sure are making a lot of assumptions there buddy
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LawBreakers' peak concurrent Steam playerbase dropped to 431 today [Up2: Down to 302]
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
sure are making a lot of assumptions there buddy
this is ridiculous. This is GAF--the forum exists to discuss games and the gaming industry. Huge successes like PUBG, Wii and Overwatch are analyzed and dissected. On the flip side, failures are discussed.
Lawbreakers is one of the highest profile gaming busts in the last year. Of course people are going to closely watch it and comment. However, nobody wants to see people suffer.
OrangeAtlas
Member
I love his games, but I totally thought his developing house "The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency" was the game he was releasing and not the game that was actually going to be released.
I had even gone so far as to think it would be a game where the playstyle is like Professor Layton meets Luigi's Mansion meets God of War.
I played the beta and I got it for free with PSN Plus.
Not only did Drawn To Death come out but even the biggest fan of David Jaffe's work in the games industry, Dan Ryckert, couldn't contain his dislike of it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ-lgOMdnrs
Never seen Mr Ryckert go off on such a rant against a game.
You guys are seriously blowing my mind right now.
hydrophilic attack
Member
the worst part about this game bombing is that it may take up a plus spot soon D:
dugdug
Banned
The worst part is that you'll get an incredible game for free?
Poor Cliff, wonder how is taking this utter failure.
-MD-
Member
Uh, what? Twisted Metal was fantastic, it just had bad networking issues.
Me, the only reason I didn't buy in is money is tight and most of my friends either hopped on the Destiny train or are sticking with Overwatch. I liked what I played in the open beta but without some friendly banter (keyword: friendly) I wasn't having a better time than playing Overwatch even if the gunplay and movement is leagues better.
karmaforgotme
Member
Shame since this is a great game.
Also I have no problem with them going F2P tomorrow, and keeping the $30 I already paid. I got more enjoyment out of it already than I did playing Overwatch which cost me twice as much.
Also I have no problem with them going F2P tomorrow, and keeping the $30 I already paid. I got more enjoyment out of it already than I did playing Overwatch which cost me twice as much.
GinoFelino
Member
This is really fucking depressing
If you're gloating about this, you don't want the games industry to be healthy
If you're gloating about this, you don't want the games industry to be healthy
By most accounts its good. Just wrong time wrong place for it.
I dont play shooters enoughh anymore to justify buying it, or any of them, but i will play it happily on ps+.
BizzyBum
Member
It would probably instantly gain a few thousand players at the start. The game is good so it's possible many people will like it, continue to play, then spread it by word of mouth and with no entry cost more and more people would give it a try. I could definitely see it becoming more stable and even popular with F2P and more updates in the future.
The playerbase is low because there's a ton of people who won't buy it because of that, and that won't change no matter what they do so I'm hoping it goes F2P soon. They would honestly make more money in the long run going F2P and selling loot boxes.
jim2point0
Banned
I just don't have much time in my life for another online shooter. PUBG and BF1 are all I need right now, and they don't feel hyper-competitive either. I just sucked at Lawbreakers and I don't want to put in the time to get good at it.
So the only thing I'm looking to fill in the gaps are single player experiences. I might pick up Destiny 2 as a result, but probably won't play the PvP at all.
It's just a bad time for that game to exist I think. I'm not sure if there's a good time in the foreseeable future, either. I feel the same would happen even if it were F2P. I think the new Unreal Tournament game will suffer the same fate when it's released, but I'm not sure as maybe there's a good chunk of gamers out there that want a classic arena shooter (no characters with set weapons\abilities).
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
I'm also appalled that FACTS are being discussed and kept updated. What a horrible concept on an enthusiast video game forum!
Mr. Enigma
Member
Hyperbole to the max. There's a lot of people happy about this that just don't like Cliffy B.
GinoFelino
Member
Which is as insanely stupid as what I just said, if not more so
It's not a one-man game you know. A shitload of people spent years making this thing.
Yearsoflurking
Member
I guess this will never make it to xbox one huh
NeOak
Member
You're getting PUBG instead.
Niceguydan8
Member
I don't dislike CliffyB at all, but I would still find that pretty shitty given that a lot of other people worked really hard to deliver a game that seems functionally really solid.
XANDER CAGE
Member
I obviously can't speak for everyone, but the reason the thread is open and being updated is because this is a big deal. It sucks too - I'm certainly taking no pleasure in watching the game flounder, but it's interesting and relevant for a few reasons: namely, is this an ill omen of things to come for other mid-budget games? Is the game struggling because it's bad (I haven't played myself so I honestly cannot pass judgment) or because it's in a relatively full market subspace, because of marketing, because of its aesthetic/appeal, or just bad luck? Does having a high-profile name attached to a game make a difference? What does this mean for studios like Boss Key moving forward - is buy-to-play even an option for games like this that don't have a massive weight like Blizzard behind them?
There's seriously so, so much going on here, not just for Lawbreakers and the talent behind it (who I sincerely feel for) but for the industry as a whole. We have so many high-profile games busting and so many stories of strained projects and so many desperate grabs for microtransactions/free to play dollars that it's difficult to look at Lawbreakers or something like it and wonder about the health of the industry as a whole right now. It's worth discussing. It sucks for the people involved. Both things can be true.
Raylan Targaryen
Member
I mean when you make essentially a PC game and have the face of the marketing push be a guy who famously called all PC gamers pirates, what do you expect?
Then the people you didn't insult, you alienated. Going on about how your game isn't for kids and it's R rates for adults. Look at all our cursing! Super macho game
Sucks for the talented people that worked but I'm sure they knew the game would bomb considering from the start Cliffy told 75% of the market this game wasn't for them. They'll land on their feet, hopefully at a company that doesn't doom them from the start.
Then the people you didn't insult, you alienated. Going on about how your game isn't for kids and it's R rates for adults. Look at all our cursing! Super macho game
Sucks for the talented people that worked but I'm sure they knew the game would bomb considering from the start Cliffy told 75% of the market this game wasn't for them. They'll land on their feet, hopefully at a company that doesn't doom them from the start.
Vincent Alexander
Member
I like it because I might grab the game at some point, but I want to know if the playerbase is there. When I see this get bumped, I keep hoping the update is that player count is slowly climbing.
ricardo_sousa11
Member
I dont think that would fix it, for the simple fact that thousands have bought the game and abandoned it, it means the big majority didnt find it worth the time, even after spending the money, otherwise those original purchases would still play it. I can even go as far as to say that a big majority of Steam buyers refunded it after 2hrs.
I honestly doubt going F2P would save it, for the exact same reason I stated above, the game simply isnt attractive enough, its not a matter of money.
Its just a terribly generic and uninteresting game, that despite having some decent reviews, couldnt last a month.
I'd try.
That is putting it lightly. After Black they should have stayed in that vein IMO. They went for some hacky 2 style and the whole thing felt like some terrible budget title. Just networking issues lol. Nah, the game was just not very good.
IDK give it to me 4K 60FPS and I'll have a another look, because it looked terrible on PS3.
I don't mind Jaffe at all, but I'm not really hyped for him as a game dev anymore. He just hasn't proven he can make a good game in the modern era. Which is fine. He has done enough to solidify his reputation. But he should probably stop now unless he has some genius idea.
As for LB I'll give it a try as a free title. Nothing Cliffy B has ever done has interested me. But he seems well off and I doubt has much riding on one failure of a game. I hope not.
Laughing Banana
Weeping Pickle
Lol, such a misguided sense of moral superiority you have there, buddy.
It's you, in all of your misguided anger, that seriously need to "fucking grow up." Get a grip.
TheSpoiler
Member
Look at Cage's post above yours.
I think its the combination of the bolded. Playing it even for the short time I did with the open beta, I couldn't find any real fault with how it played outside of not really giving the player much of a tutorial to ease them into the game.
You guys do know that this game probably has a good 900ish players on PS4 right. Everyone talks about the glorious PC version like it's the only one that matters. Shooters, especially FPS games usually sell more on Console. Look at Battlefront, Battlefield, and CoD, most of the fanbase play on console.
Honestly, the MP shooter genre is just exceedingly tough to break into. Always has been. Always will be. You really have to convince an audience that their AAA shooters and indie shooters need a break. And then you are fighting with all kinds of other games for time.
Mid budget games like Hellblade definitely have a place. Games like this IDK man. I really liked Gotham City Imposters back in the day, but it too had a hard time surviving despite being a really cool game IMO.
Mid budget games like Hellblade definitely have a place. Games like this IDK man. I really liked Gotham City Imposters back in the day, but it too had a hard time surviving despite being a really cool game IMO.
Just so we're clear: That's actually even worse than just taking delight in watching a game fail in general. That's simply petty.
Dreams-Visions
Member
the sooner the better.
wait too long and you'll never shed the stink of failure from it.
TheSpoiler
Member
Sure but I mean even though there are roughly 300 people playing, that is still plenty to find matches.It's not like the game is empty and wait times have been at most 2-4 min on PC. It's certainly gonna be a tough climb for these guys but it's not impossible. It will never reach Overwatch's numbers but that doesn't mean it still can't have some legs.
It sucks for the team right now but I will give them credit, the game is really solid and their community team has been great communicating with the players and taking feedback. They're always happy to answer questions on Discord and regularly ask for suggestions and features and that's kind of how TDM is coming because a lot of people wanted it.
A lot of responses seem to be of the "I haven't played it but.." unfortunately that's the way it goes. I'm sure they're working on it though, a free weekend with a price drop for that weekend may help down the road but it would be dumb to do it before Destiny 2.
Conor_Fool
Banned
Yeesh, I can't even imagine :/
Mr. Enigma
Member
TheSpoiler
Member
300 isn't really plenty. As the game grows and expands, it divides people into different modes and thins out the player pool. Having a wider one helps.
I don't think there's much LB can do to have "legs". Nobody is going to cite Overwatch as the standard for how many players a game should have, but let's be real - 300 a few weeks after launch is not a game that's going to spring back to life. I don't recall many multiplayer games turning things around on such a low number. It's usually the opposite. Even Rainbow Six didn't bomb like this. AFAIK, at least.
The problem with a multiplayer game having a low count is that it immediately drives potential players away. Dudes see a small number and say "welp, won't get into that until it's bigger". Which makes sense, because if the player count is too low you have a wasted product on your hands.
Fighting the same people over and over hurts retention, so those who stuck around have less of an incentive to do so.
It's not just a tough climb. It's a goddamn slog that's nearly impossible to crawl out of. And going F2P isn't going to fix the problem instantly either.
Scofield94941
Member
I would have legit bought it for switch
Duxxy3
Member
I think the game is just 10 years too late. This would have been an amazing successor to unreal tournament. Instead it's being lumped in with all of the recent FPS's.
I just don't think it has a place in the world anymore. Overwatch has better characters and is more friendly to new players (skill wise). Paladins is free. Quake is free. So why spend money on a game that is so unfriendly to new players? Quake looks just as demanding, but people can play it for free if they want to try it.
edit: Not having the game on Xbox was also a mistake. It still has a very strong FPS community.
I just don't think it has a place in the world anymore. Overwatch has better characters and is more friendly to new players (skill wise). Paladins is free. Quake is free. So why spend money on a game that is so unfriendly to new players? Quake looks just as demanding, but people can play it for free if they want to try it.
edit: Not having the game on Xbox was also a mistake. It still has a very strong FPS community.