Support NeoGAF

[faridmon]

The problem with Crystal Bearers is it ended up looking so unappealing - the character design is horrid, the marketing is plain bad. Bon Jovi? *vomits* And I think they did a pretty shitty job of marketing how it tied into the FF franchise. I didn't see any of the classic FF things mentioned much at all (chocobos, cactuars, moogles, bahamuts, etc).

charcter design is horrid? come on, its more apealing than stupid Emo Namuro art, atleats to me.
but yeah, the game was not marketed for a certain demography and was everything of many thing which never works in japan. hopefully it sells well outside japan.

 

[Regulus Tera]

I would laugh at the Crystal Bearers numbers were it not for the fact that S&P2 wishes it had sold that amount.

PSP didn't Go anywhere. [/rotten tomatoes time]

 

[Regulus Tera]

charcter design is horrid? come on, its more apealing than stupid Emo Namuro art, atleats to me.

While I agree, Nomura's art is actually popular.

 

[Khrno]

While I agree, Nomura's art is actually popular.

 

[kenji]

Well their marketing department must suck then, because I didn't even know that, and I love FF!

well how would you have known abouth these elements if you didn't watch videos or more? o.o
looks like you didn't see even the E3 and the TGS trailers XD

come on, the marketing was pretty good for this game, lots of contents every week from march to now, a lot of gameplay content and info showed, playable game in E3 TGS and Gamecom, and advertising and tv spots in Japan

I'm not an expert in these kind of things, but I still don't think it's bad marketing's fault

 

[faridmon]

well how would you have known abouth these elements if you didn't watch videos or more? o.o
looks like you didn't see even the E3 and the TGS trailers XD

come on, the marketing was pretty good for this game, lots of contents every week from march to now, a lot of gameplay content and info showed, playable game in E3 TGS and Gamecom, and advertising and tv spots in Japan

I'm not an expert in these kind of things, but I still don't think it's bad marketing's fault

Well i agree that tthere was lots of marketing and advertising fdor this gamer. But the game's marketing problem was that it didn't take into considration to the demography.
it wasn't targetring the Crystal Chronicle fans since it didn't have multyplayer with dungeon crawling elemnts. It didn't target nortmal Final Fantasy fans since it had the much hated monikere of Crystal Chronicles and was too colorful and too atmospheric for them. It didn't attract Square fans, because4, really the art is not done by Namuro, Yoshida, Ito, so at first galnec from them, they don't like it.
Hell, its not marketed toward RPG fans since there si nothing RPG about this game, and at the same time it won't intrest action fans since, in thier bellieve, not action-y enough and look more RPG than action game.

so who is this for this game? given that Wii gamers, apparantly, normally don't accept innovations and try new gameplay styles, at least this year.

well thats my take anyway, no need to take it really seriously.

 

[Dead Prince]

Psp Go needs to just be pulled and sony continue working on PSP 4000. this shit is sad.

 

[le.phat]

oops there goes kingdom hearts 3!

Japan's development culture is in complete shambles. Big franchise on juggernaut console is a total bomb. Handhelds have taken the crown, yet pspgo is dead in the water from day one.

 

[Regulus Tera]

oops there goes kingdom hearts 3!

to DS amirite?

 

[faridmon]

oops there goes kingdom hearts 3!

a bloody spin-off on the ds with, probobly, half of the budget of the PSP counter part already sold a million in US and Japan only.

i don't know why would be that hard to sell KH3 on the Wii, kids will just eat it up staright away.

 

[faridmon]

oops there goes kingdom hearts 3!

Japan's development culture is in complete shambles. Big franchise on juggernaut console is a total bomb. Handhelds have taken the crown, yet pspgo is dead in the water from day one.

i can't see how it is a shamble, i want my games to be cheap

 

[Nirolak]

a bloody spin-off on the ds with, probobly, half of the budget of the PSP counter part already sold a million in US and Japan only.

i don't know why would be that hard to sell KH3 on the Wii, kids will just eat it up staright away.

Somehow I get the impression the PSP game is probably around 4-5 times the budget of the DS game.

 

[faridmon]

Somehow I get the impression the PSP game is probably around 4-5 times the budget of the DS game.

hmm, maybe you are right, if they advertise it well, maybe it will sell like you predicted.

then KH3 for the PSP is not so bad idea.

 

[Bebpo]

lolol at Crystal Bearer 35k. Too bad as it's actually a good game :\ I agree with Neo that a sequel to the original overhead game with online would've done much better.

charcter design is horrid? come on, its more apealing than stupid Emo Namuro art, atleats to me.
but yeah, the game was not marketed for a certain demography and was everything of many thing which never works in japan. hopefully it sells well outside japan.

Eh, I'm with jonnyram on this. I had very low expectations going into Crystal Bearers because the art was such a turn off. It's kiddy, and not in the cute SD way, but in the creepy "let's be realistic but everyone is a midget proportions". Then you have the plant head tribe and gorgon looking cid who are just disgusting to look at. etc.. etc.. I think the main character and the Yuuke look good but the other character art is very unappealing compared to a real FF game. I find the art the character art the worst of all the FFCC properties. The backgrounds are nice though.

 

[7Th]

Birth Before Sleep is a main-line Kingdom Hearts game, it certainly has more than just "double the budget" than the DS spin-off.

 

[GSG Flash]

Eh, I'm with jonnyram on this. I had very low expectations going into Crystal Bearers because the art was such a turn off. It's kiddy, and not in the cute SD way, but in the creepy "let's be realistic but everyone is a midget proportions". Then you have the plant head tribe and gorgon looking cid who are just disgusting to look at. etc.. etc.. I think the main character and the Yuuke look good but the other character art is very unappealing compared to a real FF game. I find the art the character art the worst of all the FFCC properties. The backgrounds are nice though.

I agree with this, if they stuck with the art style of FFCC it would've been so much more appealing. And also I was really excited for the Crystal Bearers a couple E3s ago as well, but then the trailers with the country music started showing up and I was completely turned off.

 

[7Th]

With RPGs featuring online multiplayer being big thing these days, it still baffles me that S-E decided to go with CB instead of a traditional CC game, with online multiplayer, that would have appealed to both the original CC fanbase and the Monster Hunter crowd.

 

[schuelma]

Just to put that Crystal Bearers number in perspective, Echoes of Time, quite literally a DS port of a DS game releasing the same day and released at the end of January managed 23K first week.

 

[onken]

Just to put that Crystal Bearers number in perspective, Echoes of Time, quite literally a DS port of a DS game releasing the same day and released at the end of January managed 23K first week.

lol harsh.

 

[markatisu]

oops there goes kingdom hearts 3!

Japan's development culture is in complete shambles. Big franchise on juggernaut console is a total bomb. Handhelds have taken the crown, yet pspgo is dead in the water from day one.

:lol

This is a joke post right?

 

[iidesuyo]

Sony gets burned once again for releasing hardware at utopian prices. When will they ever learn?

 

[Vinci]

Since when does Crystal Chronicles classify as a 'big franchise'? I'm honestly curious.

 

[No6]

Since when does Crystal Chronicles classify as a 'big franchise'? I'm honestly curious.

Well, I guess if the only options are "big franchise" and "tiny franchise that should be so excited to get even more than 10k in sales that the producers of said franchise should personally scrub Iwata-sama's anus using only their tongue and rose-water for a rinse as befitting the next emporer of Japan", then yes I could see how the sales wouldn't seem too bad.

 

[apotema]

Just to put that Crystal Bearers number in perspective, Echoes of Time, quite literally a DS port of a DS game releasing the same day and released at the end of January managed 23K first week.

I think SE should stop using the name Crystal Chronicles, it just screams: please don't buy me

 

[TheRagnCajun]

Sony gets burned once again for releasing hardware at utopian prices. When will they ever learn?

Well crazy prices and customer confusion caused by the lack of UMD. This would be an amazing product if this was the first iteration.

 

[Vinci]

Well, I guess if the only options are "big franchise" and "tiny franchise that should be so excited to get even more than 10k in sales that the producers of said franchise should personally scrub Iwata-sama's anus using only their tongue and rose-water for a rinse as befitting the next emporer of Japan", then yes I could see how the sales wouldn't seem too bad.

The sales are bad for a game that is dramatically different from a franchise that people weren't altogether huge on to begin with?

I might have to sit down.

Did folks also freak out when DQS didn't sell at DQ levels?

 

[Chris1964]

There's another contender:

PSP Go - 6,600

Who were the geniouses with the idea of 150K first shipment? Sony, retailers or both? Even a complete irrelevant with Japan could see what would follow.

My expectations for PSP Go were very low but somewhow the actual sales managed to surpass even them. We are talking for a huge bomb. I doubt the system will see a second shipment. Retailers drop the price, we are approaching December and yet every week it keeps dropping harder and harder.

 

[Dascu]

The sales are bad for a game that is dramatically different from a franchise that people weren't altogether huge on to begin with?

I might have to sit down.

Did folks also freak out when DQS didn't sell at DQ levels?

DQS is still like the third-best selling 3rd party title on the Wii, whereas Crystal Bearers' sales are terrible, even for a spin-off of a spin-off. No matter how you twist and turn it, Square-Enix cannot be pleased with these kind of sales.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

I think SE should stop using the name Crystal Chronicles, it just screams: please don't buy me

As someone said above, a 4p co-op game would've sold ass-loads in a post-MH world.

Surely Square Enix is capable of making a MH clone within the FF universe.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Did folks also freak out when DQS didn't sell at DQ levels?

That's not a good comparison.

 

[markatisu]

As someone said above, a 4p co-op game would've sold ass-loads in a post-MH world.

Surely Square Enix is capable of making a MH clone within the FF universe.

Well they can do something similat to that just fine on the DS already, if they would have just taken RoF or EoT and actually made a Wii game out of it (hell even us the old FFCC graphics) I think it would have sold a lot better

In retrospect those early trailers where most of GAF though WTF is going on should have been a bright neon warning sign. Add to that the fact the games producer basically called it a bomb before it even was released (of course he blamed the userbase not the game)

 

[Vinci]

DQS is still like the third-best selling 3rd party title on the Wii, whereas Crystal Bearers' sales are terrible, even for a spin-off of a spin-off. No matter how you twist and turn it, Square-Enix cannot be pleased with these kind of sales.

DQS is a spin-off from the best-selling 3rd party series in Japanese history. It's bound to have some carry over from the main series, just as Crystal Bearers likely gets some sales from the Crystal Chronicles fanbase. The difference in size of those two fanbases - the DQ and CC ones - is enormous.

I'm sure they're disappointed, though I can't understand why they'd expect good numbers from this game.

 

[farnham]

so no DQS 2 with motion plus support..

awwww

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Since when does Crystal Chronicles classify as a 'big franchise'? I'm honestly curious.

We get into the definition of "big", but certainly any franchise that was getting 250-400K per entry is bigger than most.

Did folks also freak out when DQS didn't sell at DQ levels?

It certainly wasn't one of the worst-selling DQ spinoffs.

 

[markatisu]

We get into the definition of "big", but certainly any franchise that was getting 250-400K per entry is bigger than most.

Yeah if we could even compare the games

You have 4 games now in the CC series

1 Gamecube, 2 DS, and 1 Wii (not counting the DS port)

Between the 4 only the Wii one is a massive departure

I am not saying that the game is awesome for selling 35k, but I definitely see this as apples to oranges when comparing it.

I also in no way see how the earlier KH comparison fits in whatsoever

 

[duckroll]

There are actually 6 FFCC games. 3 of them are 4 player action RPGs, 1 of them is a town sim, 1 of them is a tower sim, and 1 of them is an open world adventure game.

As someone said above, a 4p co-op game would've sold ass-loads in a post-MH world.

Surely Square Enix is capable of making a MH clone within the FF universe.

They're making a 3 player one on the PSP! It's called Agito XIII!

 

[Spiegel]

You can blame Square Enix for making an unappealing game or blame the userbase for not buying the game but there's no other conclusion, a new FF spinoff selling 35k in the first week is a disaster.

 

[schuelma]

You can blame Square Enix for making an unappealing game or blame the userbase for not buying the game but there's no other conclusion, a new FF spinoff selling 35k in the first week is a disaster.

Well, yes. I find it more interesting to try and figure out why it happened. And it seems pretty clear in this case.

 

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

holy shit mariokart DS still in the list. Wasn't that released like 2 years ago?

 

[markatisu]

You can blame Square Enix for making an unappealing game or blame the userbase for not buying the game but there's no other conclusion, a new FF spinoff selling 35k in the first week is a disaster.

I don't remember anyone saying 35k was even in the decent or ok ballpark

 

[GCX]

holy shit mariokart DS still in the list. Wasn't that released like 2 years ago?

Double the number and you're right.

 

[No6]

DQS is a spin-off from the best-selling 3rd party series in Japanese history. It's bound to have some carry over from the main series, just as Crystal Bearers likely gets some sales from the Crystal Chronicles fanbase. The difference in size of those two fanbases - the DQ and CC ones - is enormous.

I'm sure they're disappointed, though I can't understand why they'd expect good numbers from this game.

Because they're filling an untapped market? Or at least that's what seems to be constantly parrotted by hive, that 3rd parties are "leaving money on the table" when they make more fitness/minigame collections. What you're now arguing is that the wii-owning userbase in japan is so picky that they'd rather play more fitness/minigames or nothing at all before buying a spinoff in an underserved genre, in spite of good production values and strong marketing.

 

[schuelma]

What you're now arguing is that the wii-owning userbase in japan is so picky that they'd rather play more fitness/minigames or nothing at all before buying a spinoff in an underserved genre, in spite of good production values and strong marketing.

Oh hell I give up. Wii can't sell any third party games and they should all go to Sony. Happy? Can we move on?

 

[Vinci]

Because they're filling an untapped market? Or at least that's what seems to be constantly parrotted by hive, that 3rd parties are "leaving money on the table" when they make more fitness/minigame collections. What you're now arguing is that the wii-owning userbase in japan is so picky that they'd rather play more fitness/minigames or nothing at all before buying a spinoff in an underserved genre, in spite of good production values and strong marketing.

What console market are you looking at right now? The vast majority of games sent into the Japanese console market this gen are basically being led to the guillotine. FFS, has the gargantuan series Monster Hunter 3 for the Wii hit 1 million yet? Should we compare the MH and CC fanbases now to see where the possible discrepancy might be?

I don't get what anyone was expecting with this game.

 

[No6]

Oh hell I give up. Wii can't sell any third party games and they should all go to Sony. Happy? Can we move on?

If by Sony you mean the PSP non-GO and the DS, yes.

 

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

Double the number and you're right.

4 years? damn. Looks like it will sell until DS2 with new mariokart.

 

[Spiegel]

I don't remember anyone saying 35k was even in the decent or ok ballpark

I was under the impression that some people were implying that the game couldn't have sold better. For me, a game with the Final Fantasy name and under normal circunstancies (i.e new game, advertised, exclusive, looks good) CAN'T sell below, let's say, 75k in the first week.

I knew the FF brand was damaged after so many spinoff but I'm really surprised by that number

 

[NintendosBooger]

Because they're filling an untapped market? Or at least that's what seems to be constantly parrotted by hive, that 3rd parties are "leaving money on the table" when they make more fitness/minigame collections. What you're now arguing is that the wii-owning userbase in japan is so picky that they'd rather play more fitness/minigames or nothing at all before buying a spinoff in an underserved genre, in spite of good production values and strong marketing.

It is the game. This game will not end up selling anything close to DQS, another spinoff, which was released while the Wii was still in its infancy. Why's that? SE has treated this game like a redheaded step-child since its conception - wouldn't talk about it, wouldn't present it at their shows - and it was only this year when they grudgingly released trailers for it, packaged in with another game that Japan didn't give two shits about.

Japan thinks the series blows, and it doesn't help that SE can't give it the same ringing endorsement as their other big games. You don't think Japanese gamers can sniff out a redheaded title?

 

[schuelma]

I was under the impression that some people were implying that the game couldn't have sold better. For me, a game with the Final Fantasy name and under normal circunstancies (i.e new game, advertised, exclusive, looks good) CAN'T sell below, let's say, 75k in the first week.

I knew the FF brand was damaged after so many spinoff but I'm really surprised by that number

It could have sold a bit better I guess, but given the seemingly explicit steps SE took to dissassociate the game from regular FF RPG's and the Crystal Chronicles series I don't think the branding of the game could be all that helpful.

 

[botticus]

I was under the impression that some people were implying that the game couldn't have sold better. For me, a game with the Final Fantasy name and under normal circunstancies (i.e new game, advertised, exclusive, looks good) CAN'T sell below, let's say, 75k in the first week.

I knew the FF brand was damaged after so many spinoff but I'm really surprised by that number

Well, you see, it would have sold around 60k, but 25k potential customers were still shell-shocked from finding a DS game in their Wii game case the last time they bought an FFCC game.

I had counted on them coming out of their comas by now with my predictions.