DraconianOne
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2905
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A point can be MOOT. MUTE is more along the lines of what you should be. - WayAbvPar
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Rokal
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Posts: 1652
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I didn't see this linked anywhere on here yet, but apparently Secret World sold over 200k copies which was "below expectations". Given all the activity here and on other forums, it also strikes me as being significantly lower than I'd have guessed.
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Segoris
Terracotta Army
Posts: 2637
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Wow :(
I figured they would have been at 400k+
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Ingmar
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Posts: 19280
Auto Assault Affectionado
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I'm not too super surprised - I suspect a lot of people who might otherwise have bought a game like this day 1 were in wait-a-few-months mode because the Funcom brand was already so damaged in terms of their reputation for being able to launch games in a playable state.
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The Transcendent One: AH... THE ROGUE CONSTRUCT. Nordom: Sense of closure: imminent.
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Ghambit
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5576
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I just attribute it to shitty marketing and pisspoor rapport with reviewers. Also, I would've made Kingsmouth totally free to play and then only require a sub. to continue. Or at the very least a meaningful (not just 24hrs) free trial at release time.
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"See, the beauty of webgames is that I can play them on my phone while I'm plowing your mom." -Samwise
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Lantyssa
Terracotta Army
Posts: 20848
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That number is a lot lower than I expected.
Poor marketing, "lol Funcom" effect, and releasing right before GW2 and Pandas were probably all negative factors. Mostly marketing though.
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Hahahaha! I'm really good at this!
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tmp
Terracotta Army
Posts: 4257
POW! Right in the Kisser!
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Mostly marketing though.
Also the double-dipping with subscription fee and the cash shop (together with aggressive nickel-and-diming even before the launch). Very effective at creating a "fuck you" reaction even if one might've been mildly interested in the game otherwise.
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Rasix
Moderator
Posts: 15024
I am the harbinger of your doom!
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Sad to hear the numbers, but as I said earlier in the thread: Game is niche of niche and from Funcom. I'm not sure it ever had a fighting chance just based on that. I expected something closer to 350k just based on the word of mouth, but having a sub fee nowadays puts you at a disadvantage. Ohh well, I'm probably done with the game anyhow. I didn't care much for the first content pack they released, as it had a shit ton of investigation missions. I really dislike these missions. If they were a bit more active puzzle solving and a bit less dictation, google, and extra-sensory perception I might like them a bit more. They tell a good story, but they involve a level of effort I don't care to put forth in my leisure time.
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-Rasix
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Ghambit
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5576
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I wouldn't call the game niche because everything they've put in the game is apparent in other games (the skill/deck system, combat, puzzles, etc.). It's just not your typical MMO, which given the space currently is probably a good thing. Lovecraftian-Crowlian horror isnt niche either; it's popularized. FC just failed to capitalize on it.
I'm a bit like Rasix in that the game does indeed require a lot of effort to fully appreciate, and that bothers me at times. Because of this my sessions aren't marathons, but more like sitting down to read a good book before bed.
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"See, the beauty of webgames is that I can play them on my phone while I'm plowing your mom." -Samwise
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UnSub
Contributor
Posts: 8064
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I agree that TSW launched at an odd point. After-ish Diablo III, before WoW: Panda Edition and GW2. Funcom must have had some concept that such things would impact their game, but thought they'd stand out by going the different path with TSW. That didn't work.
Also interesting that they said over 1m people signed up for beta, 500k were in beta and only 200k or so bought the box. I wonder if more people in beta would have lead to more TSW sales if it is true that playing the game made you more interested in it.
Another thing I see behind Funcom's problems is that SWOR's launch looks to have basically halved their revenue and those players haven't come back. I'm guessing they are waiting in SWOR / without a game until GW2 launches.
Plus Funcom hasn't had a profitable quarter since Q4 2010 (by EBITDA) if my scan of their financial reports is correct.
Not sure if LEGO Minifigures is going to save them. If they make it a prettier Minecraft clone that might help.
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Furiously
Terracotta Army
Posts: 7199
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Game deserved more than 200,000 sales. They should just turn it into a single player game and rerelease it.
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Nebu
Terracotta Army
Posts: 17613
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Game deserved more than 200,000 sales. They should just turn it into a single player game and rerelease it.
I agree with this 100%. The single player play was wonderful. As a group game, I wasn't impressed... and the pvp was horribad.
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"Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other."
- Mark Twain
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Tmon
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1232
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I expected something closer to 350k just based on the word of mouth, but having a sub fee nowadays puts you at a disadvantage...
The sub is what kept me from buying this and TOR. I've become spoiled by being able to come and go as I please and target my $15 a month in manner that suits my play style and available time.
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Threash
Terracotta Army
Posts: 9165
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Hopefully they'll have good retention rates at least, i know i'll stay subbed for a while because i'm working through the story at a snails pace.
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I am the .00000001428%
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UnSub
Contributor
Posts: 8064
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TSW is going to run right into GW2 and WoW: Panda though. That's going to hurt retention a lot.
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Surlyboi
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Posts: 10962
eat a bag of dicks
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Not for me.
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Tuned in, immediately get to watch cringey Ubisoft talking head offering her deepest sympathies to the families impacted by the Orlando shooting while flanked by a man in a giraffe suit and some sort of "horrifically garish neon costumes through the ages" exhibit or something. We need to stop this fucking planet right now and sort some shit out. -Kail
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Lantyssa
Terracotta Army
Posts: 20848
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I'm staying subbed for now even with GW2 and MWO occupying most of my time. It's one of those "I want to support the effort" type subs, since I do appreciate the game.
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Hahahaha! I'm really good at this!
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Miasma
Terracotta Army
Posts: 5283
Stopgap Measure
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I bought a lifetime sub a couple weeks ago for the same reason. If history repeats itself it means that Funcom will go bankrupt and shut the servers down in a few months like the only other time I ever bought a lifetims sub, Hellgate London...
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Wasted
Terracotta Army
Posts: 848
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Yeah I went the lifetime sub as well. I felt a bit weird after, like I was just daring them to go free to play in a month.
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Surlyboi
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10962
eat a bag of dicks
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I also got a lifetime. The game deserves it, as far as I'm concerned.
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Tuned in, immediately get to watch cringey Ubisoft talking head offering her deepest sympathies to the families impacted by the Orlando shooting while flanked by a man in a giraffe suit and some sort of "horrifically garish neon costumes through the ages" exhibit or something. We need to stop this fucking planet right now and sort some shit out. -Kail
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Genev
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Posts: 77
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Lifetime, i'm hoping i'll keep playing long enough to make it worth it. Currently i'm all about GW2, but eventually i'll do that lesser as well and go back to TSW and D3 :)
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