So I was at a friends and familiy day for a store where we got the employee discount. It came out to their cost + 5%.  I bought a copy of Zach & Wiki for myself and 1 for a gift. At $35.54 a piece that means their cost was $33.85.

The rest of the numbers are guesses but I figure $3.85 for the actual cost of stamping the dvd, the case, shipping to stores etc. So $30 goes to Capcom. On the low side I guess $5 to Nintendo, high side $10.  So at most we are talking $25 is what Capcom ends up with.

How many copies will it take to be profitable? What will it take to make another game?

 I guess it comes down to how expensive a game like this is to make, and if they would be willing to take a loss to launch a new ip/earn a good reputation on a new console.

 I don't think they would make it at a loss so it would have to be profitable.

at $25 each

Copies 

50,000   = $1.25 Million

100,000 = $2.5  Million

200,000 = $5.0 Million

500,000 = $12.5 Million

I am guessing this game probably cost around $4 million to make(at best) so 160,000 units would be enough for profit.

What do you think?   

I wonder how many copies HS and Lair need to sell to stay profitable (not to mention KZ2!)

I guess if other games also sent 62% back to the maker that would be $37.5 on a $60 game.

How much was Lair? $20 million. So I estimate  533,000 copies to break even.

Let us not even talk about the monumental failure that is LAIr.

HS will be profitable...or probably is already now....

 Seems a possibility, it does not look like it had any gigantic budget.  I would have guessed more like 5 or 6 but I am just guessing so 4 seem as reasonable.  I hope that is true as if so I would guess they would be happy selling somewhere in the 300s which seems reasonable if it can keep up a strong word of mouth campaign.  I have done my part by buying my copy and telling my other Wii owning friends about it.

My 160,000 is just to barely make a profit and considering it takes years from first planning until alter games sales it probably would take sales in the 300s to see another game like this from Capcom hit the Wii. 

Everyone has to bear in mind that European sales will count for far more (certainly PS3 as 3rd party = 100$ in Europe, 1st = 80$ total) If you are looking at PS3 it has to sell slightly less becaue the cost of selling is higher

 Am I the only one in the world not having issues with the controls of Lair and enjoying this beautiful and challenging game? Just take it easy on the controls and it will work. You don't spray and pray in Call of duty with a sniper rifle while moving your mouse around like an adhd kiddo and you should just take it easy on the controls in this game too.

Zach & Wiki deserves some good sales, but as all titles that are somewhat original and don't have much too do with sports, driving or shooting it will probably suffer, get a sequel because tons of hardcore gamers sign some petition and then dissappear like all these games do.  Sigh, what an depressing post I just made....

to answer bdbdbd, Zack and Wiki was at a budget price of $40 here in america.

I have no idea how many they have to sell in order to make profit but I really hope they do. I'd be excited to see a sequel.