Support NeoGAF

[test_account]

No...if they expected it to sell they would've shipped more to retailers. Retailers only ever take orders from the really important games like Mario or Dragon Quest.

I mean when they started to making the game. If they expected a game like this to sell this weak.. ok then :\

 

[titiklabingapat]

It might be that they made a game like this to get familiar with the Wii controller, but i dont think its the main reason. If it was, then they could just make a mini game collection or something that would take less time and be more cheap to make.

Z&W is not just a shovelware game, it seems they have put some time and effort into it. If they didnt have faith in the products they were making i dont see why they would make it. I belive that Capcom thought this would be a great hit to be honest. As said, they game looks to have great potetinal in selling many copies.

However, this is only 1st day sales, i'll wait for the full week numbers. It might be somewhere between 15-20k. I dont know exactly how much that was expected from this game in terms of sales, but from what i've read and the hype i've seen i would think it would sell more atleast. This is also just Japan, it might do much better in the west and some/much profit could be made

Im not sure if it's the same case in Japan but Z&w is budget priced for a reason. You could say that this is a Capcom's version of shovelware in that it was cheap to make and don't have high sales expectations.

And there was no hype not even from Capcom.

 

[test_account]

they were so confident it would sell that it was budget priced from day 1.

Ah yes, its cheaper than the other games. Would make me belive its a even bigger chance to sell more copies.

Im not sure if it's the same case in Japan but Z&w is budget priced for a reason. You could say that this is a Capcom's version of shovelware in that it was cheap to make and don't have high sales expectations.

And there was no hype not even from Capcom.

Ye maybe, but i see Zack & Wiki more like a full blooded title or what i shall say, not just some shovel filler game. I dont know what Capcom thought, but i thought it would be more popular than this. Dunno about hype in Japan, but some hype on GAF atleast

 

[rakka]

Ah yes, its cheaper than the other games. Would make me belive its a even bigger chance to sell more copies.

maybe... if the game was called RE4

 

[test_account]

maybe... if the game was called RE4

Isnt it?

 

[ksamedi]

Do you think a developer would make something they dont have faith in and dont think will sell?

Well thats the buisness model, make games as you please as those are the ones that will likely sell the most. Z&W was not made to fail ofcourse and the developer probably had some hope it would sell but they also knew the chances of it not selling. I've read about every interview on this game so I know what I'm talking about, the developers didn't expect this to sell.

 

[slaughterking]

Well thats the buisness model, make games as you please as those are the ones that will likely sell the most. Z&W was not made to fail ofcourse and the developer probably had some hope it would sell but they also knew the chances of it not selling. I've read about every interview on this game so I know what I'm talking about, the developers didn't expect this to sell.

So they are somewhat self-destructive? :I Too bad, that kind of kills the chance of a sequel.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

The amount of spinning is awesome.


Btw, in the end, it seems there are 2 Hitman Reborn!! titles at 4000 units, for PS2 and Wii. The Wii one is the same Hitman released for PS2 in August or so.

 

[grandjedi6]

Ah yes, its cheaper than the other games. Would make me belive its a even bigger chance to sell more copies.




Ye maybe, but i see Zack & Wiki more like a full blooded title or what i shall say, not just some shovel filler game. I dont know what Capcom thought, but i thought it would be more popular than this. Dunno about hype in Japan, but some hype on GAF atleast

It's called the Phoenix Wright effect (formaly the Mega Man effect). First game doesn't sell well but gets enough attention where the sequel sells well and becomes a lasting franchise for Capcom

 

[ksamedi]

So they are somewhat self-destructive? :I Too bad, that kind of kills the chance of a sequel.

Well not every Japanese developer is that way but from what I have read about Capcom is that those guys just do as they please. Ofcourse the developers that don't get any resulsts get fired, like the clover guys.

 

[test_account]

Well thats the buisness model, make games as you please as those are the ones that will likely sell the most. Z&W was not made to fail ofcourse and the developer probably had some hope it would sell but they also knew the chances of it not selling. I've read about every interview on this game so I know what I'm talking about, the developers didn't expect this to sell.

Well, of course, making a new IP is a gamble, that goes for every new IP, not just Z&W. Titiklabingapat said they didnt have faith in the title and i asked why they would make it if they didnt have any faith in the game. What you say now is that they did have faith in the game, which is what i also said. No developer will make a game that they dont have faith in, no matter how much freedom they have when creating.

I find it hard to belive that the developers go out and say that the expect their game not to sell. Not be a mega hit, thats another thing, but not to sell? I must see these interviews myself before i belive it.

 

[titiklabingapat]

The amount of spinning is awesome.


Btw, in the end, it seems there are 2 Hitman Reborn!! titles at 4000 units, for PS2 and Wii. The Wii one is the same Hitman released for PS2 in August or so.

Come on now. Were you one of the rare few who expected Z&w to blossom?

 

[test_account]

It's called the Phoenix Wright effect (formaly the Mega Man effect). First game doesn't sell well but gets enough attention where the sequel sells well and becomes a lasting franchise for Capcom

Might be, but Capcom has released games that never got a sequel too, no U.N Squadron 2 for example ( If this will happend to Z&W also is impossible to say.

 

[titiklabingapat]

Well, of course, making a new IP is a gamble, that goes for every new IP, not just Z&W. Titiklabingapat said they didnt have faith in the title and i asked why they would make it if they didnt have any faith in the game. What you say now is that they did have faith in the game, which is what i also said. No developer will make a game that they dont have faith in, no matter how much freedom they have when creating.

I find it hard to belive that the developers go out and say that the expect their game not to sell. Not be a mega hit, thats anyother thing, but not to sell? I must see these interviews myself before i belive it.

I should have said that they didnt have enough faith for high sales.

 

[ksamedi]

Well, of course, making a new IP is a gamble, that goes for every new IP, not just Z&W. Titiklabingapat said they didnt have faith in the title and i asked why they would make it if they didnt have any faith in the game. What you say now is that they did have faith in the game, which is what i also said. No developer will make a game that they dont have faith in, no matter how much freedom they have when creating.

I find it hard to belive that the developers go out and say that the expect their game not to sell. Not be a mega hit, thats another thing, but not to sell? I must see these interviews myself before i belive it.

Here

HT: It was initially pretty difficult to get people to believe in us and believe in this game. Capcom had decided rather quickly to make a new type of game on the Wii, so that itself wasn't difficult. But even though the development team knew it was going to be a very interesting game, it was a little bit more difficult to explain to the sales and marketing divisions. After all, it is a more minor genre, and Capcom is known for publishing a lot of Mature-style games. So to create this kind of game that was designed for everyone, it was a little difficult. But getting to play it at events like here or at E3, the reputation of the game really improved and a lot of people started looking forward to it. And that gave us a lot of confidence in the product that we had.

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/09/interview-zack-.html

 

[test_account]

I should have said that they didnt have enough faith for high sales.

Ok, that would be something different I wonder how well Capcom thought it would sell.

 

[Fafalada]

So GodOfWar2 selling like a PS3 title - maybe only PS3 users are buying it

 

[BrodiemanTTR]

Hopefully word of mouth can drive some Zack & Wiki sales before the Galaxy hits.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Come on now. Were you one of the rare few who expected Z&w to blossom?

The only titles that did good are FFTA2 and Ar Tonelico 2. All the other titles have horrible numbers, specially PS3 and Wii titles, alongside WE DS.

 

[jj984jj]

First day sales

100,000　NDS Final Fantasy Tactics A2
. 50,000　PS2 Ar Tonelico 2
. 15,000　PS2 God of War 2
. 15,000　PS3 Imabikisou
. 10,000　NDS Code Geass
. . 8,000　WII Ghost Squad
. . 6,000　NDS Winning Eleven DS
. . 6,000　WII Takarajima Z (Zack and Wiki)
. . 6,000　PS3 The Eye of Judgement
. . 5,000　PS2 Fivb Volley Worldcup
. . 4,000　NDS Gurren Lagann
. . 4,000　PS2 Hitman Reborn!!
. . 4,000　PS2 Balder Bullet
. . 3,000　NDS Apathy
. . 3,000　PS2 Virtual-On
. . 3,000　360 Bladestorm
. . 1,500　WII DDR Hottest Party
. . 1,000　NDS Dungeon Maker

wow wow wow

Yay @ FFTA2! Boo @ Zack & Wiki.

thx....

we ds BOMBA

After the first one was so shitty and the second one looked the exact same, how could it not?

 

[test_account]

http://blog.wired.com/games/2007/09/interview-zack-.html

Thanks for the link. I cant see where he says they wont think it would sell tho. He say it would be alittle difficult to explain it to the sales & marketing divisions why it would sell, but he doesnt say that he (or developer team) think it wouldnt sell. He even say that on E3 alot of people showed interest in the game and was looking forward to it, and that it gave them confidence in the game (i understand this as he think the game will be popular and sell well. This is in the west tho, i dunno how they thought about the japanese market).

 

[Magicpaint]

Zack and Wiki is a phenomenal bomb, it doesn't matter whether you expected it to, and no amount of spinning would change that fact. Those figures are...bad.

 

[botticus]

Thanks for the link. I cant see where he says they wont think it would sell tho. He say it would be alittle difficult to explain it to the sales & marketing divisions why it would sell, but he doesnt say that he (or developer team) think it wouldnt sell. He even say that on E3 alot of people showed interest in the game and was looking forward to it, and that it gave them confidence in the game (i understand this as he think the game will be popular and sell well. This is in the west tho, i dunno how they thought about the japanese market).

But when your sales and marketing team doesn't get it, and therefore doesn't market it (at least in the west), sales suffer.

 

[Holy Order Sol]

This is like a non-week with non-sales charts.

 

[test_account]

But when your sales and marketing team doesn't get it, and therefore doesn't market it (at least in the west), sales suffer.

Less marketing might result in lower sales indeed, but we were also talking about if the developers themself had faith in the game and if they thought it would sell good or not. But they did make a TV commercial for Z&W:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26695.html

So it must have had some marketing

 

[mabuza]

:lol @ zack and wiki

 

[Frillen]

Zack and Wiki is a phenomenal bomb, it doesn't matter whether you expected it to, and no amount of spinning would change that fact. Those figures are...bad.

Did you seriously think it would've sold that much more? Z&W is one of the biggest hardcore games out there, pretty much send out to die from the beginning, because of how it plays.

 

[Eteric Rice]

It's like console games in general are bombing. ><

:lol @ zack and wiki

And Eye of Judgement. :lol

*rollseyes*

 

[plagiarize]

Did you seriously think it wouldv'e sold that much more? Z&W is one of the biggest hardcore games out there, pretty mcuh send out to die from the beginning, because of how it plays.

i think Z&W is another Viva Pinata in a way. most adults don't want to play a game that looks like that. most kids would find it overwhelming.

i love it... and i hope that it finds an audience because god damn it, it deserves to. there's nothing to celebrate in a wonderful and fresh game selling like crap.

 

[kottila]

Less marketing might result in lower sales indeed, but we were also talking about if the developers themself had faith in the game and if they thought it would sell good or not. But they did make a TV commercial for Z&W:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26695.html

So it must have had some marketing

Everybody can make a commercial. What matters is if they actually showed it on tv and how often.

 

[Manjimaru]

Btw, in the end, it seems there are 2 Hitman Reborn!! titles at 4000 units, for PS2 and Wii. The Wii one is the same Hitman released for PS2 in August or so.

Hum... the Wii version isn't released (January 2008)...

 

[test_account]

Did you seriously think it wouldv'e sold that much more? Z&W is one of the biggest hardcore games out there, pretty mcuh send out to die from the beginning, because of how it plays.

You have movie clips that shows both kids and adults playing it. It wasnt suppose to be just to the hardcore fans and adults, its suppose to be a game for everyone.

Everybody can make a commercial. What matters is if they actually showed it on tv and how often.

Of course, but my point is that not that many games get a own TV commerical. When they first take the time to make one they will show it for sure.

 

[Kurosaki Ichigo]

Hum... the Wii version isn't released (January 2008)...

Yeah, I'm messing Hitman with Gintama. There are too many of them and I don't know shit about them sorry :lol

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/product/B000RP7NE4/
Gintama Wii (same game as PS2 released recently) 4000 units.

And also Hitman Reborn!! PS2 4000 units.

 

[Keio]

First day sales

. 15,000&#12288;PS3 Imabikisou

The last week before Galaxy, will this title push PS3 to be the top home console of the week!?

 

[jarrod]

Might be, but Capcom has released games that never got a sequel too, no U.N Squadron 2 for example ( If this will happend to Z&W also is impossible to say.

Er, U.N. Squadron was a licensed property.

Still, sad for Z&W. This is as bad as UGG, is the team cursed?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Wii software sales continue to impress.

 

[PkunkFury]

ouch @ Eye of Judgement

I thought CCGs were pretty popular in Japan

 

[Durante]

It's like console games in general are bombing. ><

No, good games sell (enough), see Ar Tonelico 2

 

[Kiriku]

Now DDR Hottest Party is bomba!

As far as I know, the DDR series has been selling like crap in Japan for a long time now, so this is no surprise...unless there was expectations of the series being brought back to life because of the Wii or something.

 

[Lobster]

As I said guys..10k initial shipment is my ESTIMATE. Sorry for confusing..

I hope Z&W somehow sells 40k first week so it can try to sell 100k...

But in no way did Capcom think Z&W was going to be a hit title..GAFfers are having a hard time finding it in stores...thats an indication that the game wasn't expected to sell a lot.

As far as I know, the DDR series has been selling like crap in Japan for a long time now, so this is no surprise...unless there was expectations of the series being brought back to life because of the Wii or something.

I know but DDR is a very popular series..its weird that it bombs on consoles so bad..People seem not to realise its like having the arcade version in your home! And you won't spend as much on it as you will on the DDR arcade machines.

 

[typhonsentra]

But in no way did Capcom think Z&W was going to be a hit title..GAFfers are having a hard time finding it in stores...thats an indication that the game wasn't expected to sell a lot.

Dunno about other Gaffers but I didn't have any trouble at all. I just went in on the 23rd and asked for it and he pulled a copy right out for me. I didn't even get a "You're lucky, this is the last one!" like I did for Castlevania. It kind of seemed like I was the first person who asked him for the game that day actually, and it was probably late afternoon when I went into that EB.

 

[Pureauthor]

*enters thread*

Wait, people are surprised ZnW is bombing?

 

[plagiarize]

Dunno about other Gaffers but I didn't have any trouble at all. I just went in on the 23rd and asked for it and he pulled a copy right out for me. I didn't even get a "You're lucky, this is the last one!" like I did for Castlevania. It kind of seemed like I was the first person who asked him for the game that day actually, and it was probably late afternoon when I went into that EB.

my EB sold out of their 6 paltry copies of Z&W on the first day. i know because i bought the last copy. neither proves anything though.

*enters thread*

Wait, people are surprised ZnW is bombing?

suprised? no. i'm not surprised. doesn't stop me being really fucking disapointed though.

 

[Pureauthor]

I don't understand it. If you knew and fully expected it to bomb beforehand, why are you disappointed?

 

[capslock]

Alright Ninty fans, if ports don't sell on the Wii you blame lazy developers, if mini-games don't sell you blame developers for trying to compete with Nintendo, now it seems that original games don't sell either. Maybe it's time to face the facts that the Wii audience just doesn't buy non-Nintendo games...or games for that matter.

 

[cw_sasuke]

Alright Ninty fans, if ports don't sell on the Wii you blame lazy developers, if mini-games don't sell you blame developers for trying to compete with Nintendo, now it seems that original games don't sell either. Maybe it's time to face the facts that the Wii audience just doesn't buy non-Nintendo games...or games for that matter.

As if good games only would bomb on wii...... :lol

 

[capslock]

As if good games only would bomb on wii...... :lol

I am not saying that, but you have to admit that third party games bombing have been the rule rather than the exception on the Wii.

 

[botticus]

Alright Ninty fans, if ports don't sell on the Wii you blame lazy developers, if mini-games don't sell you blame developers for trying to compete with Nintendo, now it seems that original games don't sell either. Maybe it's time to face the facts that the Wii audience just doesn't buy non-Nintendo games...or games for that matter.

Well, considering Wii Sports isn't bundled with the console in Japan, they have to plan on buying games eventually. Unless they're using it as an Everybody Votes player.

 

[Frillen]

Alright Ninty fans, if ports don't sell on the Wii you blame lazy developers, if mini-games don't sell you blame developers for trying to compete with Nintendo, now it seems that original games don't sell either. Maybe it's time to face the facts that the Wii audience just doesn't buy non-Nintendo games...or games for that matter.

Well the Wii has three third-party Million sellers, so it's not THAT bad. At least it's better than the PS3 which has zero.

 

[cw_sasuke]

I am not saying that, but you have to admit that third party games bombing have been the rule rather than the exception on the Wii.

maybe it`s because 99% of those 3rd party wii efforts suck ? i mean zakl n wiki is a new ip, without much marketing budget - u just can`t expect that everyone wants to play that kind of game since most ppl won`t even know that it`s exist...