Very disappointing for a major 360 exclusive. RPG crowd isn't that big evidently on 360...

I think it is ck...........i have no clue why it didnt sell. Im convincing most of my friends about it right as we speak.

Rpgs sell, at least western style do (oblivion did very well, same with other western style, look how two worlds did and it sucked)

 I expected at least 500k.  Evidently, Microsoft has some work to do to get a strong RPG base on its console.  Since this game had alot of shooter elements (and a Bald Space Marine as a protagonist), I was expecting much better.  I'm not sure its such a MS vs. Sony thing as much, but its the fact that America hardcore market is becoming almost purely FPS based.  Its even becoming more so that way in the last year.  If I remember, Oblivion did really well.

Just to add some anecdotal evidence from down under to the mix. Mass Effect was sold out in every EB and other major retailers in my area. Apparently it was understocked though so lucklily for me as I purchased my 360 I didn`t have the temptation of getting this as well. It will have to wait until Christmas now.

It deserves higher sales, even for its pitfalls, its a great game.

This doesn't really surprise me.

Keep in mind there was some serious backlash for selling out to EA. When that deal went through their boards were flooded with "I was going to buy mass effect on BioWare faith alone, but since I never give money to EA ..."

As good of a game as it is (I sat behind my friend and watched him play for hours), the EA stigma most definitely had a hand in sales. I got rid of my pre-order, my friend who was playing went the route of "meh, rent it a couple times and call it good".

As someone who has supported them since Baldur's Gate on PC and bought many of their games, I will never buy another BioWare game again. I'll buy it used in a heart beat, anything I can do to play the game and make sure EA never sees a penny of it.

It can be the best game ever made, but if EA has a hand in it you can expect it to take a hit in sales. Skate got the same fate. As cool as everyone thought it was, in the end the EA tag killed it.

Doesn't anyone have faith that since the game is made of pure awesomeness, that it'll have legs?

This is in between Oblivion and Two Worlds in terms of opening. Two Worlds was @ 116k (and has an LTD of 280k in the States), and Oblivion's 260k (which is now near 1.5m in the states alone).

Mass Effect has the advantage of being both well reviewed, and near Christmas. Atleast where I live, the buzz about the game is great. I've already had 2-3 people ask me about the game, and were interested in buying it. It'll have a great Christmas campaign. It's just getting lost in the mix of every other game. Rainbow Six Vegas and Call of Duty 3 were the same way last year - both had very weak openings vs. Gears of War, but both wound up north of 1.4m in the US, and near 2m worldwide.

 Wow.  I was off by 200% for game sales. 

 Very disappinting for a major exclusive with great reviews.

Although it will have legs - I think you'll see sales drop off significantly after the new year. Assassins Creed may end up with much better legs?

I'm all for Mass Effect doing well - as its my type of game. Would love to see MS actually advertise it here.

I wonder if MS's inexperience in handling a big Xmas season is really telling here - they can advertise a game or two, but not everything effectively. I'm actually shocked by the lack of 360 awareness/ads around at the moment - its all PS3/PSP/DS/Wii...