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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

When Immortals of Aveum, the EA Original FPS from Ascendant Studios, launched back in August, I wondered if it would be buried under the weight of higher-profile releases like Starfield, and apparently I was right to.

Ascendant CEO and Immortals of Aveum game director Bret Robbins told Windows Central that the extraordinarily busy release calendar this year made it hard for the studio's debut title to find an audience.

"We were not in a position where we could delay or push out of our launch window," Robbins said. "You set those windows quite a bit ahead of time because you're spending marketing dollars, you have commitments to a particular date."

Robbins added that "no one anticipated" Baldur's Gate 3 to become the phenomenon that it has, further complicating Immortals of Aveum's path to success. In fairness, Larian's Golden Joystick-winning RPG released just a few weeks before Immortals of Aveum and utterly dominated the conversation, crushing expectations and garnering universal acclaim from critics and players alike.

"I've never seen a year like this," he said. "It's always hard to break through the noise when you're a new IP or a studio people haven't heard of before. Trying to create awareness for us was really, really difficult. It's always hard for a new IP and this year made it 10 times harder."

Immortals of Aveum director blames poor sales on busy release calendar and says "no one anticipated" Baldur's Gate 3 to be so successful

Ascendant Studios CEO Bret Robbins says "trying to create awareness for us was really, really difficult"

www.gamesradar.com

 

[Kupfer]

Your game was bad, get over it.

 

[Zuzu]

I played a decent way into the free trial that was made available recently and yeah I don't think the quality is there (though of course I haven't played through most of the game). The graphical fidelity and performance on the Series X was lacking, the gunplay (or should I say magicplay?) seemed decent but nothing exceptional, the art design of the world was very bland and the characters and their dialogue displayed very low quality writing and they were unlikeable. The HUD and fonts used were low quality as well. I don't know if it would have done very well in any year, though it probably would have done a bit better than it did if it was released at another time.

 

[BlueLyria]

Is it going to become a trend for EA games to blame others for their failures?

 

[Beer Baelly]

I thought Immortals would sell gangbusters

 

[Dazraell]

He is kinda right though. I mean, it's a mediocre game released alongside so many stellar releases. Crowded schedule definitely harmed their sales as even if someone was interested in checking it out, there might have been more games that felt much more interesting and compelling to buy at day one than this one

 

[Kenpachii]

to expensive
no name title
looks generic as fuck
absolute bonkers system requirements
looks ugly as hell
a lot of other games

Game was a glorified tech demo

Yea i wonder why it tanked.

 

[SJRB]

You named your game "Immortals of Aveum", buddy.

This fight was over before it even began.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

Sorry but while the game didn't release at a good time, it also didn't look very much fun at all. A very generic FPS game with magic and a really lame plot.

 

[crackajack]

If a good game, one not even in the same genre, crushes your game, your game was probably not as good as it is supposed to be.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Not sure how bad Wild Hearts did but this clearly didn't do well. Not looking good for EA Originals.

 

[Kupfer]

Not sure how bad Wild Hearts did but this clearly didn't do well. Not looking good for EA Originals.

A fundamental issue with many studios under the watchful eye of major publishers, in my opinion, is that they have forgotten how to be creative. Teams with dozens to hundreds of employees work on games that ultimately just throw a bit of game X, a bit of game Y, and a couple of handfuls of game Z into a pot, mix it up, and think they've created a great game because the ingredients all come from good and successful games. In the process, the personality, authenticity, and, now brace yourself for a sentimental touch, the love for the game are lost.
You can simply tell that the games were created according to a checklist and not from a vision that the developer passionately pursued from the beginning.

 

[winjer]

That is just a poor excuse. The game flopped because it was a bad game.

 

[Fake]

Your game sucks. Hope this help out.

 

[Lunarorbit]

Zero advertising doesn't help. The only place I heard about it was sacred symbols.

Boomer shooters are doing well; people like the war hammer one that came out

 

[Denton]

When creating new IP, avoid making generic content and name, or face failure.

 

[Filben]

If one could only appoint and reschedule a release date...

This poor excuse doesn't make much sense.

 

[gothmog]

He's not wrong but I really struggle to understand why they thought making this game was a good idea.

 

[Chukhopops]

I was considering buying it during the BF sale but the demo turned me off completely from a gameplay point of view. It didn’t look like it was doing anything interesting with the magic schools concept.

That being said he’s correct when he says no one expected Baldurs Gate 3 to become THAT big, not even Larian.

 

[Skelterz]

They should strip battlefield back to basics make it really gory and realistic hire some people to try and capture what made the guns feel so good in pubg and make the maps more detailed and slightly smaller.

 

[Ogbert]

It was too expensive.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Only people with working brain cells expected BG3 to be successful.

 

[Fbh]

I guess to an extent he is right in that this was a specially bad year for some new IP of average quality to stand out. When you've got big games with strong reviews releasing this frequently no one has time for something like Immortals of Aveum.

That said maybe next time:
Have a better name
Focus more on a good mix of visuals and performance instead of 720p 45fps on consoles for the sake of "graphics"
Avoid making something that, at least on the surface, looks like some generic Marvel type story and world.

 

[Hudo]

Immortals of Aveum was just mid as fuck, though. It's an overpriced UE5 tech demo.

I am still pissed at EA that they bankrolled this instead of a Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Vol. 2 (when the first remastered collection already sold above expectations according to Jim Vessella)

 

[Draugoth]

The dude says this in the same year where we got Lies of P.

Your game is bad man, get over it.

 

[Zheph]

blame your artists, they dropped the ball massively with that awful art direction

 

[BbMajor7th]

Those surprised by BG3's success weren't paying attention; nor were those shocked by Immortals of Aveums' failure. The writing was on the wall for this outcome long before launch.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Your game was bad, get over it.

What is bad in the game?

 

[baphomet]

I played the demo and when it was having me fucking do dialogue options in an fps I deleted it and don't ever care to try it again.

 

[Games of Today]

There isn't a single thing that makes this game stand out other then the hand shooting.

The colors are awful looking, the characters look so boring and the writing seems very unpleasant and unfunny.

 

[Alexios]

What does BG3 have to do with an action game like this? And why would anyone believe Larian wouldn't continue their already ever increasing success streak when combined with a huge for its audience IP?

 

[HL3.exe]

Also, it wasn't very good maybe.. I don't know.

Edit: let's say mediocre and boring looking with quipy writing. Especially that last part is a turn-off for me.

But, new IP is a hard sell from the getgo, I get it. It's a tough business.

 

[KungFucius]

Your game was bad, get over it.

It still would have done better if there were less great games available when it was released. The marketing strategy was poor given the obvious competition.

It's funny that they mention BG3. That game got released earlier to avoid a direct clash with Starfield and absolutely took some PC gamers' attention away from pretty much anything else, including Starfield.

 

[Puscifer]

Zero advertising doesn't help. The only place I heard about it was sacred symbols.

Boomer shooters are doing well; people like the war hammer one that came out

One of the best games I've played this year, just bonkers fun!

 

[Kupfer]

What is bad in the game?

You name it. This thread alone, not even one page in lenghts, provides you with enough clues to understand and follow this point of view.

I don't think the quality is there (though of course I haven't played through most of the game). The graphical fidelity and performance on the Series X was lacking, the gunplay (or should I say magicplay?) seemed decent but nothing exceptional, the art design of the world was very bland and the characters and their dialogue displayed very low quality writing and they were unlikeable. The HUD and fonts used were low quality as well.

to expensive
no name title
looks generic as fuck
absolute bonkers system requirements
looks ugly as hell
a lot of other games

Game was a glorified tech demo

You named your game "Immortals of Aveum", buddy.

it also didn't look very much fun at all. A very generic FPS game with magic and a really lame plot.

When creating new IP, avoid making generic content and name, or face failure.

He's not wrong but I really struggle to understand why they thought making this game was a good idea.

but the demo turned me off completely from a gameplay point of view. It didn’t look like it was doing anything interesting with the magic schools concept.

It was too expensive.

That said maybe next time:
Have a better name
Focus more on a good mix of visuals and performance instead of 720p 45fps on consoles for the sake of "graphics"
Avoid making something that, at least on the surface, looks like some generic Marvel type story and world.

Immortals of Aveum was just mid as fuck, though. It's an overpriced UE5 tech demo.

blame your artists, they dropped the ball massively with that awful art direction

I played the demo and when it was having me fucking do dialogue options in an fps I deleted it and don't ever care to try it again.

There isn't a single thing that makes this game stand out other then the hand shooting.

The colors are awful looking, the characters look so boring and the writing seems very unpleasant and unfunny.

Whether you see it the same way or have a completely different opinion is up to you. I respect everyone's enjoyment with any game.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Game never outright looked bad to me, but it looked inoffensively generic in a market that if flooded with unique art design, or shooting mechanics. Dressing up a prettier Hexen: Beyond Heretic without any of the charm or consistent art direction gave the game no identity and it suffered the fate of background mediocrity in a window of game releases that are genre defining and unique in Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur's Gate 3.

 

[MMaRsu]

Yeah this aint it chief

 

[rodrigolfp]

You name it. This thread alone, not even one page in lenghts, provides you with enough clues to understand and follow this point of view.
















Whether you see it the same way or have a completely different opinion is up to you. I respect everyone's enjoyment with any game.

I am reading a bunch of bullshit there. Imagine complaining about the game's name or dialogue options in a FPS (like Bethesda games). Performance on consoles? Play on PC, it's a freaking FPS and m+kb shines too.

 

[SlimySnake]

Game isnt bad. Just mediocre. But hes right. In previous years, these games wouldve sold a lot better.

2021 and 2022 didnt have this many quality releases. I think 2024 is going to be the same. Shouldve just launched it next year.

Also, dont make a first person single player game in 2023. If you want a narrative driven game, make it third person. Dont make it 60 fps either. Focus on graphics.

 

[LordCBH]

Ya know, video game man, your game would have sold even with the busy release calendar if it was good. But sure, blame everyone except yourselves.

 

[Evil Calvin]

I anticipated it.....it was in early access for years. Should have known.........idiot!

 

[Skifi28]

It's worse than bad, just bland. A bad game can be very interesting, like trying to do something unique but ultimately failing. A bland game is just... bland.

 

[adamsapple]

The only thing that has my interest in this game is the developed saying they'll bring FSR3 to console(s) for it eventually.

Want to see how well frame-gen works on consoles.

 

[Evil Calvin]

I'll give them props though for not releasing another sequel, remake or remaster....... Just make a sequel and fix some of the issues. And change the name. Reminds me of Immortals Fenix Rising (which was actually good...just bad name). Change it to something like 'Return to Aveum' or 'Invasion on Aveum'

 

[hlm666]

I am reading a bunch of bullshit there. Imagine complaining about the game's name or dialogue options in a FPS (like Bethesda games). Performance on consoles? Play on PC, it's a freaking FPS and m+kb shines too.

and yet they are blaming a turn based crpg game as the competition. They can't even work out who their audience is.

 

[rodrigolfp]

Imagine calling this boring, generic:

 

[Krappadizzle]

and yet they are blaming a turn based crpg game as the competition. They can't even work out who their audience is.

 

[rodrigolfp]

and yet they are blaming a turn based crpg game as the competition. They can't even work out who their audience is.

Their audience is whoever that wants to play their game. People can like both games, but not play them at the same time.

 

[El Muerto]

Nobody wants to spend $70 on an EA game. They have the reputation of putting out bland and buggy games. This may be an exception though. Probably pick it up when it goes on sale.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Actually it's really all about quality. Everyone knew about Aveum, but we also all saw the hands-on previews and the reviews. And we vote with our time & our wallets. There's only so much time people have for gaming, so why buy Aveum with all our other choices?

If it was a slow year and there wasn't ToTK, BG3, and Starfield all in a row, no doubt Aveum would've been judged far less harshly, and it would've been played by more people because there wouldn't have been as much competition. There was not a lot of room this year for decent quality AAs.