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[Lunatic_Gamer]

Elden Ring's massive worldwide success has sparked astronomical growth for FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa Group.

With over 16 million units sold across all platforms, Elden Ring is an outstanding smash-hit sensation that could end up being the best-selling game of 2022. The game's incredible performance has helped spike both sales and operating profit of FromSoftware's owner, the Kadokawa Group.

According to Kadowkawa's latest earnings briefing, the company saw net sales rise to 17.137 billion yen ($116.892 million based on current conversions), up 255% over the last six months. Operating profit skyrocketed by over 1110% to 7.592 billion yen ($51.785 million) from the year-ago earnings of 623 million yen.

Remember that Elden Ring is published by Bandai Namco and we will likely hear more information and updates when Namco posts their earnings soon. Bandai Namco had previously confirmed that Elden Ring is now an official franchise and that more content is on the way, including a possible sequel or maybe expansion into film/TV format.

Sony and Tencent also invested into FromSoftware by purchasing 30% of the developer's shares in order to help fund new game development projects.

The Game Business includes planning, development, sales and licensing of game software and internet games. Revenue from the overseas shipment and so forth of a video game, Elden Ring, which is a record hit, contributed significantly to revenue and profit growth. The collaborative/contracted development business and new games of Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. also contributed to revenue growth.
Consequently, net sales in this segment came to 17,137 million yen (up 255.1% year on year) with operating profit of 7,592 million yen (up 1,116.8%).

Read more: https://www.tweaktown.com/news/8933...s-gaming-operating-profit-by-1-100/index.html

 

[TintoConCasera]

Nice, well deserved. Hopefully other companies take notice and we start seeing games like ER: challenging, rewarding for the curious and skillfull player, and with not too much hand holding.

 

[feynoob]

That is what happens, when you try to appeal to casuals.
Its good to have loyal fans, but sometimes, you need the casuals, if you want to increase your company portofolio.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Elden Ring 2 is gonna be massive

 

[ShinyMan]

Bandai Namco had previously confirmed that Elden Ring is now an official franchise and that more content is on the way, including a possible sequel or maybe expansion into film/TV format.

 

[TintoConCasera]

That is what happens, when you try to appeal to casuals.
Its good to have loyal fans, but sometimes, you need the casuals, if you want to increase your company portofolio.

How does it appeal to casuals? Aside from the obvious easy mode (spirit summons).

If anything, the game appeals to medieval nerds, furries, and multi-armed loli lovers.

 

[iHaunter]

I hope they have extensive DLC.

 

[lh032]

hopefully they put more effort on moveset/enemy/bosses variety in the next game.

 

[feynoob]

How does it appeal to casuals? Aside from the obvious easy mode (spirit summons).

If anything, the game appeals to medieval nerds, furries, and multi-armed loli lovers.

Open world.

Rpg fans and casuals like a game, which you can do whatever you want.

Elden ring fits that mold.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

Nice, well deserved. Hopefully other companies take notice and we start seeing games like ER: challenging, rewarding for the curious and skillfull player, and with not too much hand holding.

Sadly I doubt we will. What it does well it too difficult to recreate its easier to just followers the Ubisoft formula for open world games.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Open world.

Rpg fans and casuals like a game, which you can do whatever you want.

Elden ring fits that mold.

But it's not really that kind of open world, no?

Some games like GTAs or AssCreed or other Ubi games offer you a map with tons of markers and shit to do, kinda like a theme park. ER's world isn't like that, but I think the open world makes the game not easier, but less frustating since the player has more options to where to go.
That's great for casual players and probably makes Elden Ring the best starting point in those games for any casual player.

Sadly I doubt we will. What it does well it too difficult to recreate its easier to just followers the Ubisoft formula for open world games.

Yeah I agree, as long as Ubi games keep selling soulless devs will probably keep going that way.

 

[Danjin44]

I might get some hate here but I would love FROM make another SP focus game similar to Sekiro with focus combat.

Sekiro is by far my favourite FROM game.

 

[Thief1987]

from the year-ago earnings of 623 million yen.

I thought Kadokawa is much bigger. Like Falcom had more than 2x bigger profit last year.

Edit i see, it's for half-year. Still for a company with 2.5B$ market cap it's pretty low.

 

[feynoob]

But it's not really that kind of open world, no?

Some games like GTAs or AssCreed or other Ubi games offer you a map with tons of markers and shit to do, kinda like a theme park. ER's world isn't like that, but I think the open world makes the game not easier, but less frustating since the player has more options to where to go.
That's great for casual players and probably makes Elden Ring the best starting point in those games for any casual player.

Open world allows gamers to play the game, as they want to. Which most gamers want. and that is freedom.

As long as open world gives you freedom, its enough.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

FROM became my favourite dev over the past few years though I've been a fan since King's Field. Elden Ring is their magnum opus, deserves all the praise and sales in the world, will undoubtedly end 2022 as my GOTY and will ultimately be a Game of the Generation contender, can't wait to see what they do with the IP, praise the Erdtree

 

[TintoConCasera]

Open world allows gamers to play the game, as they want to. Which most gamers want. and that is freedom.

As long as open world gives you freedom, its enough.

I don't know man. It's true that is open world but in the end all you can do in Elden Ring is either explore the wilderness, explore a dungeon or whack shit up. That doesn't sound like having too many options as to call it "freedom" and surely not something I would say it's made to appeal to casuals.

 

[feynoob]

I don't know man. It's true that is open world but in the end all you can do in Elden Ring is either explore the wilderness, explore a dungeon or whack shit up. That doesn't sound like having too many options as to call it "freedom" and surely not something I would say it's made to appeal to casuals.

That is what people, who have shit jobs do. They want something, to blow their steam on. Open world is perfect for that, since they can get lost on those games.

 

[Thief1987]

Open world.

Rpg fans and casuals like a game, which you can do whatever you want.

Elden ring fits that mold.

OW maybe good for casuals and Kadokawa's financial metrics, but it's bad for anyone who expected focused tight game and not a bloated mess like Elden Ring.

 

[AJUMP23]

It is an amazing game.

 

[feynoob]

OW maybe good for casuals and Kadokawa's financial metrics, but it's bad for anyone who expected focused tight game and not a bloated mess like Elden Ring.

Not every game, would satisfy people.
This time, the game is for those people. Maybe their next game, would be for the other fans.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Open world.

Rpg fans and casuals like a game, which you can do whatever you want.

Elden ring fits that mold.

A bit strange to say, it seems to me. Casuals certainly seem to eat up brain-numbingly linear campaigns like Uncharted or corridor shooters practically on autopilot etc more than anything else.

But it's not really that kind of open world, no?

Some games like GTAs or AssCreed or other Ubi games offer you a map with tons of markers and shit to do, kinda like a theme park. ER's world isn't like that, but I think the open world makes the game not easier, but less frustating since the player has more options to where to go.

Yeah this is usually the "open world" style that casuals have played in the past, things like the endless generic Ubisoft games where there is zero thinking involved.. just go to the next quest marker over and over. Even popular open games like GTA and Batman never stop telling you exactly what's next at every moment.

That said, I think Elden Ring (and BOTW before it) did nail a new style of more genuinely free open-world gameplay, which has rightly gained a broad appeal. But it's not about dumbing anything down. On the contrary, I think all the other major open-world games (from GTA to Ubisoft) are made for the absolute lowest common-denominator brains in the world, and Elden Ring stands tall above them in rewarding player choice and expecting the player to contribute something rather than being force-fed.

 

[jaysius]

This can also be bad, when the growth peaks on this one Game their meh games are going to make it look like they’ve turned into failures, in the retarded world of business today even victories can turn into losses.

 

[feynoob]

A bit strange to say, it seems to me. Casuals certainly seem to eat up brain-numbingly linear campaigns like Uncharted or corridor shooters practically on autopilot etc more than anything else.

Casuals like to eat open world like gtav, skyrim, red dead, minecraft more than anything.
From crafting, to exploration, to freedom of playing at your own pace.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Casuals like to eat open world like gtav, skyrim, red dead, minecraft more than anything.
From crafting, to exploration, to freedom of playing at your own pace.

"Casuals" seems to have an unclear definition here.

For instance, while GTA is pretty casual, Minecraft did not appeal to a casual involvement... its success rode on the backs of people who would spend hundreds of hours perfecting a little world with automated farming, mine cart creations, massive towns, etc.

Elden Ring likewise has most players running up huge numbers of hours trying to build up their character and push forward in the world. It really doesn't reward a casual involvement.

Perhaps defining "casual" would help.

 

[DaGwaphics]

That's what you call healthy growth. Good for them.

 

[feynoob]

"Casuals" seems to have an unclear definition here.

For instance, while GTA is pretty casual, Minecraft did not appeal to a casual involvement... its success rode on the backs of people who would spend hundreds of hours perfecting a little world with automated farming, mine cart creations, massive towns, etc.

Elden Ring likewise has most players running up huge numbers of hours trying to build up their character and push forward in the world. It really doesn't reward a casual involvement.

Perhaps defining "casual" would help.

casuals are usually people who game less, and want to enjoy whatever time they have for certain games.
While hardcore are those who spend alot of time playing alot of different games, or play 1 game too much.

A casual gamer is a player who enjoys any video game without investing significant time to it, playing it spontaneously, irregularly, or infrequently. The term casual may also be a derogative noun. Describing a player who is not fully committed to playing a video game at a high level

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

casuals are usually people who game less, and want to enjoy whatever time they have for certain games.
While hardcore are those who spend playing alot of different games, or play 1 game too much.

Then... quite frankly you are not making any sense at all, when you list games like Minecraft and Elden Ring as casual.

Those 2 games certainly have among the highest average hours per player of anything in the past decades. We're talking hundreds of hours being not that unusual at all for either game.

If your definition is related in any way to the time invested in the game, then Elden Ring (and Minecraft) are objectively some of the least casual games on the market, no question.

 

[feynoob]

Then... quite frankly you are not making any sense at all, when you list games like Minecraft and Elden Ring as casual.

Those 2 games certainly have among the highest average hours per player of anything in the past decades. We're talking hundreds of hours being not that unusual at all for either game.

If your definition is related in any way to the time invested in the game, then Elden Ring (and Minecraft) are objectively some of the least casual games on the market, no question.

Rpg fans and casuals like a game, which you can do whatever you want.

Minecraft, elden ring and those games are open world games, in which you arent required to play by the rules. You can play the game however you want to, without any stress.

 

[MagnesD3]

I'd love an elden ring prequel show live action or animated, I love the games lore

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

Minecraft, elden ring and those games are open world games, in which you arent required to play by the rules. You can play the game however you want to, without any stress.

"Without any stress" doesn't really add up for Elden Ring, because in addition to the abnormally high average hours per player, it also certainly has a uniquely high number of deaths per player. More deaths on average than the vast majority of games, undoubtedly.

In the first 10 hours of the game, most people will die quite a lot of times, with even the popular appeal of the game echoing that with constant memes about dying 50 or 100 times on each boss and trying again.


All these people you're calling "casual" who flocked to the game tended to fight through hundreds of deaths and put in huge numbers of hours.

It sounds like "casual" is just a way of saying "people who play what I don't like." Nothing else you've offered is avoiding pretty hefty contradictions when you try to apply it.

 

[Captain Toad]

Is that a lot?

 

[Keihart]

Minecraft, elden ring and those games are open world games, in which you arent required to play by the rules. You can play the game however you want to, without any stress.

You must really want to call it "casual" to be moving the definition that much.
You should be using the word "mainstream", that's more apropiate to your examples, not casual.

 

[angrod14]

Now we're definitely NOT getting another Bloodborne.

 

[Dr_Salt]

Good, now use that money and give us a AAA succesor to Kings Field.

 

[feynoob]

"Without any stress" doesn't really add up for Elden Ring, because in addition to the abnormally high average hours per player, it also certainly has a uniquely high number of deaths per player. More deaths on average than the vast majority of games, undoubtedly.

In the first 10 hours of the game, most people will die quite a lot of times, with even the popular appeal of the game echoing that with constant memes about dying 50 or 100 times on each boss and trying again.


All these people you're calling "casual" who flocked to the game tended to fight through hundreds of deaths and put in huge numbers of hours.

It sounds like "casual" is just a way of saying "people who play what I don't like." Nothing else you've offered is avoiding pretty hefty contradictions when you try to apply it.

"Open world"

• Freedom
• Not restricted by anything
• The game allows you to play at your own pace
• crafting

Bosses are normal part of any game, regardless of dificulty. What elden ring posses is exploration. Its why I kept bringing minecraft and gtav. The game allows you to explore, and not bore you to death. You play it at your own time, and dont have to worry about playing it for too long.

Here is views from a casual gamers.

 

[feynoob]

You must really want to call it "casual" to be moving the definition that much.
You should be using the word "mainstream", that's more apropiate to your examples, not casual.

That is a good term.

Edit: Plus Hardcore term is also obscure.
There are those who keep playing tons of games, and buying them day1, then there is the other group who are usually busy playing 1 game or competitive games too much, and have a higher ceiling skills.

 

[ResurrectedContrarian]

"Open world"

• Freedom
• Not restricted by anything
• The game allows you to play at your own pace
• crafting

Bosses are normal part of any game, regardless of dificulty. What elden ring posses is exploration. Its why I kept bringing minecraft and gtav. The game allows you to explore, and not bore you to death. You play it at your own time, and dont have to worry about playing it for too long.

Now you're just describing certain attributes that you clearly don't like (crafting... this is "casual" for some reason, I guess due to guilt by association with things you hate), but they have no particular categorical relationship.

Freedom is definitely not "casual" in some way. One of the most hardcore games in history is Pool Of Radiance, and it's also one of the most open-ended, free games of all time, a massive achievement in its era of giving the player a sandbox RPG world.

Really, none of the attributes above are somehow marks against a game's level of demanding serious, complex investment by the player, and arguably quite the opposite.

That is what people, who have shit jobs do. They want something, to blow their steam on. Open world is perfect for that, since they can get lost on those games.

That is a good term.

Edit: Plus Hardcore term is also obscure.
There are those who keep playing tons of games, and buying them day1, then there is the other group who are usually busy playing 1 game or competitive games too much, and have a higher ceiling skills.

I think these are the only fully-honest quotes you've given us, which paint the real picture here.

You think people who play non "skill" games (I'm guessing you're into shooters or something) are lesser, and you just happen to define skill to only apply to the kinds of games you like. In particular, you seem to think that games which have a different pace are somehow less serious or less demanding on the player, when on the contrary one can just as easily argue that the most casual "my job sucks, let me plug in and kill brain cels" games of all time are online shooters, where it's basically just an accumulation of muscle memory each day, without ever having to apply your brain and put some thought or invention into your game that it isn't already force-feeding you in little bytes.

It's just a meaningless distinction in the end, and when you're pressed on it you try to come up with a justifying schema ("it's about freedom and I guess crafting") but at other times you go for your real target, which is to somehow claim that people who play these games are less involved, skilled, or serious in some way.

I don't buy any of it.

 

[feynoob]

Now you're just describing certain attributes that you clearly don't like (crafting... this is "casual" for some reason, I guess due to guilt by association with things you hate), but they have no particular categorical relationship.

Freedom is definitely not "casual" in some way. One of the most hardcore games in history is Pool Of Radiance, and it's also one of the most open-ended, free games of all time, a massive achievement in its era of giving the player a sandbox RPG world.

Really, none of the attributes above are somehow marks against a game's level of demanding serious, complex investment by the player, and arguably quite the opposite.





I think these are the only fully-honest quotes you've given us, which paint the real picture here.

You think people who play non "skill" games (I'm guessing you're into shooters or something) are lesser, and you just happen to define skill to only apply to the kinds of games you like. In particular, you seem to think that games which have a different pace are somehow less serious or less demanding on the player, when on the contrary one can just as easily argue that the most casual "my job sucks, let me plug in and kill brain cels" games of all time are online shooters, where it's basically just an accumulation of muscle memory each day, without ever having to apply your brain and put some thought or invention into your game that it isn't already force-feeding you in little bytes.

It's just a meaningless distinction in the end, and when you're pressed on it you try to come up with a justifying schema ("it's about freedom and I guess crafting") but at other times you go for your real target, which is to somehow claim that people who play these games are less involved, skilled, or serious in some way.

I don't buy any of it.

Keihart gave the correct word, so casual was more of wrong choice from my part.

freedom and crafting is what elden ring offers. Especially when the game is about fighting tough bosses. For a person with less time to play, that can be frustrating as hell, without other component. Its why I keep bringing freedom and crafting. They are the distraction from having to fight these bosses nonstop.

No mainstream person would play elden ring, if it didnt have those options. People would get frustrated and leave the game.

 

[MagnesD3]

It's funny I would normally agree with all the hate on open worlds in gaming with thier bad systems/bloat and how they appeal to casuals because it's a legitimate problem but elden is literally the best one, it's an amazingly crafted open world game with a ton of great game design.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

I feel happy for Kadokawa to have that effort.

May you continue to strengthen the company.

 

[Dirk Benedict]

Give me the fucking Bloodborne 2, Sony/From, you mother fuckers. Stop keeping us in the dark. I would take an announcement with a fleshed out artistic title and a target year, when normally I'd scoff.
Please!

 

[kraspkibble]

any news on whether or not we're getting DLC or are they going to do a Sekiro?

 

[intheinbetween]

Great, can't wait for ER's DLC

Welp, just when I though casual gaming was a term used to refer to the average Joe that enjoy gaming because of very specific popular game franchises such as CoD, FIFA, Madden, GTA, God of War, Gran Turismo, Super Mario games, as well as many Wii vanillaware titles, now it seems open world games such as Elden Ring are now casual too because they offer crafting, to exploration, to freedom of playing at their own pace. So, that means Cyberpunk, Fallout, Skyrim and Red Dead 2 are casual too?

 

[tommib]

Nice, well deserved. Hopefully other companies take notice and we start seeing games like ER: challenging, rewarding for the curious and skillfull player, and with not too much hand holding.

I think this has been happening for a while. Market is saturated with Souls-like. They all suck compared to From’s titles.

 

[March Climber]

How did a thread about celebrating Elden Ring's monetary success turn into a debate about what defines a casual?

I think this has been happening for a while. Market is saturated with Souls-like. They all suck compared to From’s titles.

It might not seem that way at first glance, but you and TintoConCasera are saying two different things.

 

[Fredrik]

hopefully they put more effort on moveset/enemy/bosses variety in the next game.

There is apparently 238 bosses and 140 unique enemy types total in Elden Ring. Trimming the boss count down to 25% would remove lots of duplicates, and it would still stand out from other games.
But tbh I kinda like that there are so many bosses to fight even if many are similar. If they could add variety without cutting back on the amount it would be for the best of course but I think it’s an either this or that scenario.
More story arch bosses would be cool though.

What I want for a sequel is less harsh difficulty spikes. Even with easy mode sorcery you can end up getting stuck replaying certain bosses over and over for hours because something makes certain attack patterns almost impossible for certain character builds.

Should remove mimic tear too, once I found that one I never saw any need to use anything else, it’s overpowered.

And they need to fix the camera. The real final boss is the camera. For real.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Game of the generation. Gonna be a tough game to top for game of the year for me.

Bring on the DLC and sequel.

 

[Fredrik]

Game of the generation. Gonna be a tough game to top for game of the year for me.

Bring on the DLC and sequel.

So far, yeah same for me. It’s honestly an amazing achievement to make such a huge and open game with a crazy amount of content without any serious flaws. I’m on my third playthrough and new game+ right now, still finding new areas and loot and new strategies how to play it.
Biggest flaws for me is overpowered mimic tear and camera not showing anything useful when fighting big enemies/bosses.

 

[DenchDeckard]

So far, yeah same for me. It’s honestly an amazing achievement to make such a huge and open game with a crazy amount of content without any serious flaws. I’m on my third playthrough and new game+ right now, still finding new areas and loot and new strategies how to play it.
Biggest flaws for me is overpowered mimic tear and camera not showing anything useful when fighting big enemies/bosses.

Totally agree on mimic tear. I refused to use it second playthrough.

Games incredible though. So many good builds and what feels like endless explorability.

 

[Thief1987]

There is apparently 238 bosses and 140 unique enemy types total in Elden Ring.

Bosses lol. In next game they definitely should slap "boss" health bar on every enemy in every encounter. Just imagine thousands of bosses! Unprecedented!