133 réponses à ce sujet

[easternswordman]

Recently I introduced ME1 to my friend who never, ever played a shooter and dislikes the genre and anything related to it quite much. Surprisingly, he fell for the game right away. He's playing it every night without even being able to move/aim properly with the shooter type of control. (I swear he shoots at sky and ground all the time) Now he sets the difficulty at easy and progresses slowly, and is already going to buy a copy of ME2 for himself.


So this brought me the thinking of how wide the range of players does ME franchise target? With the changes of ME2, the second installment is supposed to suit even wider range of players. So why does the franchise still not sell as well as some other AAA titles, which can or cannot stand up against ME2 in quality? I took a glance at VGCharts and it indicates on Xbox 360 ME2 has sold 1.55 million copies worldwide excluding Japan (up to Mar 6).
http://www.vgchartz.com/weekly.php 


I'm not saying this is not good but quite the opposite this is an EXELLENT achievement that everyone from bioware should feel proud of. With all the PC copies it sold, the game might have reached something between 2-3 million without supporting PS3 platform and this number is looking to grow a lot more eventually. That's quite impressive, but I'm just wondering why the genre isn't as popular as games like Gears of War or not nearly as popular as Modern Warfare 2?


From the link above, on its 17th week after the release, both 360 and PS3 version MW2 are selling twice as much as ME2 weekly. The 360 version of MW2 is almost hitting 10m and with PS3 (7.1m) and PC version, the game is looking to break through 20m copies worldwide. OK maybe you can say COD franchise has established its solid brand name over the long years, and is enjoying a large fan base. However, when I compared ME1(2.16m on 360) with GOW1(6m), I did notice the big difference there and can ME2 even reach up to that number? Let alone Halo, whose 3rd game has sold over 10m to date. Assassin's Creed II sold 3.4m on 360, and even Resident Evil 5 sold 2.61m on that console.


OK maybe now you're questioning me "what more do you expect from a multi-platium seller? Calling out numbers is easy but selling games ain't these days!" Well, yes I do expect more for a game with such a critical success. On Metacritic ME2 has the 3rd all time best score on 360 and 6th all time best on PC, and the game also received over 30 perfect scores. All can be found here:

http://features.meta...de-the-reviews/

Which means, the game has better reception than all the games I mentioned above. So why can't the game sell as well as them, or become like a popular entertainment culture icon like Halo? Cuz to me it definately has the quality to fit in that position.

Modifié par easternswordman, 17 mars 2010 - 04:32 .

[JLBoyyy]

its because what you pointed out (propa for info) and the fact that most people probably do not enjoy rpgs and only single-player gameplay (at least most of the time). well anyway, thats what i think



also, good luck to your friend because ME2 is more combat

[vnieminen]

1) Scifi is weird, man.

2) It's so complicated... my brain hurts.

3) Where's the multiplayer?

4) When I shoot an enemy it doesn't explode and paint the whole planet red with blood. Need more gore, please.

[-Skorpious-]

In general, rpg's are for "hardcore" (such an elitist term) gamers. Most causal players purchase games that focus primarily on MP, as they can easily play games with friends.

[Pocketgb]

Because the biggest turn-off for casual gamers isn't RPG systems, it's not a lack of intense "shooter combat", it's talking. Bioware could've made the best shooter in the entire world and it would still be neglected by the idiot populace because "they talkk to muhc".



If Bioware really wanted to appeal to the markets they would've had ME2 have 1/20th of the dialog that ME1 had.



Oh, and no multiplayer.

[DarthCaine]

Same reason adventure games became a dead genre, people don't like using their brain

[OSD]

Several reasons.



- The common stereotype that Science Fiction is for "nerds"

- ME2 is actually an intelligent game that requires thought, and it scares people away

- Hard to sell someone a game by saying half of it is simply talking to other people

- Shooters are hot right now, and frankly MOST people will describe ME2 as an RPG

- The common stereotype that RPGs are for "nerds"



These types of games become successful through word-of-mouth, although the fact that they're great games don't do them any harm.



Overall, it's mainly just a hard game to sell from someone telling you about it, and even from watching it. Most people wouldn't think much of this game until they actually play it; I know I didn't.

[Tazzmission]

seeing as mass effect 1 and 2 are rpgs/tps and dont forget the game is mature so i think alot of the aduly gamers ranging from 18 -50 play these types of games wile kids betwwen the ages of lets say 13 - 17 play action adventure titles

[Cross1280]

Just a thought, but If you discount the WII/DS games that are primarilly marketed for children, and the one PSP game in its first week of release, you will notice a common trend in all the games that beat out ME2, 1: they are all primarily First person shooters, with the exception of the 2 sports games, and 2: they all have some sort of multiplayer, this includes all the WII and DS games. ME2 is selling very weel for a single player story driven game.

[Tazzmission]

Cross1280 wrote...

Just a thought, but If you discount the WII/DS games that are primarilly marketed for children, and the one PSP game in its first week of release, you will notice a common trend in all the games that beat out ME2, 1: they are all primarily First person shooters, with the exception of the 2 sports games, and 2: they all have some sort of multiplayer, this includes all the WII and DS games. ME2 is selling very weel for a single player story driven game.

i agree that most games sell do to multiplayer. look at halo that **** got fammouse with gamer fast for its multi player mode. but imo i think me is better than halo baed on story alone. i love cod mw but i think todays gaming market focuses more on shooters instead of rpgs or action and adventure

[Marta Rio]

Interesting...I would have expected ME2 to be higher on the charts given the very positive reviews, but there you go.



I've talked to a few friends who love MW2 but dislike ME2, and they claim it's because ME2 has too much talking and the shooting/action aspects (improved as they are) still are not the same quality as games like MW2. For the most part I agree with that assessment; ME2 is a great action-RPG, but not the best if all you're craving is shooting with very little dialogue. I'd assume that this is the reason why it's not selling as well as one might expect given the reviews; there are just fewer gamers out there that value good dialogue and pauses in the action...



That being said, Heavy Rain is pretty darn high on the charts, and that's pretty much shooting-free. Maybe it's the novelty of the gameplay? (Also it was released a month after ME2, so it's maybe not fair to compare the two at this point).

[Chaoswind]

One word



Multiplayer



The only thing Bioware needs to do is to make Team mates ( player controlled) and sells are bound to SKY ROCKED... Yeah AI can still control squad mates, but think about it, would you rather play ME by yourself screaming at AI garrus for being stupid, or play with a friend and scream AT YOUR friend, for being stupid?



Multiplayer and Co-op beat the crap of single player games any day of the week, THAT if the multiplayer/co-op is any good

[aaron baba]

ME2 isn't selling terribly, but it simply can't complete with the 1st person mp games out there.

CoD has dominated the charts with both the first and second Modern Warfare, not to mention World at War. Halo 3 also remains in the top 5.



Shooters appeal to a wider audience, as does childish platformers that the whole family can enjoy.

ME2 is an amazing game like the first installment, but it appeals to a smaller audience since it's been labeled as an RPG.



Regardless, i'll take single player RPG's over another mp shooter-fest anyday

[Tazzmission]

Marta Rio wrote...

Interesting...I would have expected ME2 to be higher on the charts given the very positive reviews, but there you go.

I've talked to a few friends who love MW2 but dislike ME2, and they claim it's because ME2 has too much talking and the shooting/action aspects (improved as they are) still are not the same quality as games like MW2. For the most part I agree with that assessment; ME2 is a great action-RPG, but not the best if all you're craving is shooting with very little dialogue. I'd assume that this is the reason why it's not selling as well as one might expect given the reviews; there are just fewer gamers out there that value good dialogue and pauses in the action...

That being said, Heavy Rain is pretty darn high on the charts, and that's pretty much shooting-free. Maybe it's the novelty of the gameplay? (Also it was released a month after ME2, so it's maybe not fair to compare the two at this point).

as great moder warfare is but lets be real its a military game with multiplayer thats all it is. and like you said your friends complained about the talking in me2 but do they realise me is a mix of rpg and shooter?

[Cross1280]

Tazzmission wrote...

Cross1280 wrote...

Just a thought, but If you discount the WII/DS games that are primarilly marketed for children, and the one PSP game in its first week of release, you will notice a common trend in all the games that beat out ME2, 1: they are all primarily First person shooters, with the exception of the 2 sports games, and 2: they all have some sort of multiplayer, this includes all the WII and DS games. ME2 is selling very weel for a single player story driven game.

i agree that most games sell do to multiplayer. look at halo that **** got fammouse with gamer fast for its multi player mode. but imo i think me is better than halo baed on story alone. i love cod mw but i think todays gaming market focuses more on shooters instead of rpgs or action and adventure

I agree, the gaming market does focus more on shooters, and multiplayer, hell some games can even be saved by there multiplayer cough "AvP" cough, but if you notice MAG for PS3 which is strictly a FPS and solely multiplayer is way below ME2 in sales and was released the same day.

[Caozen]

People normally can't play a game like this without paying for it in some way. This is just one of those games where the average consumer (i.e. Modern Wartards) can't accurately guess whether or not its a good game just by looking at the back of the box. This, combined with the lack of multiplayer and excessive gore leaves the 'book cover', if you will, looking too clean cut and empty to hold anyone's interest long enough to buy it if they haven't played the first one already (which suffers from this much more).

There are plenty of other games that suffer from such things. Lost Odyssey comes to mind concerning FF fans. People who claim themselves to be steadfast JRPG freaks can be quite dumbfounded when saying they never heard of such a thing, or never wished to play it simply because of the lack of the popular 'kawaii' factor to such games. Bayonetta, too. It looks ridiculuous as sin but plays better than Devil My Cry (of which bears the same creator) could ever hope to be.

People just fail to give such games a chance, and for good reason. Nowadays, it really is best to think about where your money goes. There's nothing safer than buying something everyone else buys. Am I right? (/sarcasm)

[Marta Rio]

Chaoswind wrote...
Would you rather play ME by yourself screaming at AI garrus for being stupid, or play with a friend and scream AT YOUR friend, for being stupid?

Multiplayer and Co-op beat the crap of single player games any day of the week, THAT if the multiplayer/co-op is any good

Personally, I'd rather scream at AI Garrus, but I'm one of those rare loner gamers...also I have a tiny TV that makes co-op next to impossible. 

But my TV deficiencies aside, yeah you can't discount multi vs. single player as far as sales go.  I'm glad that Bioware hasn't given into the pressures to go multiplayer with their major titles (other than the upcoming Star Wars MMO), since games like MW2 can't help but sacrifice some of the single player campaign for the multiplayer one.

Tazzmission wrote...
as great moder warfare is but lets be
real its a military game with multiplayer thats all it is. and like you
said your friends complained about the talking in me2 but do they
realise me is a mix of rpg and shooter?

Oh they realize that ME2 isn't supposed to be a straight shooting game, they just dislike RPG elements in general.  Unfortunately, as far as I can tell from personal experience / cursory analysis of game sales, that kind of attitude dominates the gaming market.

Modifié par Marta Rio, 17 mars 2010 - 05:01 .

[Bob5312]

Well, it's not really the kind of game you can just pick up, play for half an hour, kill other living beings until you feel warm and fuzzy, and then go play with your kids/friends/dogs. It's got no multiplayer, so it's not a party game.

It's an excellent game, but it's one that requires a lot of involvement from the player, and there are lengthy sections that don't involve any combat. It's just not the kind of game that some people are looking for. It's a game targeted at a niche audience: people that like both RPGs (or games with a heavy focus on plot and character development) and shooters.

They've cornered the market, but the market is relatively small.

Edit: Chaoswind, I'll disagree with you as I loathe multiplayer games with a passion so fierce it forms the basis of my reputation at work (or so I'm told).  But, if you want a co-op mode in ME2, I suggest that you be the one to play as Garrus and sit idle for a couple of hours while Shepard talks to people and upgrades his kit.

Modifié par Bob5312, 17 mars 2010 - 05:01 .

[flem1]

VGChartz is not a legitimate news source. Their numbers are baloney.

[Marta Rio]

flem1 wrote...

VGChartz is not a legitimate news source. Their numbers are baloney.

Could you direct us to a better source so that we have some hope of discussing non-baloney sales figures?

[Tazzmission]

Marta Rio wrote...

Chaoswind wrote...
Would you rather play ME by yourself screaming at AI garrus for being stupid, or play with a friend and scream AT YOUR friend, for being stupid?

Multiplayer and Co-op beat the crap of single player games any day of the week, THAT if the multiplayer/co-op is any good

Personally, I'd rather scream at AI Garrus, but I'm one of those rare loner gamers...also I have a tiny TV that makes co-op next to impossible. 

But my TV deficiencies aside, yeah you can't discount multi vs. single player as far as sales go.  I'm glad that Bioware hasn't given into the pressures to go multiplayer with their major titles (other than the upcoming Star Wars MMO), since games like MW2 can't help but sacrifice some of the single player campaign for the multiplayer one.

Tazzmission wrote...
as great moder warfare is but lets be
real its a military game with multiplayer thats all it is. and like you
said your friends complained about the talking in me2 but do they
realise me is a mix of rpg and shooter?

Oh they realize that ME2 isn't supposed to be a straight shooting game, they just dislike RPG elements in general.  Unfortunately, as far as I can tell from personal experience / cursory analysis of game sales, that kind of attitude dominates the gaming market.

oh i know shooters take up 99.9 % of the gaming market but imo story matters and i was never a big shooter person until me1 came out. games to me have to be more than just blowing enemies away and me is a beutfully done space opera and i love it

[easternswordman]

Marta Rio wrote...

flem1 wrote...

VGChartz is not a legitimate news source. Their numbers are baloney.

Could you direct us to a better source so that we have some hope of discussing non-baloney sales figures?

Yeh same here. I'd honestly like to find some more accurate data.

[Chaoswind]

Bob5312 wrote...

Well, it's not really the kind of game you can just pick up, play for half an hour, kill other living beings until you feel warm and fuzzy, and then go play with your kids/friends/dogs. It's got no multiplayer, so it's not a party game.

It's an excellent game, but it's one that requires a lot of involvement from the player, and there are lengthy sections that don't involve any combat. It's just not the kind of game that some people are looking for. It's a game targeted at a niche audience: people that like both RPGs (or games with a heavy focus on plot and character development) and shooters.

They've cornered the market, but the market is relatively small.

Edit: Chaoswind, I'll disagree with you as I loathe multiplayer games with a passion so fierce it forms the basis of my reputation at work (or so I'm told).  But, if you want a co-op mode in ME2, I suggest that you be the one to play as Garrus and sit idle for a couple of hours while Shepard talks to people and upgrades his kit.

That wouldn't be a good Co-op mode would it?

Again. Co-op beats single player any day of the week, IF Co-op is good.

However, to make a game like ME Co-op compatible some REAL changes have to be made first, and I don't think that would be good... keep ME3 as a single player goldmine, but EA is bound to try something for ME4

[Tazzmission]

Chaoswind wrote...

Bob5312 wrote...

Well, it's not really the kind of game you can just pick up, play for half an hour, kill other living beings until you feel warm and fuzzy, and then go play with your kids/friends/dogs. It's got no multiplayer, so it's not a party game.

It's an excellent game, but it's one that requires a lot of involvement from the player, and there are lengthy sections that don't involve any combat. It's just not the kind of game that some people are looking for. It's a game targeted at a niche audience: people that like both RPGs (or games with a heavy focus on plot and character development) and shooters.

They've cornered the market, but the market is relatively small.

Edit: Chaoswind, I'll disagree with you as I loathe multiplayer games with a passion so fierce it forms the basis of my reputation at work (or so I'm told).  But, if you want a co-op mode in ME2, I suggest that you be the one to play as Garrus and sit idle for a couple of hours while Shepard talks to people and upgrades his kit.

That wouldn't be a good Co-op mode would it?

Again. Co-op beats single player any day of the week, IF Co-op is good.

However, to make a game like ME Co-op compatible some REAL changes have to be made first, and I don't think that would be good... keep ME3 as a single player goldmine, but EA is bound to try something for ME4

i love mass effect and would love for more games but keep it the way it is and ill only by it if bioware writes it. if ea were to give me to another franchise i wouldnt go past the 3rd shep game