Hardcore games (i.e. anything with an “M” rating, blood, serious undertones) on the Wii, much less any Nintendo system in the last 15 years, have largely met with apathy when it comes to the sales charts. The most recent example of this is MadWorld. The game sold 66,000 copies in its debut week, then disappeared almost completely (despite the 5 star rating we gave it). That didn’t stop Sega from going on to release House of the Dead: Overkill, and more recently The Conduit last month. While its too early for The Conduit’s sales to have come in, House of the Dead apparently had legs. It’s because of this that Sega will continue to release hardcore games on the Wii. That’s what they’re saying right now, at least, and the hardcore crowd should be pleased with this decision.
Sega Europe’s Gary Dunn had a conversation with Gamesindsutry.biz, where he pretty much said that the company will be staying the path at this point, and they have House of the Dead to thank. “…Overkill was a profitable title for us. Whilst it had a rather sharp tail at full price, they do bubble away at a lower price point for a long time,” Dunn said. “You get your money back and a bit on full price, but over the years, if we do a final product return on investment, profits come back from the lower price point.”
One has to wonder how well a game like Overkill would have sold had it been initially released at a lower price. Gamers are always looking for deals and $30 always looks better than $50. Even still, it’s comforting to know that Sega is making a profit from titles geared toward a larger audience. After all the years filled with jokes about monkeys running Sega, it’s nice to see the company finally hit a successful chord. The question is whether they can repeat it or not. The Conduit is the first test as to whether Sega has found a niche or simply hit a one-time home run. The Conduit will be the company’s first test. Granted, it’s a completely different type of game, but the online component is a big selling point for the game and many involved in the Call of Duty: World at War community were looking forward to the game.
The company may have recognized a potentially successful market, but they’re not going in head-over-heels. A few repeated failures may push them back toward the Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games crowd. “We’re just taking a look at the resources we have now. We’ve got money to invest in development, we’re just considering where to invest it next,” said Dunn. “You have to push boundaries and explore. I think whilst MadWorld commercially didn’t sell what we were expecting, I wouldn’t say it’s game over for mature Wii titles from Sega.”
MadWorld might not be the final nail in the coffin, but it could be the first plank of pine if the hardcore crowd fails to support Sega’s mature Wii efforts. Either way, it’s nice to see Sega trying to capitalize on a largely neglected market. They may rediscover some of their former glory yet.
