Activision says games with female leads can't sell

[benderx]

I hated the original tomb raider for the movement of the character, too awkward. Played TR: Angel of darkness and it was done wrong. I had to replay the game just to jump a little higher or I could never continue the game. I enjoy TR anniversary gameplay.

[ZeroAX]

Metroid! Perfect Dark!

nope. Beg as much as you want I'm not talking about them.

oh alright

The Tomb Raider series has sold over the course of 9 games (counting the remake) 35 million copies (source wikipedia). That's about 4.5 million copies average per game (though far from it in reality since ever since Tomb Raider Chronicles the series just doesn't sell as much).

The best selling Metroid game is Metroid Prime on the gamecube with 2 million sales (really sad that Super Metroid didn't even sell that much. it's close to 1.5 million). Profitable? Yes. Successful? Kind of. Huge success that can be milked with yearly installments like activision wants? Far from it.

Though at least it's a critical success.


And Perfect Dark sold 2.5 mill on the N64. Again good enough, but not huge success.




But anyway this has nothing to do with those games having women as their protagonists. Hell. As I remember people played Tomb Raider cause they liked it, and plenty of women tried it cause it started a woman. So the woman protagonist actually helped that game sell (besides the teen crowed looking for a nude Lara patch)

[the7k]

And Perfect Dark sold 2.5 mill on the N64. Again good enough, but not huge success.

I had always heard video games are lucky if they can move even 1 million. 2.5 million is way beyond 'extra credit'.

[ZeroAX]

And Perfect Dark sold 2.5 mill on the N64. Again good enough, but not huge success.

I had always heard video games are lucky if they can move even 1 million. 2.5 million is way beyond 'extra credit'.

Yeah. That's a huge problem with the industry. High prices and very high costs of development.

[Gamerforlife]

I think there's a potential gold mine here if someone could make a game with a non-stereotypical female lead and find some way to make it sell. Seems like Lara Croft was mostly successful with male gamers. There hasn't really been a real console game starring a female to hit it big with the female audience. Beyond Good and Evil's Jade was a step in the right direction, but they have to find a way to make a character like her marketable without making her a stereotype

[ZeroAX]

I think there's a potential gold mine here if someone could make a game with a non-stereotypical female lead and find some way to make it sell. Seems like Lara Croft was mostly successful with male gamers. There hasn't really been a real console game starring a female to hit it big with the female audience. Beyond Good and Evil's Jade was a step in the right direction, but they have to find a way to make a character like her marketable without making her a stereotype

I agree. Also make her black to hit 2 birds with one stone (I'm being serious here). And as you said make her non-stereotypical.

[slowslow325]

Tomb Raider is the only game I can think of that the sales changed because it was a woman. It just helped it. Nobody didn't buy perfect dark because it was a woman, and nobody cares that Samus is a woman.

[ZeroAX]

and nobody cares that Samus is a woman.

more likely no one knows.

[AppleQueso]

Did Donkey Kong Country 3 sell?

What about Resident Evil 3?

Silent Hill 3?

(hey I'm seeing a pattern here)

[ZeroAX]

Silent Hill 3?

that sells cause of pyramid head.