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Scalebound: A Post Mortem Look
- Thread starter Zeta Ori
- Start date
Putting aside the fact that we don't know what troubles might be brewing behind-the-scenes on the development side, Scalebound had some of the worst social metrics in terms of interest level of an unreleased AAA first-party title I've seen.
On average, looking at places like YouTube, Google trends, Twitter conversation points, I'd say that Scalebound on average does 1/5th to 1/7th the level of consumer interest/search awareness/youtube view of trailers generated compared to stuff like Horizon Zero Dawn, Splatoon, Crash Bandicoot, ( not new IP, but long dormant ) before those games got released.
Granted, social metrics of unannounced games prior to release and ramp-up in marketing doesn't automatically mean a game will sell good/bad, but if a game, intrinsically struggle to be 'appealing' to the mainstream audience from the get-go, it's extremely difficult for marketing to overcome that barrier.
In all honesty, if the level of social metrics interest for Scalebound is reflective of what it would've sold, we're talking sales in the range of The Order 1886 and Xenoblade Chronicles X.
Multiplayer/Co Op was shown off in the reveal trailer at the games first showing, it was there from the start.
Scalebound was looking like Platinum's biggest title to date, in size and complexity, how it posited an RPG world setting and signature Platinum action with an intricately made companion. I feel it was a game that warranted thoughtful reveal and careful showing, and I agree with post #6 that it got anything but that. Instead every showing looked like the team had had to hastily scramble a demo section together for a mandatory expo. Even so it managed to depict exciting possibilities and given the pedigree and the funding behind it I believed it could polish up well, even if the marketing was doing it no favors.
Thanks for the write up/insights.
Thanks for the write up/insights.
Yeah same here. I was keen when I thought it was a single player action-RPG, but I lost all interest when I saw the big focus on co-op gameplay because I thought what was shown looked terrible.
I still can't believe this game got cancelled, sure it looked a little rough but with a bit more time im sure platinum could have made it work
You mean the 2015 one? When I saw it I wondered which direction the game will take. Well 2016 showed me not the right one. We haven't had seen much of the single player stuff and yet they showed mp only.
Some more footage for you all, the second half of this is pretty much all stuff that was never discussed or shown again outside of this video, and relates to the more RPG focus Scalebound was going for:
Multiplayer was there in the original announcement trailer for the game at E3 2014.
Multiplayer was there in the original announcement trailer for the game at E3 2014.
Still don't understand the cancellation of this game.
MS ultimately destroyed the vision of the game. This game did not need Co-op or multiplayer. However, it seems MS is allergic to Single player games. It is sad but true, Sony would have published this game without hesitation.
MS ultimately destroyed the vision of the game. This game did not need Co-op or multiplayer. However, it seems MS is allergic to Single player games. It is sad but true, Sony would have published this game without hesitation.
Great Job OP, really I was really hype about this game. It was an amazing project, kamiya is a genious.
The thing about this game is that even if it turned out to be a mess with the multiplayer stuff, I'd still want it. The core ideas were cool enough to carry it to something interesting. At WORST it would have been an awesome mess like Devil's Third.
Then my mind must play tricks on me. I thought this was the trailer:
The cancellation never really affected but after reading this brilliant thread, it hit me hard.
I can only the imagine how the devs felt when they were told to pull the plug.
I can only the imagine how the devs felt when they were told to pull the plug.
That is the trailer.
And this is pretty clearly cooperative multiplayer being shown in said CGI trailer:
Yeah, that last E3 showing was pretty awful. Its a shame MS forced MP on them.
That dark time when it got canceled, when Platinum's brand had already been dirtied by Star Fox Zero and especially that awful TMNT game. Automata did a lot to erase that pessimism.
Still hoping footage of that Dragon Link feature pops up one day, the way Austin Walker talked of it made it seem like something as essential to the game as slow-mo was to Viewtiful Joe.
Still hoping footage of that Dragon Link feature pops up one day, the way Austin Walker talked of it made it seem like something as essential to the game as slow-mo was to Viewtiful Joe.
I don't know how true this is but behind closed doors, apparently it was demoed like a Platinum action game and on the E3 stage, they didn't know how to present it.
I still imagine that despite this beinf cancelled and making Kamiya sad. He's now working on a game he's really wanted to for years now.
Still sad about this one, Scalebound was the main reason I ended up purchasing an Xbox One. The footage they released did look underwhelming but I thought the potential was still there, after all of the great games Kamiya & Platinum have made. At this point I don't have hope that the work on Scalebound will be salvaged but I hope that Kamiya & Platinum leverage this experience for their next project.
edit: I forgot to mention, great OP! Really captures how it all went down.
edit: I forgot to mention, great OP! Really captures how it all went down.
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I mean if by some reason Microsoft wants to then they can, it just won't have platinum attached to it most likely.
Between this and all the other stuff they've cancelled over the years Microsoft should be in the running for a lifetime development mess award about now.
I'm not sure why but if you take a competent and great game developer who could make a fun game out of sticks and stones and add Microsoft Management (TM) to it, it turns into train wreck.
I'm not sure why but if you take a competent and great game developer who could make a fun game out of sticks and stones and add Microsoft Management (TM) to it, it turns into train wreck.
I'm sorry but even as a huge Platinum and kamiya fan, they simply didn't sell this game well to either Microsoft or to the general public.
The problem is Platinum misread their audience. While Nintendo fans and Nintendo themselves would obsess over the intricacies of something like TW101, slowly uncovering the gem underneath, Microsoft and Xbox gamers needed a hook, something that would wow them from day one.
People forget that the true way to play Bayonetta (dodge ofset) was never advertised at all and neither for the most part were the intricacies of the combat system. They came secondary to the main hook of the game :- A badass sexy witch who was as stylish as a DMC character.
Mechanics sell games, but character and setting have to draw you in first. If the media had concentrated more on why the Dragon was such a badass or why we should like the DmC reject Drew a bit more, people would have engaged with the project more.
In scalebound I think Platinum coasted a bit too much on kamiyas name and didn't think enough on how to sell themselves to a market that was as unfamiliar with them as studio, even if they had enjoyed what they made previously. They should of also kept an eye on the winds of change around them and realised they needed to get to the point quickly.
The problem is Platinum misread their audience. While Nintendo fans and Nintendo themselves would obsess over the intricacies of something like TW101, slowly uncovering the gem underneath, Microsoft and Xbox gamers needed a hook, something that would wow them from day one.
People forget that the true way to play Bayonetta (dodge ofset) was never advertised at all and neither for the most part were the intricacies of the combat system. They came secondary to the main hook of the game :- A badass sexy witch who was as stylish as a DMC character.
Mechanics sell games, but character and setting have to draw you in first. If the media had concentrated more on why the Dragon was such a badass or why we should like the DmC reject Drew a bit more, people would have engaged with the project more.
In scalebound I think Platinum coasted a bit too much on kamiyas name and didn't think enough on how to sell themselves to a market that was as unfamiliar with them as studio, even if they had enjoyed what they made previously. They should of also kept an eye on the winds of change around them and realised they needed to get to the point quickly.
The marketing of the game was bad, and the idea of multiplayer seemed kind of weird to me. It only made sense in Anarchy Reigns and TMNT sort of made sense to an extent. I didn't really see why they were putting money into MP other than to add a checkbox. I still don't fully understand why projects this long in dev aren't just released quickly to at least recoup some costs.
Kinda always is after he gets done with a project. Wonderful 101 iirc another dream game that he wanted to happen and it came true.
ok after e3 everyone was shitting on the game. then when it was cancelled everyone got mad at. the game looked awful. and probably played worse. let it go.
Always felt weird how they signed with MS on their biggest project and cockblocked them with Nier.
Suddenly Scalebound cancelled. Lol
Whatever the reason is both parties suffered a lot. MS might never have a chance to work with an exclusive Japanese studio and P+ suffered mentally and just money and time down the drain.
Suddenly Scalebound cancelled. Lol
Whatever the reason is both parties suffered a lot. MS might never have a chance to work with an exclusive Japanese studio and P+ suffered mentally and just money and time down the drain.
What a great thread! Even though I don't have an Xbox, I was disappointed this one was cancelled; it really looked like a fun concept for a game.
RIP Scalebound we hardly knew ye!
Thank you OP for taking the time for writing this up. Will forever be bummed I won't get to play this game. Considering I have an Xbox One S solely for exclusives this game was always one of my reasons for purchase!
Do we know if Microsoft owns the IP for Scalebound? Is this something that can be resurrected by another company fitting the bill for Platinum as publisher and distributer? Or is this dead Jim?
Thank you OP for taking the time for writing this up. Will forever be bummed I won't get to play this game. Considering I have an Xbox One S solely for exclusives this game was always one of my reasons for purchase!
Do we know if Microsoft owns the IP for Scalebound? Is this something that can be resurrected by another company fitting the bill for Platinum as publisher and distributer? Or is this dead Jim?
This is great infor. Is a shame that it was cancelled and shows how much MS has fallen from grace this generation after being so good during the 360 days. Hope that someone eventually helps revive this project in other form.
scalebound at the form we saw it last looked way better than nier though. nier has good character models and cool artstyle but once you go into more natural looking environments the graphics are really not that special.
scalebound looked incredible (the dragon and the protagonist) and was insanely ambitious with multiplayer and everything. i would have considered buying an xbox one x just for this one game to be honest. at this point its just baffling, why microsoft would cancel one of their most promising games.
That is the trailer.
And this is pretty clearly cooperative multiplayer being shown in said CGI trailer:
I must admit that I never interpreted this scene as mp but now that you mentioned it, I see your point. I interpreted it as NPC's.
i disagree. the game had huge hype when it was announced (i remember it being shortly before the launch of bayonetta 2) and with every year passing the list of xbox exclusives got smaller and smaller and this became one of the top 3s for the console for many people in that other forum (including me).
i remember the gameplay reveal at the last e3 and how many people praised it.
and yes the mai character looks kind of like your stock japanese action game hero but at least the dragon looked so great..