Black Ops - Record sales, but why?

I was reading on Reuters that this game has set a new record for the game industry, but I really can't fathom why. We waited over a decade for the release of Starcraft 2, whereas a CoD game was released just last year, along with a slew of modern military shooters this year.

It's really amazing how a company can churn out essentially the same game year after year and people will continue to buy it. It's a testament to the effectiveness of marketing vs. actual quality development.

People don't buy Call of Duty games because of marketing, they buy them because they're fun. It has an excellent playstyle that so far is unmatched in any other game, and the personalization and unlocking of weapons adds to the addiction. Add to the fact that everyone loves modern shooters, and you have a winning formula.

Black Ops has had quite a few PC issues, but underneath it's a wicked-fun game.

People don't buy Call of Duty games because of marketing, they buy them because they're overhyped

MyopicCanadian

Fixed.murekkep

People don't buy Call of Duty games because of marketing, they buy them because they're fun.

MyopicCanadian

Okay, but is it so substantially more fun and different from the one that was just released to justify a $60 purchase?

I must have high standards or something, because for me it doesn't come anywhere near passing that test.

Personally I fell in love with modern warfare 1 and then after that it was just all the same so I cant get hyped up about every time they come out with a new one that is pretty much the same thing.

People don't buy Call of Duty games because of marketing.MyopicCanadian

Make up trailers filled with mindless action, put out a few interviews that are entirely composed of "OMG I tell you this right here is the BOMB, it's so awesome I can't believe I actually developed something like this, it's filled with super awesome action" and make a crappy looking cover that screams "mindless action" and you just won yourself millions of costumers.

You're kidding yourself if you think that most of the world is like us guys (+ some girls) here on this forum, when most "casuals" buy games they're looking for cool covers or something that they saw in a commercial and it was filled with "what they are looking for" (action in this case).

I was reading on Reuters that this game has set a new record for the game industry, but I really can't fathom why. We waited over a decade for the release of Starcraft 2, whereas a CoD game was released just last year, along with a slew of modern military shooters this year.

It's really amazing how a company can churn out essentially the same game year after year and people will continue to buy it. It's a testament to the effectiveness of marketing vs. actual quality development.

superfluidity

StarcraftII is a rts. In a rts, there's only 2 results: you win or you lose. You, also, can't jump in a rts match already started, in a rts matches with more than 2 players are complex, due if 2 players attack 1 is easy to be overflow, and once 1 player quits, the game turns extremely unbalanced; plus rts games support at most 8 players.

Now look how the fps (as BO) works:

-You can play with up to 18, 32, 64+ players.

-You can jump on fly in any match, a player more or a player less doesn't mandatory unbalances the match.

-Doesn't matter if you win or lose, or if you are a elite or a mediocre player: even the worst player in the world at fps has his moments of glory, even with a 0.1 k/d ratio you still can gain experience, unlock stupid things and be fun for a while.

This is why fps are more popular than rts and why no-skilled based fps are more popular than skill-demanding shooters as Quake or UT.

I was reading on Reuters that this game has set a new record for the game industry, but I really can't fathom why. We waited over a decade for the release of Starcraft 2, whereas a CoD game was released just last year, along with a slew of modern military shooters this year.

It's really amazing how a company can churn out essentially the same game year after year and people will continue to buy it. It's a testament to the effectiveness of marketing vs. actual quality development.

superfluidity

[QUOTE="MyopicCanadian"]

People don't buy Call of Duty games because of marketing, they buy them because they're fun.

superfluidity

Okay, but is it so substantially more fun and different from the one that was just released to justify a $60 purchase?

I must have high standards or something, because for me it doesn't come anywhere near passing that test.

Or you're a penny-pincher... I may be in a totally different mindset, because I buy a LOT of games. So our views probably won't relate at all.

I played the hell out of MW2, but after a year's worth of the same game, yeah I'm done. There are some games that have extreme longevity, but they are few and far between. I played Counter-Strike and CS: Source for ages, but I can't do that anymore. I'd say the average person is not going to play the same game for two to three years.

It might surprise you but they actually do.

Make up trailers filled with mindless action, put out a few interviews that are entirely composed of "OMG I tell you this right here is the BOMB, it's so awesome I can't believe I actually developed something like this, it's filled with super awesome action" and make a crappy looking cover that screams "mindless action" and you just won yourself millions of costumers.

You're kidding yourself if you think that most of the world is like us guys (+ some girls) here on this forum, when ost "casuals" buy games they're looking for cool covers or something that they saw in a commercial and it was filled with "what they are looking for" (action in this case).

DanielDust

Alright, well.. I can imagine some people buying into the hype, but I don't see how that would account for most of the sales. You'll have people who played MW1 and MW2 and love the experience and want something new, or maybe their friends recommended it, which is fine...

I've seen a bunch of games get pushed with lots of crazy marketing and still fall flat on their face with sales because the game just isn't that good. So I don't believe that even though Black Ops has a lot of marketing, that you'd have most of the sales BECAUSE of said marketing. I'm sure it helps, but I still firmly believe most of those sales are from people who just love the CoD formula.

Because the COD series has been very strong, and gamers keep buying from a franchise that continues to put out solid games.chessmaster1989

You could take BC2, change the skins and release it as BC3. It would be a solid game but I wouldn't buy it.

Because it's the only shooter except for Quake Live that gives me my fix of very fast paced gameplay, and it has a superb carrot-on-a-stick element in form of the XP system.

People that compare Call of Duty and Battlefield are insane, they're like at the opposite sides of the shooter spectrum.

lol their fun , pft play goldeneye 007 and you wont be comin back to cod ever again

or hop on 360 and get perfect dark those are more fun games then cod

Because it's the only shooter except for Quake Live that gives me my fix of very fast paced gameplay, and it has a superb carrot-on-a-stick element in form of the XP system.

People that compare Call of Duty and Battlefield are insane, they're like at the opposite sides of the shooter spectrum.

Baranga

[QUOTE="chessmaster1989"]Because the COD series has been very strong, and gamers keep buying from a franchise that continues to put out solid games.superfluidity

You could take BC2, change the skins and release it as BC3. It would be a solid game but I wouldn't buy it.

This is why:

I was reading on Reuters that this game has set a new record for the game industry, but I really can't fathom why. We waited over a decade for the release of Starcraft 2, whereas a CoD game was released just last year, along with a slew of modern military shooters this year.

It's really amazing how a company can churn out essentially the same game year after year and people will continue to buy it. It's a testament to the effectiveness of marketing vs. actual quality development.

superfluidity

Black ops = PS3+PC+360

Starcraft 2 = PC

ofcourse Black ops sold more

Starcraft II doesn't have appeal to casual gamers.GeneralShowzer

Yes and also casuals make up the majority!

It sold more because its a multiplatform game

Black ops = PS3+PC+360

Starcraft 2 = PC

ofcourse Black ops sold more

devious742

Even still, it's a rehash of something released year after year versus what I believed was one of the most anticipated games of all time, 12 years in the making. That really isn't a no brainer to me even with it being a multi platform game.

What I was really pointing out though is how it broke the record for first day sales, did it really deserve that in any way?

Starcraft II doesn't have appeal to casual gamers.GeneralShowzer

People should definitely note this when answering the question as to why Black Ops is doing as well as it is.

Let's face it, casual gaming is the new rising market trend(I probably should say more casual oriented since i'd be hard pressed to blanket CoD as casual) and as with all market trends it will be the kind of thing that game developers will capitalize upon where as the more hardcore games are on the decline(and note that I said decline as opposed to eventual death because the latter is unlikely to happen). Black Ops has a lot of things going for it, a game play style that has a high appeal to your layperson/casual gamer whatever, a brand that has built a huge amount of momentum(this in particular would have a lot to do with it) in existent user base and brand and hey, fact of the matter is, people are far more prone to play FPS then they are to play RTS games. That is why Starcraft II doesn't have the same kind of sales rates as CoD: Black Ops. It's a simple matter of more people being far more interested in playing an arcade military shooter that caters to multiple platforms built on a huge brand as opposed to an RTS that caters to a far more niche market in comparison, that features on only one platform.

Personally I fell in love with modern warfare 1 and then after that it was just all the same so I cant get hyped up about every time they come out with a new one that is pretty much the same thing.

Erik2393

Skipping this one until the price falls to around at most $45. $60 is too much for the same old thing, and I won't be taken advantage of.

[QUOTE="murekkep"]Fixed.MyopicCanadian

CottonTheMoth.. can't seem to quote you for whatever reason, but the gamewas a $45 preorder on D2D :)

[QUOTE="MyopicCanadian"][QUOTE="murekkep"]Fixed.millerlight89

No, it's not a big deal.. I was in a poor mood :lol:

Can you prove that I'm wrong? We can only speculate. I have yet to meet anyone that bought a Call of Duty game because of any sort of marketing. I'd say the biggest draw is social suggestion... friends getting other friends to play and/or just buying the game because they liked MW2 and MW1. Such is the case with everyone I know who bought the game...

...but that's anecdotal evidence and doesn't account for the mysterious casual gamer who forks out money because they saw a neat-o ad or commercial or website or tweet or facebook page or midnight launch hype event. Apparently these types of people exist everywhere en masse, numbering in the millions, but I have yet to actually meet one of its kind.

[QUOTE="MyopicCanadian"]

People don't buy Call of Duty games because of marketing, they buy them because they're overhyped

murekkep

Marketing gets it WELL KNOWN, then all your friends have to buy it, and so you have to buy it to not to feel left out. And since it is pretty good, everyone thanks to the marketing even if they arn't gamers think its amazing. When in reality its just a decent fps, thes changed a little every year.

There is a combination of reasons here, but both sides are valid. The game is not bad by any means and it is fun to play. So, people like us enjoy it and eventually buy/rent it. However, combined with that is the enormous fleet of, from what I have seen, gamers that traditionally play Madden, MLB, casual games etc but now jump on board for competitive fps gaming. They primarily bought their system for sports games, but then got hooked on the CoD style of fps.

Why? Because CoD is a very easy game to start playing. The barrier to entry is tiny. Anyone that can hold a controller can enjoy a multiplayer match. That is not to say you don't need skill, but rather the game accepts a wide range of skill levels. Even something like Halo is harder to get into with shields, many types of grenades, unique gravity, etc. Then there are the old games such as Unreal Tournament and Quake Arena which are very hard to play and get good at.

This lower barrier of entry to fun is what drove the sales up and what keeps it popular with the mainstream.

not to hard to understand really its out on multiple platforms as opposed to only one and its a fps which are extremely popular nowadays and its a pretty casual game thats fast paced and not to punishing or frustrating even the worse players can get kills and have fun in cod since the guns are super accurate with realitively low recoil as well as heavy aim assist on the console side and it only takes a few bullets to kill and even less on hardcore matches.

Skipping this one until the price falls to around at most $45. $60 is too much for the same old thing, and I won't be taken advantage of.

CottonTheMoth

have fun with that, you are saving 15.00, and missing out on playing the game in its prime moments. It wont have a price cut for some time.

The Call of Duty games have been called the Michael Bay of video games, and that's you're answer right there. They have mass appeal, even if they're somewhat lacking in depth and coherence (in my opinion). They're bombastic and give a wide variety of people what they want from a game. Hell, my girlfriend is the definition of a casual gamer and she LOVES COD games.

I don't see anything wrong with it, but every time I play one I'm let down. They just don't do it for me the way Half-Life and a few of the other large FPS franchises do. I do think this "game a year" strategy that Lackovision is following is going to bite them in the butt eventually though. Even diehards will get fatigued by the series eventually.

More proof that the human race is getting dumber and dumber.

You got to admit that for casuals, CoD is a pretty well built package of single and multiplayer features. With the second Call of Duty garnering such a high following thanks to it being the only good shooter when the 360 came out, it made the 3rd game a guaranteed hit. When IW went modern with CoD4 + hype machine + leveling system to create MP addiction for many = hit. This continued MP style made WaW a hit, made MW2 a definite hit just because the game was modern again, and with the "new setting" of Black Ops, and the return of the well loved yet tweaked MP system, people will continue to play it, especially on consoles where bro dudes can all play together on live and get their girlfriends to play it like Halo was treated.

Not everyone who bought the game is a mindless because they must. PC gamers in particular do their research before buying the game. Thus, we researched on the fact that this game had better PC support and therefore some of us bought it. But of course, the numbers are supposedly higher for the 360 version.

Starcraft 2 is more of a niche game, while as Call of Duty is that girl you'd like to date for a while, but not forever because you'll know there will be more. Okay, terrible analogy.. but yeah.

I'll admit. I wasn't planning on buying Black Ops, but I always felt Treyarch was the best out of the two developers (IW and Treyarch), despite Treyarch being the underdog. BO is my favorite Call of Duty game to date and it's one of my favorite SP campaigns (in general). And I'm not even a COD fan. I usually stop playing the multiplayer after a month, or less.

[QUOTE="CottonTheMoth"]

Skipping this one until the price falls to around at most $45. $60 is too much for the same old thing, and I won't be taken advantage of.

Advid-Gamer

have fun with that, you are saving 15.00, and missing out on playing the game in its prime moments. It wont have a price cut for some time.

Anyone else surprised by the single player? Holy mother of god...it's actually fun. I haven't had fun with the SP since CoD2. It's pretty interesting IMO.

but black ops is really good on the xbox 360

Skipping this one until the price falls to around at most $45. $60 is too much for the same old thing, and I won't be taken advantage of.

CottonTheMoth

I'm doing the same thing, except I'm waiting for them to pay me the $45 to play it.

Can anyone honestly look at the music charts, or the number of movie remakes being done in Hollywood, and say that human beings of this generation have standards.

Really, it's no surprise that this turd of a game is selling well.

It has record sales because fps is the biggest genre and no otherfps has the level of polish and attention to detail that COD has.

[QUOTE="Advid-Gamer"]

[QUOTE="CottonTheMoth"]

Skipping this one until the price falls to around at most $45. $60 is too much for the same old thing, and I won't be taken advantage of.

testfactor888

have fun with that, you are saving 15.00, and missing out on playing the game in its prime moments. It wont have a price cut for some time.

If I genuinely LOVED a game and the devs said "we will release a new version every year with improvements" then I would buy it every time, providing it is VERY fun! £40 for 1 years worth of entertainment is a Bargain! I don't care what other devs do.

It has record sales because fps is the biggest genre and no otherfps has the level of polish and attention to detail that COD has.

Cranler