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Forums - Sales Discussion - Star Ocean 4 - What went wrong with its sales?

Cueil on 24 March 2009
Soriku said:
Riachu said:
I think it might have something to do with the art style. The characters just look too much like dolls. It doesn't help the game seems(still haven't played it yet) to have a poorly written script and terrible voice acting. Another problem is that JRPGs in general are being shunned due to their overused stories, character stereotypes, poor dialogue, art style that doesn't appeal to Western audiences, etc.

 

Definitely not art style...it's a realistic game not cel shaded or something like ToV or ES.

 

 Play Mass Effect and then play SO4 and tell me it's realistic... it's not... They need to be more manly... these androgonous men just don't do well with the 360 owners, but Cmd. Shepperd... he's a badass (or she) and thus appeals to the core more.  Want to know how LO got away with that girly shirt... the game started out with him murdering people left a right... that's the only way... you have to prove your manhood if you want to wear a girly shirt or have hips and a penis.



 
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Cueil on 24 March 2009
outlawauron said:
mrstickball said:
outlawauron said:

I don't agree with this argument, but I'll give.

There is all the outcry because of the amount of money spent on the 360 and PS3 RPGs versus those DS games.

Ah, but let's not forget that said 360/PS3 JRPGs are $20 more expensive than the average NDS JRPG.

But also don't forget that budget differences are far larger than 33%.

Revenue in these HD projects are much, much higher, but it's the same argument that Wii owners give with World at War sales. Profit: cost ratio.

Again, I'm not a fan of this argument. I'm just giving it.

Nintendo takes just as much money as Sony and Microsoft do only you sell games for ten bucks more on those systems.  You're looking at tens of millions of dollars diffrence just on the 360 version.  It's not even comparable when it comes to games like that

 



 
Get your Portable ID!

Himan11 on 24 March 2009

Let's just enjoy the games, no matter which platform the game is on.
Right now I'm just waiting for NBGI to finished this "in preparation" site
http://tog.namco-ch.net/
ToG should be Tales of Gracia's homepage yay



Currently Playing: Devil Survivor 2 (NDS)

Bitmap Frogs on 24 March 2009

Lost Odyssey worked very well in the west because it was as westernized as it could be while still being japanese at heart. Which is what japanese companies should be doing if they want their games to sell here.

The Gooch got it right - he and his crew sold 650k copies of pure-old-school turn-based combat in the land of the first person shooter.





Current-gen game collection uploaded on the profile, full of win and good games; also most of my PC games. Lucasfilm Games/LucasArts 1982-2008 (Requiescat In Pace).

memory2zack on 24 March 2009

Best thing is to make good RPGs with an universal appeal and the subtle Japanese flair like during the SNES, PS1 times.



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WereKitten on 24 March 2009
Bitmap Frogs said:
Lost Odyssey worked very well in the west because it was as westernized as it could be while still being japanese at heart. Which is what japanese companies should be doing if they want their games to sell here.

The Gooch got it right - he and his crew sold 650k copies of pure-old-school turn-based combat in the land of the first person shooter.

Why should they "westernize" it if they want to sell?

According to the charts FF X sold 4.92M in NA+Others and it surely was not westernized in any way.

Not in appearance with its metrosexual main character and kimono-wearing, shinto-priest prima donna. And not in mechanics which was pure old school.

Or what about FF X-2? Fashion-victim japanese pop idols managed to sell 2.80M copies in NA+Others.

 



"All you need in life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." - Mark Twain

"..." - Gordon Freeman

mrstickball on 24 March 2009

Found the Star Ocean 3 numbers for it's debut. 222,000 units in 30 days.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

Bitmap Frogs on 24 March 2009
WereKitten said:
Bitmap Frogs said:
Lost Odyssey worked very well in the west because it was as westernized as it could be while still being japanese at heart. Which is what japanese companies should be doing if they want their games to sell here.

The Gooch got it right - he and his crew sold 650k copies of pure-old-school turn-based combat in the land of the first person shooter.

Why should they "westernize" it if they want to sell?

According to the charts FF X sold 4.92M in NA+Others and it surely was not westernized in any way.

Not in appearance with its metrosexual main character and kimono-wearing, shinto-priest prima donna. And not in mechanics which was pure old school.

Or what about FF X-2? Fashion-victim japanese pop idols managed to sell 2.80M copies in NA+Others.

 

 

You answered yourself there...

 





Current-gen game collection uploaded on the profile, full of win and good games; also most of my PC games. Lucasfilm Games/LucasArts 1982-2008 (Requiescat In Pace).

Cueil on 25 March 2009
Bitmap Frogs said:
WereKitten said:
Bitmap Frogs said:
Lost Odyssey worked very well in the west because it was as westernized as it could be while still being japanese at heart. Which is what japanese companies should be doing if they want their games to sell here.

The Gooch got it right - he and his crew sold 650k copies of pure-old-school turn-based combat in the land of the first person shooter.

Why should they "westernize" it if they want to sell?

According to the charts FF X sold 4.92M in NA+Others and it surely was not westernized in any way.

Not in appearance with its metrosexual main character and kimono-wearing, shinto-priest prima donna. And not in mechanics which was pure old school.

Or what about FF X-2? Fashion-victim japanese pop idols managed to sell 2.80M copies in NA+Others.

 

 

You answered yourself there...

 

no crap... FF is in another league

 



 
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NinjaKido on 25 March 2009

Developers need to stop taking money for exclusivity , the risk destroying the popularity and consequently their long term profitability of the franchise if the games don't sell well (by then the moneyhatts will be long gone).