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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Nintendo trying to figure out ehy Metroid Other M didn't sell

So ... yes why?

 

 

Nintendo wanted to sell a million copies of Metroid: Other M, which wasn't a bad game. They won't, not by the end of the year in America, and now they're trying to figure out why.

Was it the quality of the game? Do people not care about Metroid? Was it really a problem, as some fans complained, that series heroine Samus Aran seemed to have transformed from the quiet bounty-hunter bad-ass she had been in previous games to a subservient and insecure writer of space diaries?

"We believe that it could be, should be a million unit title," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime told Kotaku in an interview this morning. "We're not going to get there, not through the holiday. And we are doing a lot of thinking as to why. Because it's a great game. The consumer reaction because of the quality has been strong. We're doing a lot of thinking about why we didn't get there. I think the marketing was strong, advertising was very good, the social media we did was very positive."

Fils-Aime said the game is "getting close to half a million" copies sold in the U.S. That's no flop, but it's also not a blockbuster. I pushed him on the portrayal of Samus since that's the loudest criticism I've seen of the game. The graphics were very good, the gameplay was a throwback to earlier Metroid games. But Samus, some people just couldn't stand how she was portrayed and complained about it here in Kotaku's comments as well as in reviews in other outlets.

"First off, [I have] nothing but the greatest respect for the development team," Fils-Aime said. "Mr. Sakamoto [co-creator of Metoid] did a wonderful job. His partnership with us in promoting the game was stellar. Team Ninja [is] absolutely fabulous. I'm not going to sit here and criticize a style of the game, but have I read the same feedback that said, broadly, that the portrayal of Samus felt different than how the player in the past had internalized the character? I've heard and read the same feedback. Do I think it's warranted or not? I'm not quite sure yet... I don't yet believe that that is the driving factor to the performance of the game."


I feel like we heard similar disappointment from Nintendo about the sales of the later Metroid Prime games, which, since I'm already linking to my Other M review, I might as well say I loved. Three of my favorite games.

I'll leave it to others to figure out what didn't go right. I just wanted to know from Fils-Aime if he thought the Metroid series has a future.

"I certainly hope so," he said. "I'm a passionate fan of Samus and the Metroid series."

http://kotaku.com/5688617/nintendo-trying-to-figure-out-what-went-wrong-with-newest-metroid



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It was a gamble on their part, to try to turn the franchise back into a Japanese blockbuster, though ultimately it seemed to have worked like those Japanese attempts to appeal to Western gamers. Their attempts to Japan-ize the game were actually partially successful (stronger launch over there than Prime 3), but not enough to make up for the crippled EU sales and slightly down USA sales

 

Unfortunate, because from a pure gameplay perspective, it's very much the direction i would like to see the franchise go in. As a safe bet, they should remake Super Metroid in that style. It would blow minds.



Monster Hunter: pissing me off since 2010.

Maybe Metroid fans can get the treatment Earthbound fans get... no no thats just spiteful of me... unless that means Earthbound becomes their new potential poster child >:D 



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I am actually embarrassed at my continent's complete and utter dismissal of the game

That said I didn't see any ads for it outside ONM and I know a couple of people who didn't buy it because of the higher age rating compared to other Metroid games




MrT-Tar said:

I am actually embarrassed at my continent's complete and utter dismissal of the game

That said I didn't see any ads for it outside ONM and I know a couple of people who didn't buy it because of the higher age rating compared to other Metroid games


? I'm guessing you mean Europe but looking at the ESRB ratings are T for the entire series minus the 2D games of course.



MaxwellGT2000 - "Does the amount of times you beat it count towards how hardcore you are?"

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Didn't see much advertisement for this game. In fact, Reach was hogging up all the ads during that time (even weeks before its release).



MaxwellGT2000 said:
MrT-Tar said:

I am actually embarrassed at my continent's complete and utter dismissal of the game

That said I didn't see any ads for it outside ONM and I know a couple of people who didn't buy it because of the higher age rating compared to other Metroid games


? I'm guessing you mean Europe but looking at the ESRB ratings are T for the entire series minus the 2D games of course.


Yeah, I live in the U.K so I'm subject to PEGI.  Here Other M is 16, while other metroid games are usually 7 or 12.  My 14 year old cousin, for example, wasn't allowed by his Mum to buy the game due to the age rating despite being a huge Metroid fan.

While I don't think it was the reason Other M really bombed here in Europe, it can't have exactly helped it.




Sony has created many great franchises this gen due to BUNDLING. Mario is not your only franchise (and Japan's not your only region while we're at it)



It didn't seem like much of a metroid game to be honest



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Time for hype

Too many other games. I think a lot of people who'd buy a game like Metroid Other M have a PS3 or 360 as well, and these simply had a massive line-up this year. I'm a big Nintendo fan, but I do prefer my 360 for TV gaming (DS is still by far the most played) because of graphics and achievements. I think a lot of people who are potential buyers for Metroid Other M feel that way. DKCR won't have that problem, I believe.