Todd-Greenwald
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Analyst: Darksiders likely didn't sell enough for THQ
Poor Darksiders. Like an overeager child, it tried to win THQ's approval with its solid mechanics and colorful doomsday aesthetic, but, according to Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald, it likely missed the mark. He estimated for Gamasutra that the game has sold less than a million units, especially disappointing considering -- again, Greenwald's assertion -- the two to three years of development for the game and "heavy marketing dollars." Making matters worse is the fact that the game was discounted two weeks after its release. Here's hoping that a poor first outing for the Horseman doesn't necessarily mean Armageddon for his series.
Analyst: This console cycle may never end
click for alternate headline image It's not too uncommon to say that the current crop of consoles won't be replaced for quite some time. Some believe that the current generation will last until around 2012, at which time it will be replaced by the next round of hardware (or the Apocalypse, if you swing that way). Others say that this generation of consoles will be the last, as publishers will soon jump to a unified platform rather than create disparate versions of games for a handful of platforms.Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald falls into the second category, only with a little twist. Speaking to GI.biz, Greenwald said he doesn''t expect a new console until at least 2011 but added, "if new services like OnLive take off, or if Xbox Live and PlayStation Network become more and more robust, there may not be a need for another console cycle." An interesting idea, though we're inclined to think that such upgrades to the PlayStation Network or Xbox Live would require similarly upgraded hardware to support them.That is ... unless both Microsoft and Sony have been developing server-side solutions akin to OnLive. Frankly, as long as they keep "teh Haloz" and "Snaaaaake" flowing, we're happy to just sit and watch.
Analyst: $60 price point is safe for now
Roughly two months ago, Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald said publishers would ease up on the standard $60 pricing for Triple-A games, but now he's changing his tune. According to Greenwald (via GamesIndustry.biz), the $60 price tag won't change anytime soon, as consumers are satisfied with the current pricing and enjoy spending more on premium-priced special edition software. So it's all your fault.Although, with a growing market for cheap, used games (Toys R' Us and Amazon joining the fray) and a trend towards cost-cutting digital distribution, you'd think there would be even more pressure put on the relatively high retail pricing. Greenwald takes this into account, too; he states that although "near-term fundamentals are holding up well," a long-term projection is "cloudy." In short, as long as games continue to fly off the shelves like they are now, $59.99 is here to stay.
Analyst: Publishers potentially slashing $60 pricing
In this day and age of economic downturn, people are holding on to their hard-earned greenbacks. For some, the $60 price tag on new gaming software is a bit too rich for their blood and – as if sensing their trepidation – Signal Hill analyst Todd Greenwald says it might be on its way out. Greenwald points to this trend using retail and publisher-supported price reductions during the past holiday season (Mirror's Edge, Madden NFL 2009) as examples of what could become stationary in 2009. Consumers might be smugly smiling at the possibility of future software price cuts; however, such a move to counteract slowing sales would only be a brief riposte. In the long run, it would cut the industry deeply and would be "devastating for margins." That means more of this and less of that. In the end, it's a double-edged sword for both the industry and consumer alike.
