Author Topic: Soul Calibur 3 = PS2 exclusive (Read 11964 times)

ruby_onix · « **on:** March 21, 2005, 10:28:09 PM »

According a scan floating around the net that's apparently from the latest issue of GamePro (it's the May issue, not April), "everybody" agrees that Soul Calibur 2 was a big disappointment. Apparently the thing that everybody hated the most about it was that it was multiplatform.

So, Namco is now redeeming themselves by making SC3 a PS2-exclusive! Umm... yay?

FYI, according to the latest NPD numbers, Soul Calibur 2's sales break down like this:

Soul Calibur II (GC): 789,964
Soul Calibur II (PS2): 736,372
Soul Calibur II (Xbox): 529,190

Multiplatform Total : 2,055,526

And I really don't know, but someone on another forum claimed that SC2 bombed on the PS2 in Japan, and that it was actually GCN>Xbox>PS2 over there. Does anyone have any reliable numbers for that?

Either way, I do think the game itself suffered a little by being multiplatform, but it was mostly that the GCN/Xbox versions were dragged down by the inferior hardware of the PS2, because the producer wanted to keep things "level", so the PS2 version wouldn't look bad (which it did anyways).

Anyways, I have two thoughts.
1: Moneyhats!
2: GamePro sure does suck.

Talon · « **Reply #1 on:** March 22, 2005, 12:16:38 AM »

How is selling more than 2million units across multiple platforms 'a big disappointment'?

I cant see any more people buying Soul Calibur 2 if it were an exclusive title. I dont understand the mentality of some people. I dont buy games based on their popularity or if they are exclusive, I buy games that I think I personally will enjoy Soul Calibur 2 (GCN version of course) is one of them. People really need to stop worrying about what everyone else is buying and just foccus on the things they like.

If anything going by those figures Namco should release Soul Calibur 3 on Gamecube or Revolution.

Deguello · « **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2005, 01:34:04 AM »

Something is fishy about those pictures... Something just doesn't sit well...

Edit: And LOL at their "disappointment." They weren't disappointed when they gave it a 5/5.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2005, 01:41:58 AM »

Well if game companies went by sales or votes or whatever then Ninja Gaiden would've been for the GC...

Go go Gadget moneyhats!

clevelandst124 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2005, 03:44:12 AM »

I think the problem is companies feel sequels should sell more than the originals which is usually not the case. Most sequels are enhanced ports. This is what Soul Calibur 2 was. I bet 3 will be the same way. Given this what is my motivation to pay for the exact same experience that I had in Soul Calibur 1. If this is true, I doubt Soul Calibur 3 will sell even a million copies.

Pale · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2005, 03:52:54 AM »

Namco, I thought we were friends.

kennyb27 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 22, 2005, 05:11:12 AM »

Some things just make absolutely no sense... At all.

Caliban · « **Reply #7 on:** March 22, 2005, 05:16:42 AM »

I'm pissed off at Namco! I was eagerly waiting for the 3rd installment of this series for either GC or Revolution but these ****-heads go for the system that gives them more money (I don't mean sales wise).

Savior · « **Reply #8 on:** March 22, 2005, 05:49:09 AM »

Soul Calibur 2 was supposed to be PS2 Exclusive too... So lets see what happens.... i think if theres enough feedback they would change it regardless ala Resident Evil 4

Ian Sane · « **Reply #9 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:23:23 AM »

The only complaint I've ever heard regarding Soul Calibur II was that it was too similar to Soul Calibur I. But fans didn't seem to care ("but she's got a new hat!") and newcombers obviously didn't notice. I think the plan with SC2 was to get Soul Calibur out to people who didn't buy a Dreamcast and it accomplished that quite well.

If this is true I just GIVE UP when it comes to third parties. Soul Calibur II is an exceptional third party Gamecube success. Not only did it have a better userbase:games sold ratio on the Cube than on the PS2 but it actually sold more copies on the Gamecube. That's just unreal considering the significantly smaller userbase. That's like one guy winning a game against a whole basketball team.

And the reward for this is getting shafted? If this is true I'm convinced that third party publishers legitmately have a vendetta against Nintendo. People complain that Nintendo fans don't buy enough third party games. Why should we? There's no incentive. We get punished regardless of what we do even if we do what they want us to and make the game successful.

Savior · « **Reply #10 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:34:22 AM »

Once again im hoping its not true... but at the same time im not shocked either, Capcom did it with Vietiful Joe and Sega did it with Sonic and Super Monkey Ball...

Ages · « **Reply #11 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:43:58 AM »

Yea, but we still got the games. According to that scan, we wont be able to get SC3 at all.

boggy b · « **Reply #12 on:** March 22, 2005, 06:57:43 AM »

I'm pretty certain it's not true. It would be incredibly stupid of Namco to do this.

Pale · « **Reply #13 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:03:55 AM »

The thing is, it would make just as little sense if Namco made it a Gamecube exclusive. They had a great formula with SCII and they are stupid not to return to it. All of us nintendo fans would love an updated Link in the game. Maybe they could try a different special character for the PS2 version seeing as Haiachi(sp?) didn't seem to be all that popular. I dunno...I just feel like they are idiots here... Well either that or Sony gave them enough money to warrant cutting their sales in half.

Savior · « **Reply #14 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:06:07 AM »

Quote
I'm pretty certain it's not true.

We didnt get Super Monkey Ball deluxe with the new stages...

Don'tHate742 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:09:18 AM »

It doesn't make sense in a business perspective at all. Let's not take into mind the GC sales numbers. Let's say that Namco wiped the slate clean and started over. When picking which console to develope for, most companies go with the largest userbase. Makes sense, but wait! The PS2 is flooded with fighters, what makes Soul Calibur so special compared to Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter, and so on. On the Cube though, there is only two good fighting games (or two fighting games period), Capcom Vs. SNK and Soul Calibur II. Wouldn't it make more sense to develope for a console that has NO competition in terms of genre? Also, the userbase is only going to get larger thanks to stellar thrid party and first party games. Now, look at the previous sales for SCII.....wow, someone needs to get fired!

If Soul Calibur doesn't get released for the Cube, I will buy it for the PS2.........hahaha thought I was going all Die-Hard on ya huh?

Ian Sane · « **Reply #16 on:** March 22, 2005, 07:24:15 AM »

"The PS2 is flooded with fighters, what makes Soul Calibur so special compared to Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter, and so on. On the Cube though, there is only two good fighting games (or two fighting games period), Capcom Vs. SNK and Soul Calibur II. Wouldn't it make more sense to develope for a console that has NO competition in terms of genre?"

That makes a lot of sense but sadly third parties haven't used that logic much since the SNES/Genesis days. A good current example of it however is Dead or Alive. That's THE fighting game on the Xbox and is one of the most popular Xbox exclusives. When it was on other consoles it always was viewed as a second tier title to more popular fighting games.

Mario · « **Reply #17 on:** March 22, 2005, 03:50:33 PM »

Quote
On the Cube though, there is only two good fighting games (or two fighting games period), Capcom Vs. SNK and Soul Calibur II.

More like SSBM is the best fighting game ever.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #18 on:** March 22, 2005, 04:16:25 PM »

*grabs pitchfork*

Sure IS!

RickPowers · « **Reply #19 on:** March 22, 2005, 04:19:42 PM »

When did GamePro become the bastion of video game journalism?

Wait for an announcement from Namco or Sony before you get all up in arms. But in the meantime, I leave you with this ....

Each version of Soul Calibur 2 was EXCLUSIVE to it's respective platform. Each had a character you couldn't get on the other consoles, and frequently, that's all that's been needed to call a game "exclusive".

ruby_onix · « **Reply #20 on:** March 22, 2005, 04:34:30 PM »

Quote
I dunno...I just feel like they are idiots here... Well either that or Sony gave them enough money to warrant cutting their sales in half.

I remember a Microsoft interview from a few years back, when the Xbox was just launching, the reporter asked them about buying exclusivity, and how much it costs. The Microsoft guy said that they had to learn that very quickly, and that (without getting into specifics) the formula they hit upon was that you had to offer a developer an amount of money equal to what they were projecting to earn on all the other consoles combined, and then the fact that this took "risk" out of the equation for the developer was the bait that would tip the scales and make things happen.

If that's true, then there are massive money hats going around in the buying of exclusives.

Avinash_Tyagi · « **Reply #21 on:** March 23, 2005, 08:10:20 AM »

which goes a long way to showing why Ninty gets so few third party exclusives.

Savior · « **Reply #22 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:01:36 AM »

I guess it means Capcom gave some money back since RE isnt exclusive....

Also Nintendo did say the Rare sale was going to go to exclusives..

anubis6789 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 23, 2005, 09:55:17 AM »

I have one question, has anyone actualy picked up this issue of Gamepro to see if this is even in there, the only place I have seen this is the internet, which we all know is extremely reliable. /sarcasm

Another thing that points to this being fake for me is that the chick with the ring/chakram doesn't seem to fit with the other characters in the SC series , I don't know why just seems too much like a western design to me. She does look cool though.

Ian, I can't believe that I actualy heard you say that there might be a conspiresy (my spelling is bad, sorry) amongst third parties. Usually you blame Nintendo or fans for the poor third party support, which to varying degrees is true, but to hear you say something like that makes me believe the 7th seal is broken and Armmegedon is upon us.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #24 on:** March 23, 2005, 10:02:11 AM »

I can confirm that what is in the mag is indeed what you see on the internet...But who's saying it's completely accurate, as Rick says?

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Author Topic: Soul Calibur 3 = PS2 exclusive (Read 11964 times)