Prime Outperforms Echoes.

[Reality]

January 13, 2005 - Despite widespread critical acclaim for the Retro Studios-developed first-person adventure sequel Metroid Prime 2 Echoes, the game failed to perform as well as its predecessor during the same holiday period two years ago.

Data gathered by the NPD Group through December 2004 shows that approximately 470,000 copies of Prime 2 were sold to GameCube owners. By comparison, the original Metroid Prime sold more than 722,000 copies during the same period in 2002. This is true despite the fact that the GameCube installed base has grown substantially in the two years since the original Prime was released, toppling more than 16 million users worldwide.

Some analysts believe that the lower sales count for Metroid Prime 2 is a direct result of a Nintendo that has largely skewed its games for a younger audience and alienated many older players. The T-rated Echoes, a dark and eerily atmospheric shooter with complex puzzles, was marketed to the teenage and up crowd, but anticipation for the product never seemed to gain an overwhelming amount of steam with the demographic.

Perhaps they were too busy playing Microsoft's Halo 2, which debuted shortly before Echoes and never looked back. The Bungie-developed first-person shooter sequel sold 3.6 million units for Xbox in the US through December 2004, in just two months matching life-to-date numbers for the original game, which released in 2001 and has remained an Xbox best-seller ever since. Incidentally, the original Halo sold 783,000 units during its first two months of release.

Prime 2 debuted at number fourteen on NPD's Top 100 in November of last year with about 200,000 sold. Although the game actually saw a sales spike of an additional 270,000 units in December 2004, it failed to compete with a barrage of third party releases by such powerhouses as Electronic Arts and Konami. Echoes ranked number twenty-nine for the month. It is on track to top 500,000 units in January. The original Metroid Prime has sold 1.2 million units in the US since its release.

Perhaps most telling of all is that Mario Party 6, the sixth installment in Nintendo's board party game series, opened in December with 470,000 units sold, almost as many as Echoes garnered for November and December combined.

While it's clear that younger-skewed games often perform better on GameCube, the battle for the adult player isn't over yet. In January, third party Capcom released what critics believe is the strongest reason yet for the teenage-plus crowd to pick up a GameCube: the M-rated survival horror sequel Resident Evil 4. If any game can grab the demographic that has for years remained just beyond Nintendo's grasp, it's this one. And sure enough, retailers are already reporting robust sales of the game, which was designed from the ground up for Nintendo's console. Nintendo and the industry will undoubtedly be waiting to see how the title stacks up when final sales figures are released next month.

http://cube.ign.com/articles/579/579600p1.html

[Nem]

The only reason i can find is that the quality options for this past holiday (in the US at least) were many. And since money doesnt grow in trees, ppl have to make choices. I do believe the sales of echoes will remain steady, since those that wanted it but couldnt buy it will get around to it with time.

[Magnus]

So a sequel to a game sells less in two months than the original in a franchise thats pretty low key, while competing with the two most hyped sequels ever and a new handheld. And add to that that Nintendo decides to release a new game in a more popular franchise in the second month.

Wow...must be the skew

[Keimar]

Also, the 1st is available at a budget price. Since not many bought either of the games and they both look and play virtually the same, if people were going to buy one, they'd choose the 1st.

Edit: It's be interesting to see the sales for Pikmin vs Pikmin 2.

[Nindalf]

Originally Posted by Keimar

Edit: It's be interesting to see the sales for Pikmin vs Pikmin 2.

US Totals:
Pikmin: 669,300
Pikmin 2: 247,258

[Drunken Savior]

Mario Party isn't even in the same field as Metroid Prime. The fact that their sales are near identical is just wrong. Man, those Gamecube owners who bought Mario Party and not Prime need to be whooped upside the head for the good of Nintendo.

[Black Sugar]

The reason is simple. Trying to pull out a second game within a year with the exact engine and the exact game design give them as a result a very poor sell .

I never really understood the hypes behind Metroid Echoes since the game was identical to the first one.

Too bad for them, I hope they learn something.

[vherub]

Originally Posted by Black Sugar

The reason is simple. Trying to pull out a second game within a year with the exact engine and the exact game design give them as a result a very poor sell .

I never really understood the hypes behind Metroid Echoes since the game was identical to the first one.

Too bad for them, I hope they learn something.

wait, which game were you talking about, halo? gta? splinter cell? any number of well recieved and well reviewed games that bore similarities to its immediate predecessor?

[Drunken Savior]

Originally Posted by vherub

wait, which game were you talking about, halo? gta? splinter cell? any number of well recieved and well reviewed games that bore similarities to its immediate predecessor?

Black Sugar was talkin' about sequels that are too similar released too close to the prequel.

[Reality]

Well what about Splinter Cell, it comes out every year or something.

[pfresh85]

I bought Paper Mario instead of Prime 2. Reason why? I disliked Prime. I got Prime the first day it came out, and I played it nonstop. Then I got stuck at a certain point. I kept trying to get past it, but I never did, so I gave up on the game. With the reviews saying Prime 2 is harder than Prime, I decided it was in my best interests not to get Prime 2. I think that's fair.

[Black Sugar]

Originally Posted by Reality

Well what about Splinter Cell, it comes out every year or something.

I believe that Splinter Cell Pandora came one year too early. That ain't a bad thing by itself, but they should act surprise if the game sell twice less when the game is mostly the same and based on the exact engine.

Games sequels should wait at least 2 years before reapearing to create the hype they deserve once more and to give more time to game developpers has the R&D are becoming more and more complexe and time comsumming.

[Kid0_oIcarus]

Drat! I knew I should have bought my copy! Sorry guys, I'll go out and buy mine in Feb. Again, I apologize to the bookies, Nintendo, and all gamers in the world.

SORRY, FELLAS!
Bad l337 GAWD! BAD! Spend your $$$ even when you don't have any to spend!! You insensitive cod!

[Sinful Sam]

I always hear people complaining about the controls in Prime. While I would prefer a dual analog setup I can?t see the game work out well that way.

[Drunken Savior]

Not with the Gamecube controller! (Thinks) Maybe...I guess it could work, but it would be one heckofa stretch to use the nipple to aim...