October 2017 NPD Results: Forza 7 Outsells GT Sport, Racing Games Continue Strong Year

[EngieDiesel]

Makes you wonder why MS didn't start the multi platform initiative much sooner.

They didn't want to risk cutting into console sales at time when "owning the living room" was a priority. Now that we're at the point where the install base is about as wide as it'll get and the focus is on replacing existing hardware with higher-spec versions, porting a system-selling game to PC isn't going to make the accountants hyperventilate.

 

[Imari]

I don't think the sales compared to Forza will necessarily matter when it comes to the GT series future. Clearly GT is outpacing any other title in the genre on its native platform. Project Cars didn't even make the top 20.

pC2 also probably cost a fraction of what GTS cost to make. It's not so much pure sales that kill a franchise as it is failing to make to appropriate level of profit for the money spent.

But it could be the highest selling racing game that is if Microsoft ditches the xbox and released their game's multi platform.

Uh, they do?

 

[CSLACR]

They didn't want to risk cutting into console sales at time when "owning the living room" was a priority. Now that we're at the point where the install base is about as wide as it'll get and the focus is on replacing existing hardware with higher-spec versions, porting a system-selling game to PC isn't going to make the accountants hyperventilate.

They also decidedly lost this round of consoles. It's something like 84m PS4's to 31m Xbox One's.
I'd guess having less(at the time) than 30m consoles to sell Forza to helped push them to put it on PC

Compared to around 90-100m Xbox 360's, Forza is actually selling incredibly well. (FH3 stands over 2.7m and counting @ Oct 7, FM7 passed Pcars2 in total sales it's first week.)

pC2 also probably cost a fraction of what GTS cost to make. It's not so much pure sales that kill a franchise as it is failing to make to appropriate level of profit for the money spent.

To be fair, I think GT could actually get away with losing some money, so long as Sony sees it as a console-mover. (which it is)

 

[VXR]

I'm surprised FM7 did so well as it's more of the same, but that goes to show how dominant a franchise it has become.

Personally, I've gone with GT Sport. Maybe less content, but it's not content I could get 95% of by playing FM6, which I spent over £100 on.

 

[JR98]

I'm surprised FM7 did so well as it's more of the same, but that goes to show how dominant a franchise it has become.

Personally, I've gone with GT Sport. Maybe less content, but it's not content I could get 95% of by playing FM6, which I spent over £100 on.

Don't really get what you mean by "it's more of the same", just sounds like you're expecting them to do what PD did and get rid of 90% of content that was in the previous game. GT up to GT6 was no different to Forza in regards to recycled content.

I'm actually surprised how well GTS is selling considering the serious lack of content it has, especially compared to previous entries.

 

[bf3]

I'm surprised FM7 did so well as it's more of the same, but that goes to show how dominant a franchise it has become.

Personally, I've gone with GT Sport. Maybe less content, but it's not content I could get 95% of by playing FM6, which I spent over £100 on.

Disagree
All racing games basically more of the same if go by this,GT was same for ages and this didnt stopped people from buying it and enjoying it.
As for GTS - i just cant see any content there atm.
I was pretty much in to GT since very 1st one,so..Forza is miles ahead of GT now,all T10 need is to fix bugs and fix MP.
I played GTS and im not surprised FM7 outselling it

 

[VXR]

Way to jump on someone for having an opinion guys lol.

One genuinely new track was not going to draw me in, especially as I find Horizon to be much more entertaining.

 

[ImaRobot]

Way to jump on someone for having an opinion guys lol.

The issue with responding to ones differing opinion is what? I'm not really following what you're getting at, considering they were both more than approachable about it.

 

[Imari]

To be fair, I think GT could actually get away with losing some money, so long as Sony sees it as a console-mover. (which it is)

Gran Turismo is historically a console mover. I'm not so sure that Gran Turismo Sport is a console mover. Not on the same level as something like Uncharted, or even Horizon Zero Dawn.

Given it's apparent sales, I doubt that it'll ever reach the levels needed to be reasonably considered to have moved a significant number of consoles. It's not like GT5 or GT3 where a ton of people actually bought a Playstation just to play the game.

Way to jump on someone for having an opinion guys lol.

Yeah, politely saying that they disagree is not "jumping on".

 

[Harry Freq]

Alot of people on consoles would of been put off PCars 2 due to not liking PCars 1 on a controller. Then a bad launch for PCars 2 with many issues again certainly would not of helped matters. Also i dont think the controller settings are not quite right either on the demo to entice people who didnt like the controls first time round to buy again.

Whats amazing is Forza outselling a GT game that has to be a first right? Feels like an end to a era. GT is no longer the game it once was and is now on the slippery slope of obscurity. Will it still be around in 10 years?

I do think once patch 3.0 drops for PCars it will be far the better game than Forza or GT so hopefully it's a slow burner.

 

[BlazeTheCat05]

I played GTS and im not surprised FM7 outselling it

Same, I also played GT Sport, and the minute I saw it had the stiff-as-heck chase camera that the series has had since GT4, I wasn't too happy. I just couldn't get to terms with the strange vehicle physics either. I gave up on the game and promptly returned to Forza. Personally, I'm glad that Forza 7 has "more of the same". The sheer diversity of vehicles and events you can do far surpass GT Sport in my eyes. Plus the physics are very easy to pick up and play.

 

[TokoTurismo]

I too am surprised how FM7 sold more than GTS did. Goes to show how the mighty "Gran Turismo" has fallen. Good.

Means no more of the "but it sells" excuse.

 

[-Fred-]

I'm not quite sure exactly how accurate/representative it is due to the homologation feature, the different TODs and the various leaderboards they subsequently create, but there are currently just a hair over 570000 registered laptimes at Dubai-day in the 991 GT2 RS's division, ie fairly much the same combo you're forced to run with the very first race when you first start the game... If there's hypothetically just over half a million people worldwide that have played the game at least once since September 27 and it still outsold GT:S, just how bad is it doing?

 

[torque99]

"A few factors may have played into Forza 7‘s success in the month of October. Despite both games launching in the month, the latest Forza title launched on October 3 whereas GT Sportarrived in the US on October 17. Therefore, those key two extra weeks on the market would certainly have helped the overall sales of the game"

^^ I think this quote from the Editorial is the most important to note. Forza7 had an extra 2 weeks (half of the month) of launch sales in there. The best like for like analysis would be to see what the whole of Novembers figures are.

 

[-Fred-]

2 weeks more or not, my point was, 570k is a 🤬 number for an AAA title...

 

[KingFrog]

2 weeks more or not, my point was, 570k is a 🤬 number for an AAA title...

That's considered a financial failure for most studios.

 

[UKMikey]

Despite the low numbers involved I hope this puts an end to the "Flopza" comments on YouTube. I'm probably kidding myself though as the guys involved don't seem to have a lot of self awareness.

 

[Huzar]

To be fair, I think GT could actually get away with losing some money, so long as Sony sees it as a console-mover. (which it is)

Just the opposite, most sony games lose money. They need GT Uncharted whatever those big Ips to bring in the profits to cover their lesser games. And they only seem to tolerate critically acclaimed IPs selling less or fan favorites, things that set them apart from xbox PC nintendo. GTsports mediocrity basically means it has nothing to hide behind. No Way in hell would they tolerate GT losing money, historically their greatest software revenue stream.

Also GT came way too late into the gen to be seen as a console mover. Not That the PS4 needed it.

Despite the low numbers involved I hope this puts an end to the "Flopza" comments on YouTube. I'm probably kidding myself though as the guys involved don't seem to have a lot of self awareness.

Individual sales do seem like flops, but that's false. People can't understand Forza operates on a different strategy, a yearly/semi yearly release schedule. Forza paid by a set of its own rules, Must be working rather well since MS keeps pumping them out.

 

[CSLACR]

I'm surprised FM7 did so well as it's more of the same, but that goes to show how dominant a franchise it has become.

Personally, I've gone with GT Sport. Maybe less content, but it's not content I could get 95% of by playing FM6, which I spent over £100 on.

You are correct, GTS has a lot of fictional content that FM7 simply doesn't offer.

I also know it offers 6 vs 30 real locations. 4 of them are in FM6.
I can't imagine how few real cars it offers that FM7 doesn't. Maybe 10-20?

Gran Turismo is historically a console mover. I'm not so sure that Gran Turismo Sport is a console mover. Not on the same level as something like Uncharted, or even Horizon Zero Dawn.

Given it's apparent sales, I doubt that it'll ever reach the levels needed to be reasonably considered to have moved a significant number of consoles. It's not like GT5 or GT3 where a ton of people actually bought a Playstation just to play the game.

Very true, but I think it was between GT6 and GTS that they lost it.
Probably the two worst ideas they ever had, releasing a GT on an outdated console, and changing over to GTS.

Just the opposite, most sony games lose money. They need GT Uncharted whatever those big Ips to bring in the profits to cover their lesser games. And they only seem to tolerate critically acclaimed IPs selling less or fan favorites, things that set them apart from xbox PC nintendo. GTsports mediocrity basically means it has nothing to hide behind. No Way in hell would they tolerate GT losing money, historically their greatest software revenue stream.

Also GT came way too late into the gen to be seen as a console mover. Not That the PS4 needed it.

I was referring to GT in general, but you are correct, GTS is not a console mover.

I'm not going to argue about whether Sony will tolerate GT losing money, particularly because you started out saying most of Sony's games lose money.
Also because I don't see GTS is turning a profit at this point, and I fully expect to see GT7 anyway. Right after the PS5 comes out. (On the PS4, of course )