KtWtWiS43
Well-known Member
I apologize if there's already a thread concerning this, but I was checking sales figures thus far for DmC, and I found some articles that I thought would be worth mentioning.
In Japan, Siliconera reports that:
"Launch sales of the game are significantly lower than those of Devil May Cry 4, which was released in 2008 in Japan. That game sold 205,390 copies on the PS3 at launch, and an additional 40,023 copies on the Xbox 360."
Compare that to
"110,429 copies on the PlayStation 3,"
for DmC and the knowledge that
"The Xbox 360 version of the game wasn’t featured in the top-20 sales ranking, but sales tracker, Media Create, report that it sold approximately 6,000 copies,"
coupled with the fact that
"release week pre-order sales for the PlayStation 3 version of DmC Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 4 were about the same,"
it's clear that Capcom may have bit off more than they can chew.
Speaking from a strictly economic perspective, the series was rebooted by Capcom to attract more fans, and having done so, I'd think it would have paid off a little more for them. Considering the lengthy development time, frequent changes in design for each development trailer, DmC Dante's inclusion in PlayStation All Stars, and the vast marketing campaign, I'm surprised DmC has fallen through the cracks this badly. Then again, we are only looking at Japan, but it'd appear that Japan has spoken. The information came from the following article and you're all free to read and respond: http://www.siliconera.com/2013/01/25/dmc-devil-may-cry-may-have-failed-to-attract-casual-fans-in-japan/#IPhgpTFo9VWpsxzi.99
Another article I found on Eurogamer details sales in the United Kingdom. Giving that Ninja Theory's home turf is in the UK, I'd have thought that would give them the home court advantage. But as
"Launch week sales for DmC Devil May Cry were just a third of the amount that previous entry Devil May Cry 4 sold during its launch week in 2008."
In addition, Eurogamer reveals that
"That's despite DmC having an extra three days on sale."
Meaning, that even with a three day head start, DMC4 still came back from the grave to give DmC a savage wake up call. In Ninja Theory's backyard no less. Here's the link to that article: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-01-21-uk-chart-dmc-devil-may-cry-horns-its-way-to-top-spot
The response overall confuses me. With game reviewers giving DmC near perfect reviews all the way across the board, with many reviews (IGN for example) literally begging the viewer to "Shut up, stand up, and buy this ****" I just keep getting the feeling that sales are not in DmC's favor. And Ninja Theory knows it. Reviews are feeling oddly pushy and are starting to come off a little desperately, like a last minute marketing strategy... But I digress.
What does this mean for DmC fans? Nothing yet. I could only find sales for Japan and the UK. Meaning that sales figures for Capcom's intended target, the US, have either not been calculated yet, or are being witheld. Keeping in mind that the game was solely created for the purpose of drawing new players to the series, I would argue thus far, that the reboot has created far more controversy within the series' pre-existing fans than it has created an attraction for new fans. Overall however, the Siliconera article states my final thoughts perfectly:
"Without hard worldwide figures or an official statement from Capcom, it’s hard to put together an accurate picture of whether or not they consider DmC Devil May Cry a success, since factors like differences in the development budget, manpower, marketing expenses and long-term sales all play a role in defining success. That said, what we do know is that the game isn’t doing as well as its predecessor in at least two territories."
What are your thoughts? It's already fact that Devil May Cry was a financially successful flagship title for Capcom, but after DmC, the future of the series we all know and love appears dubious. The reason behind the reboot in of itself is still confusing. If Capcom had intended for a cohesive storyline, they should've allowed Kamiya more creative freedom from the start, rather than trying ot squeeze all the money they could out of the series. We all saw that after DMC2, Capcom had to clean up their act and deliver the outstanding DMC3. But after lazing back into a need for financial profit with DMC4, the game ended up feeling rushed. And it shows in the level design. I honestly feel bad for reboot fans. By hiring outside talent to create a new set of characters for fans to be invested in, they shafted original fans and simultaneously divided the existing fanbase, seemingly, without reaching out to any new fans.
If sales thus far are an indicator, the only thing Capcom has succeeded in is dividing its fanbase. What this means for the series overall is troubling. But who knows? I'm not even sure I trust Capcom to give another Devil May Cry title. It sucks for old fans because we feel betrayed and untrustworthy of Capcom, and it creates animosity with DmC fans because it forces Capcom to choose one side of its divided fanbase. I tried to keep my thoughts bi-partisan, and clearly failed. But I'd like to hear your opinions on the issue, and if anything, keep in mind the facts I provided bfore I chose to voice my opinion.
Where do you think the future of Devil May Cry is headed?
In Japan, Siliconera reports that:
"Launch sales of the game are significantly lower than those of Devil May Cry 4, which was released in 2008 in Japan. That game sold 205,390 copies on the PS3 at launch, and an additional 40,023 copies on the Xbox 360."
Compare that to
"110,429 copies on the PlayStation 3,"
for DmC and the knowledge that
"The Xbox 360 version of the game wasn’t featured in the top-20 sales ranking, but sales tracker, Media Create, report that it sold approximately 6,000 copies,"
coupled with the fact that
"release week pre-order sales for the PlayStation 3 version of DmC Devil May Cry and Devil May Cry 4 were about the same,"
it's clear that Capcom may have bit off more than they can chew.
Speaking from a strictly economic perspective, the series was rebooted by Capcom to attract more fans, and having done so, I'd think it would have paid off a little more for them. Considering the lengthy development time, frequent changes in design for each development trailer, DmC Dante's inclusion in PlayStation All Stars, and the vast marketing campaign, I'm surprised DmC has fallen through the cracks this badly. Then again, we are only looking at Japan, but it'd appear that Japan has spoken. The information came from the following article and you're all free to read and respond: http://www.siliconera.com/2013/01/25/dmc-devil-may-cry-may-have-failed-to-attract-casual-fans-in-japan/#IPhgpTFo9VWpsxzi.99
Another article I found on Eurogamer details sales in the United Kingdom. Giving that Ninja Theory's home turf is in the UK, I'd have thought that would give them the home court advantage. But as
"Launch week sales for DmC Devil May Cry were just a third of the amount that previous entry Devil May Cry 4 sold during its launch week in 2008."
In addition, Eurogamer reveals that
"That's despite DmC having an extra three days on sale."
Meaning, that even with a three day head start, DMC4 still came back from the grave to give DmC a savage wake up call. In Ninja Theory's backyard no less. Here's the link to that article: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-01-21-uk-chart-dmc-devil-may-cry-horns-its-way-to-top-spot
The response overall confuses me. With game reviewers giving DmC near perfect reviews all the way across the board, with many reviews (IGN for example) literally begging the viewer to "Shut up, stand up, and buy this ****" I just keep getting the feeling that sales are not in DmC's favor. And Ninja Theory knows it. Reviews are feeling oddly pushy and are starting to come off a little desperately, like a last minute marketing strategy... But I digress.
What does this mean for DmC fans? Nothing yet. I could only find sales for Japan and the UK. Meaning that sales figures for Capcom's intended target, the US, have either not been calculated yet, or are being witheld. Keeping in mind that the game was solely created for the purpose of drawing new players to the series, I would argue thus far, that the reboot has created far more controversy within the series' pre-existing fans than it has created an attraction for new fans. Overall however, the Siliconera article states my final thoughts perfectly:
"Without hard worldwide figures or an official statement from Capcom, it’s hard to put together an accurate picture of whether or not they consider DmC Devil May Cry a success, since factors like differences in the development budget, manpower, marketing expenses and long-term sales all play a role in defining success. That said, what we do know is that the game isn’t doing as well as its predecessor in at least two territories."
What are your thoughts? It's already fact that Devil May Cry was a financially successful flagship title for Capcom, but after DmC, the future of the series we all know and love appears dubious. The reason behind the reboot in of itself is still confusing. If Capcom had intended for a cohesive storyline, they should've allowed Kamiya more creative freedom from the start, rather than trying ot squeeze all the money they could out of the series. We all saw that after DMC2, Capcom had to clean up their act and deliver the outstanding DMC3. But after lazing back into a need for financial profit with DMC4, the game ended up feeling rushed. And it shows in the level design. I honestly feel bad for reboot fans. By hiring outside talent to create a new set of characters for fans to be invested in, they shafted original fans and simultaneously divided the existing fanbase, seemingly, without reaching out to any new fans.
If sales thus far are an indicator, the only thing Capcom has succeeded in is dividing its fanbase. What this means for the series overall is troubling. But who knows? I'm not even sure I trust Capcom to give another Devil May Cry title. It sucks for old fans because we feel betrayed and untrustworthy of Capcom, and it creates animosity with DmC fans because it forces Capcom to choose one side of its divided fanbase. I tried to keep my thoughts bi-partisan, and clearly failed. But I'd like to hear your opinions on the issue, and if anything, keep in mind the facts I provided bfore I chose to voice my opinion.
Where do you think the future of Devil May Cry is headed?
