Games vs. Movies: The Battle of the Bling-Bling

The top ten movies last year were:

Rank	Movie title	Profit ($ millions)
1.	The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King	1,118.5
2.	Finding Nemo	864.6
3.	The Matrix Reloaded	738.6
4.	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl	653.9
5.	Bruce Almighty	484.6
6.	The Last Samurai	456.8
7.	Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines	433.4
8.	The Matrix Revolutions	424.9
9.	X2: X-Men United	406.4
10.	Bad Boys II	273.3

Six of the top ten movies are sequels, which prove that it is easier to make money by retreading on familiar ground. There is also less risk involved, provided the prequel was at least marginally successful.

This trend is also present in the gaming industry. Just look at the blockbusters on the horizon: Halo 2, Doom 3, Half-Life 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Gran Tourismo 4, GTA: San Andreas... all sequels.

Another important element in the movie industry is the sale and rental of movies on video and DVD. People spent $22.5 billion on renting movies in the US alone. The European market follows US standards with about a year or two of delay. The profit from European movie sales reached €10 billion last year. The Japanese market saw an increase of 7.9% in movie sales in contrast to 2002. VHS tape sales went down 30%, which only proves that this media reached the end of its line.

Best sold DVDs on the US market:

Rank	Movie title	Sales ($ millions)	Profit ($ millions)
1.	Finding Nemo	18.50	320.40
2.	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	14.75	280.50
3.	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl	13.30	235.30
4.	Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	9.45	168.00
5.	Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom	3.30	153.40
6.	Matrix Reloaded	8.35	145.30
7.	The Lion King	7.99	136.40
8.	My Big Fat Greek Weeding	7.18	124.40
9.	Signs	6.40	115.80
10.	Bruce Almighty	5.60	100.90

Popular movies always turn out to be high-selling videos or DVDs, no surprise there. Re-mastered editions of old blockbusters like Indiana Jones movies also make good DVD sales.

The average price of a new DVD is about $20, with older movies going for as little as $10. Average price of the cinema ticket worldwide is $5.20. (Except in the US where you have to mortgage your house to see a matinee - Six) While the theatre does offer a better experience, it remains a one-time experience, while the DVD remains yours, and usually contains many extra interesting features and bonuses.

The best selling PC games in the US in 2003:

Rank	Game title	Price ($)
1.	The Sims: Superstar Expansion Pack	29
2.	The Sims Deluxe	39
3.	Command & Conquer: Generals	45
4.	Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Expansion Pack	34
5.	The Sims: Makin' Magic Expansion Pack	31
6.	The Sims: Unleashed Expansion Pack	28
7.	Sim City 4	46
8.	Call of Duty	45
9.	MS Age of Mythology	38
10.	Battlefield 1942	45

The most profitable title turned out to be EA's The Sims series. This also goes to prove that sequels of popular games sell well, and that investing time and money into an original project carries a lot more risk. The list is dominated by strategy games, with the exception of two FPS.

Things take a different turn in the console realm. Let's take a look:

Rank	Game title	Platform	Price ($)
1.	Madden NFL 2004	PS2	49
2.	Pokemon Ruby	GBA	31
3.	Pokemon Sapphire	GBA	31
4.	Need for Speed: Underground	PS2	49
5.	Zelda: The Wind Waker	GCN	47
6.	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City	PS2	41
7.	Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	GCN	49
8.	Tony Hawk Underground	PS2	47
9.	Enter the Matrix	PS2	46
10.	Medal of Honor: Rising Sun	PS2	49

Comparing the two lists, we can spot the difference in player preferences:

PC gamers mostly bought strategy titles (27.1%), games for kids (14.5%), FPS (13.5%), family titles (9.5%), FRP (8.7%), sport simulations (5.8%), driving simulations (4.4%), adventures (3.9%) and other simulation (3.5%).

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