BG&E -deserves a second chance?

[Fatesealer]

Sometimes, the second game in a series is the one to really launch it into the realm of superstar status...

Enter Beyond Good and Evil... we know the story: previeweed to death in game mags, lead character undergoes radical redesign from a futuristic type to 'hey, you've got Pat Benatar in your game'. The game comes out during the infamous murder season of Holiday Shopping in 2003 and is basically written off the very day it comes out. Clearenced to hell but still won't sell... word of mouth quickly makes this a cult classic... would you buy a sequel if Ubisoft decided to give it another shot?

[Scorch]

At launch? Probably not. Eventually? Of course. I love BG&E.

[scsg75]

yes I would buy a sequel. It pains me to go to Toys R Us and see about 10 copies all marked $6.98 just sitting there and have been sitting there for weeks, ignored by people buying games like Madden 2005.

[zionoverfire]

Well if the sequel is longer than 10 hours maybe.

[The Successful Dropout]

sadly enough, i bet they'd sell at least double what they already have if the lead character was a guy

[hiccupleftovers]

Yes I would buy a sequel to it...not off the bat (like any CAG would do) but eventually once it got a price drop to say 39.99 or lower. The frist one was great. Also they should give this game another chance as they did with PoP.

[lordxixor101]

I agree that sequals can really launch the series (really, for long running series, the second addition is usually the most important). I would give the game a buy if they came out, but not for more than $20 if it gets good word of mouth, or maybe 10-15 range if its more than the same.

It'll be interesting now that EA bought some stock what they will push for. If someone loved the first game, they may push for a sequal, and put up the money for some legitimate advertising.

[wubb]

Heck I'd probably pay as much as $10 for it.

[MaxBiaggi3]

The original game was interesting enough, but given that its retail asking price fell to bargain bin status within weeks of release (and new copies can now be found for $5 or less on all systems), I've been "jaded" by BG&E's low, low asking price and probably wouldn't feel that a sequel (even a really good one) is worth much more than the original is now going for.

[LinkinPrime]

I still havent opened my PS2 version, I was kind of hoping I would find an XBOX version instead.

[ransom456]

BG&E is one of the few games where I would buy the sequel immediately.

[TheRaven]

I would absolutely buy the sequal. Timing and price would determine when I get it, but I would still pay in the 20-30 range easily for it, which is more than I can say for a lot of games. But Im also an Ubi fanboy..SC, PoP, BG&E, RS, GR..I eat it all up.

[Javery]

sadly enough, i bet they'd sell at least double what they already have if the lead character was a guy

or if the girl had giant boobs and less clothes...

[BULL_Ship]

sadly enough, i bet they'd sell at least double what they already have if the lead character was a guy

or if the girl had giant boobs and less clothes...

no that game sells like crap too (tomb raider)

[Trakan]

I heard this game was going to be part of a trilogy. I should really play it. I had the PS2 version, got rid of it, got the Xbox version, traded it. I need to pick it up cheap again.

[AnthonyRoundtree]

At launch? Probably not. Eventually? Of course. I love BG&E.

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[Snake2715]

where the hell can a cube version be bought for under $10?

I traded mine and wouldnt mind getting ti for later on when the cube is no more... and the revolution is upon us...

Toys R Us?

BB?

[rockhero]

sadly enough, i bet they'd sell at least double what they already have if the lead character was a guy

or if the girl had giant boobs and less clothes...

no that game sells like crap too (tomb raider)

Tomb Raider never sells like crap.

[wubb]

sadly enough, i bet they'd sell at least double what they already have if the lead character was a guy

or if the girl had giant boobs and less clothes...

Say what?! There's a cheat code to give Jade giant boobs and less clothes?

:dunce:

[alongx]

sadly enough, i bet they'd sell at least double what they already have if the lead character was a guy

or if the girl had giant boobs and less clothes...

I always said that Metroid Prime woulda sold about 100 times more systems if Samus wore a bikini instead of her tank-like armor...

[SevereTireDamage]

...lead character undergoes radical redesign from a futuristic type to 'hey, you've got Pat Benatar in your game'.

I heard about this when the game came out, even though the character design visually of Jade isn't bad, the Pat Benatar nod isn't off, heh. Do you know where I could find pics of this? I'm very curious.

And yes, obviously I love the game. Much like the sequel to Viewtiful Joe (another short game I was enthralled with) I would wait until it hits $20 or less. Maybe I'm the kind of gamer to blame for why a fantastic adventure game doesn't get a sequel, admittedly...

To sum up those 10-15 hours of BG&E were much better than 30-40 hours of slogging through a mindless, boring, unoriginal RPG or adventure. I wish there was more but was glad for what I got, especially since I did pick it up for $15 in the first place.

[Kyattsuai]

go to ign.com or somewhere, where you can see screenshots of games, and go to the last page of screenshots; those are the early ones where jade looks rather different

[msdmoney]

I would definitely buy a BG&E sequel, definitely one of the best games this gen. for me. Great blend of so many different gameplay elements, great involving story and characters. I also didn't think it was too short, maybe it's because I don't have that much time for games, but I hate when games artificially extend the length just to be longer. BG&E was great the whole way through.

[HYDE]

I'd pick up the sequel as well. I was one of those people who picked it up for $10 when CC advertised the deal early last year. It was one of the best $10 I've ever spent on a game and had I known how much fun and how good the story was, I would of picked it up sooner. The only reason I didn't was because the box didn't impress when seen on a shelf and there was very little coverage for it. Had I searched for info, I would of found it, but most games with good reps kind of find you these days.

However, games in this genre (colorful platformers, we'll say) are selling worse and worse and sequels are born off sales data usually. The only two PS2 titles in this genre (based on TRST data) to sell really well have been first party Sony titles with adequate marketing budgets (Sly 1 did not sell well until it hit Greatest Hits btw). Other gems, like BG&E, get lost in the mix, drowned out by wealthy competitors who can afford to spend some coin on platformers. Word of mouth revived BG&E sales, but the profit for the company wasn't going to come in from a game universally discounted by then. A shame for sure.

I have read rumors of a sequel though. I can't remember where I read it (ign?) so keep your fingers crossed. I am.

[Backlash]

The only reason I didn't was because the box didn't impress when seen on a shelf and there was very little coverage for it. Had I searched for info, I would of found it, but most games with good reps kind of find you these days.

Definitely true.

(Sly 1 did not sell well until it hit Greatest Hits btw).

I thought a game had to sell well to become Greatest Hits?

[diggityjones]

Sometimes, the second game in a series is the one to really launch it into the realm of superstar status...

Enter Beyond Good and Evil... we know the story: previeweed to death in game mags, lead character undergoes radical redesign from a futuristic type to 'hey, you've got Pat Benatar in your game'. The game comes out during the infamous murder season of Holiday Shopping in 2003 and is basically written off the very day it comes out. Clearenced to hell but still won't sell... word of mouth quickly makes this a cult classic... would you buy a sequel if Ubisoft decided to give it another shot?

No because the game made me nuts. I got almost to the very end. I went into an area that I need to go to to advance the plot. Once I got in a gate closed behind me. I wasn't sure what was going on but my other party member was missing. I was stuck behind the gate and couldn't get back to the other side without them. Stalemate. Seeing as how I saved the game not being aware of the severity of the situation, I was screwed. Damn if I was going to start from the begining. It was a great game but seriously flawed. That's a huge design screw up if you can lock the forward progress of the game that way.

[HYDE]

I thought a game had to sell well to become Greatest Hits?

The last TRST report I saw where I took notice of their sales reported a sell through of about 40k and I think I saw that figure in January 2003. This was probably 8 months before it became a GH. I'm not sure what the requirement for GH is (I thought it was 400k originally, but I'm willing to bet it's "variable" these days, going down to 100k even) but being that Sucker Punch is first party, it wouldn't necessarily have to sell well to get GH status from their own publisher/funder to push sales faster.

Once it went GH, I know the sales picked up (that's when I bought it finally). What its to-date total is, I don't know (anyone with recent TRSTs?), but it isn't even 1/10 what Ratchet 1, or Jak 1 did (they're in the millions worldwide). Ratchet came out soon after Sly, and it was fairly well hyped. Sales in Japan (and the US I believe) for Ratchet 1 were greater than Jak 1 in the end. Sly didn't fare well against them.

Still, Sucker Punch is small. Maybe they made a profit, maybe they didn't. Whatever the case is, they got the $$$ to pull off a great sequel. Hopefully that's the case with BG&E.

Here's some links I dug up about a sequel, or lack thereof?

http://pc.ign.com/articles/534/534566p1.html
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/games/news/s/69/69882_interview_with_beyond_good_and_evil_develope r.html