Preview Wasteland 2 Preview in GameStar Magazine

[SwiftCrack]

Loving the factions.

 

[Kem0sabe]

I don't think 300.000 is an unrealistic number to expect sales wise. Depends on how many backer copies they will distribute and how those will effect the overall sales.

Positive word of mouth with a steam beta test would go a ways to promote the game.

From the article itself, i loved to read about how many non combat skills they have ingame, toaster repair...

 

[Burning Bridges]

I don't think 300.000 is an unrealistic number to expect sales wise. Depends on how many backer copies they will distribute and how those will effect the overall sales.

Positive word of mouth with a steam beta test would go a ways to promote the game.

From the article itself, i loved to read about how many non combat skills they have ingame, toaster repair...

It's impossible to say now, but if the game is as good as it appears now, there could be a (small) media hype, and that could result in sales much bigger than 300.000. How many copies did Grimrock sell again? Subtract from that the number of kickstarter backers, and the number of Grimrock sales given away practically for free, and I don't see why WL2 could not sell just that number.

 

[Duraframe300]

300'000 is what I expect the bare minium of sales to be. There's no way they won't reach that number if they actually release.

On that note, do we have sales data for Shadowrun: Returns yet? Could be a good indication.

 

[Wise Emperor]

Everything depends upon media hype, if they aim at the Christmas season, any info about W2 release will be shoved somewhere between OMG COD21 news and some X-mas crap. I think 300K is rather attainable but in the very long run, like year or more. Seems they need something around 2-3mln $ yearly to keep In-Exile afloat. If, of course they earn 10$ per copy of W2 after taxes and wages.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Everything depends upon media hype, if they aim at the Christmas season, any info about W2 release will be shoved somewhere between OMG COD21 news and some X-mas crap. I think 300K is rather attainable but in the very long run, like year or more. Seems they need something around 2-3mln $ yearly to keep In-Exile afloat. If, of course they earn 10$ per copy of W2 after taxes and wages.

I think there is enough money. inXile has 3 million for WL2 plus another 4 for Numenera, plus unknown preorders for both games, plus future sales of WL2 in the range of several 100.000. I personally don't believe that the Numenera money is not used partially for WL2, but who cares, if WL2 will ship in reasonable time and be a healthy game, they should have a running income from WL2 sales, and Numenera will be completed too. So far Fargo has let down nobody. WL2 is the only kickstarter I am not worried about.

 

[Wise Emperor]

Everything depends upon media hype, if they aim at the Christmas season, any info about W2 release will be shoved somewhere between OMG COD21 news and some X-mas crap. I think 300K is rather attainable but in the very long run, like year or more. Seems they need something around 2-3mln $ yearly to keep In-Exile afloat. If, of course they earn 10$ per copy of W2 after taxes and wages.

I think there is enough money. inXile has 3 million for WL2 plus another 4 for Numenera, plus unknown preorders for both games, plus future sales of WL2 in the range of several 100.000. I personally don't believe that the Numenera money is not used partially for WL2, but who cares, if WL2 will ship in reasonable time and be a healthy game, they should have a running income from WL2 sales, and Numenera will be completed too. So far Fargo has let down nobody. WL2 is the only kickstarter I am not worried about.

I'm not saying that Fargo let somebody down or planning any scam, but I question the sentence "there is enough money". Enough money for what? After doing Torment they will need some steady income and let's face it, we see the preorders and hype of W2 and TON through the rose-tinted glasses and we actually believe that there hundreds of thousand nerds who will buy those games. It would be ideal for every one of us and even could mean less dependence on Kickstarter, but I highly doubt it. So that's why I'm very interested in first numbers in terms of sales of Shadowrun, because game was hyped, got coverage, got nice sum from Kickstarter and got visuals that will be dominant in other Kickstarter games made in Unity. The audience response in first days is most important to plan ahead future releases, they don't have comfort of waiting and watching slowly rise in sales. Either it sell like hotcakes or future will look grim, because Kickstarter projects won't forever earn million of $.

 

[Duraframe300]

Everything depends upon media hype, if they aim at the Christmas season, any info about W2 release will be shoved somewhere between OMG COD21 news and some X-mas crap. I think 300K is rather attainable but in the very long run, like year or more. Seems they need something around 2-3mln $ yearly to keep In-Exile afloat. If, of course they earn 10$ per copy of W2 after taxes and wages.

I think there is enough money. inXile has 3 million for WL2 plus another 4 for Numenera, plus unknown preorders for both games, plus future sales of WL2 in the range of several 100.000. I personally don't believe that the Numenera money is not used partially for WL2, but who cares, if WL2 will ship in reasonable time and be a healthy game, they should have a running income from WL2 sales, and Numenera will be completed too. So far Fargo has let down nobody. WL2 is the only kickstarter I am not worried about.

I'm not saying that Fargo let somebody down or planning any scam, but I question the sentence "there is enough money". Enough money for what? After doing Torment they will need some steady income and let's face it, we see the preorders and hype of W2 and TON through the rose-tinted glasses and we actually believe that there hundreds of thousand nerds who will buy those games. It would be ideal for every one of us and even could mean less dependence on Kickstarter, but I highly doubt it. So that's why I'm very interested in first numbers in terms of sales of Shadowrun, because game was hyped, got coverage, got nice sum from Kickstarter and got visuals that will be dominant in other Kickstarter games made in Unity. The audience response in first days is most important to plan ahead future releases, they don't have comfort of waiting and watching slowly rise in sales. Either it sell like hotcakes or future will look grim, because Kickstarter projects won't forever earn million of $.

I wouldn't see it that negativly and I think you are going to be surprised on Shadowruns sales. As a counter argument, you just have to look at Wasteland 2's backer numbers and think about how much of a fraction that is of potential buyers.

Because I doubt that precentage is big.

 

[Infinitron]

The audience response in first days is most important to plan ahead future releases, they don't have comfort of waiting and watching slowly rise in sales.

Uh? That's absolutely false. What is this, AAA gaming where first month sales are everything? Digitally distributed hardcore games are kings of the long tail.

 

[Wise Emperor]

The audience response in first days is most important to plan ahead future releases, they don't have comfort of waiting and watching slowly rise in sales.

Uh? That's absolutely false. What is this, AAA gaming where first month sales are everything? Digitally distributed hardcore games are kings of the long tail.

Yeah, but we are talking about In Exile, quite big for an indie, so different laws apply to them.

"hardcore games" this term is terrible.

 

[Infinitron]

Yeah, but we are talking about In Exile, quite big for an indie, so different laws apply to them.

I don't see why different laws apply. AAAs need those first month sales because (they think) they need to have everything lined up with their retail distribution plans and their gigantic marketing campaigns. After those first few months are up, they're already on to their next game and their next marketing campaign, and GameStop is already pushing used copies of their previous game. It's a totally different situation.

I also don't see why people are skeptical about the sales figures of Kickstarter games when something like Grimrock, FTL or CK2 can sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

 

[Haba]

I wouldn't see it that negativly and I think you are going to be surprised on Shadowruns sales. As a counter argument, you just have to look at Wasteland 2's backer numbers and think about how much of a fraction that is of potential buyers.

Because I doubt that precentage is big.

You are being overly optimistic. First compare Fallout's 80.000 v.s. Baldur's Gate's million(s) of sold copies. Then think how many of those have "graduated" from PC gaming by now. Finish off by having a look at how many people actually play Shadowrun now, after the launch weekend.

The cRPG gamer niche is small today. If you want to get to several hundreds of thousands copies sold -territory, you have to reach the gamers who are not interested in the genre in the first place. Sometimes you can do that on Steam with the hype (hey, 'dissa top seller, messa buy, messa make Lord Gaben happy!), but I wouldn't count on that.

I don't see why people are skeptical about the sales figures of Kickstarter games when something like Grimrock, FTL or CK2 can sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

I think a big reason why all of those sold so much because they reached the critical point: top sales, lots of hype, cheap price.

Check how many people who bought them have actually played the games they bought. It always makes one wonder how long they'll keep making spur of the moment purchases like that.

 

[Infinitron]

Finish off by having a look at how many people actually play Shadowrun now, after the launch weekend.

Fuck how many people are playing. Let's see how many people are buying.

http://store.steampowered.com/

Still #3 after five days.

 

[felipepepe]

Wasteland 2 will sell a lot, even if only due hype sheeps buying it blindly and ragequitting at the character creation screen.

 

[Wise Emperor]

Finish off by having a look at how many people actually play Shadowrun now, after the launch weekend.

Fuck how many people are playing. Let's see how many people are buying.

http://store.steampowered.com/

Still #3 after five days.

Does keys sent to backers apply for sales?

 

[Infinitron]

Does keys sent to backers apply for sales?

No, the chart measures revenue (amount of money paid). Not number of games activated or bought.

 

[Haba]

Yes Infinitron. Right after Steam Summer Sale.

Steam Top Sellers is not a transparent measurement, but a tool for generating more sales for Steam.

I won't go into a long argument on the hidden mechanics, but one thing I can pretty much guarantee is that the window for the statistics is flexible depending on the overall sales activity going on.

Plus Steam manipulates the chart to suit their needs.

 

[Infinitron]

Yes Infinitron. Right after Steam Summer Sale.

Steam Top Sellers is not a transparent measurement, but a tool for generating more sales for Steam.

I won't go into a long argument on the hidden mechanics, but one thing I can pretty much guarantee is that the window for the statistics is flexible depending on the overall sales activity going on.

Plus Steam manipulates the chart to suit their needs.

Steam is manipulating charts so that traditional CRPGs appear to be selling more than they actually are?

Gaben

Again, I think you guys haven't realized you're living in a world where CK2, FTL and Grimrock are Steam best sellers. What's more accessible to the masses, a party-based CRPG with story and dialogue (a genre that Bioware has kept alive, even if in a decrepit form) or a fucking grand strategy spreadsheet game? If CK2 can be a best seller, why can't Wasteland 2?

 

[FeelTheRads]

Steam is manipulating charts so that traditional CRPGs appear to be selling more than they actually are?

Yes, the intention is obviously to make CRPGs look good rather than say... attract people to buy those "top selling" games because hey, they're top selling they must be good.

Sheesh, for a jew you sure suck at being a jew.

 

[Infinitron]

Steam is manipulating charts so that traditional CRPGs appear to be selling more than they actually are?

Yes, the intention is obviously to make CRPGs look good rather than say... attract people to buy those "top selling" games because hey, they're top selling they must be good.

Sheesh, for a jew you sure suck at being a jew.

You just explained why the top sellers chart exists. You haven't explained why it should be manipulated in favor of Shadowrun Returns specifically.

 

[Haba]

Being a top seller during a peak day v.s. being a top seller during a quiet week, which is better and why?

I'm sure those games on the top list are selling rather well, but we're not talking about tens of thousands of sales per day right now.

If it continues over the weekend then I'd be willing to agree that they've sold well.

 

[felipepepe]

Again, I think you guys haven't realized you're living in a world where CK2, FTL and Grimrock are Steam best sellers. What's more accessible to the masses, a party-based CRPG with story and dialogue (a genre that Bioware has kept alive, even if in a decrepit form) or a fucking grand strategy spreadsheet game? If CK2 can be a best seller, why can't Wasteland 2?

It's a shame that CK2 doesn't have achievements, I'm quite sure it would show play data way worst than even Grimrock... but regardless, if dudebros are giving money to great titles, even if they buy for the hype and don't even play, I have no reason to complain.

 

[Haba]

Yeah, people are even buying cheap games just to farm cards at the moment. Oh the humanity...

 

[Infinitron]

Again, I think you guys haven't realized you're living in a world where CK2, FTL and Grimrock are Steam best sellers. What's more accessible to the masses, a party-based CRPG with story and dialogue (a genre that Bioware has kept alive, even if in a decrepit form) or a fucking grand strategy spreadsheet game? If CK2 can be a best seller, why can't Wasteland 2?

It's a shame that CK2 doesn't have achievements, I'm quite sure it would show play data way worst than even Grimrock... but regardless, if dudebros are giving money to great titles, even if they buy for the hype and don't even play, I have no reason to complain.

I'm not sure about that. Unlike Grimrock, CK2 hasn't yet been $5 bundle fodder. Even when on sale it's still a tad expensive with all its DLC.

 

[SwiftCrack]

I hope will Wasteland 2 will trick console gaming Fallout 3ers and their kiddy allowance