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Gaming Forums => Nintendo Gaming => Topic started by: joeamis on May 20, 2004, 09:01:29 PM

Title: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: joeamis on May 20, 2004, 09:01:29 PM: Tales of Symphonia and Baten Kaitos failed to reach sales targets for the Japanese market. This is very unfortunate both titles looked like AAA titles. Hopefullly they sell well in the U.S.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Infernal Monkey on May 20, 2004, 09:34:25 PM: I'll bet an exciting new horse racing dating sim puzzle game involving two muscle men shooting lasers on Wonderswan stole the spotlight. =O

But that news is no good. (Not the new exciting Wonderswan game, the lack of sales)
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: WuTangTurtle on May 20, 2004, 09:57:36 PM: I heard TOS sold very well.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Mario on May 20, 2004, 10:19:32 PM: In two months time one year ago we knew this.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: DrZoidberg on May 20, 2004, 10:23:56 PM: sassing in an e-thread.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: joeamis on May 20, 2004, 11:26:54 PM: Quote
Originally posted by: Mario
In two months time one year ago we knew this.

Do you mean that was to be expected they wouldn't sell well?
Can anyone get the sales figures from Japan for these titles?
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Darc Requiem on May 20, 2004, 11:45:27 PM: Yeah this is old news. Tales of Symphonia didn't meet expectations but I think Namco's expectation of 500,000 units sold was a bit on the high side. That stated ToS did sell over 300,000 units, Baten Kaitos only sold around 100,000 if I remember correctly. Oh let me clarify. Namco expected each game to sell 500,000 units in Japan.

Darc Requiem
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Mario on May 20, 2004, 11:47:19 PM: I mean those games came out and sold 95% of their sales last year. Tales actually sold around 270,000 - 370,000 if i recall correctly, and it was the first (and still the second) game to push GCN hardware sales above PS2's for a week since SSBM. Baten Kaitos sold about 65,000 i believe, although this is coming from my memory, not sauce, so i could be wrong.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: joeamis on May 21, 2004, 03:05:45 AM: That's good then, those expectations are very high. I wonder how much it will sell on PS2 or how much it sold, I dunno if it was released yet. It'd be unfortunate if it doesn't come close to FF sales because it looks like it's of the same calibur.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Uncle Rich AiAi on May 21, 2004, 03:19:03 AM: I made a sad face when I came across this at The-MagicBox.

I hope we still continue to get RPGs (and support) from Namco in future.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: PaLaDiN on May 21, 2004, 04:05:05 AM: I've given up on caring about third-party sales. What's the use?

If the games sell well, the series gets ported to other consoles. If they sell badly, we don't get it anymore.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: KDR_11k on May 21, 2004, 05:30:37 AM: The GC haas the advantage of not being distributed by SCEA in America, these retards have rejected quite a few games because they didn't match their intended image of a mature console or something. I think VJ and Killer 7 were among the games rejected. Wouldn't surprise me if they rejected ToS as well. Not surprising Namco doesn't want them holding the entire console market as Namco's been dabbling with innovation lately (perhaps they have the same thoughts as Iwata on the shrinking of the japanese market?)

On the other hand, anyone got sales numbers of Wind Waker in Japan? I heard that sold under excpectations as well. Would be funny if ToS outsold Wind Waker...
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Bill Aurion on May 21, 2004, 05:45:29 AM: I think it sold almost 450,000 in 2002 alone...
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Ian Sane on May 21, 2004, 07:16:03 AM: I think 500,000 copies is a ridiculous expectation particularly for Baten Kaitos which doesn't even have an established franchise to drive sales. How many first party Cube games manage to outsell 500,000 units? Cube games just don't seem to sell that high. 300,000 for Tales would have been a better expectation.

"If the games sell well, the series gets ported to other consoles. If they sell badly, we don't get it anymore."

I tend to agree with you on that. If they don't want the same situation on the N5 Nintendo's going to have to give out some moneyhats early on to secure some early third party exclusives to drive sales and get a larger userbase. Most third parties took a wait and see approach on the Cube and that kind of f*cked everything up because the system didn't sell because it didn't have enough third party support and now it doesn't have enough unit sales to attract third parties. D'oh! Nintendo has to eliminate any sort of wait and see period next time around.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: WuTangTurtle on May 21, 2004, 09:09:27 AM: That makes me wonder about the japanese market. Are they as mainstream as the U.S or worse? Or is the majority hardcore? Seriously the industry really needs to start better informing us. Maybe we should get a tv show on broadcast television that isn't biased and is totally hardcore. G4 doesnt count they seem to be very biased.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: akdaman1 on May 21, 2004, 12:33:09 PM: TOS didnt do too bad. They just had high expectations.

With Baten Kaitos they intended for it to sell 500 000 worldwide. So still not a dissapointment yet.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Uglydot on May 21, 2004, 04:54:41 PM: I would imagin Baten Kaitos wouldn't sell that well right away as it has no franchise for people to recognize as soon as it comes out. After a time out perhaps it will pick up more. We can only hope that Namco doesn't distribute it SoA style.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: WuTangTurtle on May 21, 2004, 10:09:03 PM: SoA style? Thats not a style of promoting a game, thats just purely no attempt at promoting a game. I thought this game was developed by the same team that did Xenosaga, u think people would at least give BK more of a try if it was developed by them.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: MysticGohan24 on May 21, 2004, 10:13:59 PM: Monliothsoft ( Former Ex-Square Employees ) are Behind Xenosaga and Baten Kaitos, along with another group, who's name eludes me at this moment.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: KDR_11k on May 21, 2004, 11:29:39 PM: Tri-Ace?
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Ymeegod on May 22, 2004, 03:32:37 AM: ToS sold 311,000 in 2003 in Japan (according to charts found on the-magicbox's site).

ToDII for the PS2 sold 830,000ish.

1/2 million difference--you can see why the expected more.

Secondly, the tales series doesn't sell well in the USA or in Europe so don't expect to see high gobal figures neither.

-------------------------------------

LoZ WW sold 700,000K in Japan.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Uglydot on May 22, 2004, 05:06:07 AM: As long as I see my one sale, I will be happy. Sadly, poor sales could definatly lead to no more games from the series on my precious Nintendo systems, I will be happy with these two.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Bill Aurion on May 22, 2004, 06:24:46 AM: Quote
Originally posted by: Ymeegod
Secondly, the tales series doesn't sell well in the USA or in Europe so don't expect to see high gobal figures neither.

Well that ones that have been sold outside Japan haven't been exactly star games...ToP, which is the best in the series, still hasn't left the Land of the Rising Sun... :\
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Ymeegod on May 22, 2004, 07:32:03 AM: Do you really expect it do sell here? I guessing it's going be 1/4 million or so at the most.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Bill Aurion on May 22, 2004, 07:41:38 AM: I like to think optomistically...
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: WuTangTurtle on May 22, 2004, 10:28:54 AM: Well even with all this bad news or whatever. The game deserves better. I really hope Nintendo pushes this game. I would love to see some of the cutscenes used in some commercials!
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: akdaman1 on May 22, 2004, 12:22:31 PM: Actually after taking a look at a view polls you will find that TOS is more anticipated than MP 2. The only game ahead of TOS is RE4 by like a million.

I wouldnt be suprised if TOS sells close to 400 000 in the states.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: KDR_11k on May 22, 2004, 10:47:10 PM: Of course a PS2 game outsells a GC game, what with the userbase and all the RPG junkies already having the PS2... Expecting otherwise is stupid.
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: jasonditz on May 23, 2004, 10:21:38 AM: Well, not ALL the RPG junkies... I'm perfectly contented to play whatever RPGs the Cube gets along with all the spectacular RPGs on the GBA.

Who needs an hour worth of cutscenes?
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: akdaman1 on May 23, 2004, 11:19:50 AM: Well the GCN has become a not-to-bad system for RPGs.

It has Paper Mario, TOS and BK. Alot of RPG junkies are gonna jumpo ship soon.
Title: RE:Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: Hybrid Hunter on May 24, 2004, 03:42:47 AM: Yeah, but it sucks that there aren't really any big RPG titles out now, but rather later.
Despite the not so good sales as long as ToS and BK come down under i'll be happy!
Title: RE: Bad news for Namco GC RPGS
Post by: odifiend on May 24, 2004, 03:54:07 AM: If they can get tales of phantasia out the door for the GBA and promote like crazy for both ToS and ToP, maybe people will recognize that they are related and be compelled to buy. These games could move pretty easily as long as Nintendo (they're publishing, right?) makes it known that the games exist.