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Four and a half underperforming games in a row, where does Bethesda go next?
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
I think you can see pretty clearly that they're pretty much assuming that if you just put out and solid and diverse set of games every year, people will associate them with "quality". It's a long term investment.
Unsure about that working though.
Unsure about that working though.
Maybe Bethesda will go the way of EA and stop funding their more risky projects, just stick to sure bets.
It's kinda sad imo, all those underperformig games are pretty darn good. Would be a shame if Bethesda goes back to their core selling franchises only. Their singleplayer game output has been amazing so far.
What's next? I don't know more Skyrim?
But in all seriousness it really seems like they just don't care for whatever reason. I mean this can't be a coincidence. Wolf got the most marketing I think out of all these titles but it still seems like the overall lack of marketing was a conscious decision on their part. Why? I have no idea...
Now about Starfield. I have no idea what kind of a game it will be. Could be an open world with some multiplayer element + some MT's. Or they could try to jump on that GaaS,make a lot of money this way and drop all those other titles (beside Fallout and ES ofc). All that is assuming that those title really underperformed in Bethesda's eyes. Not a clue what's gonna happen with Bethesda but it's definitely interesting.
Honestly I would love for them to focus on Fallout and ES while still release stuff like Dishonored,Prey,TEW,Wolf (since they are great games) but maybe put more effort marketing them. Ofc that means more money would have to be involved on their side and I don't know how viable that is for Bethesda. I'm gonna finish now before I start talking in circles :)
But in all seriousness it really seems like they just don't care for whatever reason. I mean this can't be a coincidence. Wolf got the most marketing I think out of all these titles but it still seems like the overall lack of marketing was a conscious decision on their part. Why? I have no idea...
Now about Starfield. I have no idea what kind of a game it will be. Could be an open world with some multiplayer element + some MT's. Or they could try to jump on that GaaS,make a lot of money this way and drop all those other titles (beside Fallout and ES ofc). All that is assuming that those title really underperformed in Bethesda's eyes. Not a clue what's gonna happen with Bethesda but it's definitely interesting.
Honestly I would love for them to focus on Fallout and ES while still release stuff like Dishonored,Prey,TEW,Wolf (since they are great games) but maybe put more effort marketing them. Ofc that means more money would have to be involved on their side and I don't know how viable that is for Bethesda. I'm gonna finish now before I start talking in circles :)
I have to say, all these games are good in their own way but are cut from the same cloth
They've gone heavy on the shooters with PC heritage and often some horror elements
The real issue is that these types of games garnered a lot of interest mid last gen, but gamer tastes have changed
Take Doom for instance. It's not loved for being a gritty PC style shooter with horror elements. It's loved for trying something different with a fun and arcades approach
They've gone heavy on the shooters with PC heritage and often some horror elements
The real issue is that these types of games garnered a lot of interest mid last gen, but gamer tastes have changed
Take Doom for instance. It's not loved for being a gritty PC style shooter with horror elements. It's loved for trying something different with a fun and arcades approach
Damn, have a feeling they may transition over to developing GaaS type of games and I can't blame them for it. If their games are not selling, then something has to change. Though I hope I'm wrong as all the titles you've listed are great games.
I think soon it will be five and a half underperforming games in a row. I just can't see Doom on the Switch being successful. If Bethesda priced it appropriately they could have a solid hit on their hands, but $60 for the Switch version is ridiculous. The PC version has been on sale for under $10 multiple times. I've seen similar sales for the PS4 version. If Bethesda had priced this at $30, or even $40, I think this would have sold a reasonable amount. It's the ONLY first person shooter on the Switch. But $60? That's a high price to pay.
I dunno. Maybe they'll get lucky with all the Switch buyers during the holiday season. But I'm doubtful.
Skyrim should sell though. It'll sell on anything. And I can't imagine their projections are too steep for this version.
I dunno. Maybe they'll get lucky with all the Switch buyers during the holiday season. But I'm doubtful.
Skyrim should sell though. It'll sell on anything. And I can't imagine their projections are too steep for this version.
That would make sense seeing how much marketing was behind those games. Also what Nirolak said might have something to do with it?
People pointing out their review policy as a reason for the low sales are overestimating the importance of reviews. Most people don't give a shit about reviews and i don't blame them.
Bethesda just needs to learn how to market the games that don't have Elder Scrolls or Fallout in the title.
Bethesda just needs to learn how to market the games that don't have Elder Scrolls or Fallout in the title.
The short announce to release schedules are not doing them any favours. Besides Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, none of their IP have that kind of star power to pull it off. Coupled with the little promotion, not finding out review scores until several days after the game comes out and most of their titles being released in the midst of the busy season... it's hard for them to find success.
Well they have a couple options really. Either tighten their development budgets to a level that ensures profitability in such a niche market or change their market focus and create different styles of games which would be much more costly and time intensive. If I were them I would have these studios split into smaller teams and create more less expensive single player experiences. Provided they adjust their development budgets accordingly it could certainly be a profitable endeavor for them.
Many people seem to lay the performance of these games at the feet of poor advertising campaigns but I honestly don't think its the core issue here. I think much of the mass audience is enraptured by the plethora of GAAS games and as a result can't really justify paying full price for what is an admittedly short experience for them. Its the sad truth of the industry right now and as a fan of these shorter single player story focused games it hurts to admit.
Many people seem to lay the performance of these games at the feet of poor advertising campaigns but I honestly don't think its the core issue here. I think much of the mass audience is enraptured by the plethora of GAAS games and as a result can't really justify paying full price for what is an admittedly short experience for them. Its the sad truth of the industry right now and as a fan of these shorter single player story focused games it hurts to admit.
I don't think it's overestimating. Games like DOOM, Prey and Dishonored 2 would have benefitted greatly from prerelease coverage as they're all incredibly good
Instead we got nothing and slowly the narrative built that "whoa these games are good actually" days and weeks after their release
If anything I think we're underestimating the importance of prerelease coverage. Bethesda have been producing such good stuff this year that it's stupid for them to hide it from everyone until it's on shelves
Guys stop complaining about review policy! Both TEW 2 and Wolf 2 gave reviewers code ahead of time and had normal review embargoes. That can't be the reason for any relative under-performance.
Yeah since Bethesda isn't a public company we won't really know how these games performed relative to expectations/budget until we either see the follow-up titles from these teams (ie if TEW or Wolf get another sequel then clearly the games did okay) or one of the teams involved suffers layoffs.
Yeah since Bethesda isn't a public company we won't really know how these games performed relative to expectations/budget until we either see the follow-up titles from these teams (ie if TEW or Wolf get another sequel then clearly the games did okay) or one of the teams involved suffers layoffs.
I just can't believe that marketing is the main reason for the under performance, especially with Wolfenstein apparently getting a decent push.
People that are reasonably into games know what's coming out. They're not buying these for some other reason. I'm personally practically never exposed to any kind of games marketing.
I'm still blaming the terrible way games are priced. Launch high, then a crazy push to sell it as cheap as possible as soon as possible. These games will do decent numbers in the the end but the publisher will get pennys.
People that are reasonably into games know what's coming out. They're not buying these for some other reason. I'm personally practically never exposed to any kind of games marketing.
I'm still blaming the terrible way games are priced. Launch high, then a crazy push to sell it as cheap as possible as soon as possible. These games will do decent numbers in the the end but the publisher will get pennys.
Bethesda is my favourite publisher at the moment, as all of the games they release are something I want to play. I just finished evil within 2, and prey is one of my games of the year so far. I was a little disappointed with dishonoured 2 overall, with the exception of several levels which were game design master classes.
Unfortunately I didn't get wolfenstein 2 yet, even though I loved tno and old blood. It was just bad timing, as I finally bought a switch and am knee deep in Mario at the moment. Will pick up wolf eventually.
Unfortunately I didn't get wolfenstein 2 yet, even though I loved tno and old blood. It was just bad timing, as I finally bought a switch and am knee deep in Mario at the moment. Will pick up wolf eventually.
OP
OP
I do think something like Wolfenstein is easier to work with on this note, since games like this seem to sell at $30 or less.
They could try various attempts to increase the value proposition versus a series where it's not selling great at any price point.
I imagine this is going to lead them to putting in minimum effort into the next Elder Scrolls in regards to engine.
Don't expect them to overhaul anything or invest in developing new tech like we'd hoped. They will probably slap a game together using the old engine to maximize profits on a franchise they know will sell regardless.
Don't expect them to overhaul anything or invest in developing new tech like we'd hoped. They will probably slap a game together using the old engine to maximize profits on a franchise they know will sell regardless.
They are probably going to announce TESVI sooner than they had originally planned. Hopefully it isn't rushed.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is already on sale for 20 bucks at Best Buy rn. It's not even a couple of months old. Imagine being an early adopter for these games and then seeing the price plummet almost instantly. I wouldn't t be surprised if that's why a lot of ppl don't bother with these games
Honestly, unless your new AAA IP is a cultural phenomena (like Splatoon or Destiny), you probably shouldn't be greenlighting a sequel. Sequels lose the new/unique aspect that the original game had so you really need to have a huge fanbase & powerful marketing (which you can afford thanks to massive sales of the original) to make them work.
I'm thinking the next elder scrolls is going to implement some destiny-like content. Multiplayer, focus on exploring a large world, doing quests, and finding randomized loot(already in fallout 4) with groups of friends. DLC will be more than just one or two expansions and there will be continuous content drops until ES7
That's true. I think of Nintendo as doing their own thing with games and kind of mentally separate them from every one else.
Bethesda needs to change their review policy. They are not Nintendo. Their games won't get insane amounts of hype on name alone. They need to get it out to streamers to spread buzz.
It sucks because great games are likely suffering financially due to an out of touch policy.
It sucks because great games are likely suffering financially due to an out of touch policy.
Bethesda will be fine. Fallout and TES are the bread and butter of Bethesda, but they don't mind experimenting with new IP and often it doesn't pan out. Anyone here a huge Brink fan? What about Rage? What about the classic Hunted: The Demon Forge? Bethesda has published plenty of not great games--at least the games listed reviewed well and then just didn't sell a ton compared to the 3 I listed which did neither all that well...
I mean shit, in 2009 they released Rogue Warrior, which ended up with a sub-30 Metacritic on all 3 platforms it released, and sold terribly, so this is hardly dire times for Bethesda.
I mean shit, in 2009 they released Rogue Warrior, which ended up with a sub-30 Metacritic on all 3 platforms it released, and sold terribly, so this is hardly dire times for Bethesda.
They didn't push marketing for Prey at all, which is a shame b/c that game is fantastic. With Wolfenstein 2, they marketed it pretty well, I think. However, they released during the worst week possible. Dishonored 2 sales were a bit of a bummer, but on the other hand, I didn't expect much out of Death of the Outsider with it essentially being a big DLC.
i'm losing interest in paying £50+ for videogames in the UK.
I want them to keep going. I hope they keep going. We'll get a Wolfenstein III, MachineGames confirmed a trilogy so I think that Bethesda will green light the final installment thanks to the critical acclaim alone. I'm hoping that the success of the Fallout and Elder Scrolls game will help fund a lot of these other linear narratives but it's hard to tell. I hope they push marketing harder on some of their next games, Wolf 2 seemed to be marketed well but the release day certainly didn't do it any favors.
Meh, Wolf II got a lot of hype at E3. A lot of outlets pegged it as game of the show.
I agree with a number of people in here saying it's too early to start pouring out liquor for Wolf II. I will be very surprised if that tanks in any way comparable to Prey. Even TEW2 could have some legs given it's fairly well-received by the survival horror enthusiasts.
Edit - WHOOPS. Didn't realize they reversed their review policy. My bad.
As far as the future, I see them trying to lean heavily into paid mods, creation club stuff and micro transactions. Elders Scrolls online is likely making them really good money based on monetization. I'm sure any future installments of Fallout or Elders Scrolls proper will be monetized to hell and back. Dishonored and Evil Within franchises will probably go into hibernation. They might give Wolfenstein another shot given the franchise's longevity, but imagine some form of multiplayer or monetization will be included next time. Bethesda is great, but their business model kind of looks like it's from the late 90s/early 2000s and I hope they can adjust to changing market trends while still promoting and developing excellent single player content.
As far as the future, I see them trying to lean heavily into paid mods, creation club stuff and micro transactions. Elders Scrolls online is likely making them really good money based on monetization. I'm sure any future installments of Fallout or Elders Scrolls proper will be monetized to hell and back. Dishonored and Evil Within franchises will probably go into hibernation. They might give Wolfenstein another shot given the franchise's longevity, but imagine some form of multiplayer or monetization will be included next time. Bethesda is great, but their business model kind of looks like it's from the late 90s/early 2000s and I hope they can adjust to changing market trends while still promoting and developing excellent single player content.
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We often make fun of AAA pubs spending obscene amount of money on marketing, but it's pretty clear that it is a requirement if you want your AAA game to sell accordingly.
Even Nintendo goes on marketing blitz for all of their notable titles, even for well known brands like Mario and Zelda.
Just making high quality games is insufficient: you need to make average consumers aware that your game is coming out, and you need to tell them it's awesome.
Even Nintendo goes on marketing blitz for all of their notable titles, even for well known brands like Mario and Zelda.
Just making high quality games is insufficient: you need to make average consumers aware that your game is coming out, and you need to tell them it's awesome.
Its a pity, but Evil Within 2 and Wolf 2 launched in a crazy month competing with Mario Odyssey and AC:Origins, maybe if they stalled the launch to a later date they might have selled a bit more?
I still need to play Prey and Wolf 2, but i hope they somehow continue making single player games despite these setbacks.
Im sure a revolutionary new Elder Scrolls or Fallout would sell pretty well.
I still need to play Prey and Wolf 2, but i hope they somehow continue making single player games despite these setbacks.
Im sure a revolutionary new Elder Scrolls or Fallout would sell pretty well.
I currently own 2 out of the 5 games in the OP. I'm going to end up buying them all. I no longer buy games that cost more than $20, so I'll wait until they hit that price point regardless of how long it take. Hell, I still haven't bought GTA5 because of this. I still manage to have a substantial backlog that keeps me busy. For Bethesda, I'd blame poor marketing for Dishonored 2, Prey, and The Evil Within 2. The lack of an online co-op multiplayer component doesn't help either.