Company News Ascaron getting bigger

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Ascaron Entertainment; Sacred

Per this <A href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/news.php?aid=12452">story</a> on <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/">GameIndustry.biz</a>, it appears <A href="http://www.ascaron.com/gb/">Ascaron</a> is doing fairly well. Here's one reason why:
<br>
<blockquote>A prime example of ASCARON's domestic and international success so far is the title "Sacred". In 2004, the role-playing game was the top-selling title in Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Poland and Russia, and a top 5 hit in many other countries. The world-wide sales figures of Sacred have reached 1.6 million so far. Sacred has become one of the most successful German games ever published in the USA where it was awarded "Best Role Playing Game of the Year" by PC Gamer magazine. Sacred has sold more than 200,000 units in the USA - a figure that has never before been achieved by a game developed within Germany. Since setting up an International sales office ASCARON titles have been published in sixteen languages to more than forty countries to date. These figures denote a significant growth in the international sales of ASCARON, which are targeted to reach seventy percent of overall revenues by the end of the next financial year (31st March 2007)</blockquote>
<br>
I'm kind of surprised the sales in the United States weren't higher given the sales in the rest of the world.
<br>
<br>
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blue's News</A>

 

[Avé]

Sacred could include Sacred, Sacred Plus, Sacred Gold, Sacred Underworld.

Anyway, I cant see how it was the top selling title in all of 2004, in those countries. Too many big name games in 2004, like HL2, RTW.

 

[FrancoTAU]

Wow, i would've figured that # would be higher in the US. Maybe that's just retail sales? IE not including internet sales and other niche smaller stores.

Glad to see it did so well overall though.

 

[Section8]

I think when PR hyperbole makes allusions to being "the top selling title", it's a bad idea to comprehend it as it's written. They almost certainly mean "the top selling title at some point during 2004".

 

[Greatatlantic]

As for best RPG of 2004, its only competition stateside was Eye of the Dragon (bottom feeder), Beyond Divinity, and Bloodlines.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

I would guess that one reason it didn't sell so well is a lot of the people following the game ordered it from GoGamer to get the gore content, which Encore left out of the game.

 

[Gorath]

They´re certainly talking about overall worldwide sales. Ascaron acts as their own (co-) publisher, so they have access to these numbers.

The "low" US numbers are easy to explain. Encore simply didn´t have enough market penetration. Ascaron´s main (read: German) publisher Take2 would have had more marketing power, but they decided not to take it.
Still, 200k is excellent for a small game.

1.6M units and counting is absolutely sensational. Ascaron has been pretty conservative in the years since they almost went bankrupt. I doubt Sacred needed more than 250k to break even.

According to their homepage Ascaron are 56 people. The expansion will almost triple their size.

The linked article contains an error:
"ASCARON's investment into this business within the next two years will amount to a two [*] million Euro sum."
The word "digit" is missing at the indicated position.

 

[Elwro]

Sacred has sold more than 200,000 units in the USA - a figure that has never before been achieved by a game developed within Germany.

It sold more units than Gothic? :shock:

 

[Vault Dweller]

It's an action game. Of course, it did.

 

[Gorath]

Official word on the first Gothic was 400k worldwide. The page is down, so no link.

 

[MarFish]

Far Cry was a German title too, it sold way over 200.000k in the US.

 

[mathboy]

Far Cry was a German title too, it sold way over 200.000k in the US.

2/3 Americans own Far Cry? :shock:

 

[Frau Bishop]

Patrizier was a great game, deep gameplay and complexity, always loved Ascaron for the series. But the lesson seems to be: dump down and focus on games which require the ability to leftclick a few thousand times per session and your company earns well..
Byebye... dreams of a worthy Patrizier 3.

 

[Twinfalls]

And that's why I respect Piranha Bytes so much. They not only refused to dumb down Gothic 2, they made the expansion even more difficult.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Sacred could include Sacred, Sacred Gold, Sacred Underworld.

Actually, I just picked up Sacred Gold about three weeks ago and it's Sacred, the Plus expansion, and Underworld all rolled up into one package for 20 USD. I was pretty happy with that. Ascaron deserves their success in my opinion. I happen to love Sacred way more than Diablo 2 and look forward to more expansions.

 

[Elwro]

[Actually, I just picked up Sacred Gold about three weeks ago and it's Sacred, the Plus expansion, and Underworld all rolled up into one package for 20 USD.

:shock: In Poland the expansion alone still costs $20. Weird, normally we get prices that are a bit lower than in western Europe or in the States.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Actually, I should correct myself. It was $30. The expansion alone was selling for $20, just like where you are, Elwro.

 

[Avé]

Sacred could include Sacred, Sacred Gold, Sacred Underworld.

Actually, I just picked up Sacred Gold about three weeks ago and it's Sacred, the Plus expansion, and Underworld all rolled up into one package for 20 USD. I was pretty happy with that. Ascaron deserves their success in my opinion. I happen to love Sacred way more than Diablo 2 and look forward to more expansions.

Sacred Plus was Sacred with a big patch(Any release Sacred review I've read, slated it for being unplayably buggy). They didnt really add that much(at least compared to a full expansion), but any excuse to re-market is a good excuse.

Anyway, I hated sacred.