Jade Empire Bombed

[Child of Flame]

BUT ZOMG IF IT BOMBS, LIKE THE XBOX COULD FOLLOW CRIPPLING MS!!!

[Judge Hades]

Eru, calm down. Turn on the X Box and play Halo and breath slowly. Everything will be alright.

[Child of Flame]

OH CRAP! I DON'THAVE AN XBOX AND I DON'T LIKE HALO!!!

[Judge Hades]

Then dance like you never danced before! (w00t)

[213374U]

We already did that.  David Gaider, again:

Games do get made that don't require mass market sales. They are made by small developers, however, with fairly small budgets. A major title like NWN or DA has a lot of people working on it and a large budget... it needs to think about how it's going to achieve sales that are in the order of a million or more. Not thousands or tens of thousands or even a few hundred thousand.

 

Personally, I think JE with it's 50-80 devs, double the poly count count of KotOR and first-time-ever for BioWare motion-captured animation would count as a "major title". But hey - maybe I mistook it for a cheap budget title.

Damn. That's actually bad news.

 

 

Why the hell should how much a game sales matter to us anyway?  Are we Bioware employees?  No.  Do we have a vested and financial interest in JE?  No.  A game is either fun to play or not fun to play, and bottomline if we are just game players that is what matters most.

Great games that sell poorly don't usually get sequels or serve as templates for other games.

[Volourn]

"Ah, but we don

[mkreku]

Big Mutha Truckers 2.

[roshan]

There is noi poiint in trying toi talk sense intoi voiloiuirn.... He has a 100% resistance to intelligence.....

 

In any case, the quioite froim dave gaider is quiite coiincluisive evidence that jade empire was a failuire... Yoiui doiint even need toii be able toi get planescape toirment in oiriider toi see that. Yoiui juisit need toi think with a clear head and uise soiimie loigic.

[Volourn]

"Big Mutha Truckers 2."

 

It was successful enough to warrant a sequel. 'Nough said.

 

 

"In any case, the quioite froim dave gaider is quiite coiincluisive evidence that jade empire was a failuire."

 

No, it isn't. You should recheck the defintion of 'conclusive evidence' before typing that.

 

BIO has stated, quite cearly I might add, in the linked article that they are satisfied with JE's 500k sales.

 

Period.

[roshan]

Roioifles!! Perioid.

 

(Remember the age oild adage..... If yoiui cant beat them, joiin them.....)

(Althoiuigh voiiloiuirn has clearly been disproiven he seems toi be incapable oif realizing it)

[Archmonarch]

They would say that regardless of number, unless the failure was so overwhelmingly obvious that it would require mention if only to dispel rumors. Companies lie. This is a fact. They lie to make their products look better; the lie to make themselves look better: it is a basic tenant of capitalism. A company's responsibility is to itself and its investors (in most cases). As long as the public buys their products, most companies could care less what happened to them.

 

Game development studios are slightly different in that their customer base is already small (in comparison to other markets) and thus they must humor as many as possible. Therefore, the communication between devs and fans, the opportunity to feel a part of the project by making suggestions, etc. Yet even then when a game company gains a reputation, they sometimes rest on their laurels. If someone doesnt't like their new games, they werent the intended audience or they didnt understand the genius of it. The fault for a game failing is placed upon the consumer, because the game is the devs' baby, of course they did everything they could to make it the best.

 

Effort does not always equate sincerity. Game studios are there to make games, yes, but also to make money. They cannot make games if they do not have money and thus money must be their primary objective. Usually this leads to increased focus on quality. On other occassions, it means splashing the company logo everywhere and referring back to previous successes so as to engender sales based on fan favorites. In some cases, particularly in the RPG genre, it means both.

 

I do not say there is anything wrong with either method. They are acceptable advertising tools. Hoiwever, to attach your name to something, you should be satisfied with the final product. I understand there are deadlines, but sometimes you just have to say it isnt done.

[Volourn]

Great speech Arch yet it proves nothing about the subject matter.

 

You (or others) have yet to prove the BIo rep in the article lied. And, since he closer access to the hard numbers than us, I'll take his word over yours or mine since all we are doing is guesses.

 

500k copies sold, a BIO rep syaing they are satisfied with the units sold, and a likely sequel all point to it being at worse a mild success.

[metadigital]

Failing that, include an option for a joypad. 

Assuming there is an attack button, map that to the LMB, and if there's different types of attacks triggered by that attack button, have the attack be modified by the movement keys.

Of course an XBOX clone controller can be used - but that's defeats the purpose of porting as Bioware isn't going to supply you with a controller; nor should you be expected to PURCHASE an addiitional periferal device over an above the odd $50 you just shelled out, just to be able to use the damn software. That's poor business.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just have the alphabet for everyone without one to use.

 

Who cares if it isn't optimum? Screw everyone else, I've got a Rumblepad. "

[Archmonarch]

You (or others) have yet to prove the BIo rep in the article lied. And, since he closer access to the hard numbers than us, I'll take his word over yours or mine since all we are doing is guesses.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The fact that he is a BIO rep should indicate a certain level of bias. The majority rarely, if ever, bite the hand that feeds them.

[kirottu]

David Gaider is a Bio rep too.

[Volourn]

"The fact that he is a BIO rep should indicate a certain level of bias."

 

True; but I'd rather hear from someone who has some bias but at actually has some of the hard facts then someone who knows nothing for sure and is using conjecture.

 

Sure, I bet BIO would have loved if JE had sold millions of copies; but I doubt they truly believed it would. 1/2 a million copies (and still selling) in six months is pretty darn good. Now,w e just gotta figure out how much it cost to develop JE for BIO, and what's the actual percentage of the dollars made that BIO recieved.

[Nur Ab Sal]

Volourn when you will realize, that you have lost this discussion long ago?

[Volourn]

I have lost nothing. A big issue in this thread is what BIO's expecations were, and whether or not they are satisifed with JE's sales.

 

According to the article in question, they are very much satisified with JE's sales to date.

 

 

Game over.

[alanschu]

If they were very much satisfied with the sales, they wouldn't have added the "for a new property" qualifier.

 

 

Booyah game over word up period!

[Volourn]

"If they were very much satisfied with the sales, they wouldn't have added the "for a new property" qualifier."

 

Nonsense. The qualifier just illustrates that realizing it was a new IP; BIO didn't expect millions of sales. They knew it wouldn't sell as much as BG-NWN-KOTOR, and so going by that logic; the budget they likely set for JE was made so they could *at least* cover what kind of sales they were expecting.

 

 

"Booyah game over word up period!"

 

Booyah! Game over.

 

I win. You lose.

 

Period.

 

R00fles!

[alanschu]

Dave Gaider didn't comment on Jade Empire because he didn't work on the game.

 

Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age are his babies.

 

But by your logic, I guess Dragon Age is probably hoping for roughly 500k in sales too.

 

 

Why'd they make all those limited edition copies then?

 

 

 

 

Also, don't chastize IGN for saying they expect the 4th game to be the "inevitable" FPS (not 100% certainty like you said), and then say Jade Empire 2 is a guarantee.

[Volourn]

"Dave Gaider didn't comment on Jade Empire because he didn't work on the game.

 

Neverwinter Nights and Dragon Age are his babies.

 

 

But by your logic, I guess Dragon Age is probably hoping for roughly 500k in sales too."

 

DA doesn't hope for anything. It's a game. It doesn't have concious though. On the other hand, BIO does (haha!) so whatever their expectations are for the game is what it is. Why don't you post on the BIO baords and point blank ask them how much (ball park) sales do they expect with DA pre release then we can contrast and compare afterwards.

 

 

Then again, this threa disn't about whether or not DA has surpassed its expectations. It's about whether or not JE has. And, according to the BIO rept in linked article, it has.

 

Game over.

 

Now, if everyone in this thread for some odd reason expect JE to sell 1 million + copies then YOUR expectations weren't meant (and were wholly unrealistic as well) and are totally ireelavnt.

 

I called the fact that JE would likely sell around 500k copies well before release. Do a search for evidence of this if you dare.

 

I win, again.

 

 

"Also, don't chastize IGN for saying they expect the 4th game to be the "inevitable" FPS (not 100% certainty like you said), and then say Jade Empire 2 is a guarantee."

 

JE2 has been confirmed officially by MS the publisher. BIO has pretty much stated it as well in every way; but in neon colours.

[alanschu]

DA doesn't hope for anything. It's a game.

 

Another baiting to report?

 

It doesn't have concious though. On the other hand, BIO does (haha!) so whatever their expectations are for the game is what it is. Why don't you post on the BIO baords and point blank ask them how much (ball park) sales do they expect with DA pre release then we can contrast and compare afterwards.

 

Right. The point I was trying to make was that the new IP thing doesn't fly. If Bioware was merely content by saying "500k is pretty good for a new IP" then I guess a game like Dragon Age is roughly in the same boat, given it's new IP status as well.

 

You see, you tossed out Gaider's comments since he didn't mention Jade Empire (convenient), yet Dragon Age is in the exact same "new IP" status that is going to require over a million in sales. Bioware doesn't make fluff games where 500k sales "exceed expectations" (your words, not Bioware's). Their production values are always top notch and they have an extremely high level of confidence that what they're putting out is quality that is going to have mass appeal because it's a great game. Again, you're not giving Bioware enough credit.

 

 

Then again, this threa disn't about whether or not DA has surpassed its expectations. It's about whether or not JE has. And, according to the BIO rept in linked article, it has.

 

Wrong. No where in the article does it say that Jade Empire has surpassed expectations. I suggest you read it again.

 

I called the fact that JE would likely sell around 500k copies well before release. Do a search for evidence of this if you dare.

 

Couldn't find it. Is this where I do what you do and start screaming "proof" and assume you're just making that statement up?

[Volourn]

"Bioware doesn't make fluff games where 500k sales "exceed expectations" (your words, not Bioware's)."

 

Did I say JE exceeded expecations? Proof please. In fact, my point is that BIO has stated quite clearly (in the linked article) that they are SATISIFED with JE's sales. This is undisputable.

 

 

"Wrong. No where in the article does it say that Jade Empire has surpassed expectations. I suggest you read it again."

 

Again, nowhere do i remember saying that JE exceeded expectations. I suggest you rea dmy post on this issue again. All I pointed out was that JE did not bomb, and BIO seems happy with JE's performance.

 

Just because I make the argument that JE didn't fail to meet expectations does not automatically mean that I feel the opposite that it exceeded expecations.

 

 

"Couldn't find it. Is this where I do what you do and start screaming "proof" and assume you're just making that statement up?"

 

Scream all I want. Since we're posting on the 'net in different cities, I doubt I'd hear you.

 

As for the statement in question, it exists. Perhaps, typing 'Jade Empire' in the search option can find it. Heck, I might as well waste a couple of minutes.

 

You cna also check other boards like BIO, or the Codex for my old posts about the subject.

 

 

"Another baiting to report?"

 

Not a bait. I hate fishing, afterall. Report if you must though. I'll survive.

[Volourn]

For Alanshu:

 

Volourn Quotes:

 

1. "I doubt it'll sell as much as the KOTORs, and NWNs in BIoland."

 

http://forums.obsidianent.com/index.php?sh...pic=16951&st=30

 

Sadly, I didn't feel like continuing the search to find my prediction of 500k exactly; but this illustrates that I expected to sell this than the mentioned games.

 

If I had more time to waste, I'd do a deeper search; but 'proving' what I state pre release to you is not high on my priorty. You cna doa deeper search yourself.

 

R00fles!