Virtual Console Numbers Revealed (IGN.com)

[8th lutz]

http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/838/838286p1.html

 

A tiny bit of extremely rare insight into Nintendo's Virtual Console sales status was provided today at a press conference held in Tokyo by Nintendo and NTT to formalize their upcoming business tie-up for Internet service.

 

During a Q&A session following the press conference, Nintendo's Shinji Hatano fielded a question regarding the current success of the Virtual Console service. In addition to reiterating a past figure of 7.8 million downloads so far, he revealed that the service has generated 3.5 billion yen (approximately $33 million) in sales.

 

The Nintendo executive said of these figures, "We're currently unsure if this is a lot or low. They're not bad figures."

 

Unless Nintendo decides to completely open up and give out full download numbers for their Virtual Console titles, vague figures like this are as good as it's going to get.

 

Anyone out there want to try extrapolating estimates on per-game downloads based on the two figures?

[goodwill_gamer]

that dollar amount can't be correct, because that would mean that the average download costs less than five bucks.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Actually it could be accurate. They stated 7.8 million downloads. But it doesn't state that all of those downloads are pay downloads. They could be lumping in the first few months of the internet channel when it was free, Forcast channel, Check Mii out channel, etc...in with all the VC game downloads. If that were true, then it would make perfect sense to have so many downloads, but the dollars not add up right.

[8th lutz]

The dollar amount is an estimate by nintendo.

 

The downloads goes make perferect since your talking world wide and Nintendo of Japan has been advertising the virtual game console.

 

The virtual game console in Japan get a whole lot more games then North America gets. The virtual game console in Japan a total of 239 titles compare to the North America having 175 virtual game console games. Gamers in Japan has a chance to get good vc games that North American gamers may never play.

[Emehr]

For a service that costs them probably next to nothing (no manufacturing costs for the games or instructions, for example), I'd say that's a pretty good return. No idea what they pay in licensing for third party games, but making money off their own older titles isn't too shabby.

[DragonmasterDan]

that dollar amount can't be correct, because that would mean that the average download costs less than five bucks.

 

That 33 million might be money made by Nintendo. I'm sure they split the profits on third party titles meaning an 8.00 Super Nintendo game that's a third party game only brings Nintendo 4.00 for example.