What exactly makes a phenomenon? There are several definitions including:
In the video games world, however, it's apparently all down to sales figures.
Nintendo of America (NoA) has made darned sure that the world is aware that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the Week One "fastest-selling video game in Nintendo of America's history" in the USA. This follows it being the fastest-selling Wii title in Japan. It should be congratulated on a job well done.
The US figures - via Nintendo - come out as follows:
874,000 copies sold on launch day, March 9th.
1.4 million copies sold in the United States in the first week to March 16th.
"It has sold at a rate of more than 120 units per minute between launch and March 16."
We also read Cammie Dunaway, (NoA's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing) going a little, we thought, over-effusive in saying that "Super Smash Bros. Brawl has made the leap from video game to cultural phenomenon".
'Cultural phenomenon'? we thought, 'that's a bit much'. But then our minds reached out to the dim distant (in video gaming years) past, and came up with:
"'Halo is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of Halo 3 is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form', said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft."
That was back in October last year when Microsoft also told us that Halo 3 had 'officially become a global phenomenon'. Officially, no less. This was based on the fact that it had garnered $170 million (£84m back then) in sales in the US within the first 24 hours - some estimates held that at 2.4 million actual copies of the game, although this wasn't confirmed.
Back them, Microsoft had sold 6,728,800 Xbox 360s in the US in its lifetime. Nintendo has currently sold 9.8 million Wiis. Figures are, as ever, approximate.
We haven't, as yet, managed to discover anybody at Sony who has officially called the PlayStation a "cultural phenomenon". However, a Sony press release does include the phrase, "Guitar Hero is an epic experience that has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon".
In fact, the more we looked, the more the phrase cropped up. Here's Electronic Arts, "The Sims skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores in February 2000 and quickly became a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon".
Here's Nintendo again, upping the ante as ever, talking about Pokemon, "Pokemon was launched in Japan in 1996 for play on Nintendo's Game Boy(R) and has since evolved into a global cultural phenomenon".
Midway gets in on the act as well, but manages to introduce the idea of 'popular culture' when talking about Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, which "...joins past games in the award-winning franchise as a top seller and continues to be a major pop culture phenomenon".
This rush for cultural phenominising doesn't stop with the big guys either, here's Stephen Offenheim Editor in Chief of the 'popular humorous superhero comic Awesome Storm Justice 41' talking about how the Rusy Axe Games' online game based on the comic is "the next logical step in our plan to evolve Awesome Storm Justice 41 into a cultural phenomenon".
What we here at SPOnG want to discover is what gamers actually feel is a 'cultural phenomenon'? There appear to be so many of them about the place that it's time we got a consensus. As far as we're concerned, Pong, Pac-Man and Space Invaders definitely fit the bill.
What do you reckon? Tell us in the Forum.
"An unusual, significant, or unaccountable fact or occurrence; a marvel."
"An observable event."
"Something that is impressive or extraordinary."
"An observable event."
"Something that is impressive or extraordinary."
In the video games world, however, it's apparently all down to sales figures.
Nintendo of America (NoA) has made darned sure that the world is aware that Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the Week One "fastest-selling video game in Nintendo of America's history" in the USA. This follows it being the fastest-selling Wii title in Japan. It should be congratulated on a job well done.
The US figures - via Nintendo - come out as follows:
874,000 copies sold on launch day, March 9th.
1.4 million copies sold in the United States in the first week to March 16th.
"It has sold at a rate of more than 120 units per minute between launch and March 16."
We also read Cammie Dunaway, (NoA's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing) going a little, we thought, over-effusive in saying that "Super Smash Bros. Brawl has made the leap from video game to cultural phenomenon".
'Cultural phenomenon'? we thought, 'that's a bit much'. But then our minds reached out to the dim distant (in video gaming years) past, and came up with:
"'Halo is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of Halo 3 is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form', said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft."
That was back in October last year when Microsoft also told us that Halo 3 had 'officially become a global phenomenon'. Officially, no less. This was based on the fact that it had garnered $170 million (£84m back then) in sales in the US within the first 24 hours - some estimates held that at 2.4 million actual copies of the game, although this wasn't confirmed.
Back them, Microsoft had sold 6,728,800 Xbox 360s in the US in its lifetime. Nintendo has currently sold 9.8 million Wiis. Figures are, as ever, approximate.
We haven't, as yet, managed to discover anybody at Sony who has officially called the PlayStation a "cultural phenomenon". However, a Sony press release does include the phrase, "Guitar Hero is an epic experience that has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon".
In fact, the more we looked, the more the phrase cropped up. Here's Electronic Arts, "The Sims skyrocketed to the top of the charts when it began shipping to stores in February 2000 and quickly became a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon".
Here's Nintendo again, upping the ante as ever, talking about Pokemon, "Pokemon was launched in Japan in 1996 for play on Nintendo's Game Boy(R) and has since evolved into a global cultural phenomenon".
Midway gets in on the act as well, but manages to introduce the idea of 'popular culture' when talking about Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, which "...joins past games in the award-winning franchise as a top seller and continues to be a major pop culture phenomenon".
This rush for cultural phenominising doesn't stop with the big guys either, here's Stephen Offenheim Editor in Chief of the 'popular humorous superhero comic Awesome Storm Justice 41' talking about how the Rusy Axe Games' online game based on the comic is "the next logical step in our plan to evolve Awesome Storm Justice 41 into a cultural phenomenon".
What we here at SPOnG want to discover is what gamers actually feel is a 'cultural phenomenon'? There appear to be so many of them about the place that it's time we got a consensus. As far as we're concerned, Pong, Pac-Man and Space Invaders definitely fit the bill.
What do you reckon? Tell us in the Forum.
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Comments
JJ 18 Mar 2008 19:35
1/10
Wonder how many of them were import orders(add 1 for me)
seriously thought, halo3 was the biggest overhyped piece of garbage ever, I 'm a big fan of the xbox, MS alwasy seems to be listening to gamers and give us what we ask for, they also treat europe far better than sony or nintendo.
Halo <b>was</b> a phenomenon But bungie are so up their own arse they took the decent multiplayer of halo2 and pissed all over it with their arrogance i'm glad they aint making the fourth title. SSBB FTW!!!
seriously thought, halo3 was the biggest overhyped piece of garbage ever, I 'm a big fan of the xbox, MS alwasy seems to be listening to gamers and give us what we ask for, they also treat europe far better than sony or nintendo.
Halo <b>was</b> a phenomenon But bungie are so up their own arse they took the decent multiplayer of halo2 and pissed all over it with their arrogance i'm glad they aint making the fourth title. SSBB FTW!!!
deleted 18 Mar 2008 19:36
2/10
happy slapping = cultural phenomenon
well now you have pointed this out spong the BUZZ word will die and 100 points for whoever spots the next one!,
well now you have pointed this out spong the BUZZ word will die and 100 points for whoever spots the next one!,
more comments below our sponsor's message
gabriel 18 Mar 2008 20:04
3/10
pokemon diamond and pearl pwoned both in sales so shut the fuk up
deleted 18 Mar 2008 21:48
4/10
gabriel wrote:
pokemon diamond and pearl pwoned both in sales so shut the fuk up
i believe you mean pwned and it doesnt make you any cooler `trying` to use it!
TimSpong 19 Mar 2008 09:52
5/10
gabriel wrote:
pokemon diamond and pearl pwoned both in sales so shut the fuk up
That's the kind of well thought-out, cogent argument that fills me with hope for video gamers the world over.
It's a perfect example of that wonderful work of linguistic reference "The Fanboy Grammarian"
1.b(i) The Aggressive Posting
1) Say something that looks rather like a fact. "Pokemon games sold well".
2) Add something apparently random - 'pwned both'.
3) Garnish with an insult.
Although gabriel's example is an excellent attempt ('pwowned' is, as has been pointed out, a let down), you can also use rule 1.b(i) in other contexts, for example: "gravity is rool the apple down so fuk you" (A Newton, gravity fanboy).
or
"flat pwns round galleylayoh is gay flatness rooolz so fuk u" - (the Pope, flat world fanboy).
Cheers
Tim
OptimusP 19 Mar 2008 11:11
6/10
Bah, a better discussion should be about the death of system-sellers. Halo 3 wasn't one, Brawl probably also not, hell even MGS4 and FF13 will not be system-sellers. They'll spike sales for a month or two but that's it. GTA4 will probably mark the true death of the traditional system-seller.
They're more fan-pleasers then system-sellers. Keep the existing fans buying your hardware...not expanding markets or really getting hardware copies into pleople's hand just for that one game on a massive millions base.
The new system-sellers are Brain Training and Nintendogs really. How many people bought DS's just so they can play Brain Training or Nintendogs? Millions, how many bought a Xbox360 just so they can play Halo 3, a few hunderd thousand.
They're more fan-pleasers then system-sellers. Keep the existing fans buying your hardware...not expanding markets or really getting hardware copies into pleople's hand just for that one game on a massive millions base.
The new system-sellers are Brain Training and Nintendogs really. How many people bought DS's just so they can play Brain Training or Nintendogs? Millions, how many bought a Xbox360 just so they can play Halo 3, a few hunderd thousand.
TimSpong 19 Mar 2008 11:22
7/10
OptimusP wrote:
Bah, a better discussion should be about the death of system-sellers
Damn it, you're right - so I've kicked off another thread in your honour.
Cheers
Tim
Horatio 19 Mar 2008 14:07
8/10
I thought this was a discussion about videogames as cultural phenomenon's (phenomenii ?)
I think Nintendo are a bit off the mark to say the Smash Bros is a CP, many of the characters can be considered as such, in that they have infiltrated our culture to the point where the vast majority of people recognise the names and images.
Smash Bros doesn't really fit that, but Mario & Sonic clearly do. Smash Bros is more a mashup of CPs... maybe?
And I think Halo counts given its sales figures and the fact that it heralded Microsoft's step into the games console fight. Likewise for Guitar Hero, The Sims, Mortal Kombat and many others (yes, Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pacman too...)
As for system sellers, I too miss those days. Despite being bundled, I imagine Wii Sports can be called a system seller as many people purchased the Wii solely on that game alone. I bought a PSP thanks to Wipeout Pure looking so lovely and I got my DS for no particular reason other than I could see it's potential when reading early reviews of games like Wario Ware Touched.
I don't believe the PS3 has a system seller yet. And the 360 now has so many good games that I can't really pick out anything that stands out as such... though that is a system seller in itself, as anyone looking to buy a console must surely see the value in having such a wide range of quality titles?
I think Nintendo are a bit off the mark to say the Smash Bros is a CP, many of the characters can be considered as such, in that they have infiltrated our culture to the point where the vast majority of people recognise the names and images.
Smash Bros doesn't really fit that, but Mario & Sonic clearly do. Smash Bros is more a mashup of CPs... maybe?
And I think Halo counts given its sales figures and the fact that it heralded Microsoft's step into the games console fight. Likewise for Guitar Hero, The Sims, Mortal Kombat and many others (yes, Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pacman too...)
As for system sellers, I too miss those days. Despite being bundled, I imagine Wii Sports can be called a system seller as many people purchased the Wii solely on that game alone. I bought a PSP thanks to Wipeout Pure looking so lovely and I got my DS for no particular reason other than I could see it's potential when reading early reviews of games like Wario Ware Touched.
I don't believe the PS3 has a system seller yet. And the 360 now has so many good games that I can't really pick out anything that stands out as such... though that is a system seller in itself, as anyone looking to buy a console must surely see the value in having such a wide range of quality titles?
deleted 19 Mar 2008 22:18
9/10
Horatio wrote:
I don't believe the PS3 has a system seller yet. And the 360 now has so many good games that I can't really pick out anything that stands out as such... though that is a system seller in itself, as anyone looking to buy a console must surely see the value in having such a wide range of quality titles?
I personally bought a 360 (not at launch i waited to see at first) because i felt betrayed by Sony and I didnt belive in Nintendo (yeah i know, Hindsight) but when i first saw the trailer for Gears of war with Mad world music and the emotion i felt from that MADE me buy a 360 ready for it, so i suppose gears of war was a system seller.
Horatio 20 Mar 2008 08:36
10/10
Horatio wrote:
I thought this was a discussion about videogames as cultural phenomenon's (phenomenii ?)
I think Nintendo are a bit off the mark to say the Smash Bros is a CP, many of the characters can be considered as such, in that they have infiltrated our culture to the point where the vast majority of people recognise the names and images.
Smash Bros doesn't really fit that, but Mario & Sonic clearly do. Smash Bros is more a mashup of CPs... maybe?
And I think Halo counts given its sales figures and the fact that it heralded Microsoft's step into the games console fight. Likewise for Guitar Hero, The Sims, Mortal Kombat and many others (yes, Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pacman too...)
I think Nintendo are a bit off the mark to say the Smash Bros is a CP, many of the characters can be considered as such, in that they have infiltrated our culture to the point where the vast majority of people recognise the names and images.
Smash Bros doesn't really fit that, but Mario & Sonic clearly do. Smash Bros is more a mashup of CPs... maybe?
And I think Halo counts given its sales figures and the fact that it heralded Microsoft's step into the games console fight. Likewise for Guitar Hero, The Sims, Mortal Kombat and many others (yes, Pong, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pacman too...)
Thinking about this a bit more, I think that maybe cultural phenomenon might actually be too strong a phrase for most of the above-mentioned titles. Pop culture icons maybe for Sonic, Mario etc, but perhaps a phenomenon would only describe truly significant events? Halo 3 taking so much money through the tills on release date might actually count - it is the day when videogames truly stood up to film and raised a taunt in its direction....