Video Gamers Eager for New Titles from Familiar Franchises this Year
When Nielsen analyzed what console titles gamers were anticipating for the rest of 2012, many traditional mainstays topped the list. Assassin’s Creed III and Resident Evil 6 are new iterations from potent brands that rank in the top 5 upcoming 2012 titles for both the Xbox 360 and PS3, along with Max Payne 3 from a recently revitalized franchise. Perennial powerhouse Madden NFL makes the top 5 for all three major consoles (360, PS3, Wii) with this year’s Madden NFL 13.
The anticipation level among gaming consumers was derived from combining eight key consumer metrics, including Awareness and Purchase Interest, into one overall score. That score was then compared to scores from all previous games released on the same platform, to determine the percentile ranking of the upcoming title (Nielsen Game Rank™). Other upcoming 2012 titles in the top 10 for both 360 and PS3 were NCAA Football 13, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, BioShock: Infinite and the rebooted Tomb Raider.
Due to the unique competitive landscapes for each platform, some titles resonate more with gamers of one particular console more than others. Prototype 2 makes a stronger showing on PS3 than the other platforms, while Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two ranks significantly higher with Wii gamers. Halo 4, a platform exclusive for the 360 and the first new Halo title from developer 343 Industries, ranks at 98% for that console.
| 2012 Title for 360 | Release Date | Game Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Halo 4 | TBD | 98% |
| Assassin’s Creed III | 10/30/2012 | 94% |
| Max Payne 3 | 5/15/2012 | 91% |
| Madden NFL 13 | 8/28/2012 | 90% |
| Resident Evil 6 | 11/20/2012 | 89% |
| Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | 5/22/2012 | 85% |
| Fable: The Journey | TBD | 85% |
| Kinect: Star Wars | 4/3/2012 | 85% |
| NCAA Football 13 | 7/10/2012 | 82% |
| Bioshock: Infinite | 10/16/2012 | 77% |
| Tomb Raider | TBD | 77% |
| 2012 Title for PS3 | Release Date | Game Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed III | 10/30/2012 | 98% |
| Max Payne 3 | 5/15/2012 | 96% |
| Madden NFL 13 | 8/28/2012 | 96% |
| Resident Evil 6 | 11/20/2012 | 94% |
| Medal of Honor: Warfighter | 10/23/2012 | 87% |
| NCAA Football 13 | 7/10/2012 | 85% |
| Prototype 2 | 4/24/2012 | 85% |
| Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | 5/22/2012 | 80% |
| Bioshock: Infinite | 10/16/2012 | 79% |
| Tomb Raider | TBD | 79% |
| NBA Live 13 | 10/2/2012 | 79% |
| 2012 Title for Wii | Release Date | Game Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Madden NFL 13 | 8/28/2012 | 96% |
| Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two | TBD | 94% |
| Battleship | 5/15/2012 | 86% |
| LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes | 6/19/2012 | 82% |
| The Amazing Spider-Man | 7/3/2012 | 82% |
| Men In Black | 5/22/2012 | 81% |
| The Last Story | 6/19/2012 | 64% |
| Xenoblade Chronicles | 4/6/2012 | 50% |
| ^ Yellow Shading indicates title is platform exclusive
FootnotesTitles included in the analysis are those officially announced before March 23, 2012, and expected to release between April to December 2012, on at least one current generation console (360, PS3, Wii). Nielsen Game Rank™ is determined by combining individual consumer metrics for a title into one composite score, which is then compared to all previously-released titles to determine its historical percentile rank. For example, a title with a Nielsen Game Rank™ of 80% on Xbox 360 is performing better than 80% of all previous Xbox 360 titles at the same stage in the release cycle. |
https://www.qa.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2012/video-gamers-eager-for-new-titles-from-familiar-franchises-this-year/