[Ninja Dodo]

Sure, but a game that has a 12 million dollar development budget (like Psychonauts) must try anyway, because it depends on EA-like sales.

That's the thing though. They could make a lot more money if they didn't cling to the misguided notion that people only buy games for Christmas. All but one or two titles get lost in the crowd in the run up to the holidays. It doesn't make business sense on any level to try and compete with the bigger titles around that time of year. Even high profile titles like Sands of Time and Beyond Good & Evil have been doomed to failure by that very same mistake.

[Martin Gantefoehr]

All but one or two titles get lost in the crowd in the run up to the holidays. It doesn't make business sense on any level to try and compete with the bigger titles around that time of year.

I agree, but only in principle, not in this specific case - because as things stand, Psychonauts' release is being delayed and delayed, until the product dies.

Psychonauts was first released in April 2005. Even in Germany, the reviews from major games magazines were run in August. THQ has totally missed the momentum the game undoubtly had, by releasing it so late. In 2006, all further releases will be percieved as releases of an "old game", and many gamers won't be willing to buy it at full-price anymore.

Christmas may be an unfavorable release date for a non-EA game, but in the case of Psychonauts, all better release dates were already missed for whatever reason, and now, time is running out. It's a tragedy, really.


Even getting lost in the crowd around christmas still means selling a 1,000 units per week (in Germany), while not being on the shelves at all means zero units per week.

[Dasilva]

I played the demo and I must say that this game has the worst control system I've ever played on. I guess its Prince of Persia 3 instead of Phsyconaughts (sp!)

[AFGNCAAP]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

Phsyconaughts (sp!)

Not to be a jerk, but it's spelled correctly in the bloody title of this thread!

[nordic_guy]

Originally Posted by Dasilva

I played the demo and I must say that this game has the worst control system I've ever played on. I guess its Prince of Persia 3 instead of Phsyconaughts (sp!)

Get it for the PS2/XBXOX or invest in a gamepad.

Seriously, though. I've read a lot of reviews for Psychonauts, and the control system hasn't really been criticized much.

[Dasilva]

Originally Posted by nordic_guy

Get it for the PS2/XBXOX or invest in a gamepad.

Seriously, though. I've read a lot of reviews for Psychonauts, and the control system hasn't really been criticized much.

I'm guessing they were Console reviews? Unfurtunantly I can't afford a console Why would I want one anyway? My PC just got upgrated so it looks close enough to the Xbox 360 anyway, besides they don't have any decent titles I havent already plated. BElieve me I'd love a PS3, PSP, 360, revolution... But I don't have the money.

[Starflux]

I didn't have any problems with the PC controls. I'll gladly believe that these kind of third person games work way better with a gamepad, but apart from some added difficulty in Meat Circus (which makes it all the more impressive to finish!) it shouldn't be THAT hazardous.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Martin Gantefoehr

I agree, but only in principle, not in this specific case - because as things stand, Psychonauts' release is being delayed and delayed, until the product dies.

It's worse than you think. Over here, most magazines have re-reviewed it because we all love the game and really hope it does well (against all the odds, sadly...), the publishers splashed out on fresh advertising announcing that it was finally coming out in November, it's even had TV advertising (bumpers before and after Star Trek and other sci-fi shows)...

And then they bumped it to next year. Everyone's efforts, right across the boards, pissed straight down into the sewer.

Sigh.

They couldn't kill this game much more if they shipped it in solidified chunks of the plague.

Seriously, though. I've read a lot of reviews for Psychonauts, and the control system hasn't really been criticized much.

It's not awful, but it's not great. Things like ledge-grabbing are incredibly frustrating, and they are pretty slippery (particularly noticeable in Waterloo World) for precision jumps and shooting stuff. I didn't make a big deal out of them because while they did drive me into a spitting fury on occasion, the rest of the game was good enough for me to end with a smile.

[Dasilva]

Not that it would of sold well in the first place, platformers don't tend to do well in todays market but I could be wrong.

[Tramboi]

Yes, this is so sad. The worse thing is that Double Fine will have trouble signing new ambitious projects because Psychonauts quite flopped, whereas it could have sold much better in Europe than in the USA

[Naveed]

It is quite sad. I am sure had they handled the released better in Europe, it must have sold lot more copies. If I remember correctly, Sands of Time was a hit because of the number of copies bought in Europe, though Ubisoft went on making Warrior Within, which is another issue. For a game like Psychonauts, strong sales in Europe would have been a really big boost.

[squarejawhero]

Is there any reason as to why the company would want to prove it's a failure? I know Majesco had it "flop" on them (due to their own inability to market it, first and foremost), so would the EU owners have any reason to prove that it's an unmarketable product?

[Richard]

Springtime for Razputin, and Psychonauts!

Not that I'm aware of. THQ doesn't have any stake in it that I know about except for cashing the cheques. Although given the sheer number of gut-punches Psychonauts has taken, I am starting to suspect that Tim Schaefer's secret hobby is driving around and running over publishers' dogs.

[squarejawhero]

Don't cats deserve it more?

[Martin Gantefoehr]

Originally Posted by Richard

And then they bumped it to next year. Everyone's efforts, right across the boards, pissed straight down into the sewer.

What's most irritating to me is that the UK release is even later than the German one.

The original version already IS a fully dubbed English language version. The game must have been ready for release pretty much from the day THQ signed the distribution deal.

I COULD somehow bring myself to believe that it's all part of an incredibly deep and sophisticated market analysis. But running TV spots for nothing does not exactly support that theory.

[squarejawhero]

Having now worked in management for a big production company, I've come to realise that organisation isn't something that comes easily to these people. So on second thoughts, this kind of thing doesn't suprise me.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Martin Gantefoehr

The original version already IS a fully dubbed English language version. The game must have been ready for release pretty much from the day THQ signed the distribution deal.

Yep. Schafer made a post about having finished the translations months back. Even if we assume that they plan to include all the language versions on the DVD the game was ready ages ago .

I keep telling people how much they need to buy this when it gets released, but it just doesn't seem to be coming .

[Matt M]

I thought THQ were releasing this in the UK in December, but it seemed to have slipped. Several retailers now have it down for Febuary 06 time..Whether it appears or not

[Henke]

Originally Posted by Matt M

I thought THQ were releasing this in the UK in December, but it seemed to have slipped. Several retailers now have it down for Febuary 06 time..Whether it appears or not

It's the exact same thing here. I have no idea what the problem is.

[Karmillo]

Maybe their pulling off some sort of Producers type stunt and expecting more money from a flop