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[Akia]

link: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-03-enslaved-sales-fail-to-break-500-000

Sales for Ninja Theory's cinematic action game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West are much lower than expected.

November reports of 800,000 units were greatly exaggerated; today's Namco Bandai money report shows only 460,000 copies of the game have been sold - worldwide.

 

[sixteen-bit]

No surprise there. Good luck DmC.

 

[MjFrancis]

Ouch. Well, I've been waiting until this hits the $20 mark to pick it up, since it was a single player adventure with minimal advantages of a second replay. I actually considered waiting for a GOTY edition, but that's not going to happen with sales this meager.

 

[ezekial45]

That's disappointing. I'm still glad to hear that they want to continue on with it though.

EDIT: Yeah, it seemed like it wasn't really marketed too well. In the U.S, i mean. The UK release had several tv spots.

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

Namco's marketing at it's finest. I bought and loved the game so at least im not part of the problem.

 

[dankir]

Shame it was a great game.

Hopefully we'll get a sequel. I want to see what happens to Tripp and Monkey as a result of their actions at the end of the first.

 

[Canova]

good luck DmC

 

[No_Style]

Heard lots of good things about it. Saw it on sale for $30 in December, but was thinking it'll drop to like $20 or $10 within the first 3 months of 2011 so I passed on it.

 

[KingDizzi]

No surprise there. Good luck DmC.

Doesn't need luck, it's DMC. Enslaved is a horrible game, played for about an hour and straight back into the post it went, it's nice when shite games sell badly.

 

[Rolf NB]

Well deserved.

 

[Zabka]

There's some really cool stuff in the game, especially the facial animation, world design and voice acting, but everything else is fucking sloppy.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

That's a shame. I really enjoyed Enslaved.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Seems like a $20 game to me.

 

[El-Suave]

The game didn't impress me as much as I hoped it would (Castlevania was a lot better), but it was still good and deserved better sales.

It had plenty of advertising as well if I'm not mistaken. This might be a pretty bad sign for new single player only games with a focus on story.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Doesn't need luck, it's DMC. Enslaved is a horrible game, played for about an hour and straight back into the post it went, it's nice when shite games sell badly.

People aren't going to buy it simply because it's DMC. Especially now that the series long time fans know that it's being made by a team that they have little faith in.

 

[gdt]

I enjoyed Enslaved, despite it's flaws.

Mostly because of the story, writing, and visuals.

Here's hoping for a sequel.

 

[Celsior]

Don't worry publishers will fight over themselves to give them money still.

 

[JaseC]

I'm playing through Enslaved at the moment (I know I said in the Dark Souls thread I'll skip it and dive into Demon's Souls, but I figured since I was already an hour in, I may as well get to the end) and nothing about it is remarkable at all. If you'd told me GRIN developed the game, I'd have believed you.

Another bomb for Ninja Theory is unfortunate as I rather enjoyed Heavenly Sword despite its flaws, but as far as I'm concerned Enslaved didn't deserve to do any better than it has done.

Spoiler

Well, okay, a nice, round 500k would be appropriate.

 

[Gram Negative Cocci]

Black Ops sold 40x as much. Crazy world.

 

[TheUsual]

That's a shame. I really enjoyed it; felt like it was a rough gem.

 

[Saint Gregory]

Well I did my part. I really like the presentation of their games but I wish they had a better handle on gameplay. It makes me really scared about DMC

 

[levious]

I ended up enjoying the gameplay of enslaved a bit more than Heavenly Sword, stick with it, I think the fighting is pretty enjoyable, although maybe a bit simplistic, I don't know.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Don't worry publishers will fight over themselves to give them money still.

New GRiN™

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

That's a shame. I really enjoyed it; felt like it was a rough gem.

I don't get all the hate or descriptors like "horrible".

Horrible?

It wasn't brilliant but I don't think it deserves the shit-talking that it's receiving.

 

[GuitarAtomik]

I enjoyed Enslaved a lot mostly for the characters. That said, I'm glad I didn't pay $60 for it. I really hope someone is able to find a way to make games like this (highly polished, yet tight, short experiences) while being able to make a profit at a more budget price like $40 or something.

 

[grandjedi6]

But I thought it was suppose to be the next Uncharted and single-handily bump Namco into the top 5 publishers!

 

[Ellis Kim]

picked it up @ $20 on amazon, was well worth it.

 

[SonOfABeep]

Great game, some of the best VO and writing of 2010.

Of course, it didn't have nearly enough BROS AND ASPLOSIONS AND MILIDARY DOODS

 

[mescalineeyes]

I am glad we don't reward mediocrity with good sales.

There's far better games that deserve it far more.

 

[KingDizzi]

People aren't going to buy it simply because it's DMC. Especially now that the series long time fans know that it's being made by a team that they have little faith in.

Bull fucking shit, the name slapped on ensures the game will sell well. It's like GT5, got it just because it was a GT game yet it's been gathering dust since the week I got it, damn turd on a blu ray disc. People just need to hear the name and people will buy, end of. Even is everything what could go wrong does go wrong with DMC it will still sell at least 1-2 million.

 

[SonOfABeep]

Seems like a $20 game to me.

Isn't this really a huge part of the problem?

If devs can't make a quality, original, nonfranchise, single player only game for full price these days, that's a truly sad thing.

 

[Dr.Horrible]

Great game, some of the best VO and writing of 2010.

Of course, it didn't have nearly enough BROS AND ASPLOSIONS AND MILIDARY DOODS

Agreed, especially on the VO. It was fantastic. It's a shame such great games don't sell as well as they should.

 

[Kazuma Kiryu]

Bull fucking shit, the name slapped on ensures the game will sell well. It's like GT5, got it just because it was a GT game yet it's been gathering dust since the week I got it, damn turd on a blu ray disc. People just need to hear the name and people will buy, end of. Even is everything what could go wrong does go wrong with DMC it will still sell at least 1-2 million.

yeah, i'm sure gt5 by pd is just the same situation as dmc by ninja theory.

 

[lucius]

I bought it new, it has great story and character design but gameplay needed more work. It is a good pickup for $2O or less. Highly doubt we will see a sequel, for all it flaws it deserves to sell at least a million but that's how it goes.

 

[Vorador]

Not surprised. The game was deeply flawed.

 

[Kusagari]

Isn't this really a huge part of the problem?

If devs can't make a quality, original, nonfranchise, single player only game for full price these days, that's a truly sad thing.

Most people don't want to pay 60 bucks for an under 10 hour SP only game with no replayability.

 

[FunnyBunny]

I'm playing through Enslaved now and enjoying it.

It is rough around the edges, but the writing, story and voice acting are terrific. There is a connection to the characters that does not exist with many games. I think many of its critics are too hard on it.

I see Enslaved as (partly) a victim of Namco's marketing, or lack thereof. I know plenty of "casual" gamers who knew about BlackOps, Arkham Asylum, Ratchet & Clank and other titles before they release. Nothing about Enslaved.

It's as if Namco released it in a vacuum and expected it to sell just "because."

 

[mescalineeyes]

yeah, i'm sure gt5 by pd is just the same situation as dmc by ninja theory.

no, but World at War and Black Ops from Treyarch is.

 

[brotkasten]

Great game, some of the best VO and writing of 2010.

Of course, it didn't have nearly enough BROS AND ASPLOSIONS AND MILIDARY DOODS

Yeah, I don't think that's the problem.

 

[Brazil]

That explains the absurd sale Play-Asia had on both versions last week.

 

[SonOfABeep]

Most people don't want to pay 60 bucks for an under 10 hour SP only game with no replayability.

Why not?

Are the only viable designs for videogames then those that have long tail multiplayer designs?

 

[Old Gimlet Eyes]

But I thought it was suppose to be the next Uncharted and single-handily bump Namco into the top 5 publishers!

"It’s important for consumers to play Enslaved because it could be the benchmark of what we have to make as a company.

“In five years Enslaved should be the most important franchise for Namco Bandai. Enslaved 2 and 3 should be our equivalent of Gran Turismo 5 or Uncharted.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/39280/Enslaved-key-to-Namcos-Top-5-plan
Yeah, doesn't seem to be working out that well. And if Enslaved is the benchmark of what they can make, that's not looking good for Namco.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Traded in some old ds games for it, then traded it in toward asscreedbro. I have no regrets.

 

[SonOfABeep]

Yeah, I don't think that's the problem.

Not the specific problem, but in general, yes, it's one of the problems.

Millions of kids are buying shitty generic war games and not enough adults are buying quality original titles.

 

[a1m]

Enslaved what? Nice marketing.

 

[Lord Error]

Isn't this really a huge part of the problem?

If devs can't make a quality, original, nonfranchise, single player only game for full price these days, that's a truly sad thing.

No, I'm afraid the bolded is a huge part of the problem. Not that game was trash or anything, but for a short SP only game people expect their minds to be blown nowadays to justify full price.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Most dimwits don't want to pay 60 bucks for an under 10 hour SP only game with no replayability when they could be playing Call of Duty.

Fixed.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Well deserved.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Black Ops sold 40x as much. Crazy world.

Black Ops sold well more than Namco as a company did worldwide, let alone this one game

 

[Label]

Good, now abort while you still can Capcom.