It sucks, but that's hovering an inch over dead game territory for a competitive FPS. You need several people, after all, to actually fill out the match roster in matchmaking. Thats 431 people period. And all of them not likely in the same region. They need to do something and do it fast to get people looking at their game.
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LawBreakers' peak concurrent Steam playerbase dropped to 431 today [Up2: Down to 302]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
It sucks, but that's hovering an inch over dead game territory for a competitive FPS. You need several people, after all, to actually fill out the match roster in matchmaking. Thats 431 people period. And all of them not likely in the same region. They need to do something and do it fast to get people looking at their game.
And yet we only got Warframe and Destiny in the PVE online shooter segment for several years now.
Straight Edge
Member
Billion dollar franchise?
I guess it's more like the Demon's Souls of shooters then
Ninja Scooter
Member
Could the game be salvaged if they added the Juggalo license?
I'm sure Borderlands 3 will come...someday.
RedAssedApe
Banned
Yikes. Reminds me of how quickly killzone sf online population dropped but this game is mp only...
There's also The Division, but I agree with your sentiment that this is an under-pursued genre.
That said, those games are very costly and time consuming to make, which I imagine is a big part of it.
Why do so many people think F2P is the route to success or a better model here to begin with? All F2P does is guarantee higher launch numbers, it doesn't stop people leaving for the same reasons they doing so now. Neither does it mean people will invest in the game to keep things running.
It doesn't seem like things are picking up for Lawbreakers. Rather the opposite.
Source: http://steamcharts.com/app/350280
It's been down almost under 300 a few times now (355 right now on Steam). It's a shame really because it's a really fun game and deserves better but even when you play it now, you can really feel it.They just had a double XP weekend and on PC sometime the wait was really long like it took 3-5 min to find a match and then when you go in you sit on "waiting for players" for almost another 4-5 minutes.
Like many have said they really need to get people trying this game with a free weekend or something because I know a few people who are interested but won't spend the $40 (can) on this because they're uncertain of it's future. I just wonder what's gonna happen when Destiny 2 hits because that's gonna be their biggest hurdle yet. I'll always keep recommending it but understand why people are hesitant on buying it.
pretty done
Member
Even that garbage ass game had 1-2k people playing lol
I agree with this. To many people think F2P is the solution for everything. Mainly I think because people are cheap and want the games for free.
Cliffy's ego is too big. Choice 2
jediyoshi
Member
...you've never observed a spike in players from a game switching to F2P?
Yes, they need to compensate all 3k of them.
Stone Ocean
Member
F2P doesn't guarantee anything, yes, but it massively increases the game's chances because it drops the entry fee. People that would never give the game a chance might try it then.
Player retention is another issue entirely but you need to actually have players for that to become a problem in the first place.
BladeOfSanjuro
Neo Member
It took Evolve a while... there were a lot of different factors there, and also, Evolve was on 2 consoles + PC, coming from a known development studio(Turtle Rock). The Evolve team also made a lot of bad decisions down the line, from the get go:
-DLC shenanigans
-Several different gametypes, with differing focus of the dev team from time to time
-Sudden, drastic change to overall meta coupled with going F2P
-Abandoning one entire gametype system in F2P(Evacuation, the "campaign" mode)
They never quite figured out how to make it so the team of hunters could trap the monster as a whole team while making the game engaging for all. I think that game was a lot more fun before it went F2P, when the Monster player was around the same skill level as the entire hunter team, but that was a rare occurrence.
With Lawbreakers... I don't see major failings in the actual game design here. There's solid gametypes with understandable objectives, and fairly straightforward classes with, again, solid, mechanics, with a unique speed/movement that I haven't seen anything remotely like since the Tribes/UT days. The development team is providing weekly updates on adjustments to the meta, matchmaking and upcoming content/fixes, and their discord has 3000 non-BKP/Nexon users online right now.
On the strategy side, there hasn't been much marketing for it beyond CliffyB tweeting himself that I've seen, and it is just an absolutely impossible year for a new shooter IP to come in after PUBG, with Destiny 2, Battlefront 2 and a Call of Duty looming, and constant updates in play for Battlefield 1, Rainbow Six Siege, Overwatch, and the ever present Valve shooters that people never seem to stop playing. Also, it's not available on Xbox One.
raginrapids
Member
yes it is, ZING
Sorcerer Supreme
Member
probably more people still playing DeS than this game
KiefbladeMaster
Member
It plays amazing and I wish it had taken off better than it did. As it stands now I kinda just feel like I wasted $30. 
WaterAstro
Member
They should turn the game into a battle royale type game. No one has made a battle royale game before. I'm sure this genre is not saturated.
fluffydelusions
Member
There is always potential to turn a game around. CS:GO was in a rut for quite some time before Valve managed to turn it around. That said, I've not played this game and have no idea how it is or what (if anything) is wrong with it.
DAREALGUMMY
Member
Oof
I meant that as well but what does that do in the long term? it doesn't guarantee success like I mentioned because people will still leave for the same reasons even less with it being free. Also things like Evolve show what I mean.
Sure but again if players are not investing them being there doesn't really help things that much because after all things like servers need revenue to run.
The style of game just doesn't lead itself to mass appeal that would benefit from going F2P.
Edit -
Just look at all the F2P shooters out there that are somewhat similar and are have arena elements and see how successful they are compared to others.
The Lamonster
Member
What does this really mean for the industry, though? By most accounts the gameplay itself is rather fun.
Is "personality" and "character" that important in video games? Lawbreakers' lack of success says yes. Or is this just a case of over-saturation?
Is "personality" and "character" that important in video games? Lawbreakers' lack of success says yes. Or is this just a case of over-saturation?
haha or is this more about gamers' distaste for the game's hype-man?
For f2p to be profitable they need way more players than Brink has. Or they need to drastically change their monetization. Just having cosmetic loot boxes doesn't cut it unless you have actually big numbers. I'd go with free weekend paired up with a sale first, see how that affects things. When the game clicks, you just have to get more of it.
Counter-Strike and Rainbow Six Siege says no. Over-saturation is a safer bet imo.
ashecitism
Member
Gigantic has been steadily dropping as well and Quake Champions hasn't lit the world on fire as well, but at least both are above 1500 and 2000.
That's what he's saying.
Around 60k have bought it on Steam.
That's what he's saying.
Around 60k have bought it on Steam.
Basically. Regardless of whether it's free, it's not going to get more popular as Destiny, Battlefront, and COD launch.
RebornYeti
Member
This has made matchmaking with similarly skilled players very hard. I'm not that great at the game, but I feel like everyone I play against is leagues ahead of me in skill.
That's why I've kinda set the game aside for more time with BF1 and PUBG
That's why I've kinda set the game aside for more time with BF1 and PUBG
Your math isn't correct.
1% of 7500 is 75.
Still insanely low player counts though. I enjoyed the beta but was worried about low player counts based on the beta player count. Thankfully I held off buying.
I don't know what is going to help the game. Going F2P may bring in the a larger pool of people wanting to try, but it's not retaining the players that already purchased the game now. People seem to be not interested and making it F2P may not change that.
It's not going to get any better with Call of Duty, Destiny, and Battlefront all coming soon.
It's not going to get any better with Call of Duty, Destiny, and Battlefront all coming soon.
Excuse me. KZ is not garbage ass game.
dickroach
Member
hey, at least it's none of that $60 multiplayer only bullshit
it would definitely be huge.... but I feel like that would be admitting defeat, and cliffyb doesn't seem like that kinda guy
Agent_Carnage
Member
Before Dec 31st. The game is going to have a free weekend coming up soon Im betting it.
Hatefilled Vengeance
Member
Coalition b-team to make a Gears prequel/spinoff. <3
PunishedOkabe
Member
Truly the Dark Souls of FPS
Roude Leiw
Member
The game is really good. PlaEd it already for 45 hours so my 30 def werent wasted.
"We want to be like Warframe that grows and grows without you even noticing it."
Warframe and Rainbow Six Siege are always the worst comparisons that get thrown around for games nowadays. They're both in uncompetitive genres. Where are the other tactical shooters on console competing with Siege? Warframe has only Division and Destiny to worry about for the most part. Those games could grow the way they did because there was no other game in town for the most part. Not so with Lawbreakers.