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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - One Year Later, Metroid Samus Returns Still Not Sold Over 500k

 

Played Samus Returns?

Yes 45 46.88%
 
Nope 51 53.13%
 
Total:96
Snoorlax on 30 September 2018
GoOnKid said:

It's actually pretty good, so I am disappointed by this.

So am i

CladInShadows said:
This is unfortunate. As a fan of the series, I'm sad that this only gives Nintendo another excuse to shelf the series for another 10 years.

That's the most likely scenario.

HintHRO said:
It is under 1m for the same reason upcoming 3DS games will sell under 1m (Captain Toad, Luigi's Mansion, Kirby Epic Yarn etc), 3DS is dead. Nintendo wants to believe it's not because they don't want to make a 3DS successor now with Switch resembling a console and handheld hybrid. Also, Samus Returns is the second remake of Metroid: Return of Samus. You can't expect gamers to buy every remake like it's a totally new game.

So no, I don't think this is necessarily a bad sign for the Metroid series. We'll have to wait for Metroid Prime 4 numbers. MP4 is a brand new game on a new console with a healthy consumer base, so I expect it to do atleast 3m.

No. It's the only official remake by Nintendo and generally speaking not even the Metroid fanbase cares for or even played Return of Samus let alone non fans.

The_Liquid_Laser said:
All I can say is that I'm not excited to play Metroid games anymore. The NES Metroid is one of my favorite games of all time, but the others I have tried just don't feel right for some reason.

On a somewhat related note, I think Axiom Verge is great and would recommend it to any classic Metroid fan.

Maybe Metroid is just not for you.

Mr.GameCrazy said:
Metroid: Samus Returns was great. It's a shame it hasn't sold well.

I know right

curl-6 said:
Snoorlax said:

Your argument falls apart the moment you mentioned PS2, and you only made it worse by mentioning FIFA.

First of all Metroid is a niche core Nintendo exclusive game which sells on average 1m - 1,5m. FIFA is a multiplatform annual sports franchise that sells on average 8m just with the casual market alone. Seriously, if you wanted a game to compare keep it on the 3DS which has received a bunch of spin-offs and remakes of niche/core games last year lol.

PS2 was relevant like 13 years ago are you seriously comparing it to 3DS which is still relevant, still receiving games, still has millions of players active and this is a core game from last year we're talking about not some sports or dance game. No, the 3DS is not booming like Switch but are you suggesting that those 70m users have moved on the Switch and abanoned the 3DS, Cause if that were the case Ninty and most of all third parties would have stopped supporting the 3DS by now. 

Dragon Quest 11 released just last year and has easily surpassed 2m mark on 3DS alone so you were saying... "You can't release major titles on old hardware"... Yeah that doesn't matter at all if there's demand and a dedicated following for it which again Metroid lacks even in it's biggest market NA.

I guess nobody asked for Super Metroid, Prime Trilogy or better yet "a good Metroid game" by your logic.

You missed the point entirely; the differences between FIFA and Metroid are immaterial, the point is, a larger userbase means nothing when that userbase have largely moved on. 

And no, the 3DS is not "still relevant." Let's look at the sales of 3DS games that came out this year, from major IPs no less:

Kirby Battle Royale: 280k

Detective Pikachu: 300k

Captain Toad: 80k

The userbase has jumped ship, it's a dead system. 

Samus Returns failed because it launched on an obsolete platform that gamers were tired of and moving on from, instead of the exciting new platform they were upgrading to and hungry for games for, it's as simple as that.

Sure buddy, keep comparing it to PS2 of all systems lol.



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Jumpin on 30 September 2018

I’m still awaiting the Switch port. I liked the original Metroid 2 back in the day. I’m one of the weird ones who enjoyed the first two Metroids, but not the later ones.

That said: Metroid Prime 4 - I have no plans to get that one, not unless someone like Monolithsoft does the game and transforms it into more of an RPG instead of an FPS dungeon crawler.

Last edited by Jumpin - on 30 September 2018

I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.

curl-6 on 30 September 2018
Snoorlax said:

curl-6 said:

You missed the point entirely; the differences between FIFA and Metroid are immaterial, the point is, a larger userbase means nothing when that userbase have largely moved on. 

And no, the 3DS is not "still relevant." Let's look at the sales of 3DS games that came out this year, from major IPs no less:

Kirby Battle Royale: 280k

Detective Pikachu: 300k

Captain Toad: 80k

The userbase has jumped ship, it's a dead system. 

Samus Returns failed because it launched on an obsolete platform that gamers were tired of and moving on from, instead of the exciting new platform they were upgrading to and hungry for games for, it's as simple as that.

Sure buddy, keep comparing it to PS2 of all systems lol.

You continue to miss the point; PS2 was merely an example that a "larger userbase" is meaningless when that userbase has moved on.

The 3DS's days of relevance are long gone. Almost every game released on it since the Switch came out has underperformed or outright bombed.

Let's compare some sales of games that released side-by-side on both 3DS and Switch:

Captain Toad

Switch: 400k

3DS: 80k

Fire Emblem Warriors

Switch: 480k

3DS: 140k

The conclusion is obvious; Samus Returns would have sold far better on Switch, and it's failure is entirely Nintendo's fault for releasing it on an obsolete platform that gamers were moving on from instead of the far superior new platform they were flocking to and hungry for games for.

Last edited by curl-6 - on 30 September 2018

HylianSwordsman on 30 September 2018

This game got shafted. I still think it was Nintendo's shitty marketing to blame this time around though. Announcing it in a fucking Treehouse stream? Really? Barely got any promotion too.



Arminillo on 30 September 2018

If they release it digitally on switch itll get to 1 mil easy



Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda Muda!!!!


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JWeinCom on 30 September 2018
curl-6 said:
Snoorlax said:

Sure buddy, keep comparing it to PS2 of all systems lol.

You continue to miss the point; PS2 was merely an example that a "larger userbase" is meaningless when that userbase has moved on.

The 3DS's days of relevance are long gone. Almost every game released on it since the Switch came out has underperformed or outright bombed.

Let's compare some sales of games that released side-by-side on both 3DS and Switch:

Captain Toad

Switch: 400k

3DS: 80k

Fire Emblem Warriors

Switch: 480k

3DS: 140k

The conclusion is obvious; Samus Returns would have sold far better on Switch, and it's failure is entirely Nintendo's fault for releasing it on an obsolete platform that gamers were moving on from instead of the far superior new platform they were flocking to and hungry for games for.

 

Why are we concluding that it was a failure? If you just mean it could have sold more, then yes it could have sold more on the Switch. But, there is also value in showing support for a console even after its successor is released.  This is something Sony has been consistently praised for.  There's also lower development costs in HD, and the fact that the developer was familiar with 3DS hardware, and not Switch hardware.  I believe that the game runs on Castlevania's engine.  Development on the Switch may have represented a commitment they were uncomfortable with, or would require much more assistance from Nintendo's staff.

Also, I think Prime 4 is a bit more exciting as the first Metroid on the Switch.  I think Samus Returns would somewhat water down the hype.

I think the game did what it was supposed to do.  It's a cheap game that didn't really take a lot of resources to develop, wasn't risky to develop, that will make 3DS owners happy.  It's really not a surprise that Nintendo's post Switch 3DS offerings have pretty much been remakes that run on existing engines.  (FE Warriors, Echoes, Mario and Luigi, Luigi's Mansion, Mario Party, etc.)  They know what they're doing, and I think 500K or so is enough to make a profit.  



curl-6 on 30 September 2018
JWeinCom said:
curl-6 said:

You continue to miss the point; PS2 was merely an example that a "larger userbase" is meaningless when that userbase has moved on.

The 3DS's days of relevance are long gone. Almost every game released on it since the Switch came out has underperformed or outright bombed.

Let's compare some sales of games that released side-by-side on both 3DS and Switch:

Captain Toad

Switch: 400k

3DS: 80k

Fire Emblem Warriors

Switch: 480k

3DS: 140k

The conclusion is obvious; Samus Returns would have sold far better on Switch, and it's failure is entirely Nintendo's fault for releasing it on an obsolete platform that gamers were moving on from instead of the far superior new platform they were flocking to and hungry for games for.

 

Why are we concluding that it was a failure? If you just mean it could have sold more, then yes it could have sold more on the Switch. But, there is also value in showing support for a console even after its successor is released.  This is something Sony has been consistently praised for.  There's also lower development costs in HD, and the fact that the developer was familiar with 3DS hardware, and not Switch hardware.  I believe that the game runs on Castlevania's engine.  Development on the Switch may have represented a commitment they were uncomfortable with, or would require much more assistance from Nintendo's staff.

Also, I think Prime 4 is a bit more exciting as the first Metroid on the Switch.  I think Samus Returns would somewhat water down the hype.

I think the game did what it was supposed to do.  It's a cheap game that didn't really take a lot of resources to develop, wasn't risky to develop, that will make 3DS owners happy.  It's really not a surprise that Nintendo's post Switch 3DS offerings have pretty much been remakes that run on existing engines.  (FE Warriors, Echoes, Mario and Luigi, Luigi's Mansion, Mario Party, etc.)  They know what they're doing, and I think 500K or so is enough to make a profit.  

Possibly, but the OP's claim was that it should have sold more and that we as gamers are to blame for not buying it. I'd simply contend that it would have sold more if it was on an exciting and booming new system instead of a 6 year old one that just got replaced.



VAMatt on 01 October 2018
PAOerfulone said:

Ok, I’m sorry, but I have to say something: I find all the Switch port begging for this title and bitterness over this game’s performance is really petty and pathetic.
We got a full blown, 2D Metroid remake (for $40 instead of $60) on a platform that was still performing well and that most, if not all Nintendo fans have. In addition, the game was announced alongside Metroid Prime 4 for the Switch. Most importanlty, the game itself turned out to be great. I bought it, played it, and enjoyed it very much and am looking forward to Prime 4.

So,
+ It was a great game.
+ It’s something fans wanted.
+ It showed that Nintendo is still supporting the series.

It literally had everything a Metroid fan could have possibly wanted at that time following 7 years of nothing in between besides Federation Force. And yet some fans didn’t buy it because:
- It’s on the 3DS... A respectfully solid system with a good install base and a great library of games that is still selling well for a system that is currently in its 8th year and its successor has already been out for a year and a half.
- Because you wanted a Metroid game on the Switch.... When you already know that you’re going to get a (bigger, greater, far more ambitious) Metroid game

I’m sorry, but you guys get no sympathy from me this time. If some of you are still not going to buy a genuine, 2D Metroid game after all that, then I’m beginning to think that maybe Nintendo is not the problem.

You've missed the point.  People have moved on from 3DS.  Some no longer own it, some just don't want to go back to the two screens and mediocre graphics.  

I'm in the group that no longer owns a 3DS.  It sat for about 2 years with almost no use.  Then Switch came along and sealed the deal.  There was no reason for me to own a 3DS.  Had this game launched even one year sooner, I'd have purchased it.  Certainly, the same holds true for many people.  

It is incumbent upon Nintendo to release the right games at the right times.  In this case, they failed on the timing.  Consequently, sales sucked.



snyps on 01 October 2018

I wonder if the unofficial remake for pc hurt sales?



derpysquirtle64 on 01 October 2018

I've bought it day one but still hasn't finished it. Something seems off with this game for me even though I'm a big 2D Metroid fan and completed every game several times.