Here is why Hack and Slash games don't sell

[JWeinCom]

GOWTLOZ said:

JWeinCom said:

I'm not sure what Assassin's Creed has to do with this.  I didn't say that it is a hack and slash game, or that any game with weapons based combat is.

You're still just defining hack and slash as the kinds of hack and slash games you like, and ignoring all of the other examples that disprove the point.  You've yet to give a good reason why hack and slash games require a certain selection of weapons, or a varied moveset, or whatever.  If you're only counting games that conform strictly to what the genre was like 15 years ago, and you ignore any game or franchise that has evolved over the last decade and a half, then of course the genre is going to wind up less popular. 

Here's a better criteria for hack and slash games.  Is the vast majority of the game centered around hacking and or slashing enemies?  If so, it's a hack and slash game. 

Souls games aren't centered around hacking and slashing things. THey are centered around earning Souls to buy items, craft weapon upgrades and upgrade player statistics.

You can beat the game by using magic as your primary attacking method, and use hacking and slashing sparingly. Hack and slash games are entirely made around hacking and slashing. The genre has evolved in the last fifteen years, but the core gameplay loop remains the same in modern hack and slash games.

Like I said, I haven't played the souls games, so I can't speak to whether they should be considered hack and slash or not.  I'm just saying that a large or small moveset isn't a relevant factor.

With that being said, you could easily get through the bulk of Devil May Cry 3 without any edged weapons.  It would be hard (but not impossible) to get to Beowulf without actually using your sword, and from then on, you can rely solely on Beowulf/guns/guitar.   Bayonetta games only have a few weapons that actually hack or slash, and you never have to use them.  So, the option to play the game without much hacking and slashing is a pretty weak argument too.