Microsoft is primed to dominate discourse this E3.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 launched last week to solid reviews from both fans and players. But its playercount? That's another story.
That's awful. This combined with the really low Steam numbers paint a disastrous picture imo. Really bad timing too because Tango was closed down for a similar thing. Great reviewed game, and low sales and/or player count. Hi-Fi Rush reviewed a hell of a lot better and it was widely loved by everyone, Hellblade 2 nowhere near that.
I know the rumor is that the studio has their next game already green-lit, but if I worked at Tango, I would be furious. "Why do they survive while we get binned?" I'd be telling myself.
But the suit woman will have you believe "Oh we have different metrics for the success of one studio compared to another studio. We judge each studio and game on their own set criteria" or something like that, I'm paraphrasing here but you get the idea. But no one who works there knows what the hell that even means. I mean the DLC for Redfall was getting worked on days before they even got the news their studio was getting dumped in the trash. So what are these mysterious metrics to let studios survive and others perish? I bet this is all hogwash, I bet MS don't even really know. They just had to make cuts and certain studios just found their way on the chopping block. Someone had to bite the dust, why not you?
Well I bet all this does nothing for the confidence of other employees in other studios. The truth is you have no idea where your career will be in a year from now working at one of their studios that aren't the mega big ones. MS just have too many studios to manage efficiently. "We'll just throw money at them and buy them and worry about the details later on. I mean we can do it, we're Microsoft."
...have you seen what the top 10 consists of? Its things like fortnite, roblox, CoD, apex... etc. This being a new game that has a niche appeal is actually surprising to see at 23. Its also the 33rd top paid game on the PC through the MS store.
Those are dreadful numbers any way you slice it dude. They hyped this game to hell for the last 4 plus yrs. It was supposed to be xboxs big game this yr. Ninja Theory is probably sweating right now.
And it's already slipped out of the Top 100 on Steam. Meanwhile a port of the 4-year old Ghost of Tsushima is sitting comfortably at #8.
One of the biggest games of the year, a multi million sequel and heavily advertised game, at 23 most played? There's no way to justify those numbers.
^^heavily advertised game...?
I mean, I knew the game was coming but outside of a boot screen ad for it, there has been little to no marketing. And yet it still managed 23rd. Make of that what you will.
Here in the East Coast on NY/NJ on cable tv Hellblade 2 has been advertised pretty well. I see the commercials every day at least 3 times a day for the past 3 weeks. It's even advertised as YT commercials.
What an idiotic comment. Let me guess the next comment would be GTA V outsold everything so....
Absolutely terrible numbers all round for this game. Ghost of Tsushima at number 8. Good games going to sell regardless of excuses
What a disaster, 2 failures in a row for Ninja Theory, first Bleeding edge, now Hellblade 2, any way you slice it these are not the numbers the most awaited game of the year for Xbox should show (before Activision purchase), also player numbers is extremely low and even more surprising considering is day 1 on gamepass.
If they worked on heavenly sword instead then they would have something worth playing and waiting for... unfortunately that won't happen.
If this game cost more and took longer to develop than Hi-Fi Rush, then I would worry if I were Ninja Theory. Projects may have been greenlit, but the increased scrutiny over at MS may very well put them on the chopping block. The incredible irony here is that it was PlayStation players that pushed the original game passed its 1 million copies sold milestone. With that purchasing power cut out, and the Game Pass effect having trained Xbox players to not purchase games, it seems that the sequel may have been set-up for failure.
And that's exactly what pisses me off about Hellblade 2 not being on PlayStation, Sony promoted the original game and I bought it basically on D1 back in the day because I liked what I saw and ended up really enjoying it!
I really hope Hellblade 2 is next on the porting list because I would buy it in a heartbeat, asshole microsoft robbed me of this game!
"Limassol-based (Cyprus) indie games publisher ESDigital Games and Moscow-based (Russia) indie games developer Sobaka Studio, are today very proud and glad to announce that they have just released the "Full Act 2" update for their fast-paced twin-stick shooter “REMEDIUM” (the said update is available right now for PC via Steam and EGS)." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
"The Barcelona-based (Spain) indie games publisher Abylight Studios and indie games developer Abylight Barcelona (the award-winning studio behind “One Military Camp”), today announced with great happiness and excitement that they have just released a playable demo for their upcoming mythical city building/strategy game “CITADELUM” (the said demo is available right now for PC via Steam EA)." - Jonas Ek, TGG.
They are the only ones there so I hate to spoil your attempt at drama, but the win/lose game is going to be very anti-climatic.
I'm looking forward to it, sincerely.
Partly to see what their first-party studios have managed to put together so far, partly to see the xCloud thing promises they'll be making, partly to see what their next gen console might offer so I know what ballpark the PS5 will be in, and partly to see what multiplatform games to look forward to.
Their last E3 was strong in terms of content, this could be better. However, they'll have all eyes on them early June so there will be more pressure to deliver and bear the weight alone that Sony and others normally do.
I'm excited to see what happens
MS may appear to be alone but they won't be. Nintendo will most likely hold an E3 themed Direct. Sony will attempt to steal thunder too with an E3 themed State of Play. You really think they'll let MS hug all the spotlight? Nope.
That said, I believe MS will have a fantastic E3 Conference.
"Microsoft is primed to dominate discourse this E3."
well... that's easy to do when your competitors don't have presentations scheduled...