Why this game is so low in sales ranking?

aaaaa · #1 10-11-2008, 02:59 PM

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 · #2 10-11-2008, 03:05 PM

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 · #3 10-11-2008, 03:56 PM

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 · #4 10-11-2008, 10:49 PM

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.

phoenixreborn · #5 10-12-2008, 12:20 AM

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 · #6 10-12-2008, 12:27 AM

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

aaaaa · #7 10-12-2008, 01:17 AM

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.

Multiplicity · #8 10-13-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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.

memanme · #9 11-02-2008, 03:01 PM

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.