Game News ToEE doesn't place in Top Ten

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Temple of Elemental Evil; Troika Games

The <A href="http://www.npd.com/">NPD Techworld</a> guys have released their list of top ten selling PC games for the week ending on September 20th, 2003. As you can see below, there's no <a href="http://www.greyhawkgame.com">Temple of Elemental Evil</a> on this list:
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<blockquote>1.) Battlefield 1942 from EA
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2.) Jedi Academy from LucasArts
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3.) Battlefield 1942: Secret Weapons of WWII from EA
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4.) Sims Deluxe from EA
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5.) Flight Simulator 2004 from Microsoft
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6.) Homeworld 2 from VU Games
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7.) EverQuest: Lost Dungeons of Norrath from Sony
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8.) Madden NFL 2004 from EA
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9.) Sims Superstar from EA
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10.) Diablo 2 from VU Games</blockquote>
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However, judging by the activity on <a href="http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=286">the Atari forum</a> as well as the activity on <A href="http://www.co8.org/forum/">the Circle of Eight forums</a>, the game is being <i>played</i> by a good number of people currently - so one thing or the other happenned here!
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Spotted this at <a href="http://www.avault.com/">AVault</a>
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[HanoverF]

The store I went to get ToEE had about 30 copies of Jedi laying out on the counter and another box of them, and maybe 12 copies of ToEE alltogether

 

[Volourn]

This suprises me. Evene IWD2 which basically bombed placed in the top ten for the first two weeks. I actually hated that game too. Go figure.

 

[Deathy]

For those of you who need a clue; this probably means that most of the people who are playing the game warezed it.

Or actually paid for the KaZaa release.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

hey

The game was release on 9/15 don't expect it to reach top ten within 5 days, compared to the other games which have had all month. Also all the bad support for the game prolly turned some players away.

 

[JanC]

For those of you who need a clue; this probably means that most of the people who are playing the game warezed it.

I don't think so. I'd say that TOEE is a little too much of a niche product. Those who actually buy it, play it a lot and post about it on the boards a lot. It is the kind of game that is beloved by a very few people, but the masses are uninterested in. This is of course bad for people like us who like that sort of thing, but it is the reason why the kind of RPGs we like are thin on the ground - it is hard to talk the 'suits' into funding them, considering that they are unlikely to become blockbusters.
Also, the bad publicity about all the bugs is bound to have had an effect. I'd say a lot of casual RPG fans are waiting for a patch, or have been put off by early adopter's tales of woe. I know I would have ordered it from the US if it hadn't had such bad reports of bugs. As it is, I'm waiting until it gets released in the UK.

 

[JanC]

Oh yeah, and all the reviews have been lukewarm

 

[EvoG]

Hehe...all the forums tell me, Saint, is that, what, maybe a thousand people are playing it? Hardly a 'lot' of people. I'm sure its more though...I just dont' think a forum's "activity" is really a measure of a games sell through. At most, from what I understand, the forum is active due to bugs no?

As for the '5 days' Pooperscooper...while indeed its possible it could 'catch on', like GTA3 did back when, its unlikely. Those who planned to buy it bought it or like Deathy's pithy comment, they downloaded it ( not the legal DL ). Anyway, it would've shown up if it was doing well and yes, it would reflect that in the 2 weeks its been out ( little more than 5 days no? )

Cheers

 

[EvoG]

I don't think so. I'd say that TOEE is a little too much of a niche product. Those who actually buy it, play it a lot and post about it on the boards a lot. It is the kind of game that is beloved by a very few people, but the masses are uninterested in. This is of course bad for people like us who like that sort of thing, but it is the reason why the kind of RPGs we like are thin on the ground - it is hard to talk the 'suits' into funding them, considering that they are unlikely to become blockbusters.

Two points. First ToEE is REALLY a niche product, mainly because even within the genre, its less an RPG and more a tactical combat game. Its entirely misleading, and I was duped too. Someone on this board a few weeks ago ( months ago? ) posted something to the effect, "What IS roleplaying" or "What is a roleplaying game?". Sure evey game is a roleplaying game as you're playing the role of some character, blah blah. Anyway, in the 'technical' definition of the GENRE "RPG", ToEE doesn't quite make it all the way. Dare I say it...its like TurnBased Dungeon Siege. Now I don't mean in depth, but only that its just a fantasy combat romp. If it was a truly deep RPG, I sincerely believe it would do better, as it doesn't quite hit the hardcore RpG'ers ( don't kid yourself guys, this just isn't the full deal ), and it misses maybe enticing non-hardcore, potential future RPG'ers by adding a rather deep combat game but none of what might make the game more interesting to them.

Point two, JanC, regarding blockbuster status...love it or hate it, Baldurs Gate and most recently and still strong, NWN(community). So potential is there. Unfortunately though, accessiblity plays a huge 'role' in a games success, so now its a challenge to RPG developers to meet that criteria while keeping the genre true. This is the innovation I feel has been sorely missing. It still has the stigma of being this 'old skool' kind of game that has yet to achieve the state of growth every other genre has had. Such as "RPG's are still 2D...they are still TB and slow ( true or not, its believed )...they involve commanding a party of dudes...etc"

Anyway, I do agree that it being successfuly could have had a real positive effect but it NOT doing well shouldn't have a negative one ( unless you offer to develope a TB combat only "RPG" ).

Cheers

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

Re: hey

The game was release on 9/15 don't expect it to reach top ten within 5 days, compared to the other games which have had all month. Also all the bad support for the game prolly turned some players away.

The first five days is when most games sell the most copies.

 

[EvoG]

God I'm up late and these fucking thoughts just pop in my head....but I wanted to add, I find it amazing that this list hasn't changed in a year with BF1942, SIMS and some Madden game, and fucking hilarious that Diablo2 is back up there. MY GAWD.


G'night!

 

[EvoG]

Re: hey

The game was release on 9/15 don't expect it to reach top ten within 5 days, compared to the other games which have had all month. Also all the bad support for the game prolly turned some players away.

The first five days is when most games sell the most copies.

Damnit Saint I just said this...was it NECESSARY you say the same thing!? You sure like reading yourself talk don't ya!

Punk.

Cheers

 

[Volourn]

Not to mention that the sales chart is for one week of sales; not an entire moth. Read Saint's first post - "sals ending the week of the 20th". Tsk, tsk.

 

[Ibbz]

Nice to see people are buying BF1942. Hopefully it can topple CounterStrike as most active online game.

Being able to run people over in jeeps, tanks, etc in BF1942 makes it a helluva lot more fun than CS for me.

 

[Rayt]

Nice to see people are buying BF1942. Hopefully it can topple CounterStrike as most active online game.

Being able to run people over in jeeps, tanks, etc in BF1942 makes it a helluva lot more fun than CS for me.

While I like Counterstrike, there are tons of multiplayer games out there who are simply more fun. It really baffles me why Counterstrike remains so immensily popular (just the amount of Steam downloads should tell you something). I guess the fact Counterstrike is free has something to do with it.

Heh, Diablo 2 is still in the top 10.


Anyway, this NPD list, is it based on the US sales figures? If not, maybe the fact TOEE isn't released yet in the rest of the world has something to do with it.

 

[EvoG]

Not to mention that the sales chart is for one week of sales; not an entire moth. Read Saint's first post - "sals ending the week of the 20th". Tsk, tsk.

I assume this was for me...

...but I only said 2 weeks, not a month...

I'm tired...oops....OMG HUGE mistake.

Indeed it says 'ending' the 20th...my point still stands that those that were going to buy the game, bought it in that first week.

Anyway.


Cheers

 

[Volourn]

Huh? It wans't for you. It was for the fellow who stated TOEE wasn't out that long, and it wans't fair to compare its sales to games who had been out for the entire month... Geezz... and spaghetti too.

 

[EvoG]

Wow...I came across defensive. You know whats ironic Volourn? If you go to DAC and read my first posts, I was a 'good guy', or rather, I didn't have the sarcasm or the jaded attitude of the regulars. I learned quick to adjust to that atmosphere that I must have carried some of it away with me.

I guess I'm not used to people actually NOT being antagonistic, so I immediately jumped to put up my guard. I'll be perfectly honest...I'm impressed with the attitudes here on Codex.

Oh well, nevermind...my bad.

Back to SS2...thanks to gamespy's top 25 underated games, I'm playing it again...now as a psionic. Talk about a fucking well made game...seriously. I forgot it was this intense. Ugh...I tangent. Hehe...

Later!

 

[Whipporowill]

Game´s officially out in Europe today. Incicentally placed next to Diablo2 at my local shope... some pre-teen kids took a look at the box when they saw me picking it up and was all "wowkewld00d". I think that´s a sale right there.

Oh, and swedish EB-owned Tradition´s websitehas ToEE as 2nd most sold/preordered game of all categories (includes board games, card games, pnp games, pc and console games) for the last 30 days.

 

[Volourn]

Evog, no problem. All in fun. btw, Anyone here will tell you, I'm very antagonistic.. and proud of it.

 

[chrisbeddoes]

Mr EvoG.



Tim Cain is a god.

I do not give a damn if TOEE sells only 3 copies.

I can only tell you that i was playing the Fallouts for more than 9 months every evening.

In ToEE Tim Cain was a gun hired by Atari.

He did not make his own game.

It is bad for a creative person to have to copy with every detail
the creative work that someone else named Gary Gyrax made.

A creative should be able to shape his own original ideas in
a wonterful game.

Suppose I hire mr Tim Cain to make a pr0n rpg game based on my sex life.

Would you say that the result did not sell a lot or was not great ?


We shall see what happens when Tim Cain makes his own original game.


The big mistake was made when Arcanum was warezed for the obvious well known reasons .


Troika should have money to make their own original game NOT to faithfully copy a setting made by someone else.




Thank you and have a nice day.


My 2 eurocents.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Suppose I hire mr Tim Cain to make a pr0n rpg game based on my sex life.

Would you say that the result did not sell a lot or was not great ?

Is that a trick question, or are you holding out on us?

 

[Volourn]

Tim Cain chose to make a game based on an old module. No one forced him to. The responsibility for his succss and/or failure his Tim Cain's alone.

Arcanum ma not have been a success finanically; but for me personally it was I enjoy it.

Heck, TOEE, despite, there are some big things I hate about it, in the end I also enjoy it.

Bottom line, Mr. Cain is no god. No game devloper is. Deal with that fact.

 

[Azael]

Game´s officially out in Europe today. Incicentally placed next to Diablo2 at my local shope... some pre-teen kids took a look at the box when they saw me picking it up and was all "wowkewld00d". I think that´s a sale right there.

Oh, and swedish EB-owned Tradition´s websitehas ToEE as 2nd most sold/preordered game of all categories (includes board games, card games, pnp games, pc and console games) for the last 30 days.

Of course, Tradition is a real RPG geek store (and I mean that in the best way possible), so this game should be appealing to their customers.

EDIT: Hmm, I'd probably buy the game at Amazon.co.uk instead, almost 200 SEK cheaper there.

 

[Eldar]

I'm mixed on the game. It has far too many bugs and I simply don't believe that removing the whorehouse caused monsters to spawn inside of the walls.

Still, I love the combat for its squad based tactical feel. I just hope that we can somehow get a sequel since this is the closest thing to Dungeons and Dragons combat I've seen on the computer.

Dammit, it just irritates the hell out of me.