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Wolfenstein combined sales barely break 100k
Lydia Sung - Friday, September 11th, 2009 | 4:28PM (PT) 0 Favourites (0)


Raven Software's remake suffers poor sales despite positive reviews

Wolfenstein combined sales barely break 100k Image 1

Sad news for Raven Software.  Looks like their Wolfenstein 2009 remake didn't do so hot, despite overall positive reviews from critics across the board.

NPD sales figures were released yesterday, and we notice Wolfenstein is nowhere to be seen.  Instead, we see Madden NFL 10 and Batman: Arkham Asylum dominating on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- at least in North America.

Wolfenstein sold 59,000 copies for the Xbox 360, another 30,000 on PlayStation 3 and a dismal 17,000 on PC.  For a little perspective, note that Fossil Fighters for the Nintendo DS is currently sitting in 10th place on NPD's August 2009 chart with 92,000 units.  So between its release on August 18 and the end of the month, August 29, Wolfenstein sold only 106,000 across all platforms.

While not every game is expected to achieve blockbuster status, the numbers are fairly disappointing; the silver lining here is that sales might steadily increase given more time, as Wolfenstein hasn't been out very long.  Thinking of trying it yourself?  The game is actually quite good, if you care to read what we had to say.

  • 0 thumbs!
    kik36 since Apr 2007 | Sep 12, 09
    I think too many people are saving up for the holiday line-up. All platforms are geared up to see some serious blockbusters in the next 3-4 months. Add that to a short campaign, and lackluster online and it equals 100K sales.

    The game is actually pretty good, if people can find enough loose change under the couch cushions.
  • 0 thumbs!
    VeGiTAX2 since Apr 2001 | Sep 12, 09
    It makes sense, the game would have done well in the summer as a mid summer slump title. Something that wasn't too crazy but wasn't remarkably bad. Coming into fall the barrage has already begun and it'll run all the way to the week just before christmas for these publishers.
  • 0 thumbs!
    Akira_EX since Sep 2001 | Sep 12, 09
    If you want more perspective, Wolfenstien 360's 59k placed it at #18 in NPD's charts.

    Also the only non-Nintendo or non-EA game in the 11-20.
  • 0 thumbs!
    RabidChinaGirl since Oct 2007 | Sep 12, 09
    quote Akira_EX
    If you want more perspective, Wolfenstien 360's 59k placed it at #18 in NPD's charts.

    Also the only non-Nintendo or non-EA game in the 11-20.
    The performance wasn't poor, per se, but it's disappointing for a game that got so much hype. I guess that's the main thing.
  • 0 thumbs!
    kik36 since Apr 2007 | Sep 12, 09
    quote VeGiTAX2
    It makes sense, the game would have done well in the summer as a mid summer slump title. Something that wasn't too crazy but wasn't remarkably bad. Coming into fall the barrage has already begun and it'll run all the way to the week just before christmas for these publishers.
    I dunno man, with everyone being afraid of the CoD Juggernaut it's looking like our holiday season will last well into February!! Nothing but a win-win for us gamers!!
  • 1 thumbs!
    Akira_EX since Sep 2001 | Sep 12, 09
    But Christmas got delayed into Spring 2010. How's that a win-win?
  • 0 thumbs!
    monkey_ninjas316 since Sep 2002 | Sep 12, 09
    To be perfectly honest, I knew this game was in development but I had no idea it was out until I saw the reviews go up. I don't remember seeing any commercials or ads for this game what so ever. Maybe it's just me but was this game even marketed? If not then of course it did poorly, yes the die hard fans will buy it but why should anyone playing COD, GeOW or any other AAA title put theirs down to play this with almost no ad campaign?
  • 0 thumbs!
    Redemption since Mar 2000 | Sep 12, 09
    quote monkey_ninjas316
    To be perfectly honest, I knew this game was in development but I had no idea it was out until I saw the reviews go up. I don't remember seeing any commercials or ads for this game what so ever. Maybe it's just me but was this game even marketed? If not then of course it did poorly...
    I was thinking about the same thing. Poor marketing definitely leads to not enough people knowing about the game being released. Now that its on my radar again I might pick it up once I catch up with my current games.
  • -1 thumbs!
    THM since Jan 2008 | Sep 12, 09
    It didn't sell good because it's all about same WWII setting again and again and again and again and again and again....It's all about boring American propaganda and significant Nazi's failure in the 20th century. Ancient History and History students will like it though.

    Nowadays young FPS gamers want modern warfare games like CALL OF DUTY:MODERN WARFARE 1 or 2 or OPERATION FLASHPOINT: DRAGON RISING in the future... I personally like Modern warfare games which are set in Afghan, Vietnam and Iraq.. and possibly in North Korea and garrison state of Burma's jungle, Hee Hee.....
    Last edited by THM :: Sep 12, 09
  • 0 thumbs!
    VeGiTAX2 since Apr 2001 | Sep 13, 09
    Kind of hard to do a modern warfare game of a title with it's entire story established during WWII in a fantasy setting. Unless WWII is extending all the way into present day with the same axis and allied forces in battle.

    :/ the game thrived around a few variables and pretty much is stuck right there. The game could have been executed in a better fashion but it wasn't this time around, Return to Castle Wolfenstein was successful and thrived even with modern warfare titles for community support.

    It is a shame they tried to reinvent the wheel with the game, they had a winning formula.
  • 1 thumbs!
    kspiess since Jun 2007 | Sep 13, 09
    I think it didn't sell well because the gameplay is way too standard. Personally I don't have much interest in playing yet another straight-up FPS with auto-regenerating health myself. The only think it had going for it was the neat Occult Nazi backdrop IMHO.

    I think many gamers would appreciate something a bit different from FPS gameplay...
    Last edited by kspiess :: Sep 13, 09
  • 0 thumbs!
    monkey_ninjas316 since Sep 2002 | Sep 14, 09
    quote VeGiTAX2
    Kind of hard to do a modern warfare game of a title with it's entire story established during WWII in a fantasy setting.
    I haven't played it so I'm not 100% sure, but doesn't Resistance for the Playstation 3 take place during a WW2 time period but completely changes it up? I don't think a WW2 setting has anything to do with it, I believe its a mix of poor marketing and what "kspiess" said, that the game brings nothing new to the table. iD are some very excellent developers who have brought their share of good games in the past, but this one just fails to meet with todays extremely high standards.
  • 0 thumbs!
    VeGiTAX2 since Apr 2001 | Sep 14, 09
    Yes but Resistance wasn't a video game back in the early 90's that they're essentially basing the entire story from. There's a difference as they're trying to find new ways to develop the story (regenerating mass spawning cabinets of enemies are extremely dated and boring as kev said) lol I'm not really going to bother trying to defend the game, I couldn't bring myself to complete it after a while. :/

    iD didn't develop the game, Raven did. The license belongs to iD but they haven't touched the game for ages.
  • 0 thumbs!
    chautemoc since Mar 2008 | Sep 14, 09
    So much for free Wolfenstein.
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