Wuchang Publisher Admits New IPs ‘Particularly Difficult’ To Launch In The Current Climate

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Their Latest Release Underperforming Despite Good Reviews!

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  • Digital Bros., the owner of 505 Games, has stated that launching a new IP is particularly difficult in the current climate.
  • 505 Games’ latest release, Blades of Fire, a flop despite its praise, which led them to issue this statement.
  • The title was launched as an Epic Games Store exclusive, which could be a reason for this failure.

Video games have been around for decades, but in the past few years, we’ve seen an awfully shortage of new IPs, and instead, publishers have been expanding the current franchises to new horizons.

505 Games, the publisher behind Wuchang Fallen Feathers, believes that creating an identity for a new IP has become increasingly challenging due to the numerous new game releases. In a new statement, they said that launching a new IP is “particularly difficulty” in the current climate of the gaming industry.

Why it matters: Increased competition and a selective approach by gamers will limit creativity, as smaller releases are unable to compete with the major players.

blades of fire
Blades Of Fire Is A Solid AA Experience That Is A Callback To 2000s’ RPGs

505 Games’ new release, Blades of Fire, severely underperformed despite receiving praise from gamers and critics. In response to the underwhelming sales, the publisher’s owner, Digital Bros., issued a statement saying:

The video game market remains affected by challenging competitive dynamics, driven by an oversupply of new releases and increasingly selective consumers. These conditions make it particularly difficult to successfully launch new titles

Digital Bros. is also expecting to incur losses of around $11.7 million in the subsequent fiscal year due to this flopped title. 

Live Service Releases
The Multiplayer Market Is Quite Impenetrable For New IPs

Although the company’s statement is true to some extent, Blades of Fire was launched as an Epic Games Store exclusive, which rarely yields good results for a publisher. Every title launched exclusively on the platform has suffered from poor sales, with one notable example being Alan Wake 2.

Moreover, there are already too many game releases, and with increasing costs, gamers are becoming increasingly picky about buying new titles. The only time that new IPs succeed in this environment is if they come from a renowned publisher. 

What are your thoughts on this statement? Do you agree with Digital Bros. on this matter? Let us know in the comments below, or at the official Tech4Gamers Forums.

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