Listen, Valkyria fans - we’ve been going steady now for some time. We’ve been through good times, hard times, and even those times when were a little distant, only to come back with fantastic new DLC and a price discount while you told all your friends just how awesome we were. I don’t think there’s really any other way to say it. Valkyria Fans - we love you.
So let’s get right to it.
There may be no louder testament to the power of a hardcore fanbase and continued support from developers and publishers than this: Throughout the month of April, SEGA sponsored a number of Valkyria Chronicles community contests across sites like VGChartz, Destructoid, and others. Fans rallied on our Facebook page and our Valkyria Chronicles twitter feed, and joined us in spreading the word about how awesome Valkyria is to their friends and family - and when we announced a limited time price drop to $30, copies flew off the shelves like delicious hotcakes at a protest against weight watchers. Then, right at the pinnacle of all this Valkyria buzz and goodness, three new packs of DLC hit, and all the fans across the world rejoiced. (Especially the Selvaria groupies.)
Now for the follow-up. During those weeks, Gamasutra reported that Valkyria, which launched originally back in November, had suddenly climbed its way back up to the Top 5 selling PS3 games on Amazon - a position it held for two weeks straight, lost as it fell just slightly, and then retook again the next week. Gamestop employees posted on forums saying that copies had gone out the door at record speed. Now, the numbers are in - and we’ve never been happier to announce them.
Here we go: In the month of April alone, Valkyria Chronicles sales in North America increased by over 400% from March sales, skyrocketing the game into best-seller lists, off of store shelves, and into the homes of tens of thousands of brand new owners. Half a year after a game is out, being able to say that sales doubled is a fantastic thing - that sales suddenly tripled is even more rare. But to be able to say that sales more than quadrupled almost six months after a game’s launch is a feat that few games can ever boast - and Valkyria Chronicles, with the amazing help of all of your support, can now do so wholly.
It’s worth noting that April’s 400% sales increase over March also meant that the game sold almost as many units in that single month as it did upon launch last year - an extremely rare case for video games. We know exactly where the credit lies - and that’s with all of you guys in the community.
Squad Seven, you’ve done us proud. You’ve given attention to a game that truly deserved it, and - against all odds - helped Valkyria rise again. Thank you - all of you. Whether you’re the person constantly posting about the game on your favorite fan forum, the entrant who created Valkyria media for a contest, or the guy/gal who heard good things and decided to finally pick up a copy in the store. It’s thanks to you that this victory has happened, and as long as you guys are out there promoting the game wholeheartedly, SEGA will be right there behind you.
Thanks once again everyone - here’s to a victory well earned.
- Ruby
Source : http://blogs.sega.com/usa/2009/06/08/valkyria-fans-we-love-you/
We love you too Sega!
