Low Sales Kill Alpha Protocol Sequel

[Logan Westbrook]

Low Sales Kill Alpha Protocol Sequel

Alpha Protocol will not be getting a sequel, despite being a "brilliant concept."

Obsidian's spy RPG Alpha Protocol [http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=70790] was pretty unique, and it seems it's going to stay that way. Sega West boss Mike Hayes said that lackluster reviews and unimpressive sales meant that it Sega would not be investing in a sequel.

"Let's speak very commercially; the game hasn't sold what we've expected, therefore we won't be doing a sequel," said Hayes. "You know this whole thing with Metacritic where you have to be in the high 70s to mid-80s minimum [to have any success] - well, with RPGs you have got to be in the late 80s."

"Whilst we had a good game, I don't think we had a game that had enough to get us to that upper echelon and I think that was the issue ... The amount you need to invest to get there is so large because RPGs are naturally big projects. We've decided we won't do a sequel."

Alpha Protocol was lauded for its story and dialogue, but many reviewers to issue with the large number of bugs the game had. It's a shame that game will never get to build upon the bags of potential it had, but sadly, potential alone doesn't pay the bills.

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=254575?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS]


Permalink

 

[Dr. wonderful]

...Oh damn it.

Why not just remake the game like they did alone in the dark!?

It WAS a brillant idea.

 

[RelexCryo]

So they won't do a sequel- when the two primary problems were bugs and the inability to keep your gear/stats when you started over? Meh. It's sad that they won't do a squel when the concept had potential.

 

[Sebenko]

What is it with these big budget games? It it really worth it?

More games by little groups, Like M&B: Warband, please.

 

[The Hairminator]

Too bad, I hear a lot of good things about it.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Before they start thinking about a sequel how about a patch to make the original playable?

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

It's okay SEGA. Any problems I have with you are forgotten when I look at your logo on the Bayonetta box. And the Resonance of Fate box. And the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection box. And the Madworld box. And the House of the Dead: Overkill box.

You clearly have a right to decide what you will and won't publish. Business is business. Just don't sue them or anything.

And who owns the license to AP, anyway? Sega or Obsidian? If it's Obsidian, they could go to another publisher, right?

 

[For.I.Am.Mad]

Oh I see, it's metacritics fault.

 

[Jared]

Well, im glad for that. I enjoyed AP, but, I dont think it needs a sequel.

Im happy with what I got...unless they could seriously opolish it, its not worth the second option

 

[Baby Tea]

Before they start thinking about a sequel how about a patch to make the original playable?

This is what I'm thinking. The game sold like crap because the review exposed everything that was wrong with it. A few great ideas and implementations don't make up for the terrible AI or the glitchy, buggy mess that is the rest of the game.

Oh Obsidian, when will you make a game that doesn't suffer from horrible 'bugitis'?

"My only regret...is that I have...bugitis...URK!"

 

[Anah'ya]

Mpfh...



This Taffer is sad now. The game had so much promise. There's nothing wrong with not quite getting there the first time. The concept of the game was challenging to fit into a fluent RPG... and now that they've learned from their mistakes they should have been given a shot at another try.

Gah.

Gah!

G'damn money. Go away. You are breaking promising games.

 

[Aura Guardian]

I remember when IGN and Xplay wouldn't review Bully for the XBox 360 because of all the bugs/glitches it had. Once the patch came out...they reviewed it. Alpha Protocol needs a patch. Same with SOCOM Confrontation.

 

[Colonel Alzheimer's]

Well, im glad for that. I enjoyed AP, but, I dont think it needs a sequel.

Im happy with what I got...unless they could seriously opolish it, its not worth the second option

Just out of curiosity, if you finished the game, did the ending leave open the possibility of a sequel?

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

It's okay SEGA. Any problems I have with you are forgotten when I look at your logo on the Bayonetta box. And the Resonance of Fate box. And the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection box. And the Madworld box. And the House of the Dead: Overkill box.

You clearly have a right to decide what you will and won't publish. Business is business. Just don't sue them or anything.

And who owns the license to AP, anyway? Sega or Obsidian? If it's Obsidian, they could go to another publisher, right?

Agreed, minus Resonance Of Fate.

 

[Vrach]

So they won't do a sequel- when the two primary problems were bugs and the inability to keep your gear/stats when you started over?

Dunno about consoles, but I haven't experienced many, if any bugs on the PC and keeping stats/gear when starting over would be silly and just eliminate the joy of leveling up again (or just get you to end up with every single stat maxed which would be equally stupid).

If you played on Recruit then started Veteran, you got a LOT more points to start with next time, which, for me, really did the trick in increasing the replay value as you didn't start from the rock bottom, but you still had a nice bunch of skills to start with and you ended up with enough stats by the end.

Really a shame that shitty reviewers destroyed the game. It was heaps of fun and just because they couldn't get over a few minor issues, something that could've been a fantastic franchise is now dead. Congratulations to the idiots.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Alpha Protocol, eh, don't really care, but this is an interesting company policy. Apparently the Skies of Arcadia metascore is 93. Are SEGA going to stick to their policy? I'm sure that Obsidian would love to develop a Skies of Arcadia sequel if SEGA can't make one internally.

 

[JordanMillward_1]

Maybe it would have sold better if it didn't have lots of shitty bugs and other problems?

What they are basically saying is "we sabotaged ourselves by messing up, but despite the concept being awesome we won't make a sequel because people didn't ignore the bugs and other problems and so didn't buy it", right?

 

[Talvrae]

well it's Osidian own fault... if the game was the minimum playable it would have sold. But it's not. The action was bugguy as hell, the mini games was borings.
The differents build possible are not well balanced. The only part that is interesting is the dialogues

 

[Vrach]

Just out of curiosity, if you finished the game, did the ending leave open the possibility of a sequel?

In short without spoiling too much, yes, the ending's like with ME2, several options, but they all leave you available for more. Even if it didn't they could simply pull out another hero and work from there. I'd love to see Far Cry 2 premise done with a game like this - slap you into Africa's conflicts and for a change, make a good story.