Dungeon Siege III ships 820K units.

[C2B]

Here's my take on the situation.

 

DS3 fallsshort of sales expectations unfortunately. Creation of one DLC was baked into the original contract for the game, thus we get Treasure of the Sun. SE however doesn't feel it's worth it finanically speaking spending the PR money on it.

 

About that expectation thing. In every buisness there is "expectation" and "EXPECTATION". I really have not much of an idea on the gaming industry side of things (or even how Square Enix sets it internally). But a product falling mildly under the expectation bar isn't really an uncommon thing. Furthermore. Don't forget that this is "just" 3 Months of sales/shipments. We have no idea in what timeframe the 1mil. should be reached. So, saying that it didn't reach expectations is quite far fetched in itself.

 

We'll see in the coming months how it played out for Square and how interested they are now in continuning the franchise.

 

Long-run sales have never meant anything in this industry, and it should be considered that the number is shipped. To actually clear out a lot of those shipped copies pretty much every retailer is offering huge discounts on Dungeon Siege III.

 

So is Deus Ex. Both of those were overshipped (at least in the first few months). I haven't actually seen that many sales for DSIII recently so selling those seems to have went pretty well. (Compared to DX and Juli-Sept. DsIII). List price went down 10$ or so, which seems pretty normal.

Edited November 8, 2011 by C2B

[Gfted1]

820K units shipped literally means physical copies shipped to brick-and-mortar stores? That number does not include digital sales?

[C2B]

820K units shipped literally means physical copies shipped to brick-and-mortar stores? That number does not include digital sales?

It wouldn't really make sense if digital copies are included there since they are not actually "shipped". Only if every copy sold is automatically a shipped one.

Edited November 8, 2011 by C2B

[Volourn]

"Fake Edit: The number generally (outside of this place and a very few others) isn't badly recived at all. If you visit the neogaf link you'll see that nearly all comments about the number was positive. Considering how Neogaf recieved that game they would have just loved the oppertunity to go Boooomb on it."

 

Sorry dude, but in this day and age, a game like DS3 nbot selling a mil+ copies within the first month is very suspect. Even if DS3 was cheap to produce comapred to bigger titles, it was still not cheap to make.. 820K is just not good enough for a mainstream game published by SS and devloped by one of the supposed 'leading' RPG developers. If you are leading anything you better sell millions of copies or you ain't leading jack.

[C2B]

"Fake Edit: The number generally (outside of this place and a very few others) isn't badly recived at all. If you visit the neogaf link you'll see that nearly all comments about the number was positive. Considering how Neogaf recieved that game they would have just loved the oppertunity to go Boooomb on it."

Sorry dude, but in this day and age, a game like DS3 nbot selling a mil+ copies within the first month is very suspect. Even if DS3 was cheap to produce comapred to bigger titles, it was still not cheap to make.. 820K is just not good enough for a mainstream game published by SS and devloped by one of the supposed 'leading' RPG developers. If you are leading anything you better sell millions of copies or you ain't leading jack.

 

Yeah, all of THAT doesn't mean jack. (Also only a few titles are actually reaching a million within a month (which are hits by the way. This is not the standard. By far not.))

 

I'm not saying DSIII sold amazingly here. I'm saying it did well and I don't believe it was a flop either. We'll see anyway who's right here. Either by Square ignoring the brand or by dismissing it or by continuing the franchise.

 

Fact is. Nobody here has Squares actual earnings of the title. Nobody knows how much they invested in it in the first place. I stated the reasons/arguments why I see these numbers in a positive light and why I don't agree with the arguments made.

Edited November 8, 2011 by C2B

[Accelerator]

I am back on this forum after many years, mainly because I had a few comments on DS3 as well as Obsidian's efforts as of late.

 

1) I think the Asian sales figures also need to be brought up, because where I'm living, both DS3 and DX:HR are selling like hot cakes. You won't find a copy that stays on the shelves more than two weeks.

2) I think, given the budget and staff involved, Obsidian/Square probably have not made a loss on DS3.

3) Regarding DLC, the leaks probably put a good spanner into the works, prompting Obsidian to start afresh on the Treasures of the sun DLC. I think we may at best see one more DLC for this game, because Fallout: NV seems to do better DLC wise and also because Obsidian is not that big a company.

4) Sales numbers for DS3 are disappointing, but not the worst IMO. I think Obsidian can survive. Whether Square will continue the franchise is another story.

 

I don't know why Obsidian games don't sell that well, I'm one of the few people who have purchased every single game they developed (Yes, including Alpha Protocol) - I see the logo on the box, and it's time to buy. Living in a developing country with rampant piracy, that's a huge thing for me. Generally speaking, I never buy DLCs for games either simply because I don't see the value - but I have for Obsidian's games. Fallout: NV DLC and Treasures of the sun for DS3. Obsidian is a quality developer, one that has always given me value for my money, and one whose games I've always enjoyed (Yes, AP was good despite it's flaws).

 

But all this means Obsidian owes me, right?

[Labadal]

These sales aren't bad.

 

Deus Ex 3 already has a price of

Edited November 9, 2011 by Labadal

[Flouride]

Edit: I also think this hasn't hurt Obsidian, because they are still recruiting people.

 

Also they got to showcase their engine to the publishers with DS3.

[Volourn]

"because Obsidian is not that big a company."

 

Pretty good sidze for an independnet developing company with 100+ employees.

 

 

"I don't know why Obsidian games don't sell that well,"

 

Obsidian games do sell. NWN2, KOTOR2, and FO:LV have sold very well. AP and DS3 have not. The differences? The first 3 are all good games. The other two are not.

 

 

"Sales numbers for DS3 are disappointing, but not the worst IMO."

 

Nobody has claimed they're the worst sales figures ever.

 

 

"I think Obsidian can survive."

 

Nobody's claimed they couldn't.

 

 

"I also think this hasn't hurt Obsidian, because they are still recruiting people."

 

They have also ****canned people, and others have quit. Nature of the business.

[Labadal]

I know it's the nature of the businnes. People also left Obsidian after Fallout: New Vegas, wich was their best selling game by a large margin.

 

Oh, and it's New Vegas, not Las Vegas.

[Nightshape]

I can honestly say, I don't think these sales figures are bad at all, but it was certainly the camera that's broken it for most people.

 

Obsidian seem to have really struggled getting camera's correct in a lot of games, I wonder if this is a matter of bad design or bad implementation, I fear its design, albeit NWN2, had the most over engineered, over designed camera I've seen in a game ever.

 

Oh and absolute failure sales figures are predicting 1million, and shifting 10-20k.

[mkreku]

I don't know why Obsidian games don't sell that well...

I honestly believe it's because Obsidian aren't making the games they are good at making.

[Tigranes]

I'm not unhappy with their experiments with AP & DS3, and think AP in particular was awesome... but yes, I believe it's time now to put out a couple of games that they really know how to do well, cut down on the difficulties associated with wading into new genres/etc, and put out something really quality.

 

After all, we still don't have one Obsidian RPG that is both orthodox Obsid-style and an original game, and say "this is Obsidian".

[WorstUsernameEver]

I'm not seeing any publisher interested in the idea of another party RTwP RPG though, much less a turn-based one.

[Volourn]

"I'm not seeing any publisher interested in the idea of another party RTwP RPG though, much less a turn-based one."

 

That's not true. Then again, Obsidian's style is not turn based anyways. Never has been. NWN2 was RTWP as was KOTOR and they are two of the three successful Obsidian games. Go figure.

[WorstUsernameEver]

So, who's funding those titles? Where are they? Otherwise, STOP LYING!!!!11!!

[C2B]

I was following this thread on the codex. Its about Anthony Davis leaving from Obsidian. He himself posted in there and gave this answer to a question regarding DSIIIs success.

 

I know how much was spent developing the game, I don't know how much was spent marketing the game, and I know that the gross income is about 35$ x 820,000. More for PC versions. Plus it will continue to sell for quite some time.

 

That said, I would call DS3 a large success by every measurement.

 

I know Bethesda gets a lot of flack around here, but those guys work hard and they know how to make a video game. They've got it down. No one in my opinion does open world exploration games better.

 

As for Square, I remember that when they came to visit us, Feargus and the owners were giving some Japanese executives a tour of the offices. Outside my office at the time I had a Chrono Trigger poster on the glass facing outwards. The Japanese executives spotted it and thought it was super awesome. I knew right there we were going to have a good relationship with them - and we did.

 

Obviously this is my point of view from a middle of the stack so to speak. Those at the very top have a very different perspective from those of us in the middle.

Edited November 15, 2011 by C2B

[Volourn]

L0L 'By every measure'? Davis isa cool dude but does he not realize two things: a) 820k in 2011 for a game/company trying to be a AAA developer is not a major success, b) you cna't simply go by the total money incoming but aloso how the game cost to make and how much said money has to be shared by multiple people and c) the business does not care about long term sales only immediate sales.

 

 

 

"They've got it down. No one in my opinion does open world exploration games better."

 

WRONG.

 

FO:LV proved that Obsidian can do them better. Then again, Mr. davis didn't work on FO:LV so he probably just jealous of that games' success since it sold 5mil copies. R00fles!

 

There's a certain series Grand City Auto that also proves that other companies do open world exploration games better than the worst successful company ever.

[WorstUsernameEver]

This forum would be a boring place without people such as Volourn and Morgoth.

[Flouride]

This forum would be a boring place without people such as Volourn and Morgoth.

 

Aye, I love it how Volourn "knows" game finances better than the actual people who worked on the game. And by looking at Codex Volly still thinks 100+ people worked on DS3 for 3 years. LOLLIGAGZABALOOOZA!

Edited November 16, 2011 by Flouride

[Volourn]

I claimed no such thing. Did you read what I post or just spammed nonsense? I claimed that obsidian has 100+ employees and the game took 2-3 years. I didn't claim that 100+ people worked on it for a full 3 years. That be like claiming that because BIO has 100s of employees that they all worked on DA for 6 full years (like others claimed). L0LZ

 

P.S. Try to stick to responding to points made here not on other foprums so people ehre can follow what is posted.

[Flouride]

I claimed no such thing. Did you read what I post or just spammed nonsense? I claimed that obsidian has 100+ employees and the game took 2-3 years. I didn't claim that 100+ people worked on it for a full 3 years.

 

P.S. Try to stick to responding to points made here not on other foprums so people ehre can follow what is posted.

 

Maybe you need to practice your english then, since that point doesn't come across properly in the original post.

 

P.S there was a link to that thread here earlier and I'm pretty sure some/most people actually checked it out since Anthony is posting in it.

[C2B]

This forum would be a boring place without people such as Volourn and Morgoth.

 

You can't help but respect their endurance over all these years. Even if it took its toll.

[Flouride]

"I know how much Square shelled out to Obsidian to make the game, and even if they spent that exact same amount on marketing, which I doubt, the game still made multi-millions for Square."

 

From the Codex thread.

[Volourn]

If you aren't sure you understand what someone wrote you don't assume to know, you ask them to clarify. When youw er eins chool, and your teacher said something you weren't sure off did you just go with that to just later fail a test? That's what happened here. It was pretty clear to read but you couldn't fuigfure it out. I'd say your loss but it's clearly mine since I'm still responding to your clever trolling. Good job.

 

Also, since you lamely cotninue tod ebate another thread from another post (joiun the codex and go at it there), why not quote his comment where he says he doesn't know anything for sure and that he is just specuilating like the rest of us are. Only Square knows for sure how much of a profit they made.

 

 

Also, define 'multi millions'. I can guarantee to you if that Square only made 2 mil in pure profit from DS3 teh entire process would liekly have been considered a waste of time.

 

 

Bottom line is 820k sales for a agme from a company that wnats to be AAA and have had multi million selling games in the past is a failure. Period. 820k just doesn't cut it in the modern market unless you are an idnepend with less than 10 employees.

Edited November 16, 2011 by Volourn