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[fortified_concept]

I completely agree with Tieno on this. God of War is in my Top 3 favorite last-gen games and it certainly deserved better. Yeah DMC might have more deep gameplay but GoW's gameplay combined with the story, atmosphere and graphics made it a winner. And although I realize that GoW was in platform that had lots of competition from many other AAA games I don't think Sony did their best at marketing it.

 

[Kiriku]

3) Gears has probably 10 times more expensive marketing.

I have a feeling this point is veeeery true, the marketing for Gears has been HUGE. I mean, I've seen the commercial for the game on TV several times, and here in Sweden games are lucky to even get a commercial on TV. Only game I can think of with a similar marketing is Halo 2. I wonder how much MS really spent on the marketing for Gears, including all the events and stuff around the game.

 

[mckmas8808]

****!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Threads like this show the worst in GAF (not talking about you Tieno). You know the videogame business is bad when selling 2.5 million copies of a new franchise
game is disappointing.

 

[krypt0nian]

Any thread that glorifies God of War is a good one, however strangely intentioned.

GOD OF WAR, bitches! The sexiest new IP of last gen. Period.

 

[Wollan]

2.5 million, isn't that pretty awesome for a 'combat adventure' game? (especially considering it was launched five years into the consoles life time)

 

[Panajev2001a]

I have a feeling this point is veeeery true, the marketing for Gears has been HUGE. I mean, I've seen the commercial for the game on TV several times, and here in Sweden games are lucky to even get a commercial on TV. Only game I can think of with a similar marketing is Halo 2. I wonder how much MS really spent on the marketing for Gears, including all the events and stuff around the game.

They did not just marketed it heavily, they marketed it well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccWrbGEFgI8

I mean, kick-ass commercial: they put together a great trailer with a great song that goes along with the scenes in the trailer, the mood of various moments of the trailer and the pace of the trailer itself. That trailer + Mad World ( Gary Jules’ cover of the song) = "buy me, buy me!" message for the viewers.
I can watch the commercial tons of times and each time I feel like "man, I have got to get this game" then I remember that I already bought it :lol.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

Sony's marketing of software seems pretty iffy in general, or at least in terms of M rated games.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Gears has no competition on 360?

Rainbow Six Vegas?
GRAW?
COD 2 & 3?
FEAR?
Prey?
Lost Planet?

These games are all very different, but they do for the most part appeal to a similar audience, and all (except FEAR) have done well on 360.

The *insert Xbox/360 game has done well because it was during a dry spell* bit is getting old, and rather silly now that MS is closing in on 200+ games on shelves. I mean, are we going to have to hear these excuses the rest of the year when Lost Planet, Crackdown, Guitar Hero II, Mass Effect, Madden, Too Human, and Halo all go over 1 million...

 

[Grayman]

god of war sold 1 million copies between page 2 and page 3 :lol


pretty sure those 7 points were jokes guys...

 

[JB1981]

I blame Sony marketing. This game was not given the advertising it deserved. I only heard of it because of good review scores and an interview Drew McWeeny (Moriarty) did with David Jaffe weeks prior to the game's release.

The game didn't blow up til it became a Greatest Hit. I expect God of War 2 to be a much better selling game.

 

[Cdammen]

Booted up the game for a second run. My first completion was just a week after it's European release date.

God of War is so satisfying to play.

That's... that's all I wanted to say

 

[Ike]

I can't belive I spent $50 on that trash.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

I can't belive I spent $50 on that trash.

GTFO!

 

[Odysseus]

I can't belive I spent $50 on that trash.

sony thanks you for your money just the same

 

[Vaandaviii]

I can't belive I spent $50 on that trash.

I can't believe you spent 50 seconds barking that shit.

 

[Doctor_No]

When the game first came out I never heard of the game, other then a great reviews it was an unknown new franchise, personally, for me, it was word of mouth, and I didn't get the game until quite later and months after its release. Relative to the game's genre I think the sales are great. I also expect, GoW2, now with now an established franchise to sell much better out of the gate.

 

[Borys]

I can't belive I spent $50 on that trash.

... whatever, you're out!

 

[davidjaffe]

Jaffe actually- along with Sony- is very happy. Can not speak to numbers but those are not totally in line.

Regardless, selling 2.5 mill of a new IP- especially one where rental kicked our ass as many folks rented the title as well as bought it- was/is damn good.



David

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

The way Sony marketed God of War was pretty starved.

They kept that game under wraps for a long long time only to shown off for the first time in E3 2004 and then barely anything since.

Like no one really remembered God of War being talked about much after E3 2004 did they? Just look what was being shown. Half-life 2, Halo 2, RE4, MGS3, Zelda, GT4, DMC3, FFXII....so what is this unknown game shown behind closed doors....a lost blip on the radar. Yet it's this same game that sort of appeared out of the blue and took many praises and awards later on for itself just like that.

Sony did barely any promotion and media explosion really until like a month or so before release. It was the demo they mailed to PS Underground members that truly sparked great interest. I clearly remember the thread, and it was near unanimous how people liked the demo, and that was just the taste of the first area of the game. Word of mouth spread.

Games like RE4, Tekken 5, Gran Turismo 4, Devil May Cry 3 were/was released around that 1st quarter time, so how would a brand new IP fair in such a release schedule?

The game released and the it was getting great reviews across the board, and for a brand new IP it managed to clear more than half a million domestically. It found new life again when it hit GH. And of course later on several gaming awards.

GOW2 seems to be getting the type of media and promotion GOW also should've had when Sony fully saw what they now had.

 

[JB1981]

Jaffe actually- along with Sony- is very happy. Can not speak to numbers but those are not totally in line.

Regardless, selling 2.5 mill of a new IP- especially one where rental kicked our ass as many folks rented the title as well as bought it- was/is damn good.



David

so ... what are your thoughts on the game rental business?

 

[Borys]

Jaffe actually- along with Sony- is very happy. Can not speak to numbers but those are not totally in line.

Regardless, selling 2.5 mill of a new IP- especially one where rental kicked our ass as many folks rented the title as well as bought it- was/is damn good.

David

Tell that "Jaffe" as you call him - ****ing-A!

 

[f@luS]

I bought it 2 times (US release , Pal release) then i sold every single games i had for my freakin wedding and new apartment and now im trying to buy all my games again.

and i cant find a God of war 1 new sealed original (not GH)

If u have one , PM


/hs cant wait for GOW 2 !

 

[Barnolde]

God of War was relatively disappointing (I bought into the hype), save the boss fights, which are incredible. I wished I could've liked this game more, but there was so much of it where I was just bored, ah well.

 

[Wollan]

GOW2 seems to be getting the type of media and promotion GOW also should've had when Sony fully saw what they now had.

Actually I'm not sure if I agree. We as hardcore gamers and GoW fans are of course more aware of if coming due to it being a sequel but besides that I think the promotion has been pretty disappointing. Before the the IGN preview and such just now there hasn't been updates or news for quite a while I think. GoW 2 is being swallowed up by next-gen hype and personally I don't expect it to sell better than the original.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Actually I'm not sure if I agree. We as hardcore gamers and GoW fans are of course more aware of if coming due to it being a sequel but besides that I think the promotion has been pretty disappointing. Before the the IGN preview and such just now there hasn't been updates or news for quite a while I think. GoW 2 is being swallowed up by next-gen hype and personally I don't expect it to sell better than the original.

Well it's relative anyway, GOW was sparse, especially in 2004 being lost in the shuffle of all those well known IPs I've listed, but of course next gen hype is louder.

 

[krypt0nian]

I need to see more GOW2 magazine covers, Dave. =)

SONY needs to blow the roof off this bitch!

 

[Parch]

There are several highly rated games, on all platforms, that never reach big sales. What else is new. For a game to make the really big sales it has to appeal to the casual crowd.

That's been the dismay of the hardcore fan since the invention of the console. Casual crap frequently outsells quality hardcore. It's the reality of the industry.

 

[Solid]

i just saw the "new" (from 12 january) gow2 trailer and holy ****!!! that colossus boss was breathtaking! i pray OPM UK will have the demo of this.

and nice to see jaffe replying in this thread. respect mate. you should force Cory to pop up here as well

 

[Ranger X]

A bit sad from a business perspective.
2.5 million copies sold is great but for an almost 4 years of devellopement game, it's "ok".

 

[My Arms Your Hearse]

A bit sad from a business perspective.
2.5 million copies sold is great but for an almost 4 years of devellopement game, it's "ok".

:lol

Wait, no...

:lol :lol :lol :lol

 

[Kittonwy]

A bit sad from a business perspective.
2.5 million copies sold is great but for an almost 4 years of devellopement game, it's "ok".

What?

 

[Ranger X]

What? The more money you invest in a game, the more sales you need to turn a profit.

I think there was alot of money involved in GOW and compared to the sales it got, i don't feel like it was all that successfull. They prolly felt GOW2 was mandatory to recoup.

 

[krypt0nian]

A bit sad from a business perspective.
2.5 million copies sold is great but for an almost 4 years of devellopement game, it's "ok".

Don't ever go into business.

 

[Kittonwy]

What? The more money you invest in a game, the more sales you need to turn a profit.

I think there was alot of money involved in GOW and compared to the sales it got, i don't feel like it was all that successfull. They prolly felt GOW2 was mandatory to recoup.

We're talking about a game that sold 2.5 million copies, right? 2.5 million copies? I don't quite get what you're trying to say. I mean what?

 

[Odysseus]

What? The more money you invest in a game, the more sales you need to turn a profit.

I think there was alot of money involved in GOW and compared to the sales it got, i don't feel like it was all that successfull. They prolly felt GOW2 was mandatory to recoup.

let's just assume the first million were sold worldwide at a roughly 50 bucks each

that's 50 million in revenue, assume 40 million made it back to sony after retailers/distributors got their cut

the next 1.5 million at 20 bucks each... 30 million in revenue, maybe 22 million or so back to sony

my napkin numbers here say sony saw 62 million or so back from god of war. you think the budget was anywhere near even a third of that? that would put it among the most expensive of 360/ps3 games, for the record.

no matter what the actual numbers may be, god of war certainly turned one heckuva profit.

 

[Ranger X]

Someone should dig out some data about AAA titles of last gen. Cost vs Sales and we are going to talk percentage.

My bet is that GOW isn't even in the top ten of the most lucrative games. It know it didn't do bad but i'm pretty sure that was a game with some 3.5 - 4 millions copies sold needed to be "great".

Bring out numbers.

 

[Borys]

A bit sad from a business perspective.
2.5 million copies sold is great but for an almost 4 years of devellopement game, it's "ok".

Please don't be a salesman in the future.

 

[Ranger X]

Bring out numbers. I'm totally ok with being wrong. I'm just sharing my impression.

There's stuff like King Kong that had like 4 millions of copies sold and did cost a 1/5 of GOW's budget.

 

[mckmas8808]

Bring out numbers. I'm totally ok with being wrong. I'm just sharing my impression.

There's stuff like King Kong that had like 4 millions of copies sold and did cost a 1/5 of GOW's budget.

Didn't those guys have to pay for that license?

 

[Ranger X]

Didn't those guys have to pay for that license?

I suppose, but how much? Anyhow, i'm curious about real numbers now (if ever available)

 

[gbovo]

I suppose, but how much? Anyhow, I'm curious about real numbers now (if ever available)

Even Shenmue would have been considered a sales success if it had sold 2.5 million.

 

[Mana Knight]

God of War was relatively disappointing (I bought into the hype), save the boss fights, which are incredible. I wished I could've liked this game more, but there was so much of it where I was just bored, ah well.

I found the game to be a whole lot of fun. Definitely one of the best action games ever. I don't really see the game as being boring in anyway, but that's just me.

 

[inpHilltr8r]

Like no one really remembered God of War being talked about much after E3 2004 did they? Just look what was being shown. Half-life 2, Halo 2, RE4, MGS3, Zelda, GT4, DMC3, FFXII....so what is this unknown game shown behind closed doors....a lost blip on the radar.

GoW was on the floor that year.

GameSpot's Best PS2 Game of E3 2004
Daily Game's Best Action Game of E3 2004
GameSpy E3 Awards 2004 - PS2 Game of Show
GameRevolution - Best of E3 2004 Action/Adventure.

Not bad, especially considering the competition.

 

[Grimm Fandango]

Eh, I find it overrated. I liked DMC and NG much, much more.

 

[renvi]

overrated cliff hanger. 2.5 million is too good for its sales #.

 

[Oblivion]

Where did this 2.5 million come from? I thought it only reached over a million not too long ago.

 

[KGKK]

Not to mention the revenue God of War 2 will bring in. It probably had 1/3 of the budget and will have as much sales, if not then more.