Look, it's simple. If they want to sell to their target audience, they need to get that shit off of the Wii. That's all the "strategy" one needs to sell such a game.

Capcom and the guys behind No More Heroes proved that mature games can sell on the wii. What sega need to do is do some more advertisements for the game to get the sell they want.

I have the impression that The Conduit was marketed pretty well. It's just that the game is really bland when compared to other FPS games for other consoles.

The game only came out in the last week of june.

@Blackdeath:

I was about to say the same thing. Are we ignoring the fact that this came out on June 23rd? That would mean it sold 72K copies in a week, not in a month.

I don't get all the hype for this game, I played it for 3 hours and got bored. Yes the controls are good, but really the entire thing just feels like "been there-done that". I think the argument that it doesn't need to be original because the Wii needs a good "solid" FPS is weaksauce.

@BlackDeath

Ooh yeah.

hmm...

@ Brando

I agree, the game is barebones to say the least, the online mode is the main draw, it is basic as the single player campaign but we have nothing of the sorts more so considerinf that it sidesteps Friend codes so it is good.

The Conduit could mean more FPS ands traditional gaming on Wii, the same way the success of SEGA´s shooters and RE:UC paved the way the torrent of on rails shooters we get nowadays.

72k for launch week isn't that good.

CORRECTION: It's a T-rated game.

Well, I'll tell you what.

I am a Wii owner, and that's the only current-gen console I own. Although I have access to a 360, it's not mine, so the only console I actively buy games for is the Wii.

And I did not buy this game. From the moment it was announced on IGN and we saw that very first video, my only reaction was that it looked generic. The main character looks like a tool, and the aliens look just like people in cruddy costumes. That's a mark against the game in my book, and when the game comes out, the reviews pour in, and we find out that the game is just sub-par anyway, it comes accross to me as a game I could safely let go.

I consider myself somewhat of a Nintendo fanboy, but even I can't justify buying a game that I know is going to be mediocre. That would be stupid.

If a game comes out and it looks good, I'll get it. But it has to be good by my standards, not the "good" associated with a 7.0 from Gamespot. That's the same reason I didn't bother with Deadly Creatures or Battalion Wars 2. They struck me as "meh" games. I get the same feeling from The Conduit




And that's what really grinds my gears about people telling me I better buy these games if I want to get more hardcore material on the Wii. It makes me feel like Sega etc. are just a bunch of panhandling bums begging for my money; you see them, and you walk on the other side of the street because the mere sight of them make you feel irritated and uncomfortable.

I think Wii owners just bought it for Wii sports.

It has nothing to do with the platform. I never see or hear a lick of advertisement. If they didn't have the entire world covered with posters of Fallout 3 and GTA4, I don't think they would have sold nearly as much either.

I remember being at E3 and thinking "this game is pretty horrible". I think after it actually released, and it got that "4/10" from Edge, and more horrible reviews, people just ignored it.

I'm one of those 72K who bought it in the first week, I've had a ton of fun with it so whatever. I'm more interested to see how it goes in the long term, besides, but since I haven't seen a single TV commercial for this game then I doubt it'll ever get more then 200K. Shame though because the online multiplayer is a lot of fun.

@ Agnates

There's a big difference between Call of Duty, an established and well-known franchise, and The Conduit, a newcomer to the FPS genre. Everybody expects Call of Duty to sell well because it's well-known. People are just saying that mature games can't sell on the Wii because most new franchises to come to the platform have been under-achievers, which for some of the part is true (Even in Japan, No More Heroes sold like shit). Fine, it came out in the last week of June, but you really can't say that justifies that mature Wii games can sell a lot. Personally, I don't think it will hit one million units, but if I'm wrong, I'll be the first one to say it.

Btw, I do want a Wii, but I'm just being honest.

gave up on my wii last year. Still in the house some were but not sure were. Do they still go for 400 on ebay?

I couldnt turn in this damn game. I have never hated a game more.

I wish i could have helped the numbers more--but i'm waiting a bit to get this one (got too much on v-game plate for now).
Also, can any owners here confirm that it's a fun game? (i liked metroid prime 3, and liked what i saw of bioshock, but don't like halo--which camp of fps does conduit fall into?)

I picked up a Special Edition copy of this and it has rarely left my Wii over the past couple weeks that I've had it. I think anyone who wants to play a good online FPS on their Wii should and will pick this up. I've been having a blast with it online...even if I did just accidentally delete my file and have to start over with the mediocre campaign. Despite its rather poor critical reception, I think it's honestly better than the reviews have scored it and if you compare it with MOH:H2 it's so much better despite receiving poorer reviews, which I think can be boiled down to not meeting the hype of "Halo 3 for the Wii" kind of stuff. I don't really care what reviewers think anyway, I'm having fun and that's what matters. I don't feel the slightest bit of regret for giving High Voltage my dollar. They earned it and my continued business in the future.

Anyway, if anyone wants to play with someone else online here's my Friend Code.
2579-1358-6801

See you guys on the battlefield.

I was waiting for this news. I sort of expected it, and I certainly haven't helped out any (I planned to get The Conduit, but am low on money). Still, I sort of hope the "slow burn" thing is true, and the lifetime sales of the game pick up. If only because of what the game represents.

Considering most hardcore Wii owners have softmodded their Wii, the chance of pirating is relatively high on this one. That could be one factor leading to the poor numbers.

This isn't in the least bit surprising to me. Beyond the games documented dubious quality, it's hard to imagine anyone looking at this game and thinking, "Wow! Finally! A first person shooter that actually works on my console!" That may have worked for Goldeneye back in 1997, but FPS games on the consoles in those days were nearly non-existent, mostly PC ports, and always garbage.
In 2009, however, developers have pretty much cracked the code on developing console FPS games. The Conduit, with it's boring level design, slow pacing, feature-less multiplayer and drab art design, doesn't aspire to be a good FPS. It wants to be an FPS "like on those other consoles". It's a game that tries to shoo-horn a genre on the Wii that A) doesn't really fit, and B) doesn't serve the console that well. When the Wii is at it's best, with games like Warioware:Smooth Moves, No More Heroes, and Super Mario Galaxy, the games are UNLIKE ANYTHING ON ANY OTHER PLATFORM. PERIOD. You can find plenty of FPS games, however, and trying to build the Wii into a second rate 360 or PS3 does a tremendous disservice to the Wii and it's playerbase.
The Wii doesn't need to try and emulate the other consoles. By offering it's own unique and bizarre gameplay experiences, it has become the most popular console on the planet.

Well, considering all the money they're not spending on marketing for these "mature" games, it's not like they're losing money. Vicious cycle. I was slightly intrigued by The Conduit, but FPS just isn't my favorite genre, with a few exceptions (Metroid Prime series, Bioshock, L4D, and a few others). The Conduit, as a game, just didn't grab my interest. The Conduit as an ideal did. But from what I've seen, I'm not sure how much it would sell on any console. I give them props for trying, and I'll probably at least give the game a rent (I do love Wii control for shooters). And I'm really looking forward to The Grinder. It's just a shame that a certain sect of gamers pinned all their hopes on this one game.

First of all, why does Destructoid continue to use that old pre-alpha screen shot? Those drone enemy types aren't even featured in the final version of the game.

I actually like The Conduit despite being a run of the mill FPS that suffers from uninspiring level design, a lackluster story and some technical issues Thankfully, the enemy AI doesn't feel cheap and the controls makes dual analog feel archaic and sluggish in comparison at least in my opinion.Also, the customization options are a superb feature that all future FPS should really offer. Also, some of the weapons are really cool to use and the voice acting is surprisingly good.

Despite some of the glitches and occasional lag issues with the online multiplayer, it's actually quite fun even though it can't stand up to the other big FPS title out there. HVS has some things to be proud of with its first big original IP even though it ultimately didn't live up to the hype.

I think the Conduit deserves to sell well not so much because its the really the first full-fledged original and exclusive FPS on the platform, but because it gets enough things right to make it an enjoyable third-party game. In addition, I'd certainly like HVS offer a sequel in addition to releasing The Grinder.