Is This Game a Success?

[Yxklyx]

Now I know there are tons of criticisms for this game - many of which are valid but I noticed that there are 21! pages of discussions over the last 24 hours here on Steam. I don't recall any other game having so much discussion. Is it because there's a glut of other games at this time. The game appears to be huge success for Firaxis.

[Zigg Price]

Yes, the game is an amazing game, and it is a success. There are technical issues, and it was not the cleanest release. This does not detract from the fact the it is enormously fun and one of the best experiences I have had in a long time.

[Bullett00th]

Of course it's a success. It was a success before it got released.
It's just a technically flawed, poorly tested, highly unoptimized, obviously rushed product.

I've said this before: gamers are ready to forgive a LOT when given great gameplay. And XCOM2 does deliver on this part.

[Saint Landwalker]

"Success" is a nebulous concept, so whether or not the game qualifies as one depends on how you define "Success."

[God Taint]

Even the most successful games are often criticized. No game is perfect.

This game can be a complete and buggy mess at times, often inducing much rage (especially in ironman mode).

But ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ if this game isn't fun as hell...

[nambulous]

Originally posted by Bullett00th:

Of course it's a success. It was a success before it got released.
It's just a technically flawed, poorly tested, highly unoptimized, obviously rushed product.

I've said this before: gamers are ready to forgive a LOT when given great gameplay. And XCOM2 does deliver on this part.

Couldn't agree more.

[Mann42]

If you want to get technical, and look at success in purely financial and numerical terms:

According to Steam Spy, it has 672,000+ owners on Steam in the 2 and a half weeks since it launched. Keep in mind, Steam Spy stats are not 100% accurate and only include Steam, so the total sales will likely be higher. This also doesn't account for the number of people that paid extra for the season pass or digital edition.

All of XCOM 2's sales have been at full price or a medium launch discount. I expect the game to sell even more after they announce their first performance patch and whenever Firaxis feels it's appropriate to bring down the price.

It's not going to sell Call of Duty numbers, but no strategy game is. Compared to almost any other turn-based strategy game? The sales are amazing.

By comparison, XCOM 2012 has 3.3 million owners on Steam, but that's after 3.5 years of purchases, multiple steam sales, a final price point of $10, humble bundle packages where people got it for $1 AND a free weekend in September of last year (so it's not all sales). In just 3 weeks, XCOM2 has 1/5th the owners of XCOM 2012 in 3 years.

Lastly, engagement on XCOM 2 is higher than most games - with an average playtime of 32 hours per player and maintaing over 20k concurrent users even 3 weeks after launch, it is keeping the people who buy it playing more than most AAA titles. The people who do buy it seem to love it and can't stop playing it.

I'm pretty sure we're going to see an XCOM 3.

[SirusTheMadDJ]

Game's been out three weeks. FAR too early to call it anything yet, especually with the DLC on the way and Firaxis working on squashing the bugs.

[Bullett00th]

Originally posted by SirusTheMadDJ:

FAR too early to call it anything yet

You think? take a look:
http://steamcharts.com/app/268500

vs Enemy Unknown:
http://steamcharts.com/app/200510


And this is not within a month of release, and including the fact that the game has multiple issues with people being unable to play. It's a success.

[Syn]

Originally posted by Bullett00th:

Originally posted by SirusTheMadDJ:

FAR too early to call it anything yet

You think? take a look:
http://steamcharts.com/app/268500

vs Enemy Unknown:
http://steamcharts.com/app/200510


And this is not within a month of release, and including the fact that the game has multiple issues with people being unable to play. It's a bomb.

I do not think bomb means what you think it means.

[Exarch_Alpha]

It´s good it sucessful, maybe some other people can finally realize turn based is a viable choice.

[Mann42]

Originally posted by Bullett00th:

It's a bomb.

Use your own links to look at XCOM 1's launch players. They had less average and concurrent than XCOM 2 at launch, and XCOM 2 has an equivalent concurrent as XCOM 1 did in the same 3 week period.

I don't know what planet you can call that a bomb on when the previous one was hailed as a massive success and the new one is doing as well or better by all numeric indicators.

[Bullett00th]

Originally posted by Syne:

I do not think bomb means what you think it means.

I realized this shortly after posting but whatever. it means the exact opposite in Russian)
point is, it's already twice as successful as EU ever was in terms of concurrent players

[SirusTheMadDJ]

Edit. Pays to read posts and details before you make your own comment. Keeping this one as it is because I explain why thowing those numbers around is pointless, but feel free to walk on by. We all make mistakes. d=)

Originally posted by Bullett00th:

You think? take a look:
http://steamcharts.com/app/268500

vs Enemy Unknown:
http://steamcharts.com/app/200510


And this is not within a month of release, and including the fact that the game has multiple issues with people being unable to play. It's a bomb.

Uh huh. I can make a pretty story using two sets of numbers with no actual meaning behind them too.

It's called politics. Here's another spin using the same, unoffical numbers.

Month of release for XCOM 1 : 20,353 average players.

Month of release for XCOM 2 : 49,336 average players.

At peak?

First game : 70,560

Second : 132,677

Side by side of both games, remembering EU was released in 2012 : http://steamcharts.com/cmp/268500,200510

Yeah I say having a larger player base on launch following the first game's release numbers counts a commerial failure, right?

Oh wait. Sales figures and totals don't effect personal opinion. Neither does the fact that there's a large drop of players following, as you mention, the bugs on release. Half of that can be explained by Steam's refund policy and gamers having no patience, which is fine.

The other half could be people playing other titles waiting for updates to fix the issues, or for the Long War team to make a new version of the mod for XCOM 2. Both of those I've seen repeatedly on this very forum.

Numbers without an attached meaning can be spun to "back up" whatever you want them to mean. I'll remind you Ubisoft was "disappointed" by the 3.4 MILLION sales of the first Tomb Raider. So disappointed they released a sequel, imagine that?

This is an interesting waste of time. Nothing more.

[Exarch_Alpha]

How can someone talk so much, yet say so little.

[Syn]

Originally posted by Bullett00th:

Originally posted by Syne:

I do not think bomb means what you think it means.

I realized this shortly after posting but whatever. it means the exact opposite in Russian)
point is, it's already twice as successful as EU ever was in terms of concurrent players

Ah, fair enough. But yeah this is obviously causing some confusion.

As to the stats. Well, there's always something to be said for sequel effect where more people are aware of the game and willing to try it on top of brand new players.
But overall yes it is a success, despite the problems that I've been fortunate enough to have mostly missed.