree with you though the console wars as in companies vying for dominance is kinda important as for this well yes its the same thing over and over.

[M1am1U]

sometimes you have to sort through some of the crazy articles and their related comments to get to it. I agree with you Night4ll and snoop_dizzle, the "my console is better than yours" arguments can get pretty old. Get what you want, play what you have, and enjoy what you play. Simple! 8)

On topic, BioShock is a truly outstanding game. I'm not too surprised it's sold that well. I've had a great time with it. The Wii train keeps chugging on. That's impressive, especially with the limited stock, at least in NA.

[celticlonewolf]

I think these numbers are both good for the 360, bioshock(to the dumpa## that said it floped.....your a dumba## 400k is real pritty darn good) and to some exctent the ps3. I mean its still sommer time although it is moving towards the end half and we all know sales for gaming systems are always low around then. Speaking as a family man(although I have both consoles if I didnt) after this month I will start looking at christmas presants(i know it seems early but with the prise of games and the systems you would have to start saving now)which means I wont be picking up a 360 or ps3 until closer to dec. What Im getting at is I think we will see slight declines leading up to the winter period and then we will see big gains. Good gaming

[Boink]

why do people keep posting and approving VG charts as news?

should go right to the junk mail pile...

[toughNAME]

that Bioshock is the calm before the storm

[Anything but Cute]

360 has Halo 3 and just got a price cut. If they don't put PS3 away, it could get interesting. Everyone says 2007 is 360's year, 2008 is PS3's year. But what games do the consoles have in 2009? 2010? 2011, 2012? There will be no Halo 4? Finish the fight is Halo 3's motto. I hope PS3 gets a FFVII remake.

One thing for sure, if Microsoft comes out with the XBOX 720 in 2011 or some crap, I'm saying the hell with that. I'm not waiting years for all the good games again just for slightly better graphics. I'm sticking to PS3 for the rest of my gamer time. I hope I stop playing video games once I'm in my 30's.

[G_CodeMonkey]

I predict another 360 pricecut again around Black Friday (day after T-giving). Basic economics, any pricecut will move a product by spiking demand (though how much is dependent on a number of factors). It will put pressure on Nintendo with a $249 Core (or whatever they are calling it now with the games/256mb memory card bundle). Sony is a tough competitor (how many PS2s are out there now?), and M$ needs to go for a knock-out punch (or as close as you can get early in the match). They need to strike now, otherwise that huge tide of PS2 owners may find it easier to go to the backward-compatible PS3, especially if they are a Ratchet/FF fan. New HD purchasers also will want some HD content for their videogames (assuming they realize they are actually HD). Of course, I'll be buying a PS3 at least for the Blu-Ray when the price hits $299--yeah, I know it'll be a while.

Both M$ and Sony could deliver a huge blow by a reduction, though obviously they won't mention it now to prevent lost sales.

Why stop gaming into your 30's? I'm 38 now, and love it more than ever (as do my wife and kids)--I've spent more $$$ on 360 games (a lot before on PS2) than ever before, and will pop for the custom flight stick for ACE 6, etc. I'm finishing Bioshock and can't wait for the future games--better AI, awesome sound and graphics already. Cheers gCM

[ReBurn]

Hope you stop playing games in your 30's? Why would you want to do that. Your 30's are when you'll be able to buy what you want when you want. That's the best age to be a gamer, IMO.

[NextGen24Gamer]

To me VG Charts is worse than approving Ebay or amazon clips.

At least those other two sites are actual sales and they both are accurate and up to date top sellers.

VG charts was dead wrong for July and every single month prior.

But with that said....its a no brainer that the Ps3 sales are back to their 100 k a month figures and the 360 is back to the 250k to 300k sales figures in America.

The Wii will be doing steady until all the 20 million Nintendo fans have picked one up....they may sell and extra 5 to 10 million based on the controller innovation...But Nintendo is a safe bet for mommies and daddies buying consoles for their children.

What I found funny about this whole VG charts article was this quote....

"A total of 13,248,366 current generation consoles (Wii, PS3, 360) have been sold in the Americas. Xbox 360 accounts for 52% of the total consoles sold, Wii accounts for 33.6%, and PS3 accounts for 14.4%."

Does the USA hate the Ps3 or what? But to be honest....I think those figures are actually more like

60% xbox 360

30% Wii

10 % Ps3

Thats with the clearance price cut for the Ps3. Boy oh boy does the Ps3 have a LONG way to go, to even be close to the xbox 360 in the biggest video game market in the WORLD.

P.S. I'll wait for 2k's official numbers on Bio Shocks sales. I assume its more like 700 to 800k. Bio Shock is a game that will be bought all the way past Christmas. Word of Mouth is what will get that game in the end 1.5 to 2 million sold.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

Plz remember the ps2...also when this game comes to ps3 it will probably hit a million

[Clinton514]

But your estimates are bit on the unrealistic side. Look beyond your obvious bias and search for common sense.

[Excalibur]

And in my opinion (like Gears of War) is a must have for any 360 owner.
It will get to a million soon enough and it deserves it!

[tplarkin7]

Bioshock will sell at least 2 or 3 million "long term". VG Chartz is foolish to suggest that Bioshock won't hit that mark soon. Gears sold 4 million or more so far.

[FFVIIFan]

Every review Bioshock got it deserved. As a FPS, it is a solid as it comes, but it is the first to come along that has had a storyline and plot developement in such a manner that I became as engrossed as if I was playing an RPG. I got the game 3 days ago, and now after getting all the achievements and messing around, I find myself bored with it. I'm not degrading it, because it is a masterpiece of work, but without some multiplayer element, even an online score bored, there isn't that push to try to improve my performence. I love Bioshock, but I wish it had multiplayer.

[G_CodeMonkey]

to use plasmids on your buddies (lightning in the water, wasps, incendiary, etc.), have a Big Daddy attack them, or tie in the Little Sisters some way... Ken Levine hinted in an article (I forget the reference--crap) that it could be in a sequel. Also some co-op would've been nice as well for the overall campaign. gCM

[Jack Bauer]

that part about madden outselling bioshock was retarded and unneeded in their assessment... madden across 10 platforms sold more then bioshock across 2......????

then again thats why they have statistic classes...to teach you to look for bias in interpretations.

[power of Green]

Stop posting VG charts, postng this sh*t as news when they are wrong time after time then you come in here as one of the first to downplay the 360's incorrect numbers.

Merc3nary is no different.

#17 Yep another one...

[macsto]

You are spot on, they are both the same.

[Clinton514]

I'm surprised people still use it as factual info.