| jarrod said: Well, 2.5D doesn't mean strict 2D... it could "open up" in sections like Metroid: Other M or Sonic Colors. If it were a Wii retail game, I'd expect a scope (and budget) that probably went beyond what we'd get as an XBLA/PSN release (which probably would be strict 2D, which is cool also). It's not like Konami would be making the same sort of game on either and just charging differently... they're not EA. ;) And why would Iga bother doing a full 2D Metroidvania on XBLA/PSN for $15 when he could do it on 3DS for the same cost (or less) for $30, and probably sell comparably? He'd be devaluing the product, it'd encourage consumers to expect cheaper prices for these sorts of games, which is already becoming something of a problem with XBLA (it's similar to iOS devaluing traditional game products in the handheld space). Sonic 4 is already a bit of a mistake in this direction imo, it really should've been a full retail release rather than a chopped up downloadable. As a retail Wii/PS2/360/PS3 game it'd probably have sold dramatically more than all the Episodes will as WiiWare/XBLA/PSN/iOS downloads. edit: also, where are you getting XBLA/PSN figures for SotN? It's over a million on just those two combined? How did HoD XBLA do? |
I understand that Konami could potentially justify a lot of content for a full fledged 2D title, but I don't think Castlevania has the pedigree to justify a good return on investment for a major big-budget 2D title at $50 or more.
About the 3DS cost - remember that selling a game on XBLA/PSN/WiiWare for $15 is not the same as selling a retail game. On a digital title, you get a 70% cut of any revenues that come in, or approximately $10.50 per unit sold, assuming it is self-published (obviously Konami is in a position for such a thing). Comparatively, a 3DS title will require a lot of fees to go out - Nintendo's royalty fee, shipping & distribution of the title, retailer markup, and cost of the product itself - the cartridge. By the time you take those fees out of the equasion, you may not be making any more money on a 3DS title than an XBLA/PSN game. That is why we see so many titles go the way of digital distribution on PC - because you make more money for less work. Not to mention the fact that you have a much longer tail of sales on a virtually infinite market than you do at retail.
It's not about devaluing the product, its about offering a good value proposition...Trials HD and Castle Crashers would of never reached their epic sales levels at retail if they would of even been published. That is why XBLA/PSN/WiiWare can be great platforms - ideas and concepts can be published that would be poison at retail.
I agree that Sonic 4 wasn't the best in example, but was a very good idea in theory. Its unfortunate that they didn't get the physics right, and the episodes are likely to sell a fraction of Sonic 4, but having it as a digital title likely meant a much lower required threshold of units sold to break even. Its hard, also, to compare sales on a 1st episode versus preceived sales on a multi-plat boxed title. Could if of sold better on retail? Probably. Would it justify development on multi-plat systems for a full retail release and major marketing push? Unlikely.
I have SoTN/HoD sales because I'm in a position to know them 
SoTN sold about 450k on XBLA and counting, and I estimate about 250-300k on PSN. HoD has done rather poorly at 175k on XBLA, but I think that is due to the stylistic choices in the game. Personally, I think HoD was rather offputting and could have sold twice as much by now if it was more Metroidvania-like SoTN.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
