Mon, Oct 03, 2011 | 11:29 BST

Quick quotes: “It’s really difficult to be successful with a new IP,” says Suda51

“Of course we always wish to have a big hit, but at the same time – not just in Japan, but worldwide – I think it’s really difficult to be successful with a new IP. You really need an extraordinary amount of support to have a new franchise be successful. Unfortunately we couldn’t really do as well as we hoped for.” – Grasshopper’s Goichi Suda, speaking to Eurogamer at TGS on the difficulties of making a new IP. Grasshopper released Shadows of the Damned, via EA Partners, this past summer to critical success, but very low sales.

8 comments

YoungZer0
03/10/11, 11:32 am

The game was okay, but i don’t think it has a place in a market with so many third-person-shooter which are clearly superior.

Manni - inside 360
03/10/11, 11:39 am

I have played through the game – it was good, the sarcasm and humor was great. But the game was not “very good”, to weak to get huge success. If you think for example about Borderlands, then you will see, how to get a new IP successfull. It was great to play…

viralshag
03/10/11, 11:55 am

I really enjoyed Shadows of the Damned. Like #2 said, the humour was decent and I enjoyed the upgrades of the weapons.

Zana
03/10/11, 12:33 pm

The game was in the same vein as those quirky Japanese PS2 titles but I felt it was not very natural on this generation of consoles.

Clupula
03/10/11, 12:38 pm

I enjoyed it a lot (even though the lack of a New Game+ was ridiculous), but I think it’s very obvious why it sold so poorly: there was absolutely no advertising for it. I don’t remember a single commercial, poster, or ad for it in a single non-gaming magazine. You can make the greatest game in the world (which, Shadows of the Damned is not), but if no one hears about it, no one will buy it.

YoungZer0
03/10/11, 7:36 pm

@5: Agreed, no ads at all.

Anyway, for a Suda 51 game, i have to say it wasn’t weird enough and played too much like Resident Evil 4.

ManuOtaku
03/10/11, 7:47 pm

For me Shadow of the damned is what resident evil five should be in the first place, great game and the best third person shooter since resident evil 4 IMHO. ****Hides and runs away*****

osric90
04/10/11, 3:21 am

SOTD was good… I kind of enjoyed it the first time but now, I sold it. Why? Because once you’re finished with it, there’s nothing else you can do and as opposite to many other games with no new game+, this one has absolutely not awesome cutscenes, levels and stuff you want to see again and you’re willing to finish the game twice or three times just for watching them. Had a lot of potential… the only I enjoyed A LOT was some of the jokes and watching the blonde girl (I don’t even remember her name anymore) naked or half naked. I get angry when I think what could have done with an idea like this one if it was technically and systematically worked better.