The Beatles: Rock Band sales figures: Over 700,000 sold.

[RMThompson]

www.vgchartz.com


Beatles: Rock Band debuted to an impressive 700,000 units worldwide this week. Comparing to the combined week 1 sales of Guitar Hero 5 in Americas / Other Regions, Beatles is up 36% - stronger reviews and the Beatles brand are to thank for this. Interestingly, the majority of the difference comes from the Wii version – Beatles outselling Guitar Hero by nearly 70% on the Nintendo console. Another difference comes with regions – the Beatles are comfortably ahead in America but in Europe Guitar Hero sales are more than double Rock Band (even in the UK). This can be attributed to the fact that Guitar Hero has always been a much stronger brand in Europe than Rock Band, even the Beatles name can’t change this. That said, I expect Rock Band to close the gap in coming months and act to grow the brand in Europe.

[blue_duck]

I like The Beatles and all... but I like games with a variety of songs more...

Eh what the hell. I might get this for Christmas.

[chumsicles]

It looks like Rock Band's inconsistencies in Europe continues to haunt them

[Kingfish]

I like The Beatles and all... but I like games with a variety of songs more...

Eh what the hell. I might get this for Christmas.

Yeah, I like a game that has 20 or so good songs, 40 so-so ones and 20 turds to a game with 40 AWESOME songs too!

[vertrothe]

Yeah, I like a game that has 20 or so good songs, 40 so-so ones and 20 turds to a game with 40 AWESOME songs too!

Whereas I feel Rock Band takes several steps forward with every incarnation, I feel like the Guitar Hero franchise promises to go forward, and at best takes a few steps sideways.

Also, I must tell you I absolutely love the Buddy Christ you have for an avatar.

[soup567]

those are great sales for the first week

[Skittles]

what blows my mind is that people who own Wiis bought it the most copies

[RMThompson]

what blows my mind is that people who own Wiis bought it the most copies

How does that blow your mind?

This game was BUILT for the 30+ casual gamer crowd; it's easier than other music games, it's got a selection of music that the older set loves, and it was marketed towards them directly.

Guess which console is sold to the same crowd? Yep, The Wii. It's sold to the casual/older set... hence the wonderful crossover.

This game will go on to be the biggest seller for Rock Band, and mark my words now, the great sales through Christmas will mean instead of a BUNCH of new DLC we have the possibility of seeing The Beatles: Rock Band 2.

(Starting new thread on that subject now!)

[ArchangelZero]

the great sales through Christmas will mean instead of a BUNCH of new DLC we have the possibility of seeing The Beatles: Rock Band 2.

(Starting new thread on that subject now!)

It's not going to happen. I'm sorry, but I just don't think it will. So many people have preferred not to bypass another year of another installment of RB.

The sales I hope, will make it clear to HMX and Pii that the Wii needs attention. More than they're giving it now. (Which is pretty much, but Neversoft really likes dealing with the Wii)

[Rich T.]

"...the majority of the difference comes from the Wii version."

Because us Wii-owning geezers rock! Old guys rule! :)

[SirDrexl]

It's not going to happen. I'm sorry, but I just don't think it will. So many people have preferred not to bypass another year of another installment of RB.

The sales I hope, will make it clear to HMX and Pii that the Wii needs attention. More than they're giving it now. (Which is pretty much, but Neversoft really likes dealing with the Wii)

Besides, with 3 big albums on the way, there wouldn't be that much left to put in a sequel, assuming they don't reuse tracks. I would strongly prefer not just RB3, but perhaps also another dedicated band game (I'm pulling for U2).

Next generation we might get another Beatles game, but that's a few years away, at least. I really think this game was made to last.

[tingly]

U2 took a knock with their latest album still being short of platinum in the US.

[sonicnerd23]

Pretty impressive for just 8 days in the stores.

[monkeyfish]

Isn't there an article somewhere with Activision saying GH5 is outselling TBRB 4-to-1 or something like that? So that's supposedly 2.8 million copies of GH5 sold...?

[Jorm]

Isn't there an article somewhere with Activision saying GH5 is outselling TBRB 4-to-1 or something like that? So that's supposedly 2.8 million copies of GH5 sold...?

From the numbers we've seen so far, it's apparent that Activision is full of poop.

Though I haven't actually seen a link to the 4-1 quote, so maybe they didn't actually say it, and it's just a rumor.

[monkeyfish]

From the numbers we've seen so far, it's apparent that Activision is full of poop.

Though I haven't actually seen a link to the 4-1 quote, so maybe they didn't actually say it, and it's just a rumor.

Found it, Cherokeesam was flogging it around some other post.

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/activision-guitar-hero-5-outselling-beatles-rock-band-4to1/

Nothing official, mind you, but it's interesting to see this announcement already. And they're saying 9-to-1 in some markets...

Maybe they just dropped off nine copies of GH5 and a TBRB disc on Antarctica. :D

[Whiplash]

It looks like Rock Band's inconsistencies in Europe continues to haunt them

It's unfortunate. I think what is probably happening is a mixture of loyalty and RB not having as much exposure over there, which might make people unaware of the fact that RB games work with GH controllers. I think sales will pick up there eventually.

[Jorm]

LOL @ Antarctica, well played sir. :D

Yeah, I just came across that thread where Cherokeesam posted.

Could be vgchartz has it wrong. The 'official' numbers will be the NPD numbers, those won't be out for a few weeks.

[MostSpartan14]

From my understanding, the actual quote from Activision never specifically states the GH5 outsold TB:RB 4-1. I interpreted the quote as the GH series as a whole has outsold the RB series as a whole 4-1. I could be wrong though.

[monkeyfish]

If GH as a whole was outselling RB:

Well maybe, if you're going to count the twenty GH games to the four main RB ones...

[BYC]

It's unfortunate. I think what is probably happening is a mixture of loyalty and RB not having as much exposure over there, which might make people unaware of the fact that RB games work with GH controllers. I think sales will pick up there eventually.

Yeah it's unfortunate, but HMX and EA just didn't give enough support across the pond. The more I think about it, the more I believe EA has a poor distribution system over there. EA relies a lot on the American sports games for revenue, so I believe they don't focus on Europe as much, and therefore, hurt other games of theirs in the non-USA markets.

[tingly]

I forget who, but they said coordinating a same-day worldwide release was a first for them and a challenge to pull off.

[Patchanka]

Yeah it's unfortunate, but HMX and EA just didn't give enough support across the pond. The more I think about it, the more I believe EA has a poor distribution system over there. EA relies a lot on the American sports games for revenue, so I believe they don't focus on Europe as much, and therefore, hurt other games of theirs in the non-USA markets.

It's not like that. EA has a fantastic distribution system here in Europe. FIFA and Need For Speed are both million-sellers, with great promotion, TV spots and everything. Almost every EA-owned game has simultaneous or almost-simultaneous release here.

Maybe the problem is that Rock Band games are not owned by EA, only distributed. But I don't buy that, I think that Harmonix simply does not care about the European and Australian markets as much as they should.

And another problem with TB:RB European sales: at least here, in Spain, the promotion for the game is almost non-existent. We had demonstrations at launch date at FNAC stores, and some small promotion at FNAC.es (mostly because they used the remasters promotion and "attached" the game), but that's it. The only publicity I have seen was a banner at ElPais.es (the web site for the biggest Spanish newspaper); no TV spots, no in-store demos, nothing. Not even "special-placed" games; I've found the game in every game store I've been, but it was throwed in the middle of the bunch - and it was VERY difficult to find guitars and bundles; here in Alicante I've been in eight department stores, discount stores and game stores. I've seen exactly TWO guitars, a Rickenbacker and a Gretsch (both for X360) and FOUR bundles (three for PS3 and one for Wii; the only X360 bundle I've seen until now was mine, because I bought it from Amazon UK).

But GH5 had bundles and guitars placed as "this week launch" everywhere...

[Grannd]

There has never been big publicity for either Rock Band games, if you walk into a regular store that sells games most of the people that work there will never even have heard about Rock Band.
The Beatles: Rock Band has had the most publicity I'd say, and that's ALL thanks to the remasters. If the remasters hadn't been launched too on 9/9/09 there still wouldn't be any publicity, at least not in Holland.
There have been zero tv spots and zero ads.

I truly don't get it, a lot of people have Guitar Hero instruments, a lot of people like the Beatles. If EA would've tried to get some attention from those people they probably would have sold bigger numbers in Europe. I believe it's that simple.
Why they don't do it is beyon me, it's the Beatles! Marketing is key and if they would've done it right I can't see it failing.

But I do think that sales will probably be quite big on the long term, since there haven't been ads it all has to come from mouth-to-mouth advertising about the game, and since it IS the Beatles and the game IS great sales'll turn out good in the long term.

[Whiplash]

Yeah it's unfortunate, but HMX and EA just didn't give enough support across the pond. The more I think about it, the more I believe EA has a poor distribution system over there. EA relies a lot on the American sports games for revenue, so I believe they don't focus on Europe as much, and therefore, hurt other games of theirs in the non-USA markets.

Yeah, I know it has always had a problem there. I think part of the problem might be that GH had a much bigger head start to get a following, so it wasn't much of a gamble to really branch out into Europe. When Rock Band started out, they were the competition. They were unproven. The investment to put into shipping all the instruments over there must be pretty unappealing if it's not guaranteed your game will sell. Heck, despite how much people may like Rock Band on this board, it's still the lesser brand.

Hopefully this will change things.

[joepjens]

Yeah it's unfortunate, but HMX and EA just didn't give enough support across the pond. The more I think about it, the more I believe EA has a poor distribution system over there. EA relies a lot on the American sports games for revenue, so I believe they don't focus on Europe as much, and therefore, hurt other games of theirs in the non-USA markets.

Well this is not really true.

Look at fifa which is mainly aimed at the european market for one example. Then look at every other game that gets a world wide release and plenty of promotion over here (need for speed, skate, mirrors edge and many more).

They just don't do it for rock band. No advertising, nothing. The closest thing I could find to an advertisement is a flyer inside a store by the register and that was the stores own flyer which also listed GH5.

All the rock band releases have gone by rather silently in europe, we never got the rb2 instruments, always 6 months behind and in general just ignored by hmx/ea when it comes to rock band.

This is why rb sales are trailing in europe. No one knows the brand.

[LunaticSoul]

Yeah it's unfortunate, but HMX and EA just didn't give enough support across the pond. The more I think about it, the more I believe EA has a poor distribution system over there. EA relies a lot on the American sports games for revenue, so I believe they don't focus on Europe as much, and therefore, hurt other games of theirs in the non-USA markets.

Here in Italy it's still impossibile to find a damn RB2 kit bundle, even on european sites. I had to buy a PAL UK copy of RB2 game because it was nearly impossible to find an italian one at GameStop/BlockBuster/other stores. The only copy which can be bought in my town is the NTSC version I brought to get Uncharted 2 at a low price. And it costs 65 euros USED. C'mon, I had paid it 35 dollars :s

[CycoMiko138]

From what I understand, the blame for the lack of a larger Rock Band presence in Europe (and Australia) has nothing to do with Harmonix, and not much to do with EA either. According to this thread, supposedly the problem lies with the publisher, MTV Games.
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163156

[drag_racer]

yea, I heard on the radio that it sold more than expected, and the albums in the stores are selling like hotcakes and setting lots of records. If I remember correctly, they said the albums are the best selling ever, and the Beatles broke Elvis' record of having 14 albums at the top of the charts, by having 16 records at the top of the charts.

So it seems The Beatles are now officially bigger than Elvis

[Happy29]

How does that blow your mind?

This game was BUILT for the 30+ casual gamer crowd; it's easier than other music games, it's got a selection of music that the older set loves, and it was marketed towards them directly.

Guess which console is sold to the same crowd? Yep, The Wii. It's sold to the casual/older set... hence the wonderful crossover.



you described me :)

... When I was in BB playing the demo the week before it came out, I was singing and a 10 yr old was playing drums.

[tingly]

Debut Week Sales

World USA Rest of the World Beatles Rock Band
269,670 241,604 28,066 (10%) xbox
278,585 250,268 28,317 (10%) wii
158,658 131,910 26,748 (17%) ps3
706,913 623,782 83,131 (12%) totals

World USA Rest of the World Guitar Hero 5
201,646 143,848 57,798 (29%) xbox
169,977 139,857 30,120 (18%) wii
153,017 101,848 51,169 (33%) ps3
056,836 047,842 08,994 (16%) ps2
581,476 433,395 148,081 (25%) totals

Beatles RB outsold GH5 by 44% in the US.
GH5 outsold Beatles RB by 78% elsewhere.

[SirDrexl]

I don't understand the percentages. How does the PS3 have 17% to the 360's 10%, when the PS3 sold 131,910 and the 360 sold 241,604?

Are they percentages of all games sold on each platform?

[justin19954]

yea, I heard on the radio that it sold more than expected, and the albums in the stores are selling like hotcakes and setting lots of records. If I remember correctly, they said the albums are the best selling ever, and the Beatles broke Elvis' record of having 14 albums at the top of the charts, by having 16 records at the top of the charts.

So it seems The Beatles are now officially bigger than Elvis

Is there any link to this?

[tingly]

Are they percentages of all games sold on each platform? yeah, in the rest of the world, so 10% of xbox beatle sales were 'rest of the world', 29% for GH5.

I see why the US gets most of the promotional investment, but man, sales were trounced elsewhere.

[SirDrexl]

yeah, in the rest of the world, so 10% of xbox beatle sales were 'rest of the world', 29% for GH5.

I see why the US gets most of the promotional investment, but man, sales were trounced elsewhere.

Okay, I see now. I was thinking it was a percentage of all games sold for the console. For instance, I thought the 10% meant that 1 out of every 10 Wii games sold was a copy of TBRB.