So how well did Dust: An Elysian Tail do saleswise?
- Thread starter Ghost_Protocol
- Start date
I think this is the saddest part of the thread, right here.
I think Dust has looked great since it was announced years ago, but I grew up playing Jazz Jackrabbit, Sonic, watching Disney movies... Whatever happened that made anthropomorphic characters universally hated must've skipped me. I do hope that it finds success later in its life, either through a title update or platform jumping. I'd like to get a chance to play it.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
Shame the game didn't set the world on fire. Definitely one of the top tier XBLA games.
The character art was my main graphical sticking point. The environments and everything else looked great but the characters always threw me off.
Still, as a game it was extremely well designed and fun to play.
The character art was my main graphical sticking point. The environments and everything else looked great but the characters always threw me off.
Still, as a game it was extremely well designed and fun to play.
I really liked what I played of the demo and my brother raved about everything but the last half-hour or so of the game... unfortunately the game hit at a really bad time - between moving into a house, lots of social affairs, lack of money, and a terrible hurricane - I haven't had time to purchase the full version.
Don't really see anything wrong with the "furry" artwork either, honestly I think games need a bit more of a variety in lead characters (especially this gen with the crew-cut brown haired white male and bald space marine archetypes so common). What did you guys do in the 16 bit era when snarky mascot platformers were king?
Don't really see anything wrong with the "furry" artwork either, honestly I think games need a bit more of a variety in lead characters (especially this gen with the crew-cut brown haired white male and bald space marine archetypes so common). What did you guys do in the 16 bit era when snarky mascot platformers were king?
I highly doubt the poor sales were a result of the "furry" art style. If this was the case, nobody would be playing WoW because of pandas.
I think it's more that Microsoft did absolutely no advertising for the game. When it was released, you'd never know it because they buried it deep into the cumbersome store. Unless you know exactly what you are looking for, you'll never find it in that wretched place.
I think it's more that Microsoft did absolutely no advertising for the game. When it was released, you'd never know it because they buried it deep into the cumbersome store. Unless you know exactly what you are looking for, you'll never find it in that wretched place.
Goldenroad
Member
That makes zero sense. Mists of Panderia is an expansion for one of the highest selling/grossing games in history, and Dust: An Elysian Tale is a new IP made by an independent developer. Comparing the two is completely insane on every level.
RSLAEV
Member
Blame internet retards that can't seem to stop their blathering nonsense whenever someone uses an animal character in any medium. It really is fucking stupid that a few angry idiots associated everything animal-related with furry porn. Guess we can't enjoy bugs bunny anymore? Or Ninja Turtles, or any of the thousands of properties that have animals because *you* saw a drawing of a fox getting fucked by a wolf so now we all have to listen to your stupid.
(Not You Charsace, I mean the general 'you')
I never stop smiling when I see your avatarI think I animated that.... 15 years ago? Man I'm old.
I actually just drew Jazz again recently for Cliff... sadly it might be the last time I ever do. Link
;-;
Agreed
Of All Trades
Member
I saw ads for Dust on the boot screen during SOA.
Because it can springboard off marketing and advertising done on XBLA. I seriously doubt SMB would have had nearly the success it had on Steam if the XBLA version hadn't built the demand.
IndieJones
Member
I also think that the indie PC/Steam scene seems much more open to impulse buy a game at a lower price point - especially since $15 is a good lowish PC price point, as opposed to being among the highest XBLA price points. Also, Steam sales help!
Anyway, I bought Dust at launch and haven't played it yet because it's one of those games I just want to kick back with when I'm on my vacation at the end of the year.
Go with what you want, but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't have liked it a lot more if it was pixel art.
For me it's a little more than just the art. I really don't like the character personalities either. I'll still finish the game eventually, but it was the art and the characters that got me to put the controller down at first.
I'd like to say this again though: Noogy, you should absolutely go with whatever art style you think fits your game.
The art-style is probably the main reason it didn't do as well as it should of. It was almost there in terms of a perfect Metroidvania game for me aswell. It needed more weapon styles, more hidden secrets, puzzles, good boss fights. I didn't like it the way Fidget would tell you there was a secret around. It's not really a secret if you're told where it is, is it?
EternalGamer
Banned
Exactly the same.
Ah, I was hoping there would be another Dust-related thread at some point and Noogy would be here.
Thanks for giving me one of the best gaming experiences of the year. I actually re-bought a 360 because of this game and a couple of SHMUPs and I have to say that it was worth every penny.
If you happen to release on Steam at some point, I'll be sure to double dip on it.
Animation in cutscenes and over-reliance on dust storm/magic to build high combos limiting the usefulness of actual combo strings were my only real negatives with the game and I cannot even fathom how ten people, let alone one could've made a game with this amount of polish and good ideas.
Thanks. Keep at it, and trust me, the depression REALLY hits after you release the game
Thanks for giving me one of the best gaming experiences of the year. I actually re-bought a 360 because of this game and a couple of SHMUPs and I have to say that it was worth every penny.
If you happen to release on Steam at some point, I'll be sure to double dip on it.
Animation in cutscenes and over-reliance on dust storm/magic to build high combos limiting the usefulness of actual combo strings were my only real negatives with the game and I cannot even fathom how ten people, let alone one could've made a game with this amount of polish and good ideas.
Wasn't put off by the art style or characters in any of those games (from the ones I played in their respective series). The thing about those games though is that they're a lot heavier in comedy.
Dust's characters seemed to try too hard to be "dark and serious."
The issue isn't cartoony, colorful and kiddy charracters. Just the artstyle of Dust looks like some cheap after school cartoon, plus the Furrys didn't help.
checkeredknight
Member
I guess I should probably give this a go then! I too was initially put off by the art style but the gameplay does look a lot of fun. The animation looks mighty impressive, but yeah. The art style just isn't my thing. I guess I am pretty shallow to pass up on a game because of that.
The Internet happened and people created things.
Berordn said:
The Internet happened and people created things.
I loved afterschool cartoons growing up. I love cartoons now. Don't really know what a "furry" is. Is that bugs bunny? Sonic? Dixie Kong? What does that mean?
The game is amazing, the art is sick, the animation is great, the gameplay is awesome.
Yeah, fidget was super dark and serious.
eXistor
Member
I'm anything but close-minded, but I just think the art-style and its character design is butt-ugly. Yes, the furry inclination also hurt it, but that's the least of its problems. I wasn't very engaged playing it, I found the level-design to be quite bland. It was a decent game, but not one I'll remember come goty time. It had a great battle system though.
Nope, these are well designed and don't resemble cheap, creepy fan-art of "sexy" anthropomorphic wolf-men. The only reason I don't like the art is because I just don't think it's very good. If it were then it would be all good, I don't mind anthropomorphism one bit.
Nope, these are well designed and don't resemble cheap, creepy fan-art of "sexy" anthropomorphic wolf-men. The only reason I don't like the art is because I just don't think it's very good. If it were then it would be all good, I don't mind anthropomorphism one bit.
Why does every game have to compete for game of the year? Why can't games just be fun when you play them?
No, fidget was annoying.
The furry aspect hurt this game more than anything. Just look at the comments of preview and review videos.
I personally don't like furries culture at all but still gave the game a go. The story telling and character design stems from bad anime and cringe worthy at times. the tit bat sidekick was pretty awful at times too. Gameplay was enjoyable which is why I finished the game, got all the achievements and would recommend it.
I personally don't like furries culture at all but still gave the game a go. The story telling and character design stems from bad anime and cringe worthy at times. the tit bat sidekick was pretty awful at times too. Gameplay was enjoyable which is why I finished the game, got all the achievements and would recommend it.
Jerry Orbach
Member
A character depicted in the "furry" style looks like a cross between a cartoon animal and a porn star. They have animal ears and tails and so on but they also have human dicks and tits. A good way to identify a "furry" character is to ask yourself, if this thing were real, could I fuck it?
A character depicted in the "furry" style looks like a cross between a cartoon animal and a porn star. They have animal ears and tails and so on but they also have human dicks and tits. A good way to identify a "furry" character is to ask yourself, if this thing were real, could I fuck it?
Yeah this is what i ment by Furry, probally not porn star though lol. Since Dust has old geezer NPC's.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
The thing that scares me most about his brouhaha is the tainting of cartoon animal-people by furries and the false positives associated with it.
Conflict NZ
Member
I don't think its that much. 1200 points = $15. If you assume best case scenario that those 66,604 people all bought the game(which I doubt when you consider multiple profiles on the same xbox can all play the game and be counted as separate people) and the cut for a Microsoft published game on XBLA is 70% to MS, 30% to the developer then it earned around $1,000,000 and he got about $300,000 before tax in the best case scenario.
A character depicted in the "furry" style looks like a cross between a cartoon animal and a porn star. They have animal ears and tails and so on but they also have human dicks and tits. A good way to identify a "furry" character is to ask yourself, if this thing were real, could I fuck it?
Seems like an arbitrary and silly definition. As the poster above me said, there are old men in Dust. Seems more like people projecting. I never once found myself thinking, "I wonder of these characters have genitalia."
I don't often ask myself if a fictional thing were real, could I fuck it.
Dr. Zoidberg
Member
You're probably like me and haven't spent a bunch of time perving around on the Internet. This whole anthropomorphic animals = furry = sick thing came along not because a few people have some weird fetishes, but because a lot of gamers spend time looking at porn and other weird stuff on the Internet, saw some stuff, and built an association in their minds. Now put away your pitchforks, I'm not saying any of that is necessarily bad. What I am saying is that if someone avoided the darker underbellies of the Internet, they could look at the character design of Dust and not get that yucky feeling that the association brings. I'm sure most children could look at the character designs and not be put off by them.
Yes, but a lot of that was before the Internet, and our ability to always satisfy our curiosity about weird stuff.
More platforms is always better for sales. However, I'd be curious to compare the sales on Steam to the XBLA release IF the game launches at $15 and stays there for a few weeks. Would it be about the same? How much better? Would the "furry" issue hurt it on Steam as well? Of course, once it is discounted, all bets are off.
I know it was featured on the dashboard, which is pretty much what most arcade releases have gotten. I don't remember TV ads for any of them, but I could be mistaken. I think Dust was hurt by it's own problems and the disconnect between the artstyle and the XBL audience. Also, the Summer of Arcade it was featured in was one of the worst so far and with next gen fever going strong it's hard to get people excited about smaller current-gen games.
As for the store on the Xbox, I have to say that while it certainly is not great, people often pull out the old "can't find anything" chestnut and that's a pretty gross exaggeration. Finding the newest releases is not hard unless you are pretty clueless. Games -> Browse Games -> Arcade -> New Releases. Yeah, it could be better but it's not rocket-science. It's not even confusing. If that is really a major barrier to purchase I'll be interested in seeing how PSN sales go after they changed the store.
Jerry Orbach
Member
Well no shit. This is why someone had to explain to you the difference between Bugs Bunny and Mousy fuckin' Titbounce.
A character depicted in the "furry" style looks like a cross between a cartoon animal and a porn star. They have animal ears and tails and so on but they also have human dicks and tits. A good way to identify a "furry" character is to ask yourself, if this thing were real, could I fuck it?
That's not the point.
MoonLightWave
Member
Obviously? If one doesn't like the artstyle, do you really think they would want to play through the whole game? Gameplay is not the only thing that matters.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
This is an old, old conversation and outside the scope of this thread. But the problem has always been a two way street.
Human beings sensualize and sexualize everything. You think all those fine upstanding bros don't see their favorite gun in COD as a phallic symbol?
On one hand, adult "furry" art does exist and "taints" anthropomorphic animals by association, if you wish to put it that way. On the other hand, the Internet and a certain subset of Internet culture really went to town turning it into a meme and outrage farming it for years. So at a certain point one must ask: are fine upstanding Internet dudes upset at non-explicit "furry" art because somewhere out there, there's a rabbit with bared nipples? Or are they upset because they've done it to themselves and can't reconcile the truth that everything imaginable has been portrayed in a sexual manner by someone, somewhere.
There are people out there who get off on furniture and marry it. If you look at too much of their porn, will you never sit on a couch again?
Furry?
Also, your implication that people bothered by furries must constantly be asking themselves if imaginary animals with breasts were real, would they fuck them? is...disturbing. I'm quite glad I don't have this bias if that's the type of thought running through one's mind.
Right. I've been watching animal cartoon characters with breasts for years. Never thought anything of it. Don't get the big deal.
This is why I love you, Kajima.
Hearing Patrick and Brad talk about it piqued my interest considerably. I didn't realise it had an intriguing and compelling storyline at all, I just thought that outside of its unique art style it was a by the numbers side scroller/brawler thing. Might actually grab it if the story/narrative holds its own.
Jerry Orbach
Member
Norman Rockwell and Tom of Finland both painted sailors and construction workers, but it's disingenuous to claim you can't tell the difference between their styles, or to which tradition a character like Duke Nukem belongs.
So why are Noogy's characters "furrys" and Lola isn't?
I honestly don't get the distinction. I don't know any "furry" tradition. They're just cartoon characters to me. Same thing has been done for years. I see no difference. Nothing in the game made me think about wanting to "fuck the characters if they were real" or made me think that was the artist's intent.
Honestly, at this point, the term just seems to me to be anthropomorphic animals.
SatelliteOfLove
Member
But isn't that it, though? It's as if the middle ground in these wars are being fought over or scorched earthed so that NONE may have it if they can't.
Furry -> Anthropomorphics <- Anti-cartoonists
Moe -> Anime <- Staunch realism art style aficionados
Heavily muted and realistic military -> Restrained military with defined artstyle <- Fans of heavily fantastical military renditions
etc.
There are these destructive proxy wars being fought over these by diametrically opposed sides and games like Dust specifically, but also entire fields of media are persona non grata from it (there was a REAL good thread on Halo 4 recently concering just this, but I can't find it for the life of me). To deem fit to enter it like our man up there is to get hit with a barrage from each faction trying to lay claim to it, or barring that, despoil it in the minds of bystanders so that only the "enemy" can have it.
I feel you're jumping to conclusions, so I hope I've clarified my stance in this.
Heart of Black
Member
I choked down the furry style to support the game because I thought it looked beautiful.
And it's still sort of strange whenever character images are on screen. Why does the little fairy rat have a breast area?
And it's still sort of strange whenever character images are on screen. Why does the little fairy rat have a breast area?