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Dragon Age: Veilguard releases with over 70k concurrent players on Steam and 'Mixed Reviews'

They're no longer capable of delivering, and haven't been for a long time. Your best bet is probably the studio Drew Karpyshyn is at, Archetype Entertainment, and their upcoming Mass Effect spiritual successor called Exodus.

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If my memory is right, this was cancelled some weeks ago…
 
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Reactions: N0S

Humdinger

Gold Member
Take this fwiw, but another anonymous Bioware insider reports that "over 3 million" have been sold at this point. JT, the channel author, states that he verified that the reporter is a long-time Bioware employee. He says that the team's "ambitious" expectation was to sell 10 million in the first 3 months, and so the 3 million sales numbers are seen as a "disappointment," internally. Which seems odd to me.

edit: see my post a few entries below, where this report gets amended/corrected. Apparently these are projected sales, not actual sales.


He goes on to talk about the conflicted internal atmosphere in the company. Makes the point that there are a lot of great people at Bioware trying to make good games, but that people who enable the modern ideological stuff are in leadership and it's hard to speak up. Fears of layoffs on the horizon.

 
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Trogdor1123

Member
Take this fwiw, but another anonymous Bioware insider reports significantly higher sales figures than expected: "well over 3 million" at this point. The channel author states that he verified that the reporter is a long-time Bioware employee. He adds that the team's "very ambitious" expectation was to sell 10 million in the first 3 months, so the 3 million sales numbers are seen as a disappointment. Which seems odd to me.

He goes on to talk about the conflicted internal atmosphere in the company and fears about layoffs on the horizon.


3 million isn’t too bad, is it? Didn’t inquisition take years to hit 10 million?
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
3 million isn’t too bad, is it? Didn’t inquisition take years to hit 10 million?

3 million sold in 6 weeks isn't bad at all. Granted, they need a lot more than that to break even (6 to 8 million? hard to say), but it's not a bad start. It's certainly better than I expected.

It could be "shipped to retailers" rather than "sold to consumers," but that's probably how most companies tally sales.
 
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Humdinger

Gold Member
Something about that 3 million figure doesn't add up. It's not just the Steam user count being low. It's the fact that the game was selling for $50 - down nearly a third in price, less than a month after release - at all major retailers. I'm not just talking Black Friday sales. This was before Black Friday, and after Black Friday, continuously. It's still listed at $50 everywhere - amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, etc.

If a game is selling well, why would you slash prices so drastically and so quickly? That seriously undercuts profit and extends the time needed to break even.

However, it would help to explain why it sold 3 million (if it did). Many/most of those copies were sold at $50, not $70.

edit: never mind, the original report was corrected. Apparently, the 3 million figure is projected, not actual sales (see below).
 
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Not surprised to see even 3 million being bad for them if it actually is at 3 million that is. If Rebirth's 3 million was considered below expectation than 3 million for Veilguard would be even worse since Rebirth being a eastern game and having tons of reuse assets definitely cost less budget. Plus Rebirth is going to have much better leg and word of mouth compared to Veilguard so it's not looking good for them even in the long term.
 
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pulicat

Member
3 million sales numbers is certainly bullshit.

Dragon's Dogma 2 that placed far higher on sales chart in the NA, Europe, and Asia than Veilguard is barely above 3m. Even FF7 Rebirth that's selling below 3m is charting higher than Veilguard across the globe.

Veilguard only did slightly better than Outlaws thanks to the steam.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
Clarification to the video I posted above As always, take this fwiw; you're free to ignore it 'grifter' nonsense if you like.

Synopsis: One of JT's other Bioware sources, to whom he had spoken earlier, contacted him after the last video - the one reporting "well over 3 million sales." He clarified that the 3 million figure was "not actual sales but instead the internal projections of lifetime sales ... if everything goes to plan, as of right now."

The actual sales are currently at "less than 1.5 million." (consumers, not retail)

Which makes more sense. Although if I'm being skeptical, it seems like an underestimate for lifetime sales. If you're almost at 1.5 million now, getting to over 3 million in a lifetime wouldn't be at all hard, and I could see it getting to 5 or 6 as the game is discounted. But what do I know.

If they're truly projecting "over 3 million" lifetime sales, based on what they're seeing now, that is bad. That has to be way under what would be required to break even.

 
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Mister Wolf

Member
Clarification to the video I posted above As always, take this fwiw; you're free to ignore it 'grifter' nonsense if you like.

Synopsis: One of JT's other Bioware sources, to whom he had spoken earlier, contacted him after the last video - the one reporting "well over 3 million sales." He clarified that the 3 million figure was "not actual sales but instead the internal projections of lifetime sales ... if everything goes to plan, as of right now."

The actual sales are currently at "less than 1.5 million."

Which makes more sense. Although it would seem if you're at 1.5 million now, getting to "well over 3 million" lifetime sales would be easy, especially the game is discounted. Seems like you could hit 5 or 6 easily, but what do I know.



I never believed that 3 million. The lack of chest pounding announcement of sales and huge price cut sale in less than 2 months tell the tale.
 

StereoVsn

Gold Member
Clarification to the video I posted above As always, take this fwiw; you're free to ignore it 'grifter' nonsense if you like.

Synopsis: One of JT's other Bioware sources, to whom he had spoken earlier, contacted him after the last video - the one reporting "well over 3 million sales." He clarified that the 3 million figure was "not actual sales but instead the internal projections of lifetime sales ... if everything goes to plan, as of right now."

The actual sales are currently at "less than 1.5 million." (consumers, not retail)

Which makes more sense. Although if I'm being skeptical, it seems like an underestimate for lifetime sales. If you're almost at 1.5 million now, getting to over 3 million in a lifetime wouldn't be at all hard, and I could see it getting to 5 or 6 as the game is discounted. But what do I know.

If they're truly projecting "over 3 million" lifetime sales, based on what they're seeing now, that is bad. That has to be way under what would be required to break even.


Now that makes a ton more sense. 1.5 mil on all platforms could have been done and 3 million lifetime (say over next 5 years) is possible.

That’s still EA losing money in the game though and we are not talking Hollywood accounting.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
Now that makes a ton more sense. 1.5 mil on all platforms could have been done and 3 million lifetime (say over next 5 years) is possible.

That’s still EA losing money in the game though and we are not talking Hollywood accounting.

Sounds like their original projection was for the game to sell 10 million over its lifetime. That's not working out so well...
 

Zacfoldor

Member
Clarification to the video I posted above As always, take this fwiw; you're free to ignore it 'grifter' nonsense if you like.

Synopsis: One of JT's other Bioware sources, to whom he had spoken earlier, contacted him after the last video - the one reporting "well over 3 million sales." He clarified that the 3 million figure was "not actual sales but instead the internal projections of lifetime sales ... if everything goes to plan, as of right now."

The actual sales are currently at "less than 1.5 million." (consumers, not retail)

Which makes more sense. Although if I'm being skeptical, it seems like an underestimate for lifetime sales. If you're almost at 1.5 million now, getting to over 3 million in a lifetime wouldn't be at all hard, and I could see it getting to 5 or 6 as the game is discounted. But what do I know.

If they're truly projecting "over 3 million" lifetime sales, based on what they're seeing now, that is bad. That has to be way under what would be required to break even.


If that is true, and I really hope AND believe that it is.....

Lets Go Win GIF by Sacramento Kings
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
Clarification to the video I posted above As always, take this fwiw; you're free to ignore it 'grifter' nonsense if you like.

Synopsis: One of JT's other Bioware sources, to whom he had spoken earlier, contacted him after the last video - the one reporting "well over 3 million sales." He clarified that the 3 million figure was "not actual sales but instead the internal projections of lifetime sales ... if everything goes to plan, as of right now."

The actual sales are currently at "less than 1.5 million." (consumers, not retail)

Which makes more sense. Although if I'm being skeptical, it seems like an underestimate for lifetime sales. If you're almost at 1.5 million now, getting to over 3 million in a lifetime wouldn't be at all hard, and I could see it getting to 5 or 6 as the game is discounted. But what do I know.

If they're truly projecting "over 3 million" lifetime sales, based on what they're seeing now, that is bad. That has to be way under what would be required to break even.


Yeah, bullshit. 3M lifetime sales projection lmao? What nonsense is this? Those bozos could at least make up shit that is believable.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Yeah, bullshit. 3M lifetime sales projection lmao? What nonsense is this? Those bozos could at least make up shit that is believable.
Based on Steam CCU, that 3M sales claim seemed like BS from the get go.

But 3M lifetime sales projection? That cant be right either. No way it'd be that low.
 
Clarification to the video I posted above As always, take this fwiw; you're free to ignore it 'grifter' nonsense if you like.

Synopsis: One of JT's other Bioware sources, to whom he had spoken earlier, contacted him after the last video - the one reporting "well over 3 million sales." He clarified that the 3 million figure was "not actual sales but instead the internal projections of lifetime sales ... if everything goes to plan, as of right now."

The actual sales are currently at "less than 1.5 million." (consumers, not retail)

Which makes more sense. Although if I'm being skeptical, it seems like an underestimate for lifetime sales. If you're almost at 1.5 million now, getting to over 3 million in a lifetime wouldn't be at all hard, and I could see it getting to 5 or 6 as the game is discounted. But what do I know.

If they're truly projecting "over 3 million" lifetime sales, based on what they're seeing now, that is bad. That has to be way under what would be required to break even.



I mean there is a reason in less than a week of launch they cancelled all DLC and moved the team to ME5 with a strange statement that "Mass Effect will have serious writing blah blah blah."

There is a lot to be gleened regarding sales projections from the first couple days of launch + presales. They more or less know the ceiling of lifetime sales (barring any outside and extraordinary event) by then and it wasn't good.

So, drop all post launch support like DLCs and switch immediately to the next thing. The curious thing was the statement about ME5 like they knew the current impression of DA:V was damaging the studio's narrative writing chops.

Yeah, DA:V is an abject failure in regards to what EA was wanting and we get more circumstantial proof by the week.
 
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Humdinger

Gold Member
But 3M lifetime sales projection? That cant be right either. No way it'd be that low.

Agreed. It's hard to trust this report, too, because of that figure. If they are at nearly 1.5 million after 6 weeks, they would certainly be able to reach a lot higher than 3 million during its lifetime. I mean, that's 10 years of sales, at ever-lower discounts.
 
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DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Agreed. It's hard to trust this report, too, because of that figure. If they are at nearly 1.5 million after 6 weeks, they would certainly be able to reach a lot higher than 3 million during its lifetime. I mean, that's 10 years of sales, at ever-lower discounts.
I don’t think it’s that hard to believe that a single player game with no DLC would get half its total lifetime sales in the first 6 weeks.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
I don’t think it’s that hard to believe that a single player game with no DLC would get half its total lifetime sales in the first 6 weeks.

I don't know, man, that just seems too low. I know sales are front loaded, but a lifetime is a long time. We're talking 10 years of selling the game at $50, then $40, then $30, then $20, then $10... Surely they will be able to hit 5 or 6 million copies over a lifetime.
.
But then, I'm no sales guru. I could be wrong. It just seems to me that 3 million lifetime is too low (actually, the original report said "well over 3 million").
 
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EDMIX

Banned
I don’t think it’s that hard to believe that a single player game with no DLC would get half its total lifetime sales in the first 6 weeks.
I mean it greatly depends
I don't know, man, that just seems too low. I know sales are front loaded, but a lifetime is a long time. We're talking 10 years of selling the game at $50, then $40, then $30, then $20, then $10... Surely they will be able to hit 5 or 6 million copies over a lifetime.
Well the best selling in the series did like 12 million in terms of Dragon Age Inquisition, but that seems to be a deep favorite and not the series norm, as in we can't expect 12 million cause that just happened once and not much really was around DAI outside of people talking about the gay bulls lol but in 2014, most didn't really give a shit tbh.

So I think hitting 5 or 4 million can be done, anything more is a massive maybe.


With deep sales, some next gen updates (like PS6), maybe.

But then, I'm no sales guru. I could be wrong. It just seems to me that 3 million lifetime is too low (actually, the original report said "well over 3 million").

I thought that too, but that is the sales of the very first Dragon Age, it was around 3 million.

Dragon Age 1 did 3 million

Dragon Age 3 did 12 million

So I don't know if doing over 3 million is too low, that is ballpark what the IP is used to, anything beyond that is a big question mark at this point.
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
I thought that too, but that is the sales of the very first Dragon Age, it was around 3 million.

Dragon Age 1 did 3 million

Dragon Age 3 did 12 million

So I don't know if doing over 3 million is too low, that is ballpark what the IP is used to, anything beyond that is a big question mark at this point.

I didn't realize DA:O only did 3 million lifetime. That's a shame, given that it's the best in the series. The budget was much lower back then, so hopefully it turned a profit.

Is it on EA play pro? Wonder if they include any of that in numbers

Yes, I believe it is. I'm not sure how EA handles those numbers.

*

Hey, I figured out how Veilguard ends up selling lots of copies. A decade from now, it becomes a cult classic, and people buy it up because they want to see Taash and barves and how retarded we had become as a culture. ;p
 
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