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Compulsion Games has been posting a lot of South of Midnight clips lately
- Thread starter ManaByte
- Start date
Sebastian1295
Member
I feel insanely bad for developers who work for microsoft because they get like 0 marketing budget to work with. I mean the devs are having to spam twitter because they know microsoft isn't going to help them so they're desperately trying to keep their game in the public eye by any means necessary. It's a joke how microsoft treats their first party studios.
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March Climber
Member
The unfortunate case here is that the odds are highly stacked against a game like this for a multitude of reason:
- Lack of Xbox Marketing
- 2025 being crowded with too many games
- a B-Platformer with a B-grade combat with a Southeast U.S./New Orleans style to it (it's like releasing Voodoo Vince in a year full of anticipated game releases)
- A certain community being lock-step against this game's existence due to the protagonist
- Most likely the game's price costing too much on release
All of this will culminate in a game that will probably be 19.99 by the end of 2025.
Gamer_By_Proxy
Member
Until they post how they fired their racist community manager, don’t care.
Sebastian1295
Member
Ya this game has too many things going against it to be successful. Add in releasing it on gamepass day one and i just don't see where the sales are coming from. Even a game like indiana jones seems to be struggling to sell and that's a much more recognizable IP than this. It seems like nowadays nothing first party really sells well on the xbox platform and it's because they've completely devalued the games on said platform and don't market any of them.
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ChorizoPicozo
Member
I never thought of it that way
March Climber
Member
I thought this same thing about Unknown 9 Awakening but for some reason that same community dragged that game out of it's dark hole of irrelevance, into the spotlight, just to rag on it for almost a month straight.
Odd behavior for sure, but due to that the game ended up on way more media outlets than it had any right to be.
Another Microsoft flop incoming. They keep making these games that nobody wants to buy/play. You'd think after We Happy Few they would take a step up and make something really cool with Microsoft money, but instead Compulsion Games decided to make some weird niche game with ugly and unappealing protagonist that nobody wants, smh.
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Sebastian1295
Member
Honestly i don't understand why microsoft don't do alot of xbox directs where they spam games like south of midnight so that they're consistently getting alot of eyes on said game. Or microsoft should've paid the game awards and put a trailer out for south of midnight and any other games they might have. They do nothing to help any of their developers even though they have the money to do so and that's why we're consistently seeing their devs spamming their game on twitter because that's all they can do.
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Timberwolf25
Member
I'm liking what was shown so far in the OP.
While the combat seems derivative, it's different enough in character design for me to give it a shot. Also, loving that giant Gator boss
While the combat seems derivative, it's different enough in character design for me to give it a shot. Also, loving that giant Gator boss
TerribleAtThisGame
Member
That platforming video was baffling. Was that supposed to be...interesting or have a wow factor?
Also, it's "old-fashioned", damn.
The alligator boss' design was cool at least but it looks painfully generic all around gameplay-wise.
Also, it's "old-fashioned", damn.
The alligator boss' design was cool at least but it looks painfully generic all around gameplay-wise.
analog_future
Resident Crybaby
Very excited for this. Looks really fun.
ChorizoPicozo
Member
i think there are a lot of reasons. one of the most important ones is that you can't justify a lot of marketing budget for smaller games. But MS with their Directs, they have an awesome formula; The issue of course is the "Xbox stank" which is real.
Sebastian1295
Member
Ya i do enjoy the xbox directs and feel like they always do a great job with those, but the brand is in such a dire state like you mentioned that it's almost impossible to succeed especially with a smaller game like south of midnight.
vaibhavpisal
Member
Looks like its coming along nicely.
Hopefully platforming and combat isn’t walk in the park.
Hopefully platforming and combat isn’t walk in the park.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Looks better than old previews. Even though the clips are some reason low quality (worse than DVD res), the gameplay looks much smoother.
Those old previews looked like the clips ran at 20 fps.
Those old previews looked like the clips ran at 20 fps.
ResilientBanana
Member
This game actually looks pretty good.
Kacho
Gold Member
The devs said gameplay wasn't the core focus for the game.
Jinzo Prime
Member
I've been intrigued by this game since it was first shown off. The fake 2D, low framerate animation thing was not working and it looks like they got rid of it for the better. I still wish it was more 3D platformer than beat-'em-up though.
I think she fits the setting.
ExtendEmbraceExtinguish
Member
I’m sold on this game after the gameplay reveal a few weeks ago and most importantly 4k vids. That being said I agree with the
. Best thing would be an msrp of 50 usd or 40 usd.
Johnny Concrete
Member
Follow the line. My god…
I noticed this too, it almost looks like they got rid of the stop-motion movement almost completely…
It’s weird how the absence of the stop-motion look makes the game itself now look really boring mechanically? I dunno what it is, but even the platforming looks kinda weak. The art direction is interesting but it doesn’t look like the gameplay is going to match it.
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MayauMiao
Member
The sense of open world and discovery is killed with the literal guideline. You even see button press icon way far before you make the jump.
Its like being on rails.
This shit doesn’t even look like it should be coming out next year…feels really hollow and unfinished.
Timberwolf25
Member
I thought I remember hearing there was an option to turn the stop motion off. Might've been a tweet or somewhere here on GAF.
Oh ok, that’s kinda disappointing if true. They should’ve just committed to it but now it just seems like “Here’s our game, you can disable the vibe if you think it sucks”
It looks somehow very simple, the lighting of the path is sad, this practically guarantees that the plot is linear, as is most likely the game itself.
This would be a very strange decision, in fact, one of the features of the game, which would allow it to somehow stand out from other similar games, is disabled through the options? You either go all the way in your idea or don't do it at all.
Jinzo Prime
Member
People were really ragging on the style online, at least it can be turned back on.
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
The game looks okay for a smaller-budget AA indie-type game.
But it's gonna bomb so hard!
But it's gonna bomb so hard!
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Probably releasing March / April-ish, should get a release date announcement in the January direct.
The stop motion effect can be toggled on/off for game play.
It will always be there in the cut-scenes.
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Rocinante618
Member
The writing is so GenZ/Marvel, doesn't fit the theme at all. The more I see this project the more I feel this will be a Forspoken-type game, decent gameplay/movement/combat for a few hours, cringe dialogue/writing and unnecessary focus to what's not important in a videogame.
I get that you want the teens to play your games but you got to be a little serious as well. Spiderman 2/GoW 2 suffered this as well but they had a much larger fanbase, marketing, well baked gameplay systems and really cool art direction.
I'm willing to try it only because of gamepass.
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balls of snow
Member
Im thinking April launch with Doom: Dark World being may-june.
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vaibhavpisal
Member
Hopefully that guideline is optional and I can turn it off.
Those button prompts are changing platforms into something else. Looks like dimensional shift or something like that.
Taur007
Member
Uhh no thanks, game was good for what it was but...that game did NOT live up to it's trailer
Don Carlo
Member
you said it buddy
Yeah, If they leaned into it and designed all the combat around a staccato feel with hard pauses and sharp changes it would have been awesome. I feel like there are a few 2d games that manage that feel and it's where I thought this would go with the first trailer. It's not a huge leap, it would need to be approached like a rhythm game. To see they didn't lean into it and just made it a visual effect.... Yeah, very disappointing. What are they even making? A dated platformer?
Cakeboxer
Member
It's actually interesting how the console manufactorers handle their exclusive games.
Microsoft
Games not too expensive to make + gaming hardware became completely irrelevant + Game Pass destroys game sales = Can't spend any money on marketing.
Sony
Games are super expensive to make + dependant on hardware sales = Need dozens of millions for marketing.
Nintendo
Games are cheap to make + least amount of 3rd party games = No need for much marketing.
Microsoft
Games not too expensive to make + gaming hardware became completely irrelevant + Game Pass destroys game sales = Can't spend any money on marketing.
Sony
Games are super expensive to make + dependant on hardware sales = Need dozens of millions for marketing.
Nintendo
Games are cheap to make + least amount of 3rd party games = No need for much marketing.
Thebonehead
Gold Member
I had zero interest for this game based on we happy few, but after watching a couple of clips and trailers for this... I still have zero interest.
DenchDeckard
Moderated wildly
Really wanted to like this. I thought it looked great. Not watching anything now until I hear feedback from peeps on here about how it is.
Robb
Gold Member
I was wondering the same as I let it waste seconds of my life. That clip in particular is just awful.
Heisenberg007
Gold Journalism
The platforming video had the "look mama, no hands" vibe.
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