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Hellblade 2's peak CCU outperformed Bleeding Edge and is still climbing on Steam

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
Meanwhile, 4 years old Ghost of Tsushima released on two consoles that outsold the Series X...

Screenshot_2024-05-21_174350.png

This is actually pretty insane.

With all the promotion and build up and hype that MS tried to create with Hellblade II over the last 5 years, Sony released a 4 year old PS4 game, threw up a YouTube video to tell people it was out, and it looks like it’s outselling Hellblade twenty-fold.
 
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onQ123

Member
People really need to learn how to understand statistics. Today is the release day, of course everyone who bought it will be playing. Also its a super short game, you're going to see these numbers nosedive within a week.
I think they fully understand but this is a joke
 

bitbydeath

Member
At least there will be a good reason for their closure, holds back the narrative that MS is closing each studio once they complete their current work.
 

Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
This is actually pretty insane.

With all the promotion and build up and hype that MS tried to create with Hellblade II over the last 5 years, Sony released a 4 year old PS4 game, threw up a YouTube video to tell people it was out, and it looks like it’s outselling Hellblade twenty-fold.
Yep, but there’s no doubt the Game Pass effect at play. Ghost of Tsushima is dozens of hours and has multiplayer to keep going.

Hellblade is 6 hours. Why buy it when you can rent it on Game Pass and be done with it within a weekend?
 

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
Yep, but there’s no doubt the Game Pass effect at play. Ghost of Tsushima is dozens of hours and has multiplayer to keep going.

Hellblade is 6 hours. Why buy it when you can rent it on Game Pass and be done with it within a weekend?

All that proves is that Game Pass kills sales though.

Game Pass subscriptions have been stagnant for years and I’d be shocked if this game moved the needle. Actual sales for this title appear to be atrocious. Where is the win here? For either Microsoft or Ninja Theory?

Honestly it’s just depressing all around and it feels like Microsoft has put their first party studios in no-win scenarios.
 

Zathalus

Member
I don't think anyone should be surprised, the first one peaked at 5.6k and wasn't available on Gamepass. Seems about what you would expect from a sequel.
 

Topher

Gold Member
If the first Hellblade is any indication then Hellblade 2 has already reached its maximum peak. First Hellblade hit 5653 CCU its first day and never reach that number again.

cXFlQ2p.png


Yep, but there’s no doubt the Game Pass effect at play. Ghost of Tsushima is dozens of hours and has multiplayer to keep going.

Hellblade is 6 hours. Why buy it when you can rent it on Game Pass and be done with it within a weekend?

Combination of Game Pass and just not being a very appealing game. Unlike Ghost, Ninja Theory can't show off its great gameplay but it doesn't have any. They are relying on best in class visuals and damn near photorealistic animations but I don't think there is a lot there that compels people to want to play.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
All that proves is that Game Pass kills sales though.

Game Pass subscriptions have been stagnant for years and I’d be shocked if this game moved the needle. Actual sales for this title appear to be atrocious. Where is the win here? For either Microsoft or Ninja Theory?

Honestly it’s just depressing all around and it feels like Microsoft has put their first party studios in no-win scenarios.
I think the studios have put themselves in no win scenarios. I'm pretty sure this is the game Ninja Theory wanted to make it was just never going to be that popular. MS should be stepping in and stopping the studios from making passion projects every time.
 

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
I think the studios have put themselves in no win scenarios. I'm pretty sure this is the game Ninja Theory wanted to make it was just never going to be that popular. MS should be stepping in and stopping the studios from making passion projects every time.

This game, like the first, could've and likely would've found plenty of enough of a market for it to be a successful $50 release in outright physical/digital sales.


The fact that Game Pass has completely destroyed the appeal of anyone paying full MSRP for this game, with the game also not being the kind of title that's going to bolster long term Game Pass subscriptions in any meaningful way, puts it in a no-win situation.


The stipulation from Microsoft that all of their 1st party games need to release on Game Pass day one is actively killing the perceived value of their entire library of content.
 
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Varteras

Gold Member
Unfair to compare with Ghost of Sushi. Premium Sony Developer, Beautiful Japan setting and over 100hrs worth of content.

HBII is for pretentious Americans who worship females with mental health issues.

You ever bang a crazy chick? Buddy, I'll tell you what. It will ruin you for regular women. As a man once said, "If you're plowing a woman who is so nuts that if you're not wearing a bullet proof vest you might not see sunrise... that's exciting".
 

Katatonic

Member
At this point, imo this was just released as a bullet point game so MS and their influencers can shout "best graphics" (not true) from the rooftops even if the game is tr8sh. Gives the die hard xbox fans just enough hope to hang on for one more day.

 

bender

What time is it?
If the first Hellblade is any indication then Hellblade 2 has already reached its maximum peak. First Hellblade hit 5653 CCU its first day and never reach that number again.

cXFlQ2p.png




Combination of Game Pass and just not being a very appealing game. Unlike Ghost, Ninja Theory can't show off its great gameplay but it doesn't have any. They are relying on best in class visuals and damn near photorealistic animations but I don't think there is a lot there that compels people to want to play.
hell69.png

SlWZwOZ.gif
 

Oppoi

Member
This game, like the first, could've and likely would've found plenty of enough of a market for it to be a successful $50 release in outright physical/digital sales.


The fact that Game Pass has completely destroyed the appeal of anyone paying full MSRP for this game, with the game also not being the kind of title that's going to bolster long term Game Pass subscriptions in any meaningful way, puts it in a no-win situation.


The stipulation from Microsoft that all of their 1st party games need to release on Game Pass day one is actively killing the perceived value of their entire library of content.
q6jmEJH.gif
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
This game, like the first, could've and likely would've found plenty of enough of a market for it to be a successful $50 release in outright physical/digital sales.


The fact that Game Pass has completely destroyed the appeal of anyone paying full MSRP for this game, with the game also not being the kind of title that's going to bolster long term Game Pass subscriptions in any meaningful way, puts it in a no-win situation.


The stipulation from Microsoft that all of their 1st party games need to release on Game Pass day one is actively killing the perceived value of their entire library of content.
I will be resubbing to PC gamepass for this. Last time I subbed I stayed on it for 2 years. If it has enough of an appeal to get an extra million people signed up then that might be worth more than getting 500k people to buy it.
 

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
I will be resubbing to PC gamepass for this. Last time I subbed I stayed on it for 2 years. If it has enough of an appeal to get an extra million people signed up then that might be worth more than getting 500k people to buy it.

There's literally a 0% chance that an extra million people are signing up for Game Pass for this title. We didn't even see Game Pass subs go up substantially for Starfield.
 
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poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
There's literally a 0% chance that an extra million people are signing up for Game Pass for this title. We didn't even see Game Pass subs go up substantially for Starfield.
So if it doesn't sell well and doesn't raise subs then it just wasn't that popular or appealing. You can't have it both ways.
Starfield on the PC side was a different value proposition seeing as people are still playing games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 today. Maybe starfield won't be the same type of game, but people thought it would be.
 

analog_future

Resident Crybaby
So if it doesn't sell well and doesn't raise subs then it just wasn't that popular or appealing. You can't have it both ways.
Starfield on the PC side was a different value proposition seeing as people are still playing games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 today. Maybe starfield won't be the same type of game, but people thought it would be.

You’re ignoring the fact that putting all of their day 1 releases on Game Pass detrimentally impacts the value proposition of buying the game outright while also not necessarily motivating people to sign up for a sub day one.

It’s a perception issue. “Eh, I can always sign up for Game Pass later since the game will be always on the service”. Or, “I’ll wait until Fable and Call of Duty are out as well, so I can pay for a month and play all 3 games”, etc.. etc..

It’s the same reason a game like Minecraft/Stardew Valley/Slay the Spire/etc.. sell for a few bucks on mobile devices yet are exponentially more expensive on Switch despite being the same game.

Value perception. And Microsoft has killed theirs.
 
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poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
You’re ignoring the fact that putting all of their day 1 releases on Game Pass detrimentally impacts the value proposition of buying the game outright while also not necessarily motivating people to sign up for a sub day one.

It’s a perception issue. “Eh, I can always sign up for Game Pass later since the game will be always on the service”. Or, “I’ll wait until Fable and Call of Duty are out as well, so I can pay for a month and play all 3 games”, etc.. etc..

It’s the same reason a game like Minecraft/Stardew Valley/Slay the Spire/etc.. sell for a few bucks on mobile devices yet are exponentially more expensive on Switch despite being the same game.

Value perception. And Microsoft has killed theirs.
But that is the same mentality as waiting for a sale - if you wait a couple of months the game will be better and cheaper and yet people still buy stuff day 1. PC sales have apparently devalued game sales on PC then Helldivers 2 sells as much as or more than on PS5.
 
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Stuart360

Member
Just passed Ghost to be the no.1 seller on Steam. The player count seems strange to me, i guess people are seeing this as 'buy now play later' thing.
 
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Yeah, not a good look for the future of Ninja Theory.

however, pc gamers dont give a shit about games like this. plus the game is essentially ten dollars on the gamepass app. unless of course there is a $1 trick going on somewhere.

I do have to wonder why pc gamers buy all these fancy graphics cards if they dont want to use them. I spent a thousand dollars on my graphics card and ive made sure to get everything out of it. not playing this game on day one is not an option for me. i wonder if we make up a tiny 1% of the overall pc population.
I can fire up a HD4K version of Dune that looks way better than this game and has better story too.
 

Sleepwalker

Member
Yeah, not a good look for the future of Ninja Theory.

however, pc gamers dont give a shit about games like this. plus the game is essentially ten dollars on the gamepass app. unless of course there is a $1 trick going on somewhere.

I do have to wonder why pc gamers buy all these fancy graphics cards if they dont want to use them. I spent a thousand dollars on my graphics card and ive made sure to get everything out of it. not playing this game on day one is not an option for me. i wonder if we make up a tiny 1% of the overall pc population.

Youll find PC players that spend thousands on their gpu just want to push more frames in their most liked games. At least that's my case. Cc HeisenbergFX4 HeisenbergFX4
 

Killjoy-NL

Member
Yep, but there’s no doubt the Game Pass effect at play. Ghost of Tsushima is dozens of hours and has multiplayer to keep going.

Hellblade is 6 hours. Why buy it when you can rent it on Game Pass and be done with it within a weekend?
The question is, will HB2 have moved the needle for GP subs?
 
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