Quote:
Originally Posted by Coldcall
I dont think it says anything at all about the PC sim market. It says something about the disasterous DRM backfiring because Assasins Creed 2 is also being reduced in a big way, and that is a perfectly populist genre.
|
I suspect that this is the real reason we have seen prices plummet so soon after release. Regardless of the consistently negative reviews SH5 has received, I seem to remember SH3 and 4 being just as incomplete and bug ridden, yet becoming immensely popular despite their numerous issues. In fact, I could hardly play either until the mod community started to work their magic. Frankly, I suspected nothing would change with SH5, that's just the way it's always been with this title. Granted, they could have done a lot better, but then again, I tend to feel like that with a lot of games these days (especially so called simulations).
Some people are claiming that poor sales will mean the end of Silent Hunter, yet I'm sure SH4 was not as popular as SH3, yet they clearly made enough money, and thought that there was enough demand for another game. Don't forget the expansion, which while small in nature, still demanded time and effort from the developers. Therefore, I see no reason why this should be the end, assuming money can still be made (they are a business after all).
The real clincher in all of this, despite claims to the contrary, was definitely the net connection fiasco. I have spoken to friends of mine, who have outright refused to buy any games coupled with such a system, and these are people who have previously put up with StarForce and SecuRom without complaint. Obviously the negative press surrounding this issue has not done anything to help their sales, and honestly, they only have themselves to blame. Many of us called this situation before it was really known about, and sadly we were proved right. I'm surprised they didn't realise the trouble it would cause, but I suppose they misjudged the unpopularity of such strict requirements.
If this is to be the last Silent Hunter, then that's just the way it is. Nothing we could have done would change Ubi's mind, because at the end of the day, they are only concerned with profit. This is something which is far more complex than the oft repeated "buy the game, or they won't make more!" argument.
In any case, we now have three sub games, two of which have already been heavily modded, and another which has 'potential'. That should be more than enough to keep most of us occupied should Ubi decide to pull the plug once and for all.