Why this game is so low in sales ranking?

[aaaaa]

As most ppl here would agree, this is damn good game.
It got quite favorable reviews and respectable review score from major game review site. But I didn't expect much before playing it. To my surprise, it indeed turn out to be highly enjoyable quality game. The reviews were no exaggeration at all. I and few of my friends had a lot of fun and great pleasure playing this game. Similar favorable reaction from local game-discussion site where I frequently visit and they are not even native English speaker. It worked perfectly well out of box without hitch, without any patch. Well-crafted, beautiful and varied scenery and wide-variety of creatures and items. Minimal, quick loading time on quite modest old PC. All these without expensive cutting-edge graphics board or CPU. Most of all, I cannot praise enough well-polished game difficulty balance of this game. That kept me possessed to it till end of game. US publisher, Atari, is big-name in game market. The price is quite right. At least, this must be one of best game of this year and high-quality precious gem of PC game in recent few years.

But the Amazon sale rank or other game popularity rank are bit disappointing.
Yeah, the game name -- King's bounty -- is not well known among younger generation gamers. But, many of them should have heard the name associated with HOMM series. So, it is not new, unknown, obscure title from foreign county. I know that turn-based RPG/strategy like this or HOMM is not so popular game genre in vogue nowadays like run-of-mill FPS or RTS. Some English translation of this game has something to be desired.

But I don't think the sale figure of this game does any justice to quality of this game. The number of postings and readership of this official game discussion board seems to be not so high. It is not fair. This damn good game should be played by and appeal to wider audience than it did. Is this game belongs to minor genre which has only appeal to limited fringe audience?

Why? Why so low on sales rank just in three weeks?

[Tuplis]

From the top of my head, I can't say I've seen one site (not to mention any other medium) advertise* this game . Altho the internet is an excellent tool for spreading information without investing money, you still do need to advertise the game. It's a shame, really, because it's a very good game.

King's bounty: the legend will probably end up in one of those "best games you've never heard of"-lists compiled by gaming sites.



*I don't consider a review to be an advertisement

[bman654]

Just like Katauri's other game Space Rangers 2. They just can't seem to hook up with english publishers that have advertising budgets. Luckily they release these games in Russia first and they seem to sell well there.

[Zhuangzi]

Well, they don't seem to be distributing in Australia and New Zealand at all, which is disappointing. If not for Gamersgate, I wouldn't have been able to play this. :rolleyes:

[phoenixreborn]

For some reason turn-based games are not as popular as real-time games.

(One game such as civilization does not a rule make).

In the grand scheme of things it probably doesn't matter if most people don't buy it as long as I personally enjoy it.

Somebody else will come along and argue that if more people buy it more games like it will get made...but it's been a slow trickle for years now and it isn't going to change.

This game reminds me a little of my favorite, wizardry 8, which occupied my gaming time for a pleasant year.

[bman654]

I never got around to playing that one...didn't SirTech go belly up waiting for the publisher to release the game? A pity...

[phoenixreborn]

I'm not really sure, I purchased it long after it came out. In any event it's a very complete game, very epic. There are a couple of 'unfinished' quests objects so what you say may be true...but it definitely got published and it's definitely a fun game. My first play through took about 3 months.

KB is giving me a similar feeling because every time I think I've explored everything I unexpectedly find a whole new giant map zone. :)

[aaaaa]

Is the game genre of KB:L -- turn-based tactical RPG -- to blame? I don't think so.
There are lots of popular turn-based (tactical) RPG, especially Japanese RPG like Final fantasy (tactics), Super-Robot War, Front Mission, and Sakura Taisen series on game console, Jagged Alliance, Fallout, Oblivion series on PC, to name a few.
Turn-based battle on hexa-grid is standard battle scheme on most RPG games., be it JRPG or Western RPG, on console or PC. There are just too numerous popular RPG game with turn-based battle to list here. Many of them are mega-selling, hot blockbuster title even in recent years.

So turn-based battle system is the least probable cause of low sales number.
On the contrary, I think that tactical battle system of KB:L (and HOMM in this regard) has strong edge over compared to that of other hot Japanese PRG's on console with similar turn-based battle system.

[GreyBeard]

I think the sales may be low due to this type of game appeals to a limited market.

It is TB and not many anymore enjoy TB games other than Civ series, so you have a limited number of buyers that a game like this appeals to, thus lower sales.

Same as Disciples a game I have played alot, its TB Strategy so again a niche market.

I do hope thru word of mouth that it sells well enough for a expansion pack.

Also you don't have a "big name" developer like Blizzard who is known to all.

The same happens alot with games made outside the U.S.

Spellforce is another a great game that just never caught on in the US as much as other places.

All we can do is spread the word how great it is.

I know gamers who think it is a HOMM ripoff which is so far from the truth, HOMM is TB Strategy, KG is TB tactial combat and roleplaying.

GB

[phoenixreborn]

I don't know about the console games but Oblivion certainly wasn't turn based.

Anyway your post is very confusing to me because console owners are less likely to be buying pc games right? And KB is a pc game, or am I missing your point?

At Greybeard, Homm and KB are closely intertwined and there's nothing wrong with that. The cast of creatures is identical. You could play a scripted h3 map that would be very similar to a game of KB.

[littleduckie]

It wouldn't be half as gorgeous though, or have spirits of rage ;)

[nemesis99]

Low sales since its a niche game genre, niche developer, niche publisher (1C). It doesn't matter how good the game is, as they're not well known. They may have some popularity in Russia, but in North America they're really small in the marketplace.

It's a good sign though that this forum is one of the most popular on the 1C site, so it's likely King's Bounty is exceeding 1C's sales expectations and does seem to have a larger player base following it than the other 1C titles.

On a side note, I did see an ad on gamespot.com for King's Bounty. Now they just need an 8.5 review on gamespot to gain some more notoriety.

[lethul]

Spellforce is another a great game that just never caught on in the US as much as other places.


Ah Spellforce! I remember that game :) My computer died during playing it so i never got around finishing it. Maybe i should take it out on another spin :)

[Kamawoop]

I like this game alot.

Most of the other games I liked alot were released 10 years ago, or more.

I don't think that I'm dated; more that the younger generation are generally idiotic.

Well....

[Kamawoop]

I wonder if I'm gonna be allowed to post this - it will mention another companies rather unrecognised games.

King's Bounty is the game that has had me most hooked for a long while.

Which brought me to the question: which game had me as hooked previously?

They are both RPG's, which is odd as the greatest computer game ever is Championship Manager.

Titan Quest - I'd never played Diablo, but TQ forced me to play, even when I didn't want to play anymore.

Freedom Force vs The Third Reich. I played this because it is superb.

[hawker]

Budget, probably. I haven't seen any advertising or hype for it anywhere (other than a couple of interviews), so people just haven't heard of it. There were also a number of big name releases launched simultaneously with KB (Spore, Crysis:Warhead), so it kind of got drowned.

I suspect the sales and awareness will increase somewhat, once the game is on the shelves in Europe and more news outlets review the game.

[megakill]

Well, if you guys tell all your friends how great the game is, it surely will go up in sales ratings. :-)

[Multiplicity]

For some reason turn-based games are not as popular as real-time games.

(One game such as civilization does not a rule make).

In the grand scheme of things it probably doesn't matter if most people don't buy it as long as I personally enjoy it.

Somebody else will come along and argue that if more people buy it more games like it will get made...but it's been a slow trickle for years now and it isn't going to change.

This game reminds me a little of my favorite, wizardry 8, which occupied my gaming time for a pleasant year.


I haven't seen a lot of advertising with this game. Just the occasional blip on GameSpot. I only found out about this game when I was rummaging around GameSpot's upcoming game release list. So a niche market and low advertising are probably to blame. Though when I found out about it, I thought it was awesome.

And Wizardry 8? Awesome game. I played that a few times and still have it in its original box.

[aaaaa]

It is shame that great game like this is ignored by the mass due to lack of adequate advertisement. Nowadays when numerous rubbish games are rushing to us like hoards of rats, we have been thirsty for good game like this for many years.

Please write user review/experience on game review site, game shopping site, Amazon, EB, and other game fan site especially RPG related site. Tell potential customers how great this game is and how you enjoyed it.
Word-of-mouth ad from heart of truly satisfied users can compensate (lack of) million dollar budget advertisement campaign.

By making more people buy this game, we can ensure release of expansion of KBTL, or help it to be better one. Capitalism is about appreciating good company/ good product with consumer's money to let them become better one. Let the the capitalism do the job!

[megakill]

Thank you for your suggestion :-)

[DanTheTimid]

I only recently learned of this games existence because it was mentioned in a recent Penny-Arcade blog. If not for that blog I would not have known this game even existed and would have missed out on it. So yeah, this game isn't selling bad because it lacks an audience, but because its audience doesn't know it exists and its a real shame.

Hopefully I'm not the only one who read that penny arcade blog and is now checking this game out, and rest assured I do plan on telling people about the game to help on the word of mouth front, but the game really could use some more advertising then it seems its gotten so far. Its always tough for a relatively unknown company with a low budget to do the advertising necessary to compete with the big name companies, but you need to really do SOMETHING. Your not going to reach everyone on a low budget, but if you have have a quality product, all it takes is to reach a few here and there and word of mouth can start a chain that ends in tons of new players. You've already got the hard part done, your selling a quality game, the trick now is advertising in enough places to intrigue the first few who will start the chain.

[ganjatron]

It's Atari right? Look at The Witcher, which was an awesome game IMHO. They don't know how to market the products.

[NelsMonsterX]

Fantasy TBS really are a niche market, but I think Stardock CEO Brad Wardell summed their success up nicely by saying:

"Turn-based strategy games will probably always be a niche. However, they are a steady niche. As a developer, I have a pretty good idea what a well-produced, well-marketed turn-based strategy game will do. By contrast, if I’m making a first-person shooter, for instance, I really have no idea how well it will sell. It could be a major hit or it could totally bomb regardless of how well produced and marketed."

I think this is why we've seen Fantasy Wars and King's Bounty, with Elven Legacy forthcoming from 1C. Not to mention Disciples III, HOMM Kingdoms, possibly HOMM6, Stardock's new fantasy TBS, etc.

I started PC gaming exactly 2 years ago and immediately swore off console gaming for good. My favorite games now are all PC TBS titles, and I had to do a lot of digging to find them. But as long as they keep getting made, I don't mind doing the work hunting them down as opposed to having a hundred ads shoved in my face.

[vanedor]

Can't find the games on the shelves yet in Canada... no wonder the sales are low. And not a single store can tell me when they are going to have it in stock. Sounds like a poor publishing work. I remember for Oblivion my local ebgames knew exactly when they would get the copies. My only option would be to purchase the downloadable version which is something I would prefer to avoid or order it from the US and pay a high shipping fee.

[aaaaa]

Fantasy TBS really are a niche market....

Old KB was TBS. HOMM series are TBS. But....
KB:TL is NOT turn-based strategy game, but tactical fantasy RPG.
I agree that TBS is indeed a niche market as Stardog CEO said. But fantasy RPG is quite popular genre, especially on game console. Turn-based battle is standard battle system of most fantasy RPG out there. this game has lots of quests which is hallmark of RPG, but needs not much strategy to name of.
Don't be fooled with similarities with old KB and HOMM, which is genuine TB strategy game.
.

[Shd]

Sorry, but...

<offtop>

"Strategy" is not "Tactic"....

HOMM is much more strategy than tactical game. Old KB and KB:TL is much more tactical game and very little strategy. And that i like in KB:TL as i liked in Old KB... You cannot just breed 300 black dragons in castle and then "kill them all". You must think how to win even much stronger opponents with army/skills/magic etc you has. :)

</offtop>

[NelsMonsterX]

Ok, if you want to split hairs . . .

You're right, the overworld, campaign map has no turn mechanic or move limit, etc. BUT, the combat itself (which is a huge part of the game, since it cannot be skipped or avoided) is TBS. It's identical to chess in the way the battle is played out, and chess is considered a game of strategy. Nobody ever calls it the classic game of tactics. The combat is also nearly 100% identical to the HOMM games. There are many games that travel outside of a particular genre and cannot be called RTS or FPS or RPG, but a mishmash or hybrid of genres. At the very least, King's Bounty is one of these hybrid games. It cannot be compared to Diablo, or Final Fantasy, or any others. It's closest similarity is the HOMM series, which was originally derived from the first King's Bounty back in the stone age of PC gaming. KB-TL is HOMM minus castle ownership and the campaign map turn mechanic.

[Shd]

Ok, if you want to split hairs . . .

I don't... and i suppose neither you do.... :)


You're right, the overworld, campaign map has no turn mechanic or move limit, etc. BUT, the combat itself (which is a huge part of the game, since it cannot be skipped or avoided) is TBS.

By using current classification - yes. But i think you will agree that there is difference between KB combat (i have only these weak guys) and homm (just few upgrades and wait in city and i'll get/breed much better units).

It's identical to chess in the way the battle is played out, and chess is considered a game of strategy. Nobody ever calls it the classic game of tactics.

Sorry, but this is "logic" flaw.... You
compare one thing to another and automatically give all second thing attributes to first thing.


It's closest similarity is the HOMM series, which was originally derived from the first King's Bounty back in the stone age of PC gaming. KB-TL is HOMM minus castle ownership and the campaign map turn mechanic.

Naahhh... HOMM is totally reduced KB (no normal talants trees, no rage spirits, units abilities suck compared to KB (and in HooM they really suck)) only thing is castles and upgrades for weak players to breed up unbeatable armies :)

Joking, of course, because i am very pleased with HOMM series, but are you sure "KB-TL is HOMM minus castle ownership and the campaign map turn mechanic"? :)

P.S. I think we are a bit of "offtopic". Lets just continue our arguing in private (if you want to continue it)

[Wildrose]

It is shame that great game like this is ignored by the mass due to lack of adequate advertisement. Nowadays when numerous rubbish games are rushing to us like hoards of rats, we have been thirsty for good game like this for many years.

Please write user review/experience on game review site, game shopping site, Amazon, EB, and other game fan site especially RPG related site. Tell potential customers how great this game is and how you enjoyed it.
Word-of-mouth ad from heart of truly satisfied users can compensate (lack of) million dollar budget advertisement campaign.

By making more people buy this game, we can ensure release of expansion of KBTL, or help it to be better one. Capitalism is about appreciating good company/ good product with consumer's money to let them become better one. Let the the capitalism do the job!

Good suggestion!

[Jinix the Elder]

Americans have to be told over and over again before they will trust enough to buy a product because they are used to buying crap which means advertising for a product must be constant in all media, at all tradeshows and hyped on cable's pc shows. They will believe it must be good if they are told enough times.

But advertising to a mass market to gain maximum sales costs millions of dollars to do and a company must be capitalized enough to brush it off and afford the losses if it turns out to be a dud.

King's Bounty - The Legend will have a great long term legacy amoung pc gamers like 10 year old Thief series does. The owners of that game went bankrupt because the company done more than they could afford to do and yet the game still has a huge fan attraction. New mods are released constantly and fans are begging for more.

It really doesn't matter if the game reaches number 1 or even number 25 in the 'charts' it all depends on whether the developers make enough to pay for the work they do and get a nice bonus at Christmas time.

Get busy on a worthwhile expansion to the game King's Bounty - The Legend, and release a decent editor with the expansion. Sell both, the expansion and the editor together for $30 on your buy & download website. Keep the interest - keep the customer.

Jinix the Elder

The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.
Henry Ford

[ArgMyLeg]

they really need some promotion to the game, and reviews from more sites like gamespot and 1up. It shouldnt cost too much to do a decent web promotion on a few high traffic sites like penny arcade, gamespot.... maybe megatokyo or some other webcomic idealy about games

[malcolmm]

One reason why it isn't selling in Canada is that it doesn't appear to be available anywhere. I've tried Future shop, Best Buy and Electronics Boutique, none had it.

The guy I talked to at ElBo said they had quite a few calls about the game. They wouldn't let me order it, even though it was in their ordering system. So no surprise why it isn't selling - people are interested in it but can't buy it.

Unless I can buy the boxed version, I don't think I will buy it. Does anyone know of a retailer who has it in Canada (Vancouver preferably)?

[malcolmm]

I finally managed to track down a copy at the second Electronics Boutique I checked (after waiting weeks after the release date).

Future Shop and Best Buy, our main game retailers still don't stock it.

[Roman]

I bought a copy at Gamespot yesterday. It was the last (or only?) copy they had! This game is definitely not getting the publicity it deserves.

[Stever717]

I just got my latest copy of PC GAMER magazine there not one word about King's Bounty . I lost a lot of respect for them for not covering KB, seems they only cover games that buy advertisment in their magazine. I am writing a letter to ask why this is so. Feel free to express how you feel to them also.:evil:

Have to give props to Circuit City , they are the only big box store that has KB on the shelf.

[NelsMonsterX]

I just got my latest copy of PC GAMER magazine there not one word about King's Bounty . I lost a lot of respect for them for not covering KB, seems they only cover games that buy advertisment in their magazine. I am writing a letter to ask why this is so. Feel free to express how you feel to them also.:evil:

Yes, but Desslock has done a preview of the game in a previous issue and it's been one of his "5 games I'm playing" for two months. Also, if you read the blurb on the last page about the next issue, it sounds like the review will be in there. It'll be the Holiday issue too, which may be a good place to have a review of KB.

[memanme]

If i made the game, I would have put it on the consoles and sold it in japan also. These types of games seem much more popular on console.
Either way steam has what 17 million users? They put the game on the front page and do the pop up saying they have a new game out, that's a lot of advertising and possible sales. I buy from steam a fair bit, i buy stuff i wouldn't have normally brought.

I only knew about kings bounty because of metacritic and i go through all the games, before that i had heard nothing about it, still the only thing i've heard is a post on the forum i visit, which has low replies and interest but praise for the game from those who did post.

[memanme]

It's Atari right? Look at The Witcher, which was an awesome game IMHO. They don't know how to market the products.
Witcher made the enhanced edition (good marketing) which drove interest to the game, it made top 10 sales lists etc and while the advertising and talk about enhanced edition was going around.
It was also released to steam and got onto the shelves in game store once again, people were trying to buy witcher before the enhanced edition because it was a download and didn't make a difference, but stores didn't have it, but the stores did indeed have the enhanced edition a few weeks later when it was released.
It's sold over a million copies, not a failure at all for a pc only game.

[Stever717]

Yes, but Desslock has done a preview of the game in a previous issue and it's been one of his "5 games I'm playing" for two months. Also, if you read the blurb on the last page about the next issue, it sounds like the review will be in there. It'll be the Holiday issue too, which may be a good place to have a review of KB.

NelsMonsterX yes your right to point out Desslock is the only one that made any reference to KB and I must have missed the preview by him. Also the Holiday issue is the is the one I was referring to.

[maldoror]

PC Gamer has not really been worth a shit for quite a few years now..