Reasons for the slow sales of Alan Wake?

[SaviorX]

CGI-Quality said:

SaviorX said:

CGI-Quality said:

SaviorX said:
First off, survival horror isn't that popular as a genre to begin with. With the exception of Resident Evil, the sales barrier stops at around 2.5m (I haven't checked Left4Dead in a while). L4D is an action horror, little different.

Second off, no commercials/ads.
Third, the main character looks hideous. Now, I'm not the one to call guys cute, and bald space marines don't exactly make the cover of GQ magazine, but Alan Wake just looks like a douche. I guess he does look the part of a writer then (OW!) - Hmmm....I don't think this really would hurt it sales much.

Fourth, internet hype =/= sales. Every exclusive is being treated like the Second Coming of Christ when it is nowhere near that popular off of the interwebs and in the real world. AW is not a system seller despite popular internet belief. - Not very many people consider WAKE a system seller. I agree that every exclusive does get hyped to no end though.

Fifth, reviews. I'm on VGC everyday, and I don't know what type of reviews it is getting. Is it even out in America???!? Even if I did know what scores AW was getting, I personally am not interested. - It's out in America with generally good reviews 83 - Meta

and Sixth? Alone In The Dark - Has no relevance. I can't see it as a stopping factor, particularly when the titles are not alike besides the genre by which they share.

My take.

Ultimately, the game was just a disappointment. Many gamers unfortunately swear by Metacritic. Several were expecting it to not only get a higher rating than Galaxy 2. In retrospect that is laughable but alas, http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=108372

With the hundreds of threads made here about Alan Wake over the past year, many people touted it as the last system seller before Halo Reach, although I can acknowledge than no one was dumb enough to think it would exceed the sales potential of that game.

Plus, people were comparing it to much more mass-appealing titles, like Galaxy 2 stated previously, and God of War 3: http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=107492

When you put things like that, the game loses every time. Also, I think you would be surprised how much an uglyprotagonist can be a turn off to people. The boxart isn't doing it any favors either. It is almost as bad as Ju-on.

Marcus Fenix is as ooogly as it gets, but that hasn't stopped Gears of War now has it? :P

On a serious note, WAKE probably did disappoint just a tad, but I think it's too early to peg it with the "flop" card just yet.

Remember what I said earlier:

"Now, I'm not the one to call guys cute, and bald space marines don't exactly make the cover of GQ magazine, but Alan Wake just looks like a douche." Marcus Fenix makes up for his rapist looks with grunts, swearing, gratuitous gore, and a couple vicious guns.

I'm not going to call Wake a flop. I will wait for someone else to tell the truth.