THQ says : "Expect to see more De Blob in the future"

[Eagles]

Most third-party publishers would agree that launching a traditional new intellectual property is a difficult endeavor on any console, let alone Wii, whose user base stretches beyond core players to casuals less concerned with typical software and more interested in Wii Fit and Guitar Hero. But that certainly hasn't stopped companies from trying to debut new franchises on the platform, some successful and others – well, not so much. Last September, THQ shipped de Blob, a unique 3D platformer for Wii that earned an 8.4 rating from IGN.com and was considered for many of our system awards. The original effort proved to be one of t the best titles on Nintendo's system all year. But did that truth translate to sales?

According to software sales date released to IGN by the NPD Group, THQ's de Blob sold 230,000 copies through December of last year. That figure encapsulates sales from September 22 through the end of the year in America alone – global figures are not tracked by NPD. Compared to a blockbuster release like Gears of War 2 for Microsoft's Xbox 360 system, which managed sales of two million units in its opening weekend, de Blob's sell-through seems modest. But it's enough to keep the series -- the first game of which cost far less to produce than any Gears title -- going.

Consider the fact that de Blob was not only a new IP for THQ, but one launched on the same day as Nintendo's own classical platformer Wario Land: Shake It! The two games even earned the same review scores from IGN.com, albeit for entirely different reasons. Yet in the end, consumers chose THQ's jiggly hero over Nintendo's – during the same period, Wario Land: Shake It! sold only 150,000 copies.

When we presented the NPD data to THQ for comment, a spokesperson for the company indicated that de Blob's solid American sales beginnings are only half the story. "We're pleased with de Blob's performance worldwide," the rep noted. "It's a great intellectual property and you can tell your readers to expect to see more of de Blob in the future."

It's nice to hear that this quirky original title sold a decent amount. Especially since the development team put so much effort in. I'm eagerly awaiting a sequel that's for sure.

 

[opitekk]

i still need to play De Blob. i better hop to it.

 

[1337endo]

Good to hear there will be a sequel, the game is awesome.

 

[captainff]

Fingers crossed for online multiplayer.. .. .. ..

 

[Frog]

Awesome game! Glad to hear there will be more!

 

[vashivihan]

wahoo.

i believe that it sold around 250000 which is still awesome for a wii new ip.

on a similar note, shaun white wii outsold the hd versions (450000) and call of duty wii is pushing 600000 so its good.

 

[bradleyd]

Fingers crossed for online multiplayer.. .. .. ..

Good call.

Let's hope they put more save points in each level too. I think they should have had a save point at least at each gate. I hated being about 45 minutes into a level and not knowing how much longer before the end (I get obsessive in that game with having to paint everything and do every mission, which eats through time). Some of the levels just seemed too long for my taste.

 

[captainff]

Good call.

Why thank you!

Let's hope they put more save points in each level too. I think they should have had a save point at least at each gate. I hated being about 45 minutes into a level and not knowing how much longer before the end (I get obsessive in that game with having to paint everything and do every mission, which eats through time). Some of the levels just seemed too long for my taste.

Having finished all 10 main levels I'm going back to complete all of the awards (10 on each level) .. .. .. .. The one that I find most difficult is the time award as it's usually around 13.5 minutes per level . Adding extra save points would make that challenge almost unworkable as you could keep trying each gate section until you got your time down. If like me you loved the music then it can be downloaded from Amazon!


[ame]http://www.amazon.co.uk/De-Blob-Official-Soundtrack/dp/B001OFBS74/[/ame]

 

[Kryten]

UPDATE: THQ has squashed the rumors. It ain't dead yet.

Original post (now debunked):

There's a rumor that THQ may be toast. For the latest news, here's a Google News search:

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=&q=thq&ie=UTF-8&scoring=n

 

[Wii-licious]

Fingers crossed for online multiplayer.. .. .. ..

I hope so...this game is so great.

Good call.

Let's hope they put more save points in each level too. I think they should have had a save point at least at each gate. I hated being about 45 minutes into a level and not knowing how much longer before the end (I get obsessive in that game with having to paint everything and do every mission, which eats through time). Some of the levels just seemed too long for my taste.

I agree I would take a save after each gate so i can pick it up and play for 15 minutes and then leave. I don't have the time to play true all the gate everytime. Sometimes I can't stop myself from playing this game but sometimes i would like to do a gate or two and leave without loosing everything. :yikes::yikes:

 

[bradleyd]

Having finished all 10 main levels I'm going back to complete all of the awards (10 on each level) .. .. .. .. The one that I find most difficult is the time award as it's usually around 13.5 minutes per level . Adding extra save points would make that challenge almost unworkable as you could keep trying each gate section until you got your time down. If like me you loved the music then it can be downloaded from Amazon!

I understand your point, but it would be easy enough to eliminate additional save points during a speed run. Just make it a separate challenge, since it's impossible to get every challenge in one go of a level already. Once you finish a level, then unlock the speed run challenge.

The soundtrack came on an included CD when I bought the game.