Hogwarts Legacy, like it or not, sold over 30 million copies. It was a phenomenally successful launch and every other publisher wishes their game could reach that level. And WB's first question was, "that's great but how could we have made more money?" And now they want live service in a sequel. - ThreadSky

johngeedoyle.bsky.social • 132 days ago

Hogwarts Legacy, like it or not, sold over 30 million copies. It was a phenomenally successful launch and every other publisher wishes their game could reach that level.

And WB's first question was, "that's great but how could we have made more money?"

And now they want live service in a sequel.

Comments

joe1134206.bsky.social•131 days ago

Always downhill with capital at the helm

petersonchris.bsky.social•131 days ago

Western video game devs really from 2005-16 were so dominant people wondered if there'd be a Japanese game industry left. Now it's swung back the other way so violently we're wondering if the West will survive because of BS like this. Japan is just beating the brakes off of them now.

vhaalantine.bsky.social•132 days ago

Of course, they’re legally obligated to do so. WB isn’t a private company—they’re mandated by law to maximize profits for shareholders, at the expense of staff and consumers. Private companies don’t have this pressure; it’s at the owner’s discretion.

vhaalantine.bsky.social•132 days ago

Great if you’re a shareholder, but for everyone else, it sucks. That’s the devil’s deal—which is why smart business owners keep private equity while selling shares. It lets them maintain control while still securing passive investment.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

Since shareholders aren't developers. They see 30 million copies sold and assume that would've still happened if the game had been a microtransaction wasteland, I feel like.

"Where's my money, bro?" is as far as they care.

vhaalantine.bsky.social•132 days ago

People act like the gaming community is a monolith, but only a small portion actually matters for ROI. Companies don’t care if you liked it less than the original or if they lose 50% of players—those are just dead weight to them. This is why they push for $100 games.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

What I'm saying is if they're legally obligated to make money then introducing things into a sequel that most gamers have shown recently they will NOT buy then maybe they should just keep doing what they know will turn a profit 🤷‍♂️

Growth is great but it has to be realistic.

vhaalantine.bsky.social•132 days ago

You’re not after most gamers—most don’t spend money. Live services prove this: only 5% spend on MTX, yet that’s 86% of industry revenue. This is why companies take huge upfront losses—they only need one hit to make it all back.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

Definitely under no disillusion about how much money comes from microtransactions—and the notion that most production companies are after the next Fortnite—but in this case they'd be putting in the thing most players applauded them for NOT putting in the first time around is what I'm saying.

vhaalantine.bsky.social•132 days ago

They don’t care, and it’s not their responsibility to. If they did, they’d be sued by shareholders. Their priority is maximizing ROI to increase dividends, not catering to consumers. That’s the issue with public companies—the relationship is about investment, not the product.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

I understand all that—but even if they only care about satisfying shareholders, does cramming mtx into a sequel after millions of people praised them for not doing that the first time invite the risk of the sequel bombing and making shareholders less happy?

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

The acclaim, awards, and tons of sales was nothing because WB were kicking themselves wishing they'd have been able to monetize it into the ground.

None of them—NONE—ever looked around and wondered if the reason it sold so well was because live service wasn't featured in it.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

They made a couple billion off a single game and the first thing they asked was how they could've made more.

And that's the biggest difference between the rich and everyone they consider below them.

They will fucking never have enough.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•132 days ago

(This post is about the egregious behavior of the studio wanting to milk every drop of blood and money they can from we the consumers and has nothing to do with the actual game)

inadequatehero.bsky.social•132 days ago

Hot take: they could have sold me a copy if they’d remove themselves from JK, like they said they planned to do.

thefilmdoctor.bsky.social•131 days ago

Hot take: you can't change bigotry by not buying a game. JK needs a punch square in the face by a cis woman.

She's afraid of trans people getting to her, why not a cis woman? That proves her theory wrong and it'll be on the news.

inadequatehero.bsky.social•131 days ago

Since I’ve never seen her on the street, I’ll just stick to not buying her game. This comment makes as much sense as people who didn’t vote because they didn’t like Kamala’s policies on Gaza. 😒

konnatohanai.bsky.social•131 days ago

WB: Hey guys, this Arkham trilogy is absolutely beloved..

Let's kill Batman in The Suicide Squad and make it a live service.

poticalbackwash.bsky.social•132 days ago

they gave us the dlc's for free and by the way JK Rowling's name isn't related to the game, Hogwarts Legacy at all

nlitendoperativ.bsky.social•131 days ago

Fuck that homophonic bitch

chhem.bsky.social•132 days ago

Have they forgotten about suicide squad and not learn their lesson

420highq.bsky.social•131 days ago

fuck hogwarts & fuck she who cannot be named 🖕

I got no respect for anyone supporting this awful woman 💯

eastoflavfx.com•128 days ago

It may have been wildly successful but that was 100% because of the environment, not the game. The game was mid at best and completely uninspired. If it wasn't named Hogwarts it would have been forgotten a week after release.

planetjameson.bsky.social•123 days ago

Mid? Uninspired? This is one of the worst takes I’ve ever read.

eastoflavfx.com•123 days ago

That’s what’s great about opinions. Everyone has their own!

pb4nj.bsky.social•130 days ago

Oh man i had a blast playing this game. But only because i modded it so the wand was a gun. Was hilarious in every cut scene, especially in the bar. @glazedbelmont.belmonthideout.xyz you still have those videos?

glazedbelmont.belmonthideout.xyz•130 days ago

Oh it was the funniest shit, I still have them

pb4nj.bsky.social•130 days ago

nachotuxedo.bsky.social•131 days ago

The only innovation in gaming now will come from indie developers because those running big studios only want to try to innovate how to make more money, no matter how it’ll damage them later on. They’ll just close studios

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•131 days ago

Larian boasts all the time about not having shareholders—as they should because we've all seen how awesome a product can be produced by companies free to make what they're passionate about. Rocksteady should've never attempted a live service we also saw...

petitelarceny.bsky.social•131 days ago

Just look at blizzard, they've been around for ages and the storyline just gets more lackluster with every expansion. Then recently released a mount that cost $100. In this economy? Why?

dragonofthe1.bsky.social•132 days ago

I prefer to keep and still playing the original version of HL, or continue the series without the live service part to it, so no thank you very much to WB if live service comes lol.

samanthacrawford.bsky.social•131 days ago

It's absolutely wild how their single player games are typically very successful (not just Hogwarts but also the Star Wars Jedi games), while their live service slop is always without exception a colossal failure. And yet they keep pushing live service instead of single player. It's wild.

johngeedoyle.bsky.social•131 days ago

Arkham games, too. Really awesome and loved games then they decided to have Rocksteady try live service and it definitely didn't go over well.

They only need one recreation of lightning in a bottle that is Fortnite, Apex or OW so lots of studios continue to chase that dragon 🥲

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