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[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

D4

How do we determine if something is critically acclaimed? D4 seemed to have a vocal minority of people speaking very loudly trying to increase sales, but the reviews seemed middling.

Anyway, if that counts, then I pick Lost Odyssey, which reviewed similarly. That game was awesome and didn't sell nearly what it should have.

 

[Naughty_Doge]

What is considered a bomb? Less than 2M? Less than 1M?

 

[OrbitalBeard]

What is considered a bomb? Less than 2M? Less than 1M?

It's all relative to the game itself, really. I've always considered a bomb to be any game that performs significantly lower than its expected sales forecast.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare would likely be considered a bomb if it sold seven million copies, for example, even though that's still a fairly large number.

 

[ryseing]

Spec Ops: The Line.

Singularity/Blur (aka Activision's summer 2011 victims of no advertising).

Stealth edit: wow. Blur has a higher MC than I thought (82).

 

[Krejlooc]

System Shock

 

[CertifiedFP]

Valkyria Chronicles.

Such a shame that Sega sent it out to die, and then outright firing-squaded it with the PirateStationPortable sequels. Don't think we'll ever get HD ports of those two, let alone localization of what is arguably the best game of the trilogy.

 

[Sephzilla]

I guess DmC could worth a mention. Metacritic score wise it scored on par with DMC4 (mid 80s) but sales wise it was the lowest selling entry in that franchise by a fair margin. That said, gamers had very mixed opinions about the game (so calling it "critically acclaimed" feels a bit hollow) and the devs shot themselves in the foot by alienating a bunch of their potential customers.

 

[erawsd]

Bayonetta

Spoiler

2

 

[Stiler]

Sacrifice is one I remember, it got good reviews but didn't sell well at all.

After that Shiny was bought by Infrogames.

 

[Shantom]

Spec Ops: The Line.

Singularity/Blur (aka Activision's summer 2011 victims of no advertising).

Stealth edit: wow. Blur has a higher MC than I thought (82).

I actually remember seeing a fair amount of advertising for Blur. The problem was that the adverts were utterly awful.

 

[Seik]

Considering how it's a mainline mario game, how amazingly good it is and how much mario games usually sell, I'd say it is.

Considering how a whole third of the userbase bought the game right off the bat, I'd say it's not a bomb.

 

[Zaku]

I guess DmC could worth a mention. Metacritic score wise it scored on par with DMC4 (mid 80s) but sales wise it was the lowest selling entry in that franchise by a fair margin. That said, gamers had very mixed opinions about the game (so calling it "critically acclaimed" feels a bit hollow) and the devs shot themselves in the foot by alienating a bunch of their potential customers.

The entire problem is that it's a great action game, but a terrible DMC game, which isn't a problem for 99.9% of action games.

It becomes a problem when you slap the DMC name on it.

Honestly, I was willing to give the reboot a chance up until the uh... whatever it was Tameem was doing while interacting with the DMC fanbase in the leadup until the release. After that I canceled my pre-order and decided to wait until I could get it cheaply used.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

It's Spieler Eins.

 

[Cess007]

Didn't shadow of the colossus sell badly?

If i remember right, it sold decently good. It fared better that ICO, that's for sure.

Sin & Punishment 2 thread

This reminds me that i have the game but haven't it opened yet.

I suppose it depends on your definition of "critically acclaimed" but two that come to mind for me are Beyond Good & Evil and Prince of Persia (2008).

Man, i can't say enough how much i loved that game

 

[inm8num2]

The Last Express
Broderbund's marketing team quit something like a month before the release, and the game sold quite poorly as a result. It's easily a top 10 adventure game of all time.

Grim Fandango
Came at a time when 3D action games were just too popular and adventure games were on a "decline". Some consider it the best adventure ever made!

 

[10k]

Ico
Zack and Wiki
Everything by Platinum games not named Metal Gear Rising
Okami
Metroid Prime 2 did less then a million worldwide while its predecessor did 2.1 million

 

[jamsy]

Pretty sure this game didn't sell a lot of copies.

Spoiler

I've always regretted not buying those damn maracas.

 

[FTF]

It is when you consider the franchise and the fact that New Super Mario Bros U, which came out a year before to a smaller userbase, sold twice that. When your flagship franchise only sells 2+ million units, that's a bomb.

Disappointing or underperforming doesn't equal bomb.

 

[Sephzilla]

The entire problem is that it's a great action game, but a terrible DMC game, which isn't a problem for 99.9% of action games.

It becomes a problem when you slap the DMC name on it.

Honestly, I was willing to give the reboot a chance up until the uh... whatever it was Tameem was doing while interacting with the DMC fanbase in the leadup until the release. After that I canceled my pre-order and decided to wait until I could get it cheaply used.

Yep.

DmC was definitely one of those instances where slapping a franchise name on a title hurt it more than it helped it.

 

[ShinMaruku]

Has Platinum had any really successful games? Sales wise? How are they still up and running if each game bombs?

Unlike western devs they make deals that make sure they get paid. Also their games normally are not exorbitantrly expensive to make add that to their great talent they always will get work. I think mainly why their games don't sell well is the deals they put themselves in. MGR was their best selling game.

 

[SegaShack]

Sin & Punishment 2 thread

I was going to say this, as well as Sonic Generations.

 

[Upinsmoke]

Folklore?

Nvm, just checked and it only has 75 on metacritic, thought I remembered it being rated better than that.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

dragon's dogma =[

75 on metacritic?

There's some great games being listed here, but they're not "critically acclaimed", which could be part of why they bombed. If Dragon's Dogma was actually critically acclaimed, maybe it would have done better.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

Anyway, if that counts, then I pick Lost Odyssey, which reviewed similarly. That game was awesome and didn't sell nearly what it should have.

Latest numbers we have (early 2009) has Lost Odyssey as selling about half a million copies between Japan & North America. For a brand new JRPG IP that was exclusive to the Xbox 360 that's far from bombing.

 

[Nvzman]

I was going to say this, as well as Sonic Generations.

Sonic Generations sold fairly well actually. At least 1 million sold IIRC.

 

[Acquiescence]

Literally everything by Platinum.

Even though they've made a bunch of games that don't constitute as "critically acclaimed"?

 

[Foshy]

Well, since most stuff is already mentioned.

I'll throw in one that seems to be forgotten even by GAF.

Although it borders on the line of critically acclaimed.

I loved that game. I want a Rez/CoE HD collection for PS4/XB1 :<

 

[Sotha_Sil]

 

[Radec]

Even though they've made a bunch of games that don't constitute as "critically acclaimed"?

I can only count Bayo 1 and 2 as their critically acclaimed titles that bombed.

 

[Platy]

Beyond Good & Evil?

Naming Beyond Good & Evil don't make people UNDERSTAND how bad it bombed.

"IT WAS FREE WITH A BAG OF CHIPS IN CANADA" bombed

 

[Prophet Steve]

I can only count Bayo 1 and 2 as their critically acclaimed titles that bombed.

Well Bayonetta 1 didn't really bomb. I think it is just a tiny bit too early to say that Bayonetta 2 has bombed.

 

[Peltz]

Edit:

Super Metroid?

 

[Manu]

Naming Beyond Good & Evil don't make people UNDERSTAND how bad it bombed.

"IT WAS FREE WITH A BAG OF CHIPS IN CANADA" bombed

I had no idea. Wow.

 

[mcz117chief]

right in my feels, still the best space sim by a mile !