Australian computer game sales surge

PALGN News | And the number one game is...

The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia (IEAA) has announced today via a press release that game industry sales topped $343 million for the first half of 2006 (calandar year). This is an 8% increase on figures for the same period last year.

This data was compiled by GfK Australia and shows that handheld consoles sales are up 56% from the first half of 2006 in comparison to the first half of 2005 (alone generating $68 million). 27% more hardware consoles were sold, generating $118 million. Software accounted for 65% of total sales.

The top ten games for the first half of 2006 were also revealed. The result is rather predictable, with Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories topping the charts for handhelds and V8 Supercar 3 leading the console charts. The complete list is as follows:

Top 10 Handheld Games

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PSP)
Nintendogs Dachschund & Friends (DS)
Nintendogs Lab & Friends (DS)
New Super Mario Bros (DS)
Mario Kart (DS)
Nintendogs Chihuahua & Friends (DS)
Pokémon Emerald (GBA)
Need For Speed: Most Wanted (PSP)
Hasbro 4 Game Fun Pack (DS)
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)

Top 10 Console Games

V8 Supercars 3 (PS2)
Buzz: The Big Quiz Bundle (PS2)
Buzz: The Music Quiz Bundle (PS2)
FIFA 2006 World Cup (PS2)
Buzz: The Big Quiz (SW only) (PS2)
Black (PS2)
Need For Speed: Most Wanted (PS2)
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2006 (PS2)
Eyetoy: Play 3 Pack (PS2)
Call Of Duty 2 (Xbox360)

What's most surprising is that the console list is topped by 9 PS2 titles, despite the imminent release of the PS3. IEAA CEO, Chris Hanlon had this to say on the topic; "Consistent with overseas trends we find that consumers will continue to buy current software titles even when they know that next generation technologies are coming soon. Gaming seems immune to the softening in demand that usually precedes high profile launches, largely because the underlying value proposition of the products is strong."

The PS2's dominance must largely be attributed to its massive install base. In figures provided by GFK, the PS2 had sold 1.8 Million units in Australia at July 30 this year. This dwarfs the next largest console – Xbox coming in at 0.8 Million. Full figures are below:

Install Base to 30/07/06 (000's)

PlayStation 2 – 1,809 (launched Nov 00)
Game Boy Advance – 857 (launched Jun 01)
Xbox – 835 (launched Mar 02)
Nintendo DS – 286 (launched Feb 05)
PlayStation Portable – 181 (launched Sep 05)
GameCube – 161 (launched May 02)
Xbox 360 – 80 (launched Mar 06)

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23 Comments

EvilHayama

5 years ago

GTA:LCS must have sold a lot of PSPs here with all those sales... I also wonder if Buzz: the big quiz would be on top if both versions were combined.

Nev

5 years ago

Is it just me, or are most of the top 10 console games not really much to write home about?

Where's Shadow of the Colossus? Resident Evil 4? Fahrenheit? God of War?

For shame, Australia. For shame.

EDIT: The other thing I find amusing, is that Nintendo and Sony are running neck-and-neck in the "non-games" market on this list.

Nintendogs Dachschund & Friends (DS)
Nintendogs Lab & Friends (DS)
Nintendogs Chihuahua & Friends (DS)
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)

Buzz: The Big Quiz Bundle (PS2)
Buzz: The Music Quiz Bundle (PS2)
Buzz: The Big Quiz (SW only) (PS2)
Eyetoy: Play 3 Pack (PS2)

Which shows that, yes, Nintendo's theory that non-games can prove profitable is correct, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Nintendo's going to be the only one to capitalize on it.

jameseybuddy

5 years ago

I am aboslutely amazed that an Xbox 360 game actually made it to the top 10 list!! Good news for the 360!!

ugh the boot

5 years ago

Yea GTA:LCS & Call of Duty 2 (360)....shows support for Psp and Xbox 360!

The video game industry must think we're a joke down here! 8 of those 20 are barely even games (as nev pointed out).

After seeing that I have absolutely no faith in the australian market as the trends show it's f@#king toy down here!! aGk!!

EvilHayama

5 years ago

There's clearly a lot more "casual" gamers here than there are "serious" gamers. There aren't even the hordes of sports gamers that buy Madden in the US.

ZNMS

5 years ago

Nev wrote

Is it just me, or are most of the top 10 console games not really much to write home about? Where's Shadow of the Colossus? Resident Evil 4? Fahrenheit? God of War? For shame, Australia. For shame.

It is a pity, but G rated games always beat out the more mature content.

EvilHayama wrote

There's clearly a lot more "casual" gamers here than there are "serious" gamers.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

jameseybuddy

5 years ago

Actually come to think of it, I don't think there is a shortage of serious gamers, just a shortage of seriuos gamers that actually pay for the games. With mods etc, a lot of people don't pay for PS2 or XBox games. This could be a contributing factor to why the US/Japan etc don't take Australia seriously when it comes to gaming.

Se7en

5 years ago

What's most surprising is that the console list is topped by 9 PS2 titles, despite the imminent release of the PS3. IEAA CEO, Chris Hanlon had this to say on the topic; "Consistent with overseas trends we find that consumers will continue to buy current software titles even when they know that next generation technologies are coming soon. Gaming seems immune to the softening in demand that usually precedes high profile launches, largely because the underlying value proposition of the products is strong."

Convoluted nonsense. The well informed know the PS3 is backwards compatible and seek to increase their gaming libraries whereas the ignorant just buy games, "Cos, um... yeah my friend got this one and uh you sing into a microphone, and it's fun and yeah games are for nerds but I'll just buy this one, cos my friend has it and yeah."

James

5 years ago

Se7en wrote

What's most surprising is that the console list is topped by 9 PS2 titles, despite the imminent release of the PS3. IEAA CEO, Chris Hanlon had this to say on the topic; "Consistent with overseas trends we find that consumers will continue to buy current software titles even when they know that next generation technologies are coming soon. Gaming seems immune to the softening in demand that usually precedes high profile launches, largely because the underlying value proposition of the products is strong."

Convoluted nonsense. The well informed know the PS3 is backwards compatible and seek to increase their gaming libraries whereas the ignorant just buy games, "Cos, um... yeah my friend got this one and uh you sing into a microphone, and it's fun and yeah games are for nerds but I'll just buy this one, cos my friend has it and yeah."

That doesn't directly follow. You'd expect people to be saving up for the upcoming next generation titles instead of buying games made for a 6 year old system.

realitybites

5 years ago

Oh well I hope Nintendo do better with the Wii. Because that GC figure really sucks. Somebody had to say it

.

Another poor showing for the XBox. No Xbox games in the top 10 given its bigger user base you would have thought one game may have made it.

Now we know why EA keeps pumping out the same crap year in and year out.

I didn't say anything really positive did I?

Where do PC titles fit in?

Jeremy

5 years ago

Oh my, what a horrible list.

No wonder Australia isn't taken serioursly as a place for gaming ...

And well, the GameCube really tanked here, no surprises there.

Se7en

5 years ago

James wrote

That doesn't directly follow. You'd expect people to be saving up for the upcoming next generation titles instead of buying games made for a 6 year old system.

That's the mainstream Jim, but not as we know it... Not as we know it. "The gimme now generation" - cautious, generally well-informed buyers (e.g. ugh the boot) are a rarity.

EvilHayama

5 years ago

PS2 is selling big because everyone has one, simple as that. Xbox games are dwindling and 360 is too new/expensive. I'm still buying lots of PS2 games, more than I would 360 games if I actually owned one.

David

5 years ago

While there is a lot of casual stuff there, there is also some hardcore (or at least semi-hardcore) influence too.

Case in point - Xbox has a much bigger install base then 360 (more then ten times), yet a 360 game outsold every Xbox game. Where did the Xbox buyers go? Those that bought a lot of games seem to have traded up.

Same goes with DS and GBA. GBA is still more then 3 times DS in hardware unstalled, yet DS is now the undisputed king of handheld software sales.

This shows that a signifigant section of each buying market has totally moved on to the next system.

And there are at least some Good games in the handheld chart. New Super Mario and Mario Kart are generally considered awesome games, and GTA, Nintendogs and Brain training are at the very least good games.

James wrote

That doesn't directly follow. You'd expect people to be saving up for the upcoming next generation titles instead of buying games made for a 6 year old system.

True, and I think the console chart reflects this. Those saving are not buying games, and since the chart has to be full of something (even is sales are way down), then that leaves casual gamers as the dominant buyer right now for consoles.

yjs

5 years ago

To be honest I'm surprised that the DS installed base is 100k higher than the PSP's. I didn't expect that; good on Nintendo!

Luke

5 years ago

I find it interesting that Pokemon Emerald made it in the charts, pretty impressive + it demonstrates the power of Pokemon.

Nick

5 years ago

Yeah, I misread the end there...

New Comment: The chart has become to predictable with the PS2 in Australia, I really am looking forward to the next gen systems to shake things up (hopefully)

Jellyfish

5 years ago

Didn't read that exactly, 8 Xbox 360s per 2000 people isn't bad.

wobbler

5 years ago

V8 supercars 3 on top of the console charts. Didn't expect that one. Does anyone here have that game?

admeister

5 years ago

PSP got owned!

Hee, hee. No surprises in the console section, I bought the Big Quiz bundle too!

Spanca

5 years ago

admeister wrote

PSP got owned!

Hee, hee.

You must have missed the bit where it shows the PSP figures have caned the Cube here, and in less than a year. If that's owned, what word would you use to describe the Cube here?

Sin Ogaris

5 years ago

Hell the XBox 360 is already halfway to caning the Cube, it did really crappy down here, I wouldn't be surprised if that figure there is the actual number sold (i.e. 161 total units sold), and they just added it to the "in the thousands" group so it didn't look too pathetic.

NismoR34

5 years ago

wobbler wrote

V8 supercars 3 on top of the console charts. Didn't expect that one. Does anyone here have that game?

I did expect it to be on the charts, based on the popularity of V8s 2. I want the game too despite what we discussed earlier.

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