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Is Alan Wake II destined to be a sales flop?

hinch7

Member
Yeah its going to flop commercially. Remedy probably won't care too much since EGS are funding it. Their games are great but fairly niche. Even Control to that effect, which is probably their most successful franchise away from Max Payne.
 
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Grildon Tundy

Gold Member
Funny cuz the game came out in August 2019.

And they [Remedy and 505 Games] were very happy with the games performance.
The CEO of Remedy and 505s parent companies investor call pointed out the performance was better than expected as they dont expect 10 million units day one or whatever SquareEnix executives expect these days.


qp5qbv1ve6461.jpg



Remedy CEO:
“We don’t quite require the same huge lifetime numbers as many other games with bigger development budgets,” CEO Tero Virtala told Games Industry.

“Therefore, even though Control didn’t have chart-topping sales right from the get go, we are in a good position with steady sales. We always take the long view here.”

Virtala added that launch sales aren’t as important as they used to be for games. Thanks to digital distribution, games now continue to sell over a long period of time.

“Control continues to sell, which is good. It has the proven high-quality and uniqueness, and the word-of-mouth that keeps growing. There is still a big audience out there that hasn’t yet heard of Control. These are all factors that support the longer-term sales,” Virtala said.
"Virtala is happy that Control managed to establish itself as a new IP. For being a mostly self-funded project on a tight budget, and a new IP to top it all off, Control has done pretty well for Remedy"
Huh, weird. I got July 2019 from the date of the Reddit post talking about it, so maybe that was pre-sales?


8loaKnf.png
 
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GHG

Member
In terms of sales, yeh, most likely. It's not going to sell well on PC for a start.

But they likely won't care since they took the EGS moneyhat.
 

Valt7786

Member
Can someone explain to me what the big deal about EGS is about? Far as I'm concerned its clicking something that isn't Steam to open your game? OH NOES THE HORROR. So I'm clearly missing something as that many people can't be that bothered about clicking a different fucking icon.
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Huh, weird. I got July 2019 from the date of the Reddit post talking about it, so maybe that was pre-sales?


8loaKnf.png

Your source is the fuckepic subreddit?
You could just check the store and see the release date:
Ef6nZ0t.png



P.S 500,000 in sales over a month before launch for a relatively niche new IP is actually alot better than I was expecting for Control.
 

T4keD0wN

Member
It doesnt matter if its a sales flop.

Alan Wake 2 doesnt exist to sell game copies, it exists to sell Nvidia GPUs and get people to use Epic games store. That is its main purpose.
Sale units dont matter to Remedy one bit, they win no matter what it sells since they get their money through alternative means.
 
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rofif

Can’t Git Gud
I hope it makes it.
We had forspoken and immortals fall miserably this year. Big budget single player games.
Alan wake 2 should be higher quality. I loved the first one
 

Grildon Tundy

Gold Member
Your source is the fuckepic subreddit?
You could just check the store and see the release date:
Ef6nZ0t.png



P.S 500,000 in sales over a month before launch for a relatively niche new IP is actually alot better than I was expecting for Control.
I have contributed to the spreading of misinformation on the internet. I have brought shame and dishonor to myself. Original post updated. I will now go back to looking forward to AWII coming out.
 

Denton

Member
I seriously doubt this ever comes to Steam. If it was a simple moneyhat then yes but Epic published this. Epic currently only has 2 games on Steam.
Afaik Epic did not fund it entirely, Remedy co-funded it with them, partially. So they might have some proviso in the contract that will allow them Steam release some years from now. We don't know.

I would not expect it on steam at least two years after release though.
 

Holammer

Member
Others already noted that it has the odds stacked against it because of the cramped release window, the platform and performance issues.
Add to that potential risky waters when it comes to the narrative. A pinch too much "woke" could put it in a grave and it's entirely possible they deliberately put in some bait for negative publicity.
 

Mortisfacio

Member
I didn't actually realize until now that this is EGS exclusive... I've never actually played a game on EGS. Do I start now? Do I stick to the plan and refuse to spend a dime on EGS? Ugh...
 

mdkirby

Member
I’m not optimistic. That said, remedy don’t generally need to sell huge numbers for them to consider it a hit. So hopefully they’ll be happy with whatever it sells. I’ll be buying at launch to support them, tho I doubt I’ll play it till next year some time.
 

Luipadre

Member
I’m not optimistic. That said, remedy don’t generally need to sell huge numbers for them to consider it a hit. So hopefully they’ll be happy with whatever it sells. I’ll be buying at launch to support them, tho I doubt I’ll play it till next year some time.

I think they are already very happy that they had the opportunity to make this game. This was their dream game to make and epic made it possible. Its a win win for both remedy and gamers imo. If the previews are any indication, this will probably be remedys best game too a culmination of everything they learned from alan wake, quantum break, max payne and control
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
This was never set to be a big seller. Remedy get good reviews but ok sales.

This is par for the course.

I have confidence this could be my GOTY over AC6. That said if it isn’t it’ll showcase that Control is their best IP due to the gameplay. I expect narrative to be better or on par with Control but Alan is going to be flying and using telepathy with an evolving gun. It’s meant to be more horror and grounded from what we have seen.

Either way even if they threw marketing at it it would be money flushed. If the epic deal , digital only, high end market, survival horror , isn’t niche enough idk what is. Hopefully this allowed them to not need as many sales to come out profitable.
 

Certinty

Member
It wouldn’t shock me.

I mean, I enjoyed the first game and Quantum Break and Control, all which I bought at launch, and even then I’m not too bothered with this one despite it looking good.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
For me I highly doubt it, AC6 my top favourite FROM right beside Sekiro so……..no.
I really liked Control. If control came out this year it would’ve easily been my GOTY. It just resonated so well with my tastes.

That’s why I think AW2 has a chance of it has those things that Control had that drew me in so much.

But yeah … AC6 is a tough one to be beat. I planned to do only one playthrough and ended up doing all 3.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
But yeah … AC6 is a tough one to be beat. I planned to do only one playthrough and ended up doing all 3.
Because it fucking has amazing NG+ even better than FROM’s pervious games….I even go as far as say it’s similar to how Drakengard/Nier series does different routes.
 
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Draugoth

Gold Member
Most of development costs were paid by Epic

Remedy clearly does not care that only 7% of the PC global base will play this
 

Draugoth

Gold Member
Remedy were over the moon when Control did 2 million in 12 months.
For a SquareEnix exec thats a massive massive flop.....for them its a success.

qp5qbv1ve6461.jpg



Even after the "slow" sales of Control, this was the CEO speaking about how proud he was off the game:


Remedy CEO:
“We don’t quite require the same huge lifetime numbers as many other games with bigger development budgets,” CEO Tero Virtala told Games Industry.

“Therefore, even though Control didn’t have chart-topping sales right from the get go, we are in a good position with steady sales. We always take the long view here.”

Virtala added that launch sales aren’t as important as they used to be for games. Thanks to digital distribution, games now continue to sell over a long period of time.

“Control continues to sell, which is good. It has the proven high-quality and uniqueness, and the word-of-mouth that keeps growing. There is still a big audience out there that hasn’t yet heard of Control. These are all factors that support the longer-term sales,” Virtala said.
"Virtala is happy that Control managed to establish itself as a new IP. For being a mostly self-funded project on a tight budget, and a new IP to top it all off, Control has done pretty well for Remedy"




Atelier Ryza sold 500,000 units and Gust nearly shit their pants at that level of success.......500,000 units would be considered low for some western indie titles.


So you really have to define flop based on budget, team and their own sales expectations.
What we might consider low they might consider high.
Its not going to do 10 million units, its not going to do CoD numbers, but for them thats fine, it might as well be an indie title considering they are publishing with EGP.
thanks for this...
 

Draugoth

Gold Member
I didn't actually realize until now that this is EGS exclusive... I've never actually played a game on EGS. Do I start now? Do I stick to the plan and refuse to spend a dime on EGS? Ugh...

The Launcher sucks. I gave up on it after i bought Sifu and achivements didnt unlock anymroe after the game crashed once.
 

winjer

Gold Member
Most of development costs were paid by Epic

Remedy clearly does not care that only 7% of the PC global base will play this

Be it Epic or Remedy paying for the development of the game won't change if it's a flop or not. It only defines who loses the money.
If the game fails to attract people to EGS, then it's a failure for Epic. They won't get a cut of the profits, and won't get new costumers.

But like most people here said, this game has too much going against it. So the probability for it to flop is relatively high.
But who knows, maybe we are wrong and the game manages to be a success.
 

Gamezone

Gold Member
5 days away from launch and the lack of marketing would make Jim Ryan proud. Haven’t seen a single TV ad, billboard or even launch trailer.

No word on when the review embargo lifts. Apparently codes still haven’t even been sent out yet. Usually that speaks to lack of confidence in your product. However the game does look fantastic.

Not to mention it’s releasing right in between 2 juggernauts. A week after Spider-Man 2, a week-ish before fucking Modern Warfare 3.

No marketing
Minimal hype
No review score hype
Releasing between two juggernauts

Massive sales flop incoming?
Ny physical release and EGS exclusive on PC.
 

Wildebeest

Member
Every other thread: The market is starving for single player story games that push the limits of graphical fidelity. This is everything, do this, and you can't fail!
This thread: Alan Wake 2 is doomed. It's just some zero hype single player story game with graphics so over ambitious that very few could really enjoy it.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I dunno how Remedy are still around TBH
Every game of theirs gets enough traction for a big name publisher to come by and fund the game. And they do e-store exclusivity deals to get short term front loaded money to survive. On their own, they'd be toast.
 

fart town usa

Gold Member
Every other thread: The market is starving for single player story games that push the limits of graphical fidelity. This is everything, do this, and you can't fail!
This thread: Alan Wake 2 is doomed. It's just some zero hype single player story game with graphics so over ambitious that very few could really enjoy it.
The longer I post here the more I notice how truly braindead a big chunk of Gaf is when it comes to what they rally behind and what they poo poo.
 
5 days away from launch and the lack of marketing would make Jim Ryan proud.
I can’t remember the last videogame with such an extensive marketing campaign as Spider Man 2. It’s everywhere: TV ads, outdoors, trains, train stations, I’ve seen them on bus stops, etc. that sphere thing in LA, multiple trailers in multiple conferences, etc. are you guys leaving your houses? It’s like a huge blockbuster movie just came out lmao
 

Yoboman

Member
Every game of theirs gets enough traction for a big name publisher to come by and fund the game. And they do e-store exclusivity deals to get short term front loaded money to survive. On their own, they'd be toast.
They seem to do a lot right except make an interesting character

Their last 4 characters have been an author who fights with a flashlight
The guy from X-Men 2
A trans activist
And now the flash light guy again
 

skneogaf

Member
I don't believe many people will be interested in this, I'm surprised a sequel was made.

I just don't think the name or style of play is mass market.
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
I dunno how Remedy are still around TBH

  • American Nightmare didnt cost much and likely was profitable.
  • Quantum Break was funded by Microsoft, they def got a good chunk of change from that.
  • Control was a runaway success for their studio and got them alot of goodwill from gamers and publishers.
  • CrossFire X was a literal money grab, they probably had a team of 5 people working on that.
  • Alan Wake II has been super funded by Epic Games Publishing.
  • Control 2 has already been picked up by 505 Games after the success of Control.
  • Condor is also being published by 505 Games.
  • Max Payne 1 + 2 being funded and published by Rockstar Games.
  • Vanguard is being published and co-developed by Tencent.....Tencent pays!



They also have a bunch of shareholders keeping them alive.
As long as their games keep being profitable they will keep going.
APXz1ks.png
 

Black_Stride

do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
EGS exclusive.
~1/3 of the PC market excluded due the lack of a vertax shader path
Digital Only

They're certainly stacking the odds against themselves but I'm assuming someone ran the numbers and they determined that this was the optimal approach for them. If it fails, they'll have no one to blame but themselves.

Over 90% of their sales of Control were digital in 2020.
Control was EGS exclusive.

They have the telemetry and sales numbers, no its not going to match the sales of Call of Duty, but it doesnt need too.
They need to pay back Epic, then start working on Control 2.
 

KellyM

Member
yeah it was never going to set the world on fire but they are messing in multiple ways as well.
epic store and those hefty system reqs will hurt big time on pc.
biggest console base is currently busy with spider2,
should have released before that one.

maybe a 90+ meta would help, but not counting on it either.
I think you meant Super Mario bros Wonders. Since the Switch has the current biggest console base.
 

SteadyEvo

Member
Same thing happens every fall/holiday season. Games releasing on top of each other. I wish “smaller” titles would hold off until the start of the new year.

My hands are full so I’ll probably get this on sale at some point. Fingers crossed for a Gamepass release.
 

Roufianos

Member
It probably only needs to sell 2m to be profitable, Remedy games are made on a small budget.

Either way, lack of physical means I'll wait for a sale.
 
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