Companies, especially video game companies, tend to over-promise and under-deliver (take Molyneux for example). Due to this I expect to Microsoft to repeat that this game is the one to solve the RTS problem on consoles, but once the game is actually released people see that it was mostly hype and that this game has little beyond a few gimmicks (Halo related at that) and tired gameplay (maybe fun, but by the time it is released quite dull and repetitive).
Ensemble Studios is a great developer, but after AoE III was a bit disappointing, I don't think they can reach their AoE II or AoM levels at the moment, also they are being asked to create a Xbox360 game when all they have created so far are PC games. Due to this I think they will develop this game with that mindset and not realize what makes the Xbox360 crowd different from the PC crowd and consequently will create controls and an interface that don't work well with consoles.
Also, I do not believe that the Halo brand will help this game all that much, especially if it turns out to be only average or below average. Many of the people I know who bought Halo only like the particular style of play that the Halo FPSs are known for, they don't so much care about the brand as the gameplay. Due to this it doesn't seem likely that many people will pick this game up based solely on the Halo brand, especially once they realize it is a RTS, a genre that is much slower paced the FPSs and many therefore put off the people who like twitch games.
From all this I don't see Halo Wars selling over 1.4 million copies or 140DKP, over its lifetime (especially seeing how it will start to face increasing competition from brands and franchises that have become more relevant in the intervening time).
@Kemkle33, i agree 100% it's going to depend big time on the controls! I have no idea how it would work without a mouse (i play Warcraft3, can't imagine RTS without mouse)....but hey, it's the 21st centry, i hope they can come up with something great!! :)
I don't think it's fair to compare this game to C&C 3. Halo Wars is being built from the ground up with the 360 controller in mind. I expect that the game itself will not be as complex as a PC RTS, and we'll be seeing something more akin to EA's LotR:Battle for Middle Earth games.
@Bleezy, I have no doubt that this game will be something to remember but the issue here, and it will really make or break the game as a whole, is how will the control scheme be the most effective possible?
As it stands I think C&C 3 was a good experiment in RTS games for consoles and it was a rather lackluster title due in part to the awkward controls. To date I would put very little faith in any RTS that comes out for any console save but for the Wii.
@Gaara42, In this game we're looking for the first (and best) ever RTS game on a console!! If they can pull this off and achieve the status of Warcraft/Starcraft on the Xbox then this could be a big seller with long lasting online replay value!
Personally i'm excited for a good RTS game on the console. Actual strategy online as opposed to all these squad FPS combat games. Will draw a large audience!
I agree, if anything this should be at 100DKP at most. None of the Halo fans I know (which is many) are even considering picking this up, many would if it was for the PC, but they don't care to play a RTS on a console, no matter how good the controls end up being. This has been riding the Halo wave for a long time now, it is due for a correction.
This stock continues to be supported at lofty levels. Even with the Halo brand tie-in, how do people figure an RTS game will sell over a million copies on the Xbox 360. If this was a PC game, maybe...but time tested RTS brands like Command & Conquer can't even make inroads on the Xbox 360. I can't see this selling even 500,000 copies.
@Gaara42,While I don't really have faith in Halo fanboys either, I still think that Halo Wars does have great potential, and can do quite well, if they manage to maintain a high level of quality and if Microsoft can create enough buzz.
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Companies, especially video game companies, tend to over-promise and under-deliver (take Molyneux for example). Due to this I expect to Microsoft to repeat that this game is the one to solve the RTS problem on consoles, but once the game is actually released people see that it was mostly hype and that this game has little beyond a few gimmicks (Halo related at that) and tired gameplay (maybe fun, but by the time it is released quite dull and repetitive).
Ensemble Studios is a great developer, but after AoE III was a bit disappointing, I don't think they can reach their AoE II or AoM levels at the moment, also they are being asked to create a Xbox360 game when all they have created so far are PC games. Due to this I think they will develop this game with that mindset and not realize what makes the Xbox360 crowd different from the PC crowd and consequently will create controls and an interface that don't work well with consoles.
Also, I do not believe that the Halo brand will help this game all that much, especially if it turns out to be only average or below average. Many of the people I know who bought Halo only like the particular style of play that the Halo FPSs are known for, they don't so much care about the brand as the gameplay. Due to this it doesn't seem likely that many people will pick this game up based solely on the Halo brand, especially once they realize it is a RTS, a genre that is much slower paced the FPSs and many therefore put off the people who like twitch games.
From all this I don't see Halo Wars selling over 1.4 million copies or 140DKP, over its lifetime (especially seeing how it will start to face increasing competition from brands and franchises that have become more relevant in the intervening time).