Greenberg indicates money was given for Modern Warfare 2 maps
Aaron Greenberg of Microsoft talked a little about the timed exclusivity around the Modern Warfare 2 maps at CES. He also talks about its impact on game sales against the competition, namely the PS3.
In a recent interview with Ars Technica at CES, the ever likeable Aaron Greenberg talked a little about COD:MW2’s timed exclusivity with the maps. Microsoft signed a deal with Infinity Ward so that the map packs will come out on the Xbox 360 first and to the other platforms shortly after.
It’s assumed, as even Ars Technica stated, that Microsoft probably wrote some large checks for the ‘timed exclusivity.’ However, Greenberg implied that is exactly what has happened between the two companies.
He states:
I think about it like a sports team, when you sign a star athlete for your team… when you sign that free agent, I think it makes your team better. At the end of the day, we want to turn as many people as possible into Xbox 360 fans.
More than anything, the “sign a star athlete†analogy has strong connotations with exchanging large sums of money, especially in the U.S. where basketball stars are paid millions of dollars to play for a team.
Greenberg then talks up the significance of acquiring the timed exclusivity with the high sales of the Xbox 360 version of COD: MW2.
He states:
That’s a big reason you’d want to buy an Xbox 360 instead of another console. So we think from a business standpoint that’s part of the reason more people are buying the Xbox 360, more people are on Xbox Live, it’s part of the reason more people are buying Modern Warfare 2—more than two to one our box vs. the PS3.”
I wonder if Greenberg stopped to think if the reason why more people are buying the Xbox 360 version of MW2 compared to the PS3 in America is because the 360 has double the user base of the PS3. Actually, a quick check on Vgchartz seems to indicate that its not more than 2:1 sales ratio as Greenberg indicated but is more like 1.94: 1 for COD:MW2.
Nitpicking aside, I am still not convinced that exclusive DLC either on the PS3 or Xbox 360 really impact game sales one bit. As many of you may recall the recent story I wrote where Take-Two’s exec explained over an investor call as to why GTA IV’s XBL DLC and retail release both sold poorly. Clearly, exclusive DLCs rarely make a dent in the sales. Even Batman: AA’s sales success on the PS3 vs the Xbox 360 has been attributed to better marketing.
Also, I’ve ‘prestiged’ myself to hell and back in MW2, and I can’t imagine playing anymore Call of Duty for a while. That is, not with great titles such as Mass Effect 2 and Heavy Rain on the horizon.
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January 10th, 2010
Microsoft loves losing money they should try investing in new IP or companies instead. Timed exclusivity has never helped them before just look at GTA DLC what a joke. Sony must be laughing at Microsoft for being so damn stupid. Sony is doing new IPs plus new studios and also getting everything like DLC free no need to waste money on checks for something that won’t help business.
January 10th, 2010
I vote “the best story pic EVER” …..
Timed exclusives have no bearing on my console choice’s what so ever. Nothing to see here, another example of MS throwing money around.
January 10th, 2010
Gotta love Greenberg…
January 10th, 2010
Man, where do they get all that money, from Fort Knox?
January 10th, 2010
Xbox Live and dodgey PC operating systems (curses Vista !!!!)
January 10th, 2010
While the DLC for GTA4 may not have sold well map packs for shooters have sold extremely well on the 360… We only have to look at Gears of War 1 and 2, and Call of Duty 4 and World at war to see evidence of this…
January 10th, 2010
Who cares Mike?
I know several people who only have their console (including a PS3 owner) for COD 4 and MW2.
Almost double the sales on Xbox compared to PS3 is reason enough for Microsoft to keep Xbox with the edge in the latest DLC stuff here.
January 10th, 2010
Xbox360 is traditionally known for its shooters. Call of Duty has always consistently been a big franchise for the Xbox360. I can see why Microsoft would want to get exclusive DLC for this game. However, I have to question the purchase of other DLC.
January 10th, 2010
Timed exclusivity can be pretty damn annoying, but everyone will get it in the end. I’m not too much of a COD fan. I’ve NEVER played COD in my LIFE before picking up MW2 last month. I’m lvl 18 with a 0.75 KD/R
. Pretty bad, but I’m doing waaay better now than when I first started. I actually got 2nd on my first free-for-all (which I joined in late), not bad, and I was 7-5 on my very first match. I’m getting the strategy down. Due to playing Uncharted 2 (where you have to constantly run n’ gun around the map if you hope to be the best), where I had about a 2:1 KD/R, I run n’ gunned the hell out of maps that I didn’t even know. Now I just usually pick a rather busy piece of the map and play defensively, letting aggressive enemies fall into my hands.
Needless to say, I’ll be picking up the map pack when it’s out on the PS3, but I’m perfectly fine with Xbox having it first.
January 10th, 2010
“we want to turn as many people as possible into Xbox 360 fans” Well he’s already succeeded, I mean look at CAD!
January 10th, 2010
Lol at timed exclusive.
January 10th, 2010
“Actually, a quick check on Vgchartz seems to indicate that its not more than 2:1 sales ratio as Greenberg indicated but is more like 1.94: 1 for COD:MW2.”
*Throws furniture around the room* Why that lying son of a ….. How DARE he round up to the nearest whole number?!?!?!?!!!oneoneone!!!! What an evil, evil man!
January 10th, 2010
Well lets get the story straight. Take-Two said the reason why GTA sold poorly in stores is because it took to long to come out after the initial release of the game. And yes I do believe Exclusive content pays off. Yes there are more 360′s compared to PS3 but Microsoft has started this trend of DLC and who is to say that all the exclusive deals has not also impacted 360 being bought over PS3. Anyone paying attention will realize that content comes to the 360 first so I do believe it play a part in the sales decision. Quite Frankly Microsoft makes better deals then Sony. GTA, COD, Fallout 3, to name a few. I can only remember 2 PS3 exclusives Mirrors Edge which was a terrible deal and Batman AA which was the best deal they ever made.
January 10th, 2010
CAD has a point. Everyone was kinda over GTA when the DLC came out. That would have contributed to lower sales.
January 10th, 2010
@Happy,
“Almost double the sales on Xbox compared to PS3 is reason enough for Microsoft to keep Xbox with the edge in the latest DLC stuff here.”
Thats my point Happy, I would hope that the main reason why the 360 sold almost double to that of the PS3 for COD:MW2, was not attributed to the timed exclusive maps but because the userbase of the 360 is about double that of the PS3 in the America.
January 10th, 2010
@Harry,
“*Throws furniture around the room* Why that lying son of a ….. How DARE he round up to the nearest whole number?!?!?!?!!!oneoneone!!!! What an evil, evil man!”
Well he actually did more than round up, he rather smugly stated that the game sold a “little more” than 2:1 on the 360.
But as I stated in my next sentence its all nitpicking at best.
“CAD has a point. Everyone was kinda over GTA when the DLC came out. That would have contributed to lower sales.”
See, thats the thing. If you think about, does it matter when the DLC or map pack comes out?
Because Microsoft made a huge deal about the DLC before the game released for both GTA and MW2 so that gamers can make their decisions during launch month.
If you look at GTA IV sales in America the ratio is 1.77:1 (360:PS3). Those with 360s who would have picked up MW2 already have done so for the most part.
Infinity Ward could release the maps next year and it still wouldn’t have made a difference because if there are anyone (which I doubt) that care about the timed exclusivity, they would have already purchased the game during launch month.
After several years of looking at this, I still don’t see any concrete proof that exclusive DLC makes an impact whatsoever.
January 10th, 2010
@ Mike,
Perhaps he’s got access to a different type of source other than VGchartz in order to make that claim?
DLC has never influenced my decision to buy anything, and it never will. Apart from the GTAIV and Fallout 3 DLC, my impression of DLC is that it’s really just a way for companies to extract the last drop of $ from a consumer. I mean map packs for example, all they are is a different location to shoot someone. Is it game changing? Nope. Are you still doing the same thing? Yep.
January 11th, 2010
DLC influences my buying decisions.
I wait and look out for GOTY versions (with all or most of the DLC included) of the games I’m interested in.
January 11th, 2010
Usually that is.
Obviously in the case of MW2 as alaunch day buyer I’ll be buying whatever DLC appears for it.