User blog:N7/Call of Duty's longterm sales effect may be diminishing

Analyst Michael Olson has said that low game sales at retail recently have been caused by Modern Warfare 3s inability to maintain long term sales.

This time last year Call of Duty: Black Ops was the fifth best selling title in March 2011. However this year Modern Warfare 3 is predicted to be only the eighth best seller.

The analyst added:
 * "We believe big name titles are no longer able to sustain 'fat tails'. This 'thinning tail' phenomenon is driven by 1) casual gamers leaving the market, 2) a steeper pre-sale and up-front curve, and 3) cannibalization from the pre-owned market."

Other analysts feel that last month's releases like Mass Effect 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken, were weaker than titles like Pokémon Black and White and Dragon Age II which shipped last year, resulting in significantly lower software revenues from retail.