Information South Park: The Stick of Truth Needs 2 Million Sales to Break Even

[Untermensch]

2 million to break even? o_0

Either they are lying, or Obsidian needs to be fired for wasting too much money on something like this.

 

[Duraframe300]

So, my only two conclusions are that A: They went insane with the Marketing budget. B: There's something shady going on here.

Bro, I think you're right. Something IS fishy here. They must be laundering mob money!

Your.... point? Shady as in shady for a publisher. For one including THQ you just have to look at how they buried the UFC news during E3.

Seriously, what's your point at the moment? I explained why I have my opinion, you are contradicting yourself:

Why do they do it? Guaranteed profit. It may be only a couple of million, but there is a chance the game sells well and they earn a couple of million extra. Why the hell not when they're already circling the drain?

I agree with this. Guaranteed profit. Breaking EVEN at 2 Mil copies sold requires a sizeable investment regarding THQ and is the opposite of guranteed profit..

Where is that investment? What was that investment they have to pay for with these 2 Mil. copies?

 

[Havoc]

They may have a very small percentage of profit of each game sold. Maybe that's why they need 2mil sold. 2mil x (let's say) 2$ per sold copy = 4mil. PR for 4mil?

 

[Marsal]

Seriously, what's your point at the moment? I explained why I have my opinion, you are contradicting yourself:

Why do they do it? Guaranteed profit. It may be only a couple of million, but there is a chance the game sells well and they earn a couple of million extra. Why the hell not when they're already circling the drain?

I agree with this. Guaranteed profit. Breaking EVEN at 2 Mil copies sold requires a sizeable investment regarding THQ and is the opposite of guranteed profit..

Where is that investment? What was that investment they have to pay for with these 2 Mil. copies?

I don't even... Let me spell it out for you:

2 million copies is approximately $54M in profit. If THQ gets 30% of that, that means they've spent $16.2M on something other than packaging and distribution. That something is marketing. There, mystery solved (if you think $16M is too much for marketing, you don't know how selling games works).

The rest goes to the Matt & Trey & friends, who contracted both THQ and Obsidian to make, market and distribute the game and financed the development. If you think multi-platform game, based on a popular franchise, with simple, streamlined gameplay won't sell at least 2M copies, I guess we have nothing more to discuss. Keep in mind that Alpha Protocol sold 700k(?) copies and Super Paper Mario (similar styled game?) sold 2.5M on Wii alone.

So for $16M investment, THQ earns $8 per copy sold (on consoles). I guess they'll sell at least 4M copies on consoles + 1M on PC. Easiest ~$20M THQ ever made.

 

[Infinitron]

I thought AP sold only 300k.

 

[Marsal]

I thought AP sold only 300k.

If there was only a way to find out... Some kind of a "search engine" that we could type questions in and get answers, perhaps? Alas, we'll never know the truth...

 

[Havoc]

Well, VGCharts said 300k, but that's because they're AP HATERS!
NEVAH FORGET:
I LIKED ALPHA PROTOCOL THIS MUCH!!!

 

[Marsal]

I think SEGA's financial reports said 700k, but it doesn't really matter. I wasn't (intentionally) belittling AP, I quite liked it, too.

 

[Dexter]

I will likely not buy this for DLC RipOff alone and I don't really care what company it is..., if you haven't seen yet: http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012...of-truth-getting-kinect-support-360-first-dlc

The game is A YEAR away and they already announced like what... 5 "DLC Packs"? Also, yay, KINECT!

For those rushing out to the store to pre-order, you'll receive the bonus "Good Times With Weapons" pack for South Park: The Stick of Truth. This includes the Bulrog Chicken Attack, Cartman's Kick-ass Sai, and a Samurai Costume for the main character.

If you happen to specifically pre-order the Xbox 360 version of the game, you'll also get the "Mysterion Superhero" pack, which comes with a Superhero Costume, the Mysterion Special Attack, and the Dagger of Cthulhu.
The extras don't end there for Xbox 360 gamers. THQ has confirmed that the first three South Park: The Stick of Truth DLC packs will launch on Xbox first. These DLC packs are described as "standalone adventures featuring their own stories, taking you to places in South Park you've never been before."
The game will also feature Kinect support, right down to the ability to swear at characters from the show and get responses.
South Park: The Stick of Truth launches March 5th, 2013. Look for further news and impressions of the game from Polygon at E3 later this week.

THQ has been getting rather desperate lately for cash and like every one of their games seems to include "DLC Packs" and "Season Passes" and whatever now... let them go down if that's how they want to collect their money...

 

[DwarvenFood]

South Park the tv show barely gets 2 million viewers per episode. They're fucked.

Doesn't mean that these are the same 2 mil each time, and probably does not include international viewers.

 

[Mozgoëbstvo]

South Park the tv show barely gets 2 million viewers per episode. They're fucked.

Doesn't mean that these are the same 2 mil each time, and probably does not include international viewers.

I ashamedly belong to this despicable lot.
Without any valid reason, really.
Last season suckeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallsssssssss
(to put it kindly).

Hope the stick is not in the same tier of barrel-bottom-scraping humour.

 

[Brayko]

Hope the stick is not in the same tier of barrel-bottom-scraping humour.

Based off of the impressions thus far, it most certainly is.

 

[Micmu]

Hope the stick is not in the same tier of barrel-bottom-scraping humour.

According to the recently shown trailer, that's exactly what it is.
FLAMING FART ATTACK!11

 

[Mozgoëbstvo]

Hope the stick is not in the same tier of barrel-bottom-scraping humour.

Based off of the impressions thus far, it most certainly is.

You're probably right; but it's not like I was on the edge of my seat for this game anyway.

 

[Achilles]

I still think that 2 mil copies are waaaaaay too many for a break-even point. Maybe they should have gone for a South Park shooter, then they would have a chance.

 

[Roguey]

Another great topic to drop my catchphrase: Just when you thought Absurdian couldn't get more absurd..!

 

[Avantre]

South Park the tv show barely gets 2 million viewers per episode. They're fucked.

It may amaze you to find out that South Park is shown in more countries than just the US.

 

[Rivmusique]

The game will also feature Kinect support, right down to the ability to swear at characters from the show and get responses.

Damn, this is a game changer guys. You can actually swear IRL and it will effect an NPC in game. Pre-ordering now.

 

[Metro]

It just might make $2 million because you have all the moronic South Park fans combined with all the moronic Obsidian fans who are absolutely 100% sure that this is the last crappy licensed title they will do before they have enough to start making REAL RPGs... they just need one more sale... just one more...

 

[Excidium]

It'll sell that and more based on IP power but wow, that's a lot of money for such a shitty looking game.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

shitty looking game.

they make southpark in maya, you know
authentic paper texture rendering
I think Obsidian can deliver that kind of fidelity

 

[Micmu]

Obsidian are so awesome that they'll fuck up the camera on this one, too.

 

[J1M]

Am I the only one left who can read? It needs to sell 2 million copies because it won't cost $60.

THQ will focus now on breaking even on a title-by-title basis by releasing low-cost triple-A titles, such as Obsidian Entertainment's South Park: The Stick of Truth, which will release next March.

 

[villain of the story]

2 million to break even? o_0

Either they are lying, or Obsidian needs to be fired for wasting too much money on something like this.

This can not possibly have anything to do with actual development costs.

 

[villain of the story]

I still think that 2 mil copies are waaaaaay too many for a break-even point. Maybe they should have gone for a South Park shooter, then they would have a chance.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/south-park