Paraka

A lot of people hopeful for this woman to clean up Blizzard. A CoD president...

That's like a wolf guarding sheep. But hey, they fired a bunch already, so at least there is less sheep to worry about!

Guess we are getting a port of The Urbz, then.

@Kirgo - First; The tribal counter arguments gotta stop. It's not doing any favors (it's a general statement, not to you directly). I am not here to defend Pokémon, or poo-poo on the new contender.

(ASLO: Sorry I am not going to try tagging everyone who has responded to me, that is a lot of extra innocuous legwork. I hope many of you read this regardless).

Second; A view in my personal life; I am a retail auditor. It is my job to spot inconsistancies with reports. So I have made a habbit of seeing stuff that doesn't make sense. This one is blatant.

Allow me to explain;

Yesterday I sampled every indie developer with 4 releases under their belt. And took the 4th release and traced numbers of sales (if applicable).

Since the acceptance of indie self publishing, there is about 57 that reported their numbers of the first week or weekend. At least from what I could find from the pool I found of ALL indies released with the stipulations.

Not a single one sold 5 million in a weekend. Not one sold a million in a weekend. Not one sold 500k in a weekend.

Because there wasn't much true overlap with games with clear knock-off visualizations. I had to do another round. About 12-ish reported first month of sales from what I could find. None of them even hit 200k in that time.

So for the game to hit these numbers is either they released in China recently (didn't find confirmation), and China's recent changes to how games are made could have caused an exodus prior, which may have led to a whole market starving for something. Or artifical bloating of some kind, and misreporting. Or the reception is so miraculously rare they should be buying lotto tickets and suing Pokémon company for copying them. Cause they'd have a more likely time to win both the former situations.

Not to mention, this essentially outpaces all game releases reported to be the biggest successes. Outpacing even lifetime sales of some (so far). For a company mired in previous questionable acts, that would be going against the sales as well.

Then there is the defense arguments for it. People claiming it is that good is simply why it sold well. Which is essentially a damning argument, cause that would imply that they are better at making new IPs than Nintendo, who's entire catalogue of new IP releases on Switch and Wii U combined don't make 5 million in all their collective first weekends. That's a bold statement.

The game does have the challenges outside that, though, regardless. Because of its knock-off designs, there is more talk about Pokémon than there is of Palworld, when talking about Palworld. That makes the center of the discussion focused on Pokémon, generating Pokémon publicity passively.

Similar phenomenon is comparable to the DeviantArt Sonic OCs, that continued to popularize Sonic during a downtrend of his quality back in the 00's.

The second challenge is the game is treated like a live service, meaning they are now more pressured to make new content accessible as time moves on. With the 4 years and the lazily made designs prior, there is a likelihood of doing worse for future designs by meeting particular quotas, which runs the risk of crossing the legal line with Pokémon Co. and Nintendo.

Now, I can see due to the excitement of the game reaching these levels of sale eventually. But practically overnight? As I said before, "doesn't pass the sniff test."

@Hwatt - Now this is information that's solid. Something that can help male sense of this. Tha k you.

Riot Forge being shuttered guts me. I actually really enjoyed being able to enjoy some LoL games without dealing with that LoL community.

Yucky.

@Rayquaza2510 - Most of the time there is often something behind other explosive sales numbers. Be it a developer behind it is known for something, a sudden realization of the game's background (like it being a spiritual successor), or a cultural event like AC was with the lockdowns.

But like I said previously; unless I am not seeing something others are, those numbers wouldn't have been for a game like this. This would be like if Fight of Gods outselling a new Tekken release.

Mind you; I don't care if it is successful or not, just those stats are nowhere near even the most forgiving forecasts for it. And it "being good" is just not a good answer, not all good games even get that popular. So it's a curiosity to me.

@Ponyolovesgames - Dismissal of questioning the numbers not adding up doesn't make a good counterpoint. That's just childish.

Unless you're saying the company is indeed extremely popular with its shoddy modelling amd animations and is better than Insomniac, From Software, and Larian by sheer pedigree of this game alone. Which we both know would be hyperbole.

So stop with the insults dude, I don't have a dog in that race. Just provide context why 5 million in a weekend makes for something that would have otherwise had been a blip in the sea of monster taming games. How did THIS become a better response than even Elden Ring? A genre I hate, but see everywhere. I am not the only one baffled by this sudden rise of a game.

"You just a dumb," isn't an argument, this isn't a college campus.

@Raffles - That's what I am saying; None of this adds up. If I described the game and studio's background, you would no expect 5 million, 1 million would even be a shock to most. Unless it is also available in China? Which may explain the massive numbers.

We do have records of some MMO companies bloating player numbers with bots or allowing bots to report on numbers, late end Lineage II comes to mind, so it's a possibility.

@Ponyolovesgames - Off the anti-Pokémon rocker, bro. This isn't a defense for TPC, I care little for Pokémon, so justifying a stick in the company's eye doesn't do it for me, sorry.

You're trying to convince me a game, with clear knock-off artwork, with middling social media presence, made by a small company with a pretty spotty track record, can out perform Elden Ring, Spider-Man 2, Baulder's Gate 3 first weekends, who all had titanic presences, a well established development pedigree with far more visually stand-out impressions?

Again, doesn't pass the sniff test. Next you will be telling me Palworld had no idea what a Pokémon was up to now.

Something about those sales don't pass the sniff test. Let alone anything visually obviously not passing either.

You're telling me, a game with little knowledge and coverage before now, got 5 million in a weekend? Unless this was some big focus in China or something I am unaware of, the numbers aren't gelling. Numbers just genuinely sound bloated artificially.

@BrazillianCara - Not nessecarily. Only way that could be a strong possibility is if they hire writers unaware of the previous games. If the writers remain the same, there is far more of a chance that there are ideas they want to explore they came up with just too late for whatever reason. Which makes storyboarding much easier.

Even then, not saying writing is easy, but it does still take less testing than mechanical situations. It's why VNs are having a massive interest as a whole; People have stories to tell.

I mean, it's an easy developmemt cycle in comparison to Capcom's other series that are huge successes. It's probably faster to make an Ace Attorney, with all it's straight forward, essentially two-dimensional, mechanics as opposed to something like Monster Hunter where spacial detection in a 3D space needs to constant be considered for every fight mechanic.

Which also makes a boon of needing a lower sales expectation to make a profit off the release.

They still need to do something with the series that feels more like a game as opposed to a glorfied VN. It teeters on that line blatantly.

But for writing, probably go with the first Apollo Justice. It's campy enough to enjoy casually, and sort of set the stage that Ace Attorney will not be Phoenix forever.

Something tells me it's a new Mystery Detective Archives the way they are all presented to be a "group."

That and the "death god" thing behind them all.

I mean, they sued a tattoo parlor for use of Rockstar in their name til is went belly up.

Not surprised by this.

@The_Blue_Mage - Mine was too, sadly just played it too much and finally gave out. Did it to a Gamecube once too, at least when the GCN failed there was a local game store that did repairs.

@The_Blue_Mage - If yours still works, coubt your blessings. You're one of very few I know that their PS2 still works.

Still have mine and picked up a few rarities while they're still cheap. But my system is busted, and I await for either Retron or someone to replicate that system so I can get into a few of them.

I mean... Isn't that a common thing in gaming? SEGA outsources studios quite often, Nintendo has done it a lot during the Switch, it just makes sense.

I would still pay a premium for a BK two-pack if they released it with a bit more permanence.

@DripDropCop146 - Jumpscares only work once. Once you know, it doesn't work again, or as impactful.

The main reason jumpscares are used is cause content streamers will gladly play them because OTHER people want to see people get jumpscared.

Atmospheric and environmental storytelling sets a whole different level of fear because of the suspense it gives you, often scaring ones self over having something innocuous come into view. And it the replay doesn't die out has sharply or drastically as simply remembering where the jumpscares are.

He did a fine Mario, not as well as Martinet, but he can carry him and Luigi well enough.

Wario, however, dude either needs practice, or Wario needs a different VA for his gutteral, raspy voice

All this tells me is to be thankful Smash Ultimate finished before this game was revealed.

A 7 is where I would expect any good indie to land on Nintendo with everyone KNOWING their favored release is around the corner. I don't thinkg many games can even hold up to the hype TYD has in general.

This is in contrast to Last Crusade to Mario RPG. Where the indie had many fundamental flaws that cannot hold itself up.

Honestly, I see this as a hopeful for a port of Skies of Arcadia.

And that, my friends, is all I care for right now.

2D sidescrolling feels like it's selling the game's promise short. Like they have clear ideas that would work in a more interactive setting.

Then I saw EA. I already know all the reasons why it feels restricted.

I never thought, in a million-kajillion-made-upillion years, that SEGA would actually have me excited for once.

&%$#-ing bravo.

That... Probably explains why I had some fan spirit page pop up on my Xwitter feed today.

@Astral-Grain - Heard the term, "Corporatism" used more recently to try and seperate the two. Which feels more like how you described. Multi-branch ownership, umbrella branding, enough lobbying and investing power to collapse townships overnight. Fundamentally, it's all about numbers in that scheme.

But we should probably stop there before we get this thread off-topic.

@Astral-Grain - I wouldn't say it is capitalism outright. Small businesses and trade still fall under capitalism when you think about it. And they're usually the best go-to.

Everything is ultimately a deal. Be it for money, energy, time, talent. It's up to us to decide what's worth those trades. And we got into a rutt by associating corporate bully tactics to encompass all of such a system.

That appeal of fast growth I can see is intoxicating. But I have seen far more than games get devoured by this current economic downtrend. And even the auditing company I work for has changed some policies that essentially tell me to go do my own thing. Which honestly I fully support anyone in doing.

Investors are just scummy all out.

Man, this is one reason the company I am starting may be a small business for the long haul.

The major catalyst to a lot of these failures, Embracer included, is investors tapping out at the worst possible times. Sinking entire seaths of companies in the process.

Investors are the bane of creativity and growth. They'd rather end you than lose a potential grand.

@GOmar - Really don't think ordering a burger and not getting a burger is a form of entitlement in terms of metaphor. Imagine if McDonald's gave me a Coke and called me entitled for wanting Sprite. The whole point of a metaphor is to give you a more relatable concept of the contrasted expectations of what you are, actively, investing in.

With Metroid Fed Force, it was advertised as a chicken sandwich. Meaning if you bought it know it is NOT Metroid Prime tradtionally, your expectations are shifted for a chicken sandwich. Those who were upset were so because they wanted more burgers, and expect everything to be burgers. That is on them. Another good example is Travis Strikes Again. Their first trailers, their overall mechanics are displayed to tell you, "Not a core game."

Rogue Corps was not appropriately advertised, or designed, to tell you that it was not your usual Contra. Trailers and all made it clearly try to harken to those fans. With fast-transitions to boost hype but not enough time for scenes to digest it will be a "not Contra game." Was not a good deal to do so.

I don't mind Rogue Corps being a thing. But if I knew that it was a clunky bullet hell going in, my initial response would likely be different. But as many here mentioned, it wasn't just me who felt that way.

@belmont - PS5 version does, the PS4 not doing that does not negate Sony also doing this. Hell, their CE was just a code. Which is extra scummy.

@GOmar - That there is a problem, the game was not clear on its identity, it rode on the idea of Contra but edgier with it visual appeal and trailers. You don't get Mario Kart and expect a traditional Mario game, the game is clear what it is dealing to you.

When I order a burger, I expect a burger. Not get a chicken sandwich, even though I may enjoy both to varying degrees.

Another problem is that a lot of what they did have was executed sub par. None of what the game did was done to exception to make you forgive what you ended up getting. A lukewarm chicken sandwich to the burger metaphor.

@DogDetective - Well, it's not like the other systems are getting preferential treatment, either, from WB.

The massive real estate MK1 asks for is enough for me to forgo even buying the game. 100GB is nuts for a fighting game.

@Anti-Matter - Sony does not require a notification of the front of the box. It can very well be the same deal.

Sony has done it to their own games, look at GoW: Ragnarok. Something like 12mb is on the disc.

P. Plant easily.

Was not a fan of many of the characters this time around. However, the community response for him was absolutely hilarious to watch.

It broadened the ideas in its potential rosters, while also poopooing on another popular choice theory for what "belongs" or "deserves" to be in Smash.

What would be next? Koopas? Goomba Tower? Or another franchise like a Moblin?

@DdG1408 - It was pretty bad from any standard. Bland level design, blocky controls, misleading direction.

It was, for the broader sense, a bullet hell with a Contra mask and asset swapped hoodie. Which made it worse cause it felt like it was lying about what it was.

Imagine buying Mario Wonder, and get a party game masked in all sidescrolling minigames.

But it was not without some merits; character concepts were neat. Albeit the models were gross.

And here I am finally getting over the pain that was Rogue Corps.

If I HAD to choose, I would had preferred if Arkham City was on cart. Alas, no full release is complete. SEA regions confirmed theirs is roughly the same calibur of lazy.

@gsilver - Well, technically Larian is shared with Tencent. 30% roughly.

@OctolingKing13 - Well, 20 skins for 10 bucks over 5 years goes out pretty fast when the service gets closed down due to too few playing your favorite game. Which you don't get to decide when that happens, or if your nephew gets banned, taking that 20+ and essentially burning it even sooner.

@Nintoz - I expect online requirements for single player is next, if I am being perfectly honest. Followed by cloud and limites access to games during seasons.

"That way you stay connected with friends," will likely be the argument too.

@HammerKirby - Preaching to the choir.

I spent roughly 70 bucks in Dragalia Lost to support. What did I get now? Digital BS isn't wprth it.

Simple explanations;

If the game is funded/published by another company/corporation, it's not indie. However, the franchise could still be indie if the rights belong to said company.

If the company owns any other developers or deals in publishing other games. They are not indie. Size does not matter here.

If Nintendo was only EAD and made Mario/Zelda games, it'd fall under that category. Buuuuut, Nintendo has many studios and investments. So Mario, though in-house, is not indie by default.

Nexon falls into the latter.

@DanijoEX-the-Pierrot - That would imply a much larger sales numbers, though. Even considering the majority (as I said before) would likely be revisiters.

It's pretty common for a region of potential buyers to simply not adopt a re-release of a game that never reached their market respectively. Otherwise we would loke be seeing much larger numbers for games like Famicom Detective Club.

Yes.

Then again, I am a man who'd buy a Rolling Western Collection too

I don't think this would shock anyone. SMRPG is a really niche for a Mario game, you are essentially selling the bulk of it to those who played and loved the original.

That, and RPGs as a whole don't get as much excitement as they used to. Couple that with a classic Mario overwhadowing everything, SMRPG is just going to trail behind.

Active development for 2 post-launch years? That doesn't add up.

Regardless, the game has made good stride, it is no surprise they need to let the project go after reaching its initial sales peak. Their roster is comparable tp a lot of indie fighters, too. More would just drain finances, not recover.

Obviously they're still in it for a longer haul, with the game still remaining on servers. Maybe TFH2 would ignite more to take up the series.

@roy130390 - I feel like that was an indirect swipe at me. Perhaps my statement needs more clarification;

I am not opposed to massive worlds, honestly welcome them. I'd also argue that outside of Banjo-Kazooie, Yooka-Laylee does a cohesive feeling world building pretty well. The worlds do not feel like they're either disconnected to the universe and float aimlessly in skybox voids.

My problem is there are challenges and area of the worlds, like Glitterglaze, that if you die you aren't just tossed to the back of the challenge, if you didn't enter/exit the closest door (which is how theu do checkpoints), you are sent back to the start. Like much of the other worlds, that depletes you fast. Unlocking some form of travel like in B-K, or a checkpoint system in Oddyssey is probably going to alleviate most of that struggle.

It's probably the only real complaint I have about the first game, outside that last boss. Even then I am on the fence if the mechanics were too punishing or not.

Honestly, the biggest gripe with YK was the massive size of the worlds and now real fast travel or even checkpoints.

There will be times you can travel across the vast tundra for a challenge, die and end up at the last entrance ypu went through, sometimes on the polar opposite of the map. Sucks the life right out of ya for it.

The sooner this is out, the sooner Rage Wars can be next.

This upsets me.

Way to so quickly kill a franchise I love so dearly before you even make the next game.

@nessisonett - THQ got the go ahead from their biggest investors, one being Mattel at the time.

The moment the cracks shown, they bailed immediately. Same practice, smaller scale (in comparison, but still bad).

Not saying any of this to justify Embracer, basically making THQ Nordiq experience the same events. Just saying it happens way more than we make ourselves believe. Maybe because the social media era where everything that needs to be talked about is current and we are just risidual byproducts of it, but this strategy has happened waaay too many times in the industry.

Hell, even I forgot about Gamecock. Glorified flashbang of a company.