Chapter 56: The Importance of Breaking Out of the Circle for Sales
In the offices of Nebula Games, everyone was closely following the progress of Outlast. After all, Outlast was the team's first attempt. Furthermore, the investment was considerable: R&D and promotion expenses amounted to $1.4 million. While this investment might not be considered significant for tier-one and tier-two game developers, it surpassed even the average indie developer. Therefore, everyone was closely following Outlast's performance.
"Alex, how's Outlast doing?"
"Yeah, it's been online for two days now."
During the lunch break in the office, Lisa, Jane, and Eric asked Alex, who was reclining in a massage chair. While Outlast's online reviews and popularity were very high, sales were much more crucial for a game. A game with only positive reviews but no commercial success, or even a loss-making project, would not be viable.
Just like Bayonetta, it was hailed as the only game capable of surpassing the big three action games: Ninja Gaiden, God of War, and Devil May Cry. However, the IP has changed hands several times, and a third sequel has remained elusive for countless years. The main reason, of course, is that it was well-received, but not a commercial success, resulting in poor sales. Witch Time and Bayonetta are considered classics by players, but they simply haven't sold many copies.
The combined sales of the first and second generations, including the 1+2 HD collection, haven't even surpassed the sales of Devil May Cry V. It's fair to say that the video game industry can be very unreasonable.
"Not bad. Setting aside refunds, sales have already reached 130,000 copies, so breaking even in three days shouldn't be a problem," Alex said with a smile.
Compared to other games, Outlast's refund rate is quite high. However, this was within Alex's expectations. After all, it's a horror game, and a very scary one. It's normal for players to get scared and avoid playing. Alex had considered this aspect before development.
"But our Nebula gaming platform has only sold a little over 2,000 copies," Lisa said with some regret.
Although Alex didn't mention it, judging by the current resource allocation within Nebula Games to the platform, some of the more visionary team members might have guessed it.
"The discounts aren't good enough, the reputation isn't there, and Outlast isn't attractive enough. This has to be a gradual process." However, Alex didn't seem particularly disappointed.
Developing a gaming platform is no easy task, especially since the parallel world has long since entered the internet era. In the past, Microsoft and Sony battled in the console market, each with their victories and defeats in the first three eras. Although Sony fans and players used to hint to Microsoft that it would win in the future, the company did gain certain advantages.
However, the key point was that Microsoft lost to Sony during its most crucial era: the internet era with the arrival of the PS4. During this period, the internet developed rapidly, digital games became increasingly convenient, and social interaction among players emerged. Sony's victory in the console war during this era laid a solid foundation. Even with Microsoft's bulging money, acquiring major video game companies and launching subscription services, Sony still surpasses it.
Similarly, on the PC platform, Epic Games, with its huge user base thanks to Fortnite, is still losing money on the platform itself. This is partly due to the lack of exclusive games that attract players and partly due to Steam's immense advantages accumulated in the online era. Therefore, as for platforms, Alex clearly understands that becoming an industry giant is not just about launching one or two games; it requires gradual progress and an established user base.
While he knows his future plans well, Alex didn't dwell on them for now, but changed the subject: "Outlast's potential has not yet been fully exploited, and a sales explosion is predicted."
"Wow!" Jane and the others exclaimed, curious upon hearing Alex's words.
"The rise of streaming and video platforms has piqued the curiosity of even more players," Alex said with a smile.
For a horror game to boost sales, it must break out of its niche. Of course, this does not refer to the gaming community, but to the horror enthusiast community. If a horror game is limited to genre enthusiasts, it is doomed to fail.
Just like the best-selling horror games of the past, the Resident Evil series, starring Leon and Ada, along with the subsequent memes about Lady Dimitrescu and the fly swatter mod, contributed to its immense popularity. Another example is Five Nights at Freddy's, which even reached the top spot in weekly streaming on YouTube.
Games like Silent Hill and Outlast, more known to casual players, have gained popularity beyond horror fans thanks to movies, streams, and videos. As for the equally impressive Fatal Frame series, Dead Space, Clock Tower, and The Evil Within, beyond true horror enthusiasts, most casual players may not have heard of them.
Standing out among horror game enthusiasts is a prerequisite for a horror game to be a hit, and the same can be said for horror movies. Many players and viewers are not strictly horror game or movie fans. They are simply curious about why a game or movie can scare people so much. Movie tickets cannot be refunded, and although game purchases are, many players won't even want to play them. After all, why waste time playing after buying it? That's also why the settlement rate for horror games is usually very low.
And now, the sales volume of 130,000 in two days is already very good. And Alex knows very well that this is just the beginning. It is foreseeable that, over time, the sales growth rate will increase more and more. Because, so far, the popularity of streaming and video platforms has not been maximized. This also means that Outlast's potential has not yet peaked.
As Alex said, Outlast's popularity did not spread immediately or widely among the gaming community. However, on the streaming platform, many players eager to see the fun have begun to appear in various streaming rooms. Some streamers who are in a gaming drought and have no good games to live stream have received recommendations for this new game.
"Streamer, go play Outlast! It's a new game from the designer of To the Moon, and it's a very touching game!" "Streamer, do you want to try Outlast? It's a very popular game lately!"
"Yes, yes, and Outlast's performance is very good. Someone in the next area is streaming it, and the popularity has exceeded 3 million, and the number of members or subscribers is double the usual."
Many streamers who don't pay much attention to the gaming world are also attracted for various reasons. Some because of the new game from the designer of To the Moon, while others saw other streamers streaming Outlast and thought it was quite good. Of course, whatever the reason, these streamers have jumped into the big pit of Outlast. The streaming platform has also sparked a bloody controversy.
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