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Bomba Alert: SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection had nearly an 80% drop of Peak Players from the last Sword Art Game Launch

Dale Copper

Dale Copper

Member
Apr 12, 2018
22,079
SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection release last week and on Steam it had a All Time Peak of 1873 players.


Comparing this to the last release, Alicization Lycoris launched with 8590 players peak.


It even did worse than another RPG title release that week with Disega 7, having 2597 peak players.

Let's not even get into compare it to Fatal Bullet which had a peak of 21727 Players at launch.


After the the last game poor reception and coming out in a crowded holiday peroid instead of the boring nothing that was July with the last game, seems Bandai swing and missed with this.

Close if for what ever good reason.
 
Rosebud

Rosebud

Two Pieces
Member
Apr 16, 2018
43,888
Bomb.gif
 
Xterrian

Xterrian

Member
Apr 20, 2018
2,820
Aren't there like 5 of these games by now? Unless they drastically change the gameplay each time I can't see people immediately jumping onto the newest one. Especially if they're long, single-player rpgs.
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,141
Xterrian said:
Aren't there like 5 of these games by now? Unless they drastically change the gameplay each time I can't see people immediately jumping onto the newest one. Especially if they're long, single-player rpgs.
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Funny thing is, Last Recollection is not that long of a game. It's a pretty streamlined 30-50 hour RPG.

Unfortunately, in trying to dodge all of the flaws that plagued Alicization Lycoris, they created a game that is far too streamlined and plays it WAY too safe. It's no exaggeration to say that Bandai Namco squandered a lot of good will with the franchise. So I suspect this will be the lowest selling game in the franchise.
 
psynergyadept

psynergyadept

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,764
I mean these are like your most run of the mill jrpgs…like Bandai Namco releases one like every year; they've milk this series to the utmost.

Bring back the .hack// franchise
 
ConfusedOwl

ConfusedOwl

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,147
Canada
Now imagine if Last Recollection ended up being .Hack remasters instead. It would have peaked at 1874 players instead. Their loss.
 
Kresnik

Kresnik

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,973
psynergyadept said:
I mean these are like your most run of the mill jrpgs…like Bandai Namco releases one like every year; they've milk this series to the utmost.

Bring back the .hack// franchise
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Unless I'm missing something it's been 3 years since the last one?

I'm guessing the poor reception to that game has affected things more.
 
BrickArts295

BrickArts295

GOTY Tracking Thread Master
Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,874
I don't get why they keep pumping these games out, it doesn't feel like SAO is that popular anymore (don't know if its still popular in Japan).
Edit: Last anime ended in 2020 but we got 2 movies in 21 and 22. So yeah I guess there's still some life in the franchise.
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,141
Kresnik said:
Unless I'm missing something it's been 3 years since the last one?

I'm guessing the poor reception to that game has affected things more.
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You are correct. It has been three years since Alicization Lycoris.

However, they were pushing them out almost yearly, and Alicization Lycoris was the point where that rushed pacing + using a developer who is ultimately not that great at designing proper RPGs (Aquria) came back to really haunt them. It was a very ambitious game loaded with technical issues, performance issues, story pacing issues, balancing issues, and was bloated to all hell.

Last Recollection didn't improve on the areas that matter (performance aside as they migrated to Unreal Engine), and is too lean of an experience with too much cut down and removed.

BrickArts295 said:
I don't get why they keep pumping these games out, it doesn't feel like SAO is that popular anymore (don't know if its still popular in Japan).
Edit: Last anime ended in 2020 but we got 2 movies in 21 and 22. So yeah I guess there's still some life in the franchise.
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The light novels are still top sellers in Japan, and the franchise just celebrated it's 10th anniversary with a massive concert. The anime is just in a lull because they adapted almost everything they're willing to adapt, and the current storyline is unfinished in the novels.
 
psynergyadept

psynergyadept

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 26, 2017
15,764
Kresnik said:
Unless I'm missing something it's been 3 years since the last one?

I'm guessing the poor reception to that game has affected things more.
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Shit you're right! Well prior to this one it sure was ~every year

I'd also add the SOA is just past it's prime: it was a cool series and most likely attracted the .hack// crowd…but now I'm just not interested anymore; bounced off after the bullet frame season. Funny enough I do have all the games prior to this one because they go on sale all the time and get ridiculous sales; like 80% off.
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,141
kurahador said:
Them trying to milk the shit out of the series bites them hard finally.
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Yeah, honestly. This is the big issue. It's clear that Futami (producer of the SAO games) is passionate about making something fans would love. But Bandai Namco doesn't care about that. Bandai Namco doesn't care at all. They've pushed out a game every year until Lycoris by alternating developers, and they've also pushed out mobile game after mobile game, closing the previous one when the new one comes out. That bit them in the ass hard when the latest one had to go into extended maintenance for a year because it was rushed.

Alicization Lycoris had incredible post launch support. Only SAO fans really know how awesome of a job the team did. They significantly improved the performance, overhauled the PC KB/M controls, added in eight free DLC episodes, two new weapon types, expanded the level cap from 50 to 199, added in a bunch of free characters, and released one pretty great expansion pack.

Unfortunately, first impressions doomed them regarding the game. It was bloated as hell and took forever to get going. With a lot of filler to expand the playtime too. Add in a second expansion pack that was god-fucking awful (Seriously, it's not worth buying) and it's no surprise Last Recollection is doing so poorly despite being a decent RPG romp with a good story thanks to the Violet Evergarden author.

Syne said:
Sounds like the perfect time to give us a season 2 of accel world!

Yes I know that was done by sunrise but still
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I fucking wish. But we'll probably get a Demons' Crest anime before Accel World season 2.

BasilZero said:
Isn't there a season 2 of the shooter genre spin-off story coming out?
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Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online, yes.
 
Spehornoob

Spehornoob

Member
Nov 15, 2017
8,973
I bought one of these Sword Art games knowing nothing about the me series and experienced a slow, horrifying realization over the first few hours that I was supposed to be getting turned on by these anime girls getting blushy and flustered when talking to me.
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,141
Roliq said:
Legit how many of these games have released?
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Main games:

Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment - Japan only on PSP
Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment - Updated expanded version of Infinity Moment on Vita, later released on PS4 and PC.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song - Vita/PS3, later PC and PS4.
Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization - Vita/PS4, later PC and Switch.
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet - PS4, Xbox, PC, later Switch.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris - PS4, Xbox, PC, later Switch.
Sword Art Online: Last Recollection - PS4, PS5, Xbox, PC.

Spinoffs and mobile games:

Accel World vs Sword Art Online - Vita, PS4, and PC
Sword Art Online: End World - Japanese only mobile game. Closed now.
Sword Art Online: Code Register - Japanese only mobile game. Closed now.
Sword Art Online: Memory Defrag - Mobile game. Closed now.
Sword Art Online: Integral Factor - Mobile MMO, later Steam as well. Surprisingly still running.
Sword Art Online: Alicization Rising Steel, later known as Unleashed Blading - Mobile turn based RPG. Closed now.
Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown - Mobile action game. Currently in extended maintenance for a year because it was rushed out too early.

Bandai Namco basically shuffles developer after developer to push out a game yearly, it seems like. As you can tell, the quality is all over the place as a result.
 
Lowblood

Lowblood

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,243
Admittedly I lost complete interest in the anime after Gun Gale because the settings/plot concepts were dull. Can't imagine the games would be that appealing.

Shame because I enjoyed Hollow Fragment/Recollection, Lost Song, and Fatal Bullet for what they were. I understand why Bamco is trying with the series though, it's pretty easy to swap the genre or gameplay around while keeping the same general character lineup.
 
Tohsaka

Tohsaka

Member
Nov 17, 2017
6,801
Never got around to playing the previous game since I heard it had performance issues on PC, and they never did a 60FPS patch for the PS4 version when played on PS5. That's the reason I didn't bother getting this one either.
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,141
Tohsaka said:
Never got around to playing the previous game since I heard it had performance issues on PC, and they never did a 60FPS patch for the PS4 version when played on PS5. That's the reason I didn't bother getting this one either.
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There will probably never be a 60 FPS patch. The game is so horribly unoptimized. They used PhyreEngine for it and tried to push the engine to the absolute limits with an Xenoblade style open world game.

Part of the reason why Last Recollection took soo long to develop is because the developers, Aquria, switched over to Unreal Engine. Of course, they then proceeded to make a very conservative and nowhere near as lengthy game with it, lol.

mordecaii83 said:
This marks the 6th I believe (7th if you count the Accel World crossover and not counting mobile).
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Last Recollection is the 7th game in the SAO Gameverse continuity. Accel World vs Sword Art Online isn't canonical to the story they started, but Infinity Moment is considered a separate game from Hollow Fragment, due to how much additional story is in Hollow Fragment.
 
DynamicSushy

DynamicSushy

Member
Sep 7, 2019
670
Dale Copper said:
SWORD ART ONLINE Last Recollection release last week and on Steam it had a All Time Peak of 1873 players.


Comparing this to the last release, Alicization Lycoris launched with 8590 players peak.


It even did worse than another RPG title release that week with Disega 7, having 2597 peak players.

Let's not even get into compare it to Fatal Bullet which had a peak of 21727 Players at launch.


After the the last game poor reception and coming out in a crowded holiday peroid instead of the boring nothing that was July with the last game, seems Bandai swing and missed with this.

Close if for what ever good reason.
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funny how the game where you DONT play as Kirito had a much bigger peak
 
DoradoWinston

DoradoWinston

Member
Apr 9, 2019
6,289
honestly i feel like literally all the games look the same
aside from the one a while back that took place in GGO its just like....all the same (the difference GGO had was pew pew)
 
texhnolyze

texhnolyze

Shinra Employee
Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,263
Indonesia
I actually bought Alicization at launch lmao.

It was a mess with bugs and anti cheat fiasco, but they fixed it continously. I guess people are fed up with them, including me.
 
Yasumi

Yasumi

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,583
Android Sophia said:
Be careful what you wish for. You might get something like Sword Art Online vs .hack. :p

I so desperately want a reimagining of the original four games. Especially because there are seizure effects in the original that make it so very hard to play anymore.
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That evil already exists in the world, we can only go up from here.

uobG5c_1lw4.jpg



img_popupnwcollabo.png.jpg
 
Dolce

Dolce

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,257
Menome said:
Nope. Nope nope nope.

Video game names have gotten too stupid now. Start again from the beginning.
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I mean there's nothing wrong with Lycoris, that is just a flower. Even Alicization isn't that weird when you realize it's literal.

I certainly enjoy the things that come from ESL people versus God of war of battle of

stopmrdomino said:
Good. Make Bamco make better anime games.
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Make sure you actually buy the good stuff, then Doraemon SOS 2 literally came out last year.
 
nyxuki

nyxuki

Banned
Sep 30, 2023
205
Tsumami said:
SAO's time in the anime zeitgeist is over
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This is probably the main reason. The last time we got SAO anime was in movie form, and anime films are not exactly accessible to people. Outside of those movies, SAO has faded away from the minds of casual anime fans.

I'd also wager that those that have played SAO games know they're basically bargain bin games. They're completely inoffensive, but not worth full price. I'd check this out if it was like $10 in a few years.
 
mordecaii83

mordecaii83

Avenger
Oct 28, 2017
6,873
Android Sophia said:
Last Recollection is the 7th game in the SAO Gameverse continuity. Accel World vs Sword Art Online isn't canonical to the story they started, but Infinity Moment is considered a separate game from Hollow Fragment, due to how much additional story is in Hollow Fragment.
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Even so I still consider Hollow Fragment and Infinity Moment to be the same game since as you said it's just a re-release with additional content (just like how I wouldn't consider a game with a game of the year addition with additional content to be a separate game).
 
Android Sophia

Android Sophia

The Absolute Sword
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
6,141
mordecaii83 said:
Even so I still consider Hollow Fragment and Infinity Moment to be the same game since as you said it's just a re-release with additional content (just like how I wouldn't consider a game with a game of the year addition with additional content to be a separate game).
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They're not the same game, however. While Hollow Fragment contains all of Infinity Moment, the gameplay has been significantly altered to be more action-like. Contrast the more single player MMO vibe of Infinity Moment. Additionally, the Hollow Fragment portion is a significant amount of new story events that it may as well be a new game entirely.

Ironically, Infinity Moment is probably the closest thing to a spiritual successor to the original .Hack games. But few people outside of Japan know that because it never released outside of Japan.
 
Snowfruit

Snowfruit

Teyvat Traveler
Member
Jun 8, 2018
1,774
United States
I had fun with Hollow Fragment and Lost Song but lost interest in SAO after those. Hope they can make another anime into a game like these instead of making them all arena fighters.
 
RROCKMAN

RROCKMAN

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,861
Nassudan said:
Only if they reboot it and change the whole "10 year old creates a super virus that affects every computer ever" nonsense.
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Was that the first virus that caused Altimit to be put on the Map? Cause I'm pretty sure Harald was way older then 10. Even so I guess they could change it slight it's nowhere near as big as ask as other games force you to just run with

Android Sophia said:
Be careful what you wish for. You might get something like Sword Art Online vs .hack. :p

I so desperately want a reimagining of the original four games. Especially because there are seizure effects in the original that make it so very hard to play anymore.
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I remake of those games would be so good. even to this day is one of the most diverse cast of characters in RPGS ever

Not many has

*ahem*

2 high schoolers,
a gym bro,
a weeb,
a videogame tryhard,
2 grown ass adults,
a hacking group that takes turns as one character,
a goofy ass game moderator,
a miser,
A wanna be comedian,
a 10 year old that collects digimon cards,
2 players that presumably likes to get high
One of which turns out to be a frigging AI
and last but certainly not least a
pregnant
lady

Factor in to a group that saves the world. The fact that you have to email them to find out who they really are is toppers too. Since their actual identities and their avatars are vastly different.
 
Tohsaka

Tohsaka

Member
Nov 17, 2017
6,801
Android Sophia said:
There will probably never be a 60 FPS patch. The game is so horribly unoptimized. They used PhyreEngine for it and tried to push the engine to the absolute limits with an Xenoblade style open world game.

Part of the reason why Last Recollection took soo long to develop is because the developers, Aquria, switched over to Unreal Engine. Of course, they then proceeded to make a very conservative and nowhere near as lengthy game with it, lol.



Last Recollection is the 7th game in the SAO Gameverse continuity. Accel World vs Sword Art Online isn't canonical to the story they started, but Infinity Moment is considered a separate game from Hollow Fragment, due to how much additional story is in Hollow Fragment.
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Yeah the poor PC performance is mainly why I didn't get it since my PC isn't that great to begin with, and I didn't want to play it at 30FPS on console.
 
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