Is Rock Band a flop?

A new IP with an expensive controller takes time to build a reputation. Guitar Hero (the original) sold a mighty 15,000 units it's first week.  (According to this site)

Rock Band, at a very high price of $170, sold over 110,000 (360+PS3) units in it's first week.  There were also supply problems in some areas.

Compaired to Guitar Hero, RB's debute was nothing short of phenominal. 

 As word of mouth spreads, and cheaper options become available (such at drums alone, etc.) I see this franchise doing quite well.

Well, it's not really a "flop", but it hasn't done GHIII numbers and the comparisons will always be there for the two games which sucks because I love the game. But it will be called a flop because it didn't do GHIII numbers.

No. I think in context, it's pretty impressive. The combined totals, if you divide the numbers by 3, are like 210K units sold. Not bad at all.

I think folks are forgetting a few things - one, it's a huge game and there aren't many stores that can keep tons of them on-hand ... two, it's expensive, and still sold well in light of GHIII and other sweet games - and three, word of mouth has been awesome. Every person I know and talked to who played it love it.

Folks said ME was a flop and I don't see it as being a flop at nearly 200K sold. It is going against SMG, GHIII, COD4 and AC ... If it drops off big time, yeah ... but I don't think so.

I also think we are *spoiled* by games opening at 500K these days. I think any game that clears 200K is doing ok, IMHO ... and lest we forget, it's a $170 game ... and I do wonder - how many standalone copies were sold? Plus, I do think you'll see a surge in February when folks can buy peripherals ...

Now I would call ME a flop. That game had the hype. The name (Bioware) and it is a good game. For it to not outsell SMG, and barely outsell AC, I'd definetly call it a flop. I still bought it... but still.

Here's the problem with comparing it th GH...

I was standing in line for it at Best Buy (along with a lot of other folks) and people kept asking "What are you waiting for?"

We'd say "Rock Band" and most folks had no idea what it was. One guy actually said..."Oh, is that like Guitar Hero."

The problem with new IP, no matter how good it is, it will not have the name recognition the first time out. It simply isn't resonable to expect a new franchise to do as well as the 3rd release of a super popular franchise.

i.e. No one would expect Bioshock, Assasin's Creed, or Mass Effect to pull Halo 3 numbers, they simply aren't proven titles yet.

It did ok but I was thinking 250,000 or so for an opening. I was way off. For some reason, I thought it was coming to PS2 this year.

I don't think it should be compared to GH3, and anyone expecting BioShock, AC, or ME to pull Halo 3 numbers are sipping the juice.

Thats cause there were people like me that got burned with KOTOR. It was sooooooooooo boring. I cant explain. It was a niche game. Whereas I easily bought Halo 3 and Cod4

Not everyone has the patience to go through a million dialog trees.