Barry
Mr. Do It All
Sep 21, 2004, 7:12 PM
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Will The Sims 2 Beat Out GTA 4? Banking on a Female Video Game Market
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The expected sale of 2 million units of the "Sims 2" video game this year in Europe, is another step in proving skeptics wrong that you can't build a market around female gamers.
EA's head of European publishing, Gerhard Florin, told Reuters on Monday that it sold 25 percent of the 1.3 million "Sims 2" units it started shipping in Europe last week, with supplies available to meet expected strong demand this Christmas season.
"After two days of sales it's always difficult to say where it will go, but I think (the 2 million goal) is do-able," Florin said, adding that the fast-growing European unit is on track this Christmas to sell more games than it did last Christmas.
EA launched one of its biggest advertising campaigns over the weekend in daily newspapers such as Britain's top-selling The Sun tabloid that was aimed at women and more casual gamers.
The quick start for "Sims 2" sets the stage for an interesting showdown for the title of top-selling game this Christmas season. Can the female-friendly "Sims 2" beat out bad boy title "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," created by Edinburgh-based Rockstar North? I somehow doubt this, but if it does, then the face of gaming demographics will be forever changed.
BOYS VS. GIRLS
Rockstar, a unit of Take-Two Interactive, expects to ship the Grand Theft Auto sequel the last week of October. The franchise, known for its gun-toting characters and scantily-clad female sidekicks, has sold 32 million units.
Meanwhile, "Sims," a virtual world of every-day characters controlled by gamers, has sold over 36 million games and expansion packs worldwide since 2000.
"I would love to see Sims beating GTA, that a peaceful girls game could beat the typical male game. But we have to be realistic. It will not happen. Maybe over time it might, but the dedicated hardcore gamer male group is just so much bigger," said Florin.
Fast cars and gunplay may dominate now. But the future is in less violent strategy games, Florin said.
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