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javi741 on 01 March 2024
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Shtinamin_ said:
super_etecoon said:

I really hope Metroid Prime 4 gets a 2024 release on the Switch.  If Nintendo is needing to rely on this title to keep up momentum, they are going to throw so much marketing at it that it might actually have a shot at breaking 5 million.  I'd possibly be even more bullish, considering the Switch effect, but this is Metroid and I've learned the hard lesson that it will forever be a niche franchise, despite its outsized impact on the videogame landscape.

5 million would be amazing! Why is it such a niche franchise? 
Is it the lack of multiplayer? Aimed at a more “mature” audience? Too difficult?

Legend of Zelda could be considered a niche franchise too, before the Switch it couldn’t sell above 10m on a single platform (Twilight was able to from both Wii and GCN).

On the home console Animal Crossing was a niche franchise before New Horizons. Though handheld (DS & 3DS) it was able to reach 10m.

Metroid just needs that one game to break it out if it’s niche shell.

Metroid is niche relative to other Nintendo franchises mainly because it's atmosphere isn't very approachable or appealing for the broad market. Games like Mario & Zelda have bright colors, lively worlds and characters with personality, and at least some sort of story.

Metroid isn't like that, Metroid is very dark, isolated, and doesn't have that many characters or much of a story, it makes the game appear less interesting to play being in such a dark and isolated environment and I'm sure it scares off a good deal of more casual players. It was part of the reason I was a bit reluctant to try out Metroid at first because it's atmosphere just seemed too boring and dark for me.

Also, I imagine that Metroid's gameplay isn't very accessible either, it's very easy to get lost in the game and figure out what to do next since it's a game that require alot of exploration and backtracking across these huge worlds which could turn off many players as well. Mario & Zelda are a bit easier in guiding the player towards the right direction than Metroid.

And tbh, as long as Metroid stays in its current direction it'll always remain niche, people keep making the argument that Metroid could be big with better chances and marketing like Mario/Zelda but at this point it should be pretty clear that Metroid has had more than enough great chances to become big but failed to do so. Prime 3 released on the Wii's huge 100M install base and barely cracked 1 Million sold. Metroid Dread barely sold 3 Million on a 140M+ Switch install base and Prime remastered sold barely 1M as well. Even on GC after Prime 1 sold a pretty good 2.84M on a smaller install base, sales of Prime 2 would fall off a cliff compared to Prime 1 barely selling 1 Million, which gives me the indication that Prime 1 didn't impress many of the players enough for them to return to the sequels, as that's just the nature of Metroid, and there's nothing wrong with that I love Metroid the way it is even if it's not a franchise that'll appeal to many people, it's isolation and atmosphere are part of the reason I love the game so much as a unique experience.

I see Prime 4 selling around 5 Million at best.