How much has Star Wars: The Force Unleashed been played?

Coffee Beans
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (SW:TFU) was released on all the home consoles on September 16, 2008.  The Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was developed by KROME Studios, and published by LucasArts.

The Wii version originally released with a MSRP of $49.99, while the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions I believe released with a MSRP of $59.99; but all have since seen price drops, as just yesterday Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 was released on the current generation consoles.

The play-time data shown below is only for the Wii version of SW:TFU, and it reflects play-time reported for the United States of America, not all of North America.

With 770 days of game-play data reported for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, how many hours have Wii owners reportedly used their digital force powers?  Let's take a look...

Click image to enlarge

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has 347,477 players reporting their play-time data, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has 6,000,364 Total Hours of game-play reported.
The average play session for SW:TFU is right over 1 Hour 57 Minutes per session.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed appears to be selling pretty well still, considering it was released more than 2 years ago.  Currently, its Amazon.com sale rank is #436, and is selling for $19.20 directly from Amazon.com.

Review Score Averages:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Wii version has a review score average of 73.56%, based on 16 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.

I find it odd that the Wii version has only 16 reviews for its average, when compared to 67 reviews for the Xbox 360 version and 36 reviews for the PS3 version; but this seems to be the way most multi-console releases are reviewed now, with the emphasis on the "HD" consoles.

SW:TFU's Amazon.com customer review score average is a 3.5 out of 5 Star rating based on 171 reviews, putting it basically at the same percentage as the "professional" average.

Thoughts:
I am a Star Wars nerd.  I enjoy the movies, I have read some books, and I have played many hours of Star Wars video games.

I purchased SW:TFU on the Wii, within a week of its release in 2008.  I have played through the game four complete times, and I thought KROME did an excellent job with implementing motion controls into the game.

My reported play-time on the original Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is just over 70 hours, which is right in line with how long completing the game four times would take, plus I played the local multi-player the original game had a few times as well.

If you are a Star Wars fan, and have not played the original SW:TFU, I definitely suggest you give it a try now that you find it for under $20.

I have not purchased Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2 yet, though it is on my "to buy" radar.  A friend purchased the PS3 version yesterday, and he sent me a text message this morning about it.  In the message, he said he would give the game a 7 out of 10, because of annoying mobs AND it's a short game...he beat it in under 6 hours!

I haven't read any reviews for the Wii version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, but I really hope the Wii version's single-player campaign is longer than 10 hours, as the original's was.

Questions:
Did any of you play the original Star Wars: The Force Unleashed?  If so, which system did you play it on and did you enjoy it?  If you are a Star Wars "nerd" like myself, do you plan on picking up Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, or have you already done so?


You can see the Wii versions of SW:TFU and SW:TFU2 priced on Amazon.com linked below:

Monster Hunter Tri's - A Stick in the Mud! (Data)

Quick Brew Info:
We last looked at Monster Hunter Tri's play-time data 3-weeks ago, from August 16.  With this week's data, I am including a monster hunt video I went on in the single-player campaign a few days ago.  In the video, I'm hunting a Barroth.  If anybody has hunted a Barroth, you probably immediately knew what I meant with "A Stick in the Mud!" in the title for this post.

Click image to enlarge

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
Monster Hunter Tri has 39,114 players reporting play-time data, an increase of 3,265 players since 3-weeks ago.

Average & "Total" Game-Play Hours Reported:
Monster Hunter 3's average hours reported per person are now 76 Hours 26 Minutes, over 20.81 play-sessions.  The current average Monster Hunter Tri game-play session, per player reporting data, is now about 3 Hours 40 Minutes.

Monster Hunter Tri's average hours, the 76 Hours 26 Minutes "per person", have increased 4 Hours 58 Minutes, since 3-weeks ago. The game now has 2,989,625 Total Hours reported for game-play, an increase of 427,475 game-play hours since the August 16 Nintendo Channel data.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
Monster Hunter Tri's Amazon.com sale rank is #981, and the current sale price is $47.91.
The sales rank #981 is the lowest recorded sales rank I have seen Monster Hunter Tri have since it released in April.


Review Score Averages:
Monster Hunter 3's review score average is still 85.00%, based on 46 "professional" reviews, on GameRanings.com.

It appears that Monster Hunter Tri has a 4.5 out of 5 Star rating from Amazon.com customer reviews.  You can see the breakdown of customer reviews in the picture below:

Thoughts:
I have been playing Monster Hunter Tri's single-player campaign little, by little, in the last 2-weeks.  As I mentioned in the "Quick Brew Info" section, I went my first Barroth hunt in the single-player campaign a few days ago.  I had hunted Barroth online with The Butcher and Den before, but I had never progressed far enough to hunt it in the single-player campaign by myself.

Here's Part 1 of my Monster Hunter Tri Barroth hunt:


As for the play-time data, I believe Monster Hunter Tri will become the "most-player" Wii game according to average play-time "per person", within the next 3-weeks; passing Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

The low Amazon.com sales rank is interesting, though it could just be a very temporary rank and tomorrow it could be back up in the #400+ sales rank range it had been in previous weeks.

Questions:
Is anybody still playing Monster Hunter Tri on a regular basis?  If so, what nights/times of the week would work best to try to get online for some monster hunting as a group?


If you haven't purchased Monster Hunter Tri, and want to join in the monster hunting, you can see new and used prices on Amazon.com linked below:















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Xbox 360 4GB Arcade vs. Black Wii/White Wii Bundles- August 2010 Sales Ranks

The Coffee Beans (what makes up this chart):
     The chart below shows the sales ranks for the 4GB Xbox 360 Arcade console priced at $199.99, as well the sales ranks for the Black Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort and White Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundles priced at $199.99.  The sales ranks were captured between August 2 and August 31, 2010.
     I captured sales ranks on 18 different days in August, with one day having sales ranks captured twice at different times; for a total of nineteen sales ranks on the chart.  The higher the line is on the chart, the better the sales ranks were for the consoles on Amazon.com.
     Why did I select to compare the 4GB Xbox 360 with the Black Wii and White Wii bundles?  First, all of these consoles have a MSRP of $199.99.
     Second, when the NPD data releases for August 2010, I hope this data will give us an idea of which console versions/bundles are selling well.  Instead of just seeing "443.5K Xbox 360 units", or "253.9K Wii units", we can get an idea of which console units have been selling better than others. (If you missed my PS3 versus Xbox 360 - August 2010 Sales Ranks article, I compared the sales ranks of the 250GB Xbox 360 to the 120/160GB PS3 models, you can read/see the sales chart HERE; they were compared because of the same price-point just like these three consoles.)
     So, did the 4GB Xbox 360 "Arcade" version out-rank either the Black or White Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundles during August?  Let's take a look:

Click chart to enlarge

Highs & Lows:
     The highest recorded sale rank for the 4GB Xbox 360 Arcade was #29, on August 10 around 12:30PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for the 4GB Xbox 360 was #144, on August 5 around 1:30AM.

     The highest recorded sale rank for the Black Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundle was #11, on August 16 and August 30; around 8:20PM and 11:55PM for each day.
The lowest recorded sale rank for the Black Wii bundle was #19, on August 28 around 10:55PM.

     The highest recorded sale rank for the White Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundle was #60, on August 2 around 11:40PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for the White Wii bundle was #100, on August 22 around 10:25PM.

Thoughts:
     Like I said in my, "PS3 vs. Xbox 360 - August 2010 Sales Ranks" piece, these sales ranks don't tell us how many units were sold, but they give us an idea of what may be happening in retail stores, and overall for the month of August.
     I was really surprised to see how the 4GB Xbox 360 had a steady lead over the White Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundle, for almost the entire month of August.
     I was also surprised because I thought the White Wii version would be selling better than the Black Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundle; due to the White Wii being the original console color released.

Questions:
     Was anybody else surprised like I was at the lower sales ranks of the White Wii w/ Wii Sports Resort bundle?


If you are interested in either the 4GB Xbox 360 or the Wii bundles, you can see them on Amazon.com below:
  

PS3 vs. Xbox 360 - August 2010 Sales Ranks

The Coffee Beans(what makes up this chart):
     The chart below shows the sales ranks for the PS3 120GB AND 160GB consoles priced at $299.99, as well as showing the sale ranks for the Xbox 360 250GB console priced at $299.99.  The sales ranks were captured between August 2 and August 31, 2010.  The sales ranks were captured on 18 different days in August, with one day having sales ranks captured twice at different times; for a total of nineteen sales ranks on the chart.
     The higher the line is on the chart, the better the sales ranks were for the consoles on Amazon.com.

     When looking at the chart, you may notice August 13, 15, 16, and 20 are highlighted at the top and have asterisks next to the dates and times.  On August 13, 15, 16, the 120GB PS3 was noted as "Out-of-stock" directly from Amazon.com, but was available from third party vendors at the time.
     August 20 was the first day I recorded sales ranks with the 160GB PS3 being listed on Amazon.com, instead of the 120GB PS3 console.
     So, from August 2 through August 16, the sales ranks for the PS3 are for the 120GB console model; from August 20 through August 31 on the chart, the sales ranks for the PS3 are for the 160GB model.

Click chart to enlarge

Highs & Lows:
     The highest recorded sale rank for the 120GB PS3 was #8, on August 10 around 12:30PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for the 120GB PS3 was #22, on August 15 around 11:15PM.

     The highest recorded sale rank for the 160GB PS3 was #5, on August 20 around 4:00PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for the 160GB PS3 was #15, on August 31 around 7:45PM.

     The highest recorded sale rank for the 250GB Xbox 360 was #10, on August 16 around 8:20PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for the 250GB Xbox 360 was #23, on August 14 and August 31.

Thoughts:
     While the Amazon.com sales ranks don't tell us how many units were sold, they do give us an idea of what may be happening in retail stores.  I think it will be interesting to see how close the sales numbers are between the consoles, when the August 2010 NPD data is released in a few weeks.
     Whenever I was recording the sales ranks, I thought it was very interesting that Amazon.com was "out-of-stock" of the PS3 on August 13, so much so that I wrote a note with the sales rank that day.
     It was on August 17, when Sony announced the 160GB PS3, and a 320GB PS3 model that will be available to purchase on September 19 for $399.99.
     I am hoping this data will start giving us an idea of which console versions/bundles are selling well, so when we look at the NPD data, the general "PS3", "Xbox 360", and "Wii" listings may make a little more sense.
     I do have more data from August, and I'm hoping to get the rest up over the weekend.

Questions:
     Though this data doesn't show all console versions sold; based off these sales ranks, do you think that the PS3 will take first place overall in the NPD's August 2010 data?

If you are interested in either the PS3 or the Xbox 360, you can see both listed on Amazon.com below:

Sin & Punishment: Star Successor's Sales Ranks (6-27-10 thru 8-5-10)

Quick Brew Info:
     Sin & Punishment: Star Successor was released on June 27, 2010, on the Nintendo Wii.  The game released with a MSRP of $49.99, and is the sequel to the original Sin & Punishment from the Nintendo 64.
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor was developed by Treasure, and published by Nintendo.

(click chart to enlarge)

Chart Info:
     The chart above shows the sales ranks for Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, with data captured between June 27, 2010 and August 5, 2010.  The higher the line on the chart, the better the sales rank is for the game.
There are thirty-two sales ranks used in the chart, with the date and approximate time captured shown on the chart.

Highs & Lows:
     The highest recorded sale rank for Sin & Punishment: Star Successor was #100, on June 28, around 12:45AM.
The lowest sale rank for Sin & Punishment: Star Successor was #1,158, on August 5, around 2:30AM.

Critical Reception:
     Being that Sin & Punishment: Star Successor was released in Japan in October 2009, and in Europe on May 7; reviews for the game started being published for those versions well before the North American version was released.

     Sin & Punishment: Star Successor currently has a review score average of 86.18%, based on 37 reviews from GameRankings.com.

     Sin & Punishment: Star Successor's customer review score average on Amazon.com has a current average of about 4 out of 5 Stars.  The 4 out 5 Star customer rating would put the game at about an 80% review score average, so a little lower than the "professional" review score average.

Thoughts:
     When Nintendo released a commercial for the game back in June, it made me wonder what the impact would be on the sales for the game.  I never recorded Sin & Punishment: Star Successor's sales rank above 100, and it seems like the game has fallen off rather quickly on the Amazon.com charts.

     When the NPD data was released for June, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor wasn't listed in the "Top 20", and by looking at the sales data from Amazon.com, it is probably safe to say it won't appear on July's NPD "Top 20" report either.

Questions:
     If you played Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, would you recommend the game to Wii owners at its current price?


If you are interested in Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com below:

PS3 vs. Xbox 360: Red Dead Redemption's June Sales Ranks Per System: Chart Included

Quick Brew Info:
Red Dead Redemption was released on May 18, 2010, for both the PS3 and the Xbox 360.  Red Dead Redemption was developed by Rockstar San Diego, and the game released with a MSRP of $59.99.

(click chart to enlarge)

Chart Info:
The chart above shows the sales ranks for Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 and the Xbox 360, with data captured between June 1, 2010 through June 30, 2010.
13 days had data recorded from them at different times, with a total eighteen sales ranks input on the chart.

Highs & Lows:
The highest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 was #3, on June 1, around 1:05PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 in June was #18, on June 30, around 12:10AM.

The highest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 was #2, on June 1, around 1:05PM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 in June was #15, on June 30, around 6:50PM and 11:40PM.

Critical Reception:
As I stated in the April/May sales ranks post, the first review scores for Red Dead Redemption started being published around May 17, the day before the game released.
The following review score averages are from GameRankings.com's data.
Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 now has a review score average of 94.76%, based on 50 reviews.
Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 now has a review score average of 94.49%, based on 68 reviews.

(Agree? Or, disagree?)

Thoughts:
I think it is safe to assume that both Red Dead Redemption versions will be in the NPD "Top 20" again for June, based off the Amazon.com data.

The NPD sales numbers for June should be reported this Thursday, and I think it will be interesting comparing the Amazon.com sales ranks, with how Red Dead Redemption performs in the NPD numbers.

The last time I posted they April/May sales ranks, the comments on both versions of the game were interesting.
I think the last comment, from an "Anonymous" user was pretty interesting, because the comment included a link to NeoGAF, with comparison shots from both versions of Red Dead Redemption.

If you have not seen the comparison shots, you can take a loot at them HERE: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21355476&postcount=704

I still don't understand why it seems developers have issues developing/porting games to the PS3 with the same frame-rate and graphical fidelity of the Xbox 360 versions.

If you still haven't seen anything of Red Dead Redemption, here's a video of two trailers from the game that I combined into one:


Questions:
Do you think Amazon.com's sales ranks will line-up with the NPD numbers when they are announced Thursday?
I think that both versions of Red Dead Redemption will probably be back in the "Top 10" again, what do you think?

If you already purchased Red Dead Redemption are you still playing the game, or have you moved onto something else already?


If you haven't purchased Red Dead Redemption yet, you can see prices for both versions on Amazon.com below:
  

PS3 vs. Xbox 360: UFC Undisputed 2010's May/June Sales Ranks Per System: Chart Included

Quick Brew Info:
UFC Undisputed 2010 was released on May 25, 2010, for both the PS3 and Xbox 360.  The game released with a MSRP of $59.99.  UFC Undisputed 2010 is a continuation of the Ultimate Fighting Championship game series that was originally started on the Sega Dreamcast.

(click chart to enlarge)

Chart Info:
The chart above shows the sales ranks for UFC Undisputed 2010 on the PS3 and the Xbox 360, with data captured between May 25, 2010 through June 30, 2010.
The chart "legend" shows on May 30, around 5:15PM, I recorded UFC Undisputed 2010 on the Xbox 360 was on sale for $39.99.

Highs & Lows:
The highest recorded sale rank for UFC Undisputed 2010 on the PS3 was #20, on May 27, around 12:30AM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for UFC Undisputed 2010 on the PS3 was #253, on June 27, around 1:50PM.

The highest recorded sale rank for UFC Undisputed 2010 on the Xbox 360 was #16, on May 31, around 1:00AM.
The lowest recorded sale rank for UFC Undisputed 2010 on the Xbox 360 was #227, on June 28, around 12:40AM.

Critical Reception:
Review scores for both versions of UFC Undisputed 2010 started being published around May 20, about 5 days before the game released.
UFC Undisputed 2010 on the PS3 currently has a review score average of 87.25%, based on 40 reviews.
UFC Undisputed 2010 on the Xbox 360 currently has a review score average of 86.02%, based on 50 reviews.

(Agree? Or, disagree?)

Thoughts:
I own the original Ultimate Fighting Championship on the Sega Dreamcast, and I downloaded the demo for UFC Undisputed 2010 on my PS3.

The May 2010 NPD sales numbers revealed that UFC Undisputed 2010 sold 222,100 copies on the Xbox 360, while the PS3 version sold 192,300 copies; taking fourth and fifth place in the NPD Top 10 for May.

While you may be thinking those numbers are good(and I do myself), those numbers were a significant decrease in the number of units sold compared to UFC Undisputed 2009.  PASTAPADRE has an excellent article discussing the sales numbers from last year to this year, and says, "THQ saw a year-over-year drop of 59% for the first month of UFC."

As I said under the "Chart Info" section, the Xbox 360 version of UFC Undisputed 2010 saw a significant sale price of $39.99, I first recorded on May 30, around 5:15PM.  I recorded it at $39.99 from May 30 through June 3.
On May 30, I recorded the PS3 version of UFC Undisputed 2010 with a sale price of $53.77.  The first time I recorded the PS3 version reaching the sale price of $39.99, was on July 4, 36 days after I first recorded the Xbox 360 version going on sale for that price.

Like Red Dead Redemption, I think it is interesting that the PS3 version of UFC Undisputed 2010 has exclusive content, that the Xbox 360 version does not have, yet the Xbox 360 version did outsell the PS3 version overall in May.
Now, perhaps the exclusive content can account for the PS3 having the smaller sales decrease percentage wise, year-over-year; and perhaps the exclusive content in the PS3 version is why Amazon.com didn't drop the price as quickly for that version.

Here's footage from a match I recorded playing the demo, and some pictures from UFC Undisputed 2010's official page as well:


Questions:
If you purchased UFC Undisputed 2010, which version did you purchase?  If you're a mult-console owner, did you purchase the PS3 version for the exclusive content?


Is UFC Undisputed 2010 a game you would recommend to other PS3 and Xbox 360 owners?  Or, would you recommend them find an older version of it instead?

If you are interested in either the PS3 or the Xbox 360 version of UFC Undisputed 2010, you can see prices for both on Amazon.com listed below:
  

PS3 vs. Xbox 360: Red Dead Redemption's May Sales Ranks Per System: Chart Included

Quick Brew Info:
Red Dead Redemption was released on May 18, 2010, for both the PS3 and Xbox 360.  The game released with a MSRP of $59.99.  Red Dead Redemption is a sequel to the PS2 and Xbox game, Red Dead Revolver, which released on May 3, 2004.

(click chart to enlarge)

Chart Info:
The chart above shows the sales ranks for Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 and Xbox 360, with data captured between April 24, 2010 through May 31, 2010.
I also included a few April sale ranks to show how both versions were charting then.

Highs & Lows:
The highest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 was #2, first recorded on May 1, around 5:45PM.  It was recorded at the #2 position twenty times in May.
The lowest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption in May was #5, on May 4 and May 7.

The highest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 was #1, first recorded on May 1, around 5:45PM.  It was recorded at the #1 position in Amazon.com's video game section sixteen times in May. 
The lowest recorded sale rank for Red Dead Redemption in May was #3,  first on May 23; then each time from May 27 through May 31.

Critical Reception:
The first review scores for both versions of the game started being published around May 17, the day before its release.
Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 currently has a review score average of 95.00%, based on 47 reviews.
Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 currently has a review score average of 94.55%, based on 64 reviews.

(Agree? Or, disagree?)

Thoughts:

As I mentioned in the "Quick Brew Info", Red Dead Redemption is the sequel to Red Dead Revolver.

While I have not played Red Dead Redemption, I did play Red Dead Revolver on the original Xbox.

I had a lot of fun with the original, and I liked the Western setting for the game.

The NPD sales number for May were just released yesterday.

Red Dead Redemption on the Xbox 360 ranked first, selling 945.9K units.

Red Dead Redemption on the PS3 was ranked second, and it sold 567.1K units.

I think it was interesting that Super Mario Galaxy 2 was released on May 23, marked with the lightning bolt on the chart, and after Super Mario Galaxy 2 released; neither version of Red Dead Redemption was recorded at the #1 spot on Amazon.com again during May.

The PS3 version of Red Dead Redemption included "exclusive" content, not found in the Xbox 360 version.

I thought the PS3 version's exclusive content would help it with sales against the 360 version, but that doesn't seem to have mattered a whole lot with May's totals now reported.

If you haven't seen anything of Red Dead Redemption, here's a video of two trailers from the game that I combined into one:

Questions:

If you purchased Red Dead Redemption, which version did you purchase?  If you purchased the PS3 version, was it for the exclusive content?

Is it a game you would recommend to other PS3 or Xbox 360 owners?

If you are interested in either the PS3 or Xbox 360 version of Red Dead Redemption, you can see prices for both on Amazon.com listed below:

  

PS3 vs. Xbox 360: Backbreaker's Sale Ranks

Quick Brew Info:

Backbreaker was released on June 1, 2010, for both the PS3 and Xbox 360.  The game released with a MSRP of $49.99 and features 60 football teams, a season and "Road to Backbreaker" mode; as well as an online exhibition mode.

One big selling point for Backbreaker, is its use of the Euphoria game engine, which was also used in games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Red Dead Redemption.

Chart Info:

The chart above shows the sales ranks for Backbreaker on the PS3 and Xbox 360, with data captured between  May 31, 2010 and June 30, 2010.

Highs & Lows:

The highest recorded sale rank for Backbreaker on the PS3 was #332, on June 2, around 10:40AM.

The lowest recorded sale rank for Backbreaker on the PS3 was #5,915, on June 29, around 12:05PM.

The highest recorded sale rank for Backbreaker on the Xbox 360 was #216, on June 1, around 8:05PM.

The lowest recorded sale rank for Backbreaker on the Xbox 360 was #4,829, on June 28, around 12:40AM.

Critical Reception:

Backbreaker on the PS3 currently has a review score average of 59.88%, based on 17 reviews.

Backbreaker on the Xbox 360 currently has a review score average of 56.67%, based on 20 reviews.

The chart shows, with the lightning bolt, that on June 2 IGN.com posted their review for Backbreaker.

I believe their review was posted around 8:30PM(EST) on June 2, and they gave the game a 5 out of 10.

Many other sites started posting reviews for the game on/around June 1, but I just found it interesting that after June 2, the same day IGN.com posted their review, the sale ranks for bother versions of Backbreaker steadily decreased.

Thoughts:

I have not purchased a football game since ESPN NFL 2K5.

I read some of the comments on IGN's review for Backbreaker, and they were stating that the reviewer did not spend enough time with the game; before writing the review.

I don't think the Amazon.com sales data shows the game is selling very well, but perhaps it is doing better in retail stores than online?

I think if the game released with a price tag of $19.99, like ESPN NFL 2K5 did, then more people would have been willing to give it a try.

I did download the demo for Backbreaker on my PS3, and played a few matches.

The passing took a little while, but I was getting used to it.  I still am adjusting to the running, though it seems kind of loose to me.

Here's a trailer for the game, and also two plays at the end of it from some of my play-time with the demo:

Questions:

Have you played Backbreaker on either the PS3 or Xbox 360?

If you purchased the game, what do you think of it?  Do you agree with the review score averages for the version you played, or do you agree with comments that the reviewers needed to spend more time with the game before "reviewing" it?

If you are interested in Backbreaker, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com below:

  

God of War: Collection's May Sales Ranks on Amazon.com: Chart Included

Quick Brew Info:
God of War: Collection was released for the PS3 in North America, on November 17, 2009.
God of War: Collection contains both the Playstation 2 titles, God of War and God of War II, on one disc.

(Click chart to enlarge)

Chart Info:
The chart above shows the sales ranks for God of War: Collection, with data captured between April 25 and May 31.
The lowest sales rank I recorded for God of War: Collection was #88 on May 18, around 11:40PM.
I found it interesting, that May 18 was a Tuesday.
There were five PS3 titles released on May 18, that probably affected its sales rank.  Some of the titles released on May 18 were; Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Red Dead Redemption, and Split Second.
The highest sales rank I recorded for God of War: Collection was #49 on May 2, around 10:35PM; and May 22, around 11:35AM.

Critical Reception & Price Drop:
As I stated in the "Quick Brew Info", God of War: Collection released on November 17, 2009.  It released with a MSRP of $39.99.
God of War: Collection currently has a review score average of 90.79% on GameRankings.com, based on 39 reviews.

(Too high?  Too low?  Just right?)

God of War: Collection was ranked 17th overall, in the NPD's sales numbers for November 2009.
It started being reported around January 29, that the MSRP for God of War: Collection was dropped to just $29.99 by multiple retailers.
Other months it has made the NPD "Top 20" were January 2010, February 2010, March 2010; with December 2009 and April 2010 being the only two months it has not been listed in the NPD's "Top 20" software sales.
God of War: Collection is currently ranked #104 and is selling for $29.54 on Amazon.com.

Thoughts:
As I stated in my "God of War III's May Sales Ranks" post, back on June 9, I have never played a God of War game from beginning to end.
I know this was Sony's first "remastered" game from the PS2 to port to the PS3, but with the sales God of War: Collection has seen I wouldn't doubt if Sony is porting more PS2 games to the PS3, with "remastered" graphics, and now perhaps even new game-play controls with the new Sony Move controller.

As for the sales ranks, I think it will be interesting to see if God of War: Collection makes the NPD's "Top 20" in software sales for May, when the numbers are released in July; compared to how it was ranking on Amazon.com throughout May.

Questions:
Have you played both the PS2 and PS3 versions of God of War and God of War II?
If so, do you prefer one version more than the other?


Also, if Sony is porting anymore PS2 games to the PS3, what games would you like to see "remastered" and brought to the PS3 like God of War: Collection?


If you are interested in God of War: Collection for the PS3, you can see new and used prices for it on Amazon.com below:

Skate 3's PS3 & Xbox 360 Amazon.com Sales Ranks

Skate 3 was released today for the PS3 and the Xbox 360(sorry Wii only owners).

The last skateboarding game that I purchased, was Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, on the Nintendo Gamecube.

I have never played any of the Skate games in the series, but I have heard/read they are pretty solid skateboarding games.

In April, I started tracking the sales ranks for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Skate 3.

Here's the chart:

(click chart to enlarge)

Chart Info:

The only day I missed collecting data was Wednesday, April 21.

The Xbox 360 version of Skate 3 crossed into Amazon.com's "Top 100", on May 4, around 11:40PM.  It was ranked #72, when I recorded the data that day.

Skate 3 on the PS3 crossed into Amazon.com's "Top 100", 5 days after the Xbox 360 version, on May 9, around 11:25PM.  It was ranked #90, when I recorded the data that day.

The Highs & Lows:

The highest recorded sale rank of Skate 3 on the PS3 was #85, on May 10, around 6:45PM.

The lowest recorded sale rank for Skate 3 on the PS3 was #761, on April 17, around 12:40AM.

The highest recorded sale rank for the Xbox 360 version was #35, on May 10, around 6:45PM.

The lowest recorded sale rank for Skate 3 on the Xbox 360 was #340, on April 20, around 12:10PM.

Questions:

As I said above, when it comes to skateboarding games, I have never played any of the Skate games, only Tony Hawk games.
If you have played both Skate games and Tony Hawk games, which series do you prefer more?

Did anybody purchase Skate 3 today for either the PS3 or Xbox 360?  If you have had the chance to play it already, what do you think about it, so far?

If you are interested in either version of Skate 3, you can see prices for both on Amazon.com below:

  

Monster Hunter 3 and Red Steel 2 Sales & Game-Play Data

Monster Hunter 3 and Red Steel 2 sales, reviews, and play-time data.

(click image to enlarge)

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:

Red Steel 2 has 7,683 players reporting their play-time data.

Monster Hunter 3 has 10,004 players reporting their play-time data.

Player Increase Over Last Week:

Red Steel 2 had an increase of 876 more players reporting play-time data this week, over last week.

Monster Hunter 3 had an increase of 3,134 more players reporting their play-time data.

"Total" Game-Play Hours Reported/Increased:

Red Steel 2 has 66,478 Total Hours reported, an increase of 8,740 hours over last week.

Monster Hunter 3 has 248,581 Total Hours reported, an increase of 129,774 hours over last week.

Amazon.com Sale Ranks & Advertised Prices:

Red Steel 2's, the game only, Amazon.com sale rank is #799 and the current selling price is $46.99.

Red Steel 2 w/ Wii MotionPlus' Amazon.com sale rank is #735 and the current selling price is $56.99.

Monster Hunter 3's, the game only, Amazon.com sale rank is #88 and the current selling price is $46.99.

Monster Hunter 3 w/ Classic Controller Pro's Amazon.com sale rank is #1,154 and the current advertised selling price is $84.98.

Amazon.com April Sales Ranks for Monster Hunter 3 and Red Steel 2

(click chart to enlarge)

GameRankings.com Review Score Averages:

Red Steel 2's review score average is still 81.00%, based on 44 reviews.

Monster Hunter 3's review score average is now 85.07%, based on 29 reviews.

Monster Hunter 3 gained three reviews in its average since last week, increasing its average from 84.96% last week.

Thoughts:

The sales chart included above is for the entire month of April.  Monster Hunter 3 was not released until April 20, while Red Steel 2 was released on March 23.

You may be wondering why the Monster Hunter 3 Classic Controller Pro(CCP) bundle is currently ranked so low, and priced so high on Amazon.com.  I think the main reason is because the Monster Hunter 3 CCP bundle has been sold-out on Amazon.com each day I have checked, since May 2.

The NPD numbers for the month of April are supposed to be released this Thursday, May 13.

I think it is going to be difficult to tell how Monster Hunter 3 sold, or would have sold, because of the supply issues with the Monster Hunter 3 CCP bundle.

I do not know if it was Capcom or Nintendo, perhaps both, but somebody underestimated the popularity of the Monster Hunter 3 CCP bundle.

I said it last week, and I still think the same; Red Steel 2's game-play numbers, I think are doing pretty well considering the game does not feature any online capability.

Questions:

Have you played either of these two games in the last week?

Do you think Red Steel 2 will see a price cut soon?  Or, do you think Ubisoft will leave it at the current MSRPs, and hope it turns into a "slow burn" title like many Wii games do?

I have only played Monster Hunter 3 in the last week, as I don't own Red Steel 2, yet.

I have had the opportunity twice now, to play with a reader, The Butcher, and one if his friends Den.

They are both higher ranked than I am, but they have helped me level up some, to my current HR6.

As for a price cut on Red Steel 2, I do think the game will get a price cut soon, possibly before the end of June.

If you want to look for me online in Monster Hunter 3, I should have Monster Hunter 3 on later tonight.
My Monster Hunter 3 online name/code is: Coffee  KKJ9F2


If you are interested in either game, you can see prices on Amazon.com below:
    

Red Steel 2's Amazon.com Sales Ranks

Red Steel 2's Amazon.com Sales Ranks

Red Steel 2 was released on March 23, 2010.

The chart above tracks Red Steel 2's Amazon.com sales ranks, for both bundles of the game:

Red Steel 2 game only

Red Steel 2 with Wii MotionPlus

The sales ranks were gathered at random times each day, from March 23 through April 30.

The highest sales ranks for both versions were recorded on March 23, the day Red Steel 2 released.

The highest rank I recorded for Red Steel 2(game only) was #83, on March 23, 2010 around 11:55PM.

The highest rank I recorded for the Red Steel 2 w/ WM+ bundle was #85, around 9:20PM, on March 23, 2010.

Thoughts:

Back in January, Ubisoft said it was cutting Red Steel 2's sales projections from around one million units, to about 500,000 units.  

You can read Ubisoft's full statement, here: http://www.totalvideogames.com/Red-Steel-2/news/Ubisoft-Cuts-Sales-Projections-In-Half-For-Red-Steel-2-14904.html

From the sales data on Amazon.com, and the first month's NPD data, if Red Steel 2 reaches 500,000 units, it will be very slowly.

Why do I think think it will be very slowly?   

According to NPD data, The Conduit sold around 71,000 units its first month of release.

Red Steel 2's first month's NPD data was only around 50,000 units.

Red Steel 2 sold about 30% fewer units, in about the same number of days as The Conduit, in terms of NPD first month sales numbers.

While I do not know if Ubisoft mentioned a time-frame of how long they expect it will take Red Steel 2 to reach 500,000 units, if The Conduit's numbers are any indication, Red Steel 2 will be lucky to reach 500,000 units within one year of its release.

Questions:

Do you think Red Steel 2 will reach Ubisoft's adjusted goal of 500,000 unit sales?  If so, when do you think it will reach the goal?

At this point as stated above, I do not think Red Steel 2 will reach 500,000 unit sales, within a year of its release.

Do you think Red Steel 2 needs more advertisements, or a price-cut to help spur sales?  Or, do you think Ubisoft should just hope it turns into a nice slow burn title?

I think Red Steel 2 needs a nice price-cut, very soon, if it is going to reach 500,000 unit sales any time soon.

The Conduit was out only about 4.5 months, before its MSRP of $49.99, dropped down to a MSRP of $29.99.(source: http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=102898)

If you are interested in either Red Steel 2 or The Conduit, you can see new and used prices for the games on Amazon.com below: