Millions of People Fall Into New Vegas

[John Funk]

Millions of People Fall Into New Vegas

Viva post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, baby!

Despite having was still an excellent game [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/comics/critical-miss/8268-Critical-Miss-Fear-and-Loathing-in-New-Vegas]. It turns out that millions of people agree: Today, Bethesda announced that it had shipped five million copies of New Vegas worldwide for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

"We are delighted by the reception Fallout: New Vegas has received from fans around the world," said Bethesda president Vlatko Andonov in a statement. "Despite the large launch quantities for this title, we have already received substantial re-orders from our retail partners, underscoring the tremendous popularity of this highly entertaining game. We believe Fallout: New Vegas will be the 'must buy' title for gamers throughout the holiday season."

Sales of New Vegas have already raked in $300 million for publisher Bethesda. It isn't just the game that's flying off the shelves, either - the same press release announced that the official New Vegas strategy guide has been one of the best-selling books on Amazon since the game's release.

I guess we know where those millions of man-hours editing the Fallout Wiki [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/104995-Fans-Spend-54-Years-Writing-New-Vegas-Wiki] are coming from, then.

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[SomeBritishDude]

It's a mark of just how good New Vegas is that I'm able to put up with some of bugs. The best half finished mess ever.

But seriously, it's no more buggy than Fallout 3, Fallout tactics, Fallout 2, even Fallout 1 to an extent. Obsidian is just sticking with tradition.

 

[toomuchnothing]

Despite its technical issues its already sucked many many hours from my life and I'm sure many more to come. Its hard to stay angry at something that lets me get in a ballistic fist fight with a Deathclaw Mother (although its not a guaranteed win >.>).

 

[Tartarga]

Quick! Everyone sell your copy just to mess with them, it will be funny.
OT: Thats immpresive, I thought the sales may haved suffered to some degree due to Obsidians history with making buggy games but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[yundex]

I don't know how obsidian does it, they haven't released a single finished game and yet people still buy them up. And with dungeon siege 3 on the way, i'm not thinking how good it will be, i'm thinking about how broken it will be.

 

[kouriichi]

Yeeeeeep.
My friend owes me 80 bucks for the bet we made 8)

 

[Lordmarkus]

It's a mark of just how good New Vegas is that I'm able to put up with some of bugs. The best half finished mess ever.

But seriously, it's no more buggy than Fallout 3, Fallout tactics, Fallout 2, even Fallout 1 to an extent. Obsidian is just sticking with tradition.

Well on the buggy side of things it was already doomed from the beginning.

Huge world? Check
Fallout franchise? Check
Gamebryo engine? Check
Developed by Obsidian? Check

 

[Gilhelmi]

I will not get FO:NV until at least two more patches come out. It is taking all my willpower not too get the game. I want the game but developers have too know I will not buy a half finished game. If everyone stops buying half finished games maybe they will get the picture.

I know one person alone can not do much but if everyone pitched in to help we might make a difference.

 

[sephiroth1991]

Its good to hear a game like this is doing well.

 

[Andronicus]

The terrible visual, AI and stability glitches in New Vegas are very nearly unforgivable. Fortunately, Obsidian's apology in the form of the game itself is more than enough to forgive them.

All my friends are getting Black Ops to play for the holidays. Bah, they're welcome to it. I'll happily spend my summer blowing caps on at the casinos and exploring the Mojave.

EDIT:

I don't know how obsidian does it, they haven't released a single finished game and yet people still buy them up. And with dungeon siege 3 on the way, i'm not thinking how good it will be, i'm thinking about how broken it will be.

because they put so much effort into their games that they don't care for bugs. bugs can be fixed. a bad game cannot. bugs do not make a game bad, bad game play does.

I wonder if there's actually something in that.

They spend the entire development phase just adding more and more awesomeness to the game, and no actual testing gets done until after the game has shipped:
"Wow, it's finally done. This is gonna be so awesome! Just wait 'til people see what we've made for them in New Vegas
"...hey, did anyone actually get around to playing it?"
*facepalm*
"Ah, crap, we totally forgot to do the bug testing!"
"...again?"
Sighs, "Yeah, again."

Although, I'd definitely have thought bugs, while not making a bad game, should certainly factor into the game's overall worth. I mean, having a great game is all well and good, but if you can't actually progress through to all the good parts because of an army of crappy bugs, that would certainly be a markdown in my book.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I don't know how obsidian does it, they haven't released a single finished game and yet people still buy them up.

Nearly every unfinished mess Obsidian has made is miles better than most freshly polished unambitious turds the game industry pumps out every year.

 

[Jandau]

It isn't just the game that's flying off the shelves, either - the same press release announced that the official New Vegas strategy guide has been one of the best-selling books on Amazon since the game's release.

Why would people who obviously have access to the internet (since the use Amazon) pay money for something they can get for free off the internet? And I'm not even talking about .pdf copies of the strategy guide, I'm talking about walkthroughs, FAQs and guides. Heck, just a quick look at GameFAQs gives you more than you get in that "guide", and it doesn't cost you a cent. Do people just don't like having money?

 

[Irridium]

Glad to see its doing well. Obsidian deserves the success.

Bethesda, let Obsidian do all future Fallout titles. They know how to do them better.

 

[ANImaniac89]

I love it and am about half way done with my first play thought.
I have only had my copy crash once, and no major bugs.

 

[Aggieknight]

I must be in the minority that really wasn't that impressed with this game. I loved Fallout 3, but this just seems like a poor copycat, even w/out the bugs. The story isn't nearly as engaging, there is an extreme lack of interesting locations, and some of the new features (armor pen for example) tend to take away from the experience.

Is there a point you've got to reach for it to become engaging and I've just not gotten there? I just finished getting into Vegas and am ~lvl 13. Vegas itself didn't live up to my expectations - place was downright empty.

 

[jimduckie]

gee is it worth it ? i put up with fallout 3 's bugs , but should i get new vegas ? so many other game let me down saying how good they are and wasting my time and cash... do they have a level cap?

 

[yundex]

I don't know how obsidian does it, they haven't released a single finished game and yet people still buy them up. And with dungeon siege 3 on the way, i'm not thinking how good it will be, i'm thinking about how broken it will be.

because they put so much effort into their games that they don't care for bugs. bugs can be fixed. a bad game cannot. bugs do not make a game bad, bad game play does.

for exmaple, Dwarf fortress has a LOT of bugs yet a lot of people love it. Minecraft is IN ALPHA, AN UNFINISHED GAME, yet people still buy minecraft by the millions.

No, it's because they shove games out the door before they are ready. Bugs can be fixed sure, why haven't they fixed alpha protocol yet? With minecraft, you at least know you're paying $15 to test a game instead of 60.

 

[Numachuka]

new features
take away from the experience

Wat?

 

[SomebodyNowhere]

Flawed as the game may be, it is still a great experience that many people are clearly taking part in.