GTA Chinatown Wars (DS) flops on its arse....

BertyBasset · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 334

Seems that sales of the DS's first 18-certificate game have been pretty poor (so far at least), despite it being the latest game
in one of the most popular gaming franchises, and generally considered to be rather excellent (I've been thoroughly enjoying it).

http://www.businessinsider.com/take-two ... mbs-2009-4

I guess the credit-crunch has played a part but even so, those sales figures are pretty poor (assuming they're accurate).

Highly doubt we'll see a sequel on DS now, or even any other "mature" rated games.
If a GTA game doesn't sell well, what chance does any other "mature" game have ?

Not a huge deal for me (there are loads of great non-mature games out there of course - puzzle games are my first love on the DS - they generally work superbly with the touch-screen - and are the main reason I bought a DS in the first place) but I still think it's a bit of a shame and helps to re-enforce the argument that the DS is a "kiddy" or "non-hardcore" machine that will continue to be dominated by cheaply made shovel-ware and "my pet" games (with the odd gem here and there...).

Edit - I should also add that this is one of only a select few DS games that has obviously had a huge amount of care and attention during it's development. From a purely technical stand-point I think it's the most impressive DS game out there.
After such poor sales though, I doubt we'll see many (if any) other developers really spending the time & striving to push the DS to its limits.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

It was available for the low RRP of £17.99 from more than one place at release too.

It is also not particularly good, but then I have never really liked any of the GTA games.

The Rev Owen · **Posted:** Sat Apr 18, 2009 23:31

I think it's a great game. Played through to the end of the story and more.

WTB · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 14497

The sort of people who would buy GTA on the DS are the sort of people savvy enough to run it from an SD card.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 0:49

Wot he said.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:38

Boo-urns! I bought it, and I very much like it! Reward your diligent programmers, chums.

I'm faintly surprised you don't find it much cop, LewieP. I for one found GTA 4 rather tedious, but have been enjoying the speedy gameplay of this title. It's fast, inventive and the missions just the right difficulty. It is also delightfully silly, something that GTA 4 wasn't.

I repeat to the tune of these disappointing sales, boo-urns!

Anonymous X · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2046

Oh man! Just found some gameplay footage on the net, and it seems to suffer the tagged-on stylus 'mini games' which can be too common on DS incarnations of popular games franchises. (Not that I think that is what put off potential buyers or anything, but it is annoying in general.)

I kind of agree with LewieP on the series, BTW. I liked GTA3 at the time of release, it was really one of the most astonishing games seen at the time, but I came back to it after a few year and found it rather lacking in the controls department, and the sequels and soforth I've played never seemed to improve on that. Wouldn't mind playing Chinatown Wars if I had chance, however...

Derek The Halls · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 3742

I think the stylus involvement in the game was awful. I'm not a fan of GTA anyway so this didn't really appeal to me. I was quite surprised that it didn't really sell on DS though.

I had a sneaky feeling it might not do that well on DS due to it not appealing to most of its userbase. The PSP GTAs continue to sell well though.

Dudley · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8679

Anonymous X wrote:

Oh man! Just found some gameplay footage on the net, and it seems to suffer the tagged-on stylus 'mini games' which can be too common on DS incarnations of popular games franchises. (Not that I think that is what put off potential buyers or anything, but it is annoying in general.)

It's certainly put me off.

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 10:22

I dislike the idea of hard core games machines immensely.

tossrStu · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1326

For what it's worth, that's just referring to US sales figures; the game's done fairly well in the UK, where it went straight into the all-formats top 5, hung around there for a few weeks then dropped to 11 (where it's outselling PS3 games like Killzone 2, RE5 and SF4). Without actual sales figures it's hard to say exactly how well it's done but it doesn't seem to have flopped as massively as, say, Madworld (which entered the all-formats top 40 at 29 then dropped out the week after).

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:50

nervouspete wrote:

Boo-urns! I bought it, and I very much like it! Reward your diligent programmers, chums.

TBH after GTA4 on the PC the only thing I would reward Rockstar with is a smack in the face.

35 quid for a bloated (14gb) unoptimised, virus (DRM, securom) mess.

If I had a DS I would happily steal it atm

metalangel · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 13:31

How have its sales compared to a 'proper' GTA game for a handheld, like Liberty or Vice City Stories?

NervousPete · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 14:18

JohnCoffey wrote:

nervouspete wrote:

Boo-urns! I bought it, and I very much like it! Reward your diligent programmers, chums.

TBH after GTA4 on the PC the only thing I would reward Rockstar with is a smack in the face.

35 quid for a bloated (14gb) unoptimised, virus (DRM, securom) mess.

If I had a DS I would happily steal it atm

Whut... whut is all this hostility maaan?

And it's made by Rockstar Leeds, who are a different division are funkier and funner and do the side projects. Or something. Hmm, think I better write a favourable review for the site to nip this naysaying in the bud!

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

Did they do "The Warriors?"

If so, all is forgiven.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 14:55

Yes. They also did Bully but I've not played that either..

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 14:58

nervouspete wrote:

JohnCoffey wrote:

nervouspete wrote:

Boo-urns! I bought it, and I very much like it! Reward your diligent programmers, chums.

TBH after GTA4 on the PC the only thing I would reward Rockstar with is a smack in the face.

35 quid for a bloated (14gb) unoptimised, virus (DRM, securom) mess.

If I had a DS I would happily steal it atm

Whut... whut is all this hostility maaan?

And it's made by Rockstar Leeds, who are a different division are funkier and funner and do the side projects. Or something. Hmm, think I better write a favourable review for the site to nip this naysaying in the bud!

TBPH I don't like Rockstar. Maybe that goes against the grain? Maybe it doesn't?

I quite liked GTA (the original one) even though I just played it for the driving about. I didn't do the missions.

And it's been the same since.. Now? Well when they released the PC version they mouthed off about spending in excess of $2m to protect the game. Fair enough, but after doing so you'd better prove it was for the game and not to increase their bank balance.

I fell for their 'hype' and I bought the game. At the expense of (at that time) Fallout 3.

I couldn't even play it. And, when I did set it up on another computer it ran like dog turd.

Just an absolutely blatant cash in tbh. Rockstar have now reached 'corporation status' so they're all about the money and don't care about putting out quality products.

I know that Fallout 3 and GTA4 are totally different games, but as packages FO3 just shone out as a diamond in the rough. GTA4 was nothing but kerching kerching doggy toffee.

Once bitten and all that. I would never ever buy another of their products now.

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 15:00

Runs fine on a 360.

<runs and hides>

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 15:02

Yes Im perfectly aware it does

It's a console game. That's the whole point..

At least with Burnout Paradise they spent their port time to PC adding things like FSAA, Anisotropic and all of the things that make a PC game a PC game.

It goes like stink, looks gorgeous and so on.

With GTA4 they did nothing to make it into a PC game and everything just to cash in the license. And that was obviously clear so they can fuck off now.

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 15:15

JohnCoffey wrote:

... FSAA, Anisotropic

I have no idea what these things are, but not knowing them makes me awesome, so that is OK.

Watching the football, it's on in a few?

The Rev Owen · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 16:02

PCs are only for casual games, the Internet and Internet-based casual games.

FACT.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

http://www.destructoid.com/those-gta-chinatown-wars-sales-are-good-in-a-different-way-129146.phtml

Quote:

The sales of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars have caused a bit of a stir about whether or not the DS is a system that can support M-rated games. If you've been keeping up with the game, you'll know that its early number of 88,704 copies is a bit disappointing to most analysts who thought the game would sell around 200,000 copies in its first month. However, they're just a bunch of dinosaurs judging game sales by how they used to work, not how they work on Nintendo's systems. At least that is according to what Nintendo (and 2K Games and GameStop) say.

Speaking with MTV Multiplayer, Steve Singer, Nintendo's Vice President of Licensing, said, "Chinatown Wars is performing in line with AAA titles that have come to our platform like Spore or Lego Star Wars. Those games went on to have very different life-to-date sales numbers." A Nintendo rep also mentioned the sales of Call of Duty 4 on the DS, which launched with only 36,000 units in its first month and went on to sell more than 500,000 copies. It's the case of games on Nintendo's systems being far more evergreen than how games have sold in the past.

Nintendo also points out that the first month sales could be a result of the DS only having seven M-rated games on it, so people will be less likely to pick it up until word of mouth starts kicking in. Basically, Nintendo is saying that DS games don't sell like other games. Singer even mentions the odd sales curve that a plethora of DS games already have. That would easily throw a wrench into most analysts' ability to judge how a game will sell, and with all the positive press that Chinatown Wars is garnering, one can't help but wonder if word of mouth will actually jump-start sales. What do you think -- are we seeing a new era of how games sales are going to work?

I'd dismiss this as PR bullshit but the CoD4 sales quotes are interesting. There might be something in it, I suppose.

GovernmentYard · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5318

Well, just like other mass-market populist consoles like PS2 and Wii, the majority is licences, toss and shovelware, with the new lifestyle titles just as bad, but then there's the A++ titles, which tend to have a very long shelf life and make their money back in a slow and steady manner.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 16:44

MaliA wrote:

JohnCoffey wrote:

... FSAA, Anisotropic

I have no idea what these things are, but not knowing them makes me awesome, so that is OK.

Watching the football, it's on in a few?

FSAA is full scene anti aliasing. up to 16x quality. Basically it gaussian blurs all of the textures making them smoother

Anisotropic? can't remember, I know it makes things look much better up close.

Both are things the PC can do in abundance and both are why it manages to outclass everything else as a gaming platform.

It's kinda like bringing a PC game out on console and saying "sorry, we forgot to add joypad support..."

I was watching the football but like every other cup game in history it's about as much fun as sticking hot needles in one's eyeballs.

YAWN.

Pundabaya · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5016

JohnCoffey wrote:

Both are things the PC can do in abundance and both are why it manages to outclass everything else as a gaming platform.

You are a bit of a tit, aren't you John?

'Outclasses everything else'? Most of the PC's most popular games are thinly disguised spreadsheets.

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32624

JohnCoffey wrote:

FSAA is full scene anti aliasing. up to 16x quality. Basically it gaussian blurs all of the textures making them smoother

Anisotropic? can't remember, I know it makes things look much better up close. Both are things the PC can do in abundance and both are why it manages to outclass everything else as a gaming platform.

The 360 and the PS3 both do anistropic filtering and FSAA, mind. Most 360 games run in 2x or 4x, and (I think) most PS3 games use that funny Quincunx mode nVidia have a patent on.

Whilst the PC can run higher FSAA settings, the benefits of these are marginal anyway. Where the PC really shines over this generation of consoles is in resolutions beyond 720p and texture resolution, as the consoles don't have the raw grunt for higher resolutions or the system or graphics RAM for super-high-res textures.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

IMO the biggest advantage the PC has is that it is a more open platform, and it has a mouse.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 17:07

Pundabaya wrote:

JohnCoffey wrote:

Both are things the PC can do in abundance and both are why it manages to outclass everything else as a gaming platform.

You are a bit of a tit, aren't you John?

'Outclasses everything else'? Most of the PC's most popular games are thinly disguised spreadsheets.

I secretly agree with John. Only for me read, 'Slightly better than everything else.'

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16636

PC games are for people who still live at home with their mummies, they can play them at the desk in their bedrooms. I can't think why else anyone would want to play games sat at a desk anyway.

MrD · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 2139

So you can have lots of buttons and accurate mouse control.

NervousPete · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 17:48

markg wrote:

PC games are for people who still live at home with their mummies, they can play them at the desk in their bedrooms. I can't think why else anyone would want to play games sat at a desk anyway.

My desk is next to a window of which many pretty student girls walk by?

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 17:50

nervouspete wrote:

markg wrote:

PC games are for people who still live at home with their mummies, they can play them at the desk in their bedrooms. I can't think why else anyone would want to play games sat at a desk anyway.

My desk is next to a window of which many pretty student girls walk by?

They are reconing it to "drive a car through the wall of that pervert"

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 18:05

JohnCoffey wrote:

MaliA wrote:

JohnCoffey wrote:

... FSAA, Anisotropic

I have no idea what these things are, but not knowing them makes me awesome, so that is OK.

Watching the football, it's on in a few?

FSAA is full scene anti aliasing. up to 16x quality. Basically it gaussian blurs all of the textures making them smoother

Anisotropic? can't remember, I know it makes things look much better up close.

Anisotropic filtering is just an improved MipMap filter. That you claim "It makes things look better up close" shows that there is no real understanding of what it is. And probably can't tell the difference on screen as you're looking at the wrong thing.

In that it's not there to make things look better up close. It's generally there to make things angled away from flat towards you in the distance look better. For instance, the floor in the distance.

The simple fact is that most console games do use it. It's fairly obvious when they don't. And like Anti Aliasing, the visual difference between 4x AF and 16x AF is barely noticable except at abnormally high resolutions.

As for 16x Anti Aliasing, it's pretty pointless to use GPU cycles on it when 4x does just as good a job to most peoples eyes. If you don't know what your budget is, as you wouldn't on a PC, then the option is provided. There's no point in a console game, as they'd use the power elsewhere.

metalangel · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 18:27

Up until recently, the only good game Rockstar had was GTA... practically everything else they were involved in was shit.

Dudley · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8679

Why is there this assumption that PC games have to be played sitting at a desk?

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 19:04

Because mouse and keyboard aren't exactly great for use on a sofa, mainly.

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 19:34

Consoles are for little boys who can't work a keyboard and mouse.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 19:55

MetalAngel wrote:

Up until recently, the only good game Rockstar had was GTA... practically everything else they were involved in was shit.

Bully. Is. Awesome.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10173

How many PCs and games are instant-on, last >30 hours on a charge, light, fit in your pocket (well alright, coat pocket, or bag) and are (relatively) comfortable for use in cramped public transport conditions? And cost £100?

Come on John, show us this magical PC that eclipses the DS in its designed usage pattern!

Dudley · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8679

Mr Dave wrote:

Because mouse and keyboard aren't exactly great for use on a sofa, mainly.

Why is there this assumption you can't use a joypad on a PC. If nothing else, the PC's strength is it can do everything the console does, PLUS other things. It can't just do the other things.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 20:13

Like, games are like all the same dudes. Yeah. You know? *tilts head to the side* We don't need to build barriers, man. Let's break those barriers down with thought hammers, 'kay. Come on now
Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya, my Lord, kumbaya
O Lord, kumbaya

MaliA · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 20:16

l2play camper. lolz/

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 21:47

Dudley wrote:

Mr Dave wrote:

Because mouse and keyboard aren't exactly great for use on a sofa, mainly.

Why is there this assumption you can't use a joypad on a PC. If nothing else, the PC's strength is it can do everything the console does, PLUS other things. It can't just do the other things.

Because many PC games just aren't designed to use them.

Mr. Karl · **Joined:** 3rd Jul, 2008 **Posts:** 52

Can't we all just get along?

Runcle · **Posted:** Sun Apr 19, 2009 22:36

As much as the cartoon is promoting console unity I do find it telling the artists own view on the PC isn't is highly regarded as the other consoles visually represented by the PC's lack of legs and arms.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 15:41

This game is triple A-mazing. 200 times better than GTAbore.

Zardoz · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 15:43

It's so good I haven't played more than 20mins of it due to hand pain.

Joans · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 8655

I saw a poster for this yesterday and realised I'd forgotten all about it. Now that I've dug my DS out I'll have to (download, no, hang on) it.

myp · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 17:55

I bought it for £8 a while back and am saving it for holiday.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Fri Sep 11, 2009 18:46

Remember when GTA was fun and funny? Well this is that GTA.

Be Excellent To Each Other

GTA Chinatown Wars (DS) flops on its arse....
Low sales. Shame....

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

GTA Chinatown Wars (DS) flops on its arse.... Low sales. Shame....

Who is online

GTA Chinatown Wars (DS) flops on its arse....
Low sales. Shame....