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'Redfall isn't Arkane's Left 4 Dead – it's the studio's spin on Far Cry' - GameRadar info/interview

GHG

Member
Why do Arkane always fluff their lines when it comes to marketing their games?

They did this with Prey and also Deathloop to a certain extent.
 
Same here. Their desperation to become more mainstream is so miguided. What was wrong with the sales of the Dishonored series? They just need to set reasonable sales expectations for their niche immersive sim games and then set their budgets accordingly.

They do this. Their sales expectations are in check. They are not going for Fortnite crowd.


"Deathloop Director Isn't Worried About Sales Pressure: 'This Isn't Fast Food. This is Cuisine'"

------

Also the reason why it has coop is cause game director plays a lot of D&D and other games in coop and likes it. So he wanted to put it in an Arkane designed game.
 
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MOTM

Banned
Confused Curb Your Enthusiasm GIF


All I keep thinking is they should have made a game where you are a vampire and get cool abilities.
What they just described in the ITW sounds infinitely better.
 
They do this. Their sales expectations are in check. They are not going for Fortnite crowd.


"Deathloop Director Isn't Worried About Sales Pressure: 'This Isn't Fast Food. This is Cuisine'"

------

Also the reason why it has coop is cause game director plays a lot of D&D and other games in coop and likes it. So he wanted to put it in an Arkane designed game.
Note the time period that quote is from. May 2021. Deathloop bombed since then, despite a huge marketing effort on behalf of Sony and Bethesda and despite mainstream gaming journalists hyping the game to high heaven. In fact, as I understand it, Deathloop somehow sold less than Prey. Eventually, Arkane's parent companies Bethesda and Microsoft are going to expect them to start bringing in some money to justify the marketing budgets they're handing Arkane and I have a feeling that starts now with Redfall, an obvious attempt to go mainstream by ripping off Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.

And if Gamepass, the alleged Netflix of gaming, is supposed to be the fix for this, let's look at what's been happening with Netflix original series in the last several years. Niche series with devoted, but small fanbases are getting cancelled on cliffhangers after one to two seasons. By analogy, it seems to me we're going to see the same happening to niche Gamepass developers in a few short years. You either bring in millions of players or you get the axe.
 
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Roberts

Member
I kind of hope the open world is relatively small - at least that's the vibe I got from watching the videos. One of my favourite things about Grounded is that you can zipline from one corner of the map to the other in what feels like a minute or two. It's dense and never feels even remotely empty. More open world games should be like this.
 

Lone Wolf

Member
Note the time period that quote is from. May 2021. Deathloop bombed since then, despite a huge marketing effort on behalf of Sony and Bethesda and despite mainstream gaming journalists hyping the game to high heaven. In fact, as I understand it, Deathloop somehow sold less than Prey. Eventually, Arkane's parent companies Bethesda and Microsoft are going to expect them to start bringing in some money to justify the marketing budgets they're handing Arkane and I have a feeling that starts now with Redfall, an obvious attempt to go mainstream by ripping off Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.

And if Gamepass, the alleged Netflix of gaming, is supposed to be the fix for this, let's look at what's been happening with Netflix original series in the last several years. Niche series with devoted, but small fanbases are getting cancelled on cliffhangers after one to two seasons. By analogy, it seems to me we're going to see the same happening to niche Gamepass developers in a few short years. You either bring in millions of players or you get the axe.
This thread was made to say that the game is not anything like Left for Dead, and you immediately call it a Left for Dead ripoff.
 

ANDS

Banned
Note the time period that quote is from. May 2021. Deathloop bombed since then, despite a huge marketing effort on behalf of Sony and Bethesda and despite mainstream gaming journalists hyping the game to high heaven. In fact, as I understand it, Deathloop somehow sold less than Prey. Eventually, Arkane's parent companies Bethesda and Microsoft are going to expect them to start bringing in some money to justify the marketing budgets they're handing Arkane and I have a feeling that starts now with Redfall, an obvious attempt to go mainstream by ripping off Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.

What non-existent report are you getting this from? The only one who knows the complete sales story of DL - and any ARKANE game - is BETHESDA and MS. The story you're dismissing answers exactly the question of why ARKANE titles continue to exist: because they are well reviewed and bring cachet to the company.

. . .also big "lulz" if you think ARKANE has designed REDFALL expecting it to make them "mainstream."
 
I kind of hope the open world is relatively small - at least that's the vibe I got from watching the videos. One of my favourite things about Grounded is that you can zipline from one corner of the map to the other in what feels like a minute or two. It's dense and never feels even remotely empty. More open world games should be like this.

They do mention this in article.

It's different from Farcry in a sense it's smaller and denser. For systems to come together and emergent gameplay.
 
What non-existent report are you getting this from? The only one who knows the complete sales story of DL - and any ARKANE game - is BETHESDA and MS. The story you're dismissing answers exactly the question of why ARKANE titles continue to exist: because they are well reviewed and bring cachet to the company.

. . .also big "lulz" if you think ARKANE has designed REDFALL expecting it to make them "mainstream."
Sure we don't have digital sales figures, but boxed sales figures sucked, as did active player counts on Steam.

https://gamingbolt.com/8-commercial-flops-of-2021/3

https://gamesensor.info/news/deathloop



This thread was made to say that the game is not anything like Left for Dead, and you immediately call it a Left for Dead ripoff.
Their marketing team can say whatever they want, but every gameplay video looks like Left 4 Dead and Borderlands. You have to be blind to not see it.
 

Mister Wolf

Gold Member
Sure we don't have digital sales figures, but boxed sales figures sucked, as did active player counts on Steam.

https://gamingbolt.com/8-commercial-flops-of-2021/3

https://gamesensor.info/news/deathloop




Their marketing team can say whatever they want, but every gameplay video looks like Left 4 Dead and Borderlands. You have to be blind to not see it.


Left 4 Dead and Borderlands are completely different in their handling of co-op as well as playing single player. How can it look like both?
 
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Mownoc

Member
Ever since it's initial trailer I've expected a mediocre game and not seen anything since to expect otherwise. I'm expecting a 75 meta, 1-week of popularity because of gamepass game and then mostly forgotten.

Though anything with vampires has zero appeal to me so I may be somewhat biased against it from the start. Still, less than 6 months until we find out one way or another.
 

ANDS

Banned
Sure we don't have digital sales figures, but boxed sales figures sucked, as did active player counts on Steam.

Game had about the same active user count as every modern ARKANA game since and including DISHONERED. And they still got bought by BETHESDA and are allowed to put out "odd, hard to define games." So maybe, just maybe, the value in ARKANE is in more than making "sales blockbuster titles."


Their marketing team can say whatever they want, but every gameplay video looks like Left 4 Dead and Borderlands. You have to be blind to not see it.

There has been absolutely nothing shown in gameplay that would have suggested this was a game going for L4D gameplay. The only similarities between the two were the superficial (gameplay shown at night, fighting against "monsters.") This has ALWAYS been a hero looter-shooter in the vein of ARKANE.

. . .the presentation from over the summer all but locked this down. Anyone claiming the messaging on REDFALL has been "muddy" and "unclear" hasn't been paying attention (and yet still engaging from a position of awareness).
 

Chukhopops

Member
Note the time period that quote is from. May 2021. Deathloop bombed since then, despite a huge marketing effort on behalf of Sony and Bethesda and despite mainstream gaming journalists hyping the game to high heaven. In fact, as I understand it, Deathloop somehow sold less than Prey. Eventually, Arkane's parent companies Bethesda and Microsoft are going to expect them to start bringing in some money to justify the marketing budgets they're handing Arkane and I have a feeling that starts now with Redfall, an obvious attempt to go mainstream by ripping off Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.

And if Gamepass, the alleged Netflix of gaming, is supposed to be the fix for this, let's look at what's been happening with Netflix original series in the last several years. Niche series with devoted, but small fanbases are getting cancelled on cliffhangers after one to two seasons. By analogy, it seems to me we're going to see the same happening to niche Gamepass developers in a few short years. You either bring in millions of players or you get the axe.
I love Deathloop but the truth is it probably didn’t cost a lot to make, the map is very small and even the time of day doesn’t change much of the environment (it’s more about the characters). It’s a lot less ambitious than Prey or Dishonored for example.

I think the launch price was the main reason why it didn’t sell too well at launch, but I don’t get the impression it lost money especially once you factor in the moneyhat.
 
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Isa

Member
That's good to hear, OP. I was worried it was going to be a bit simple but this sounds a bit more interesting to me. Glad we get to pick our Hunter as well. Looking forward to giving it a go.
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
Well now I’m interested. I couldn’t care less about another Left 4 Dead knockoff, but if there’s similarities to Borderlands or Far Cry, then I’m in.
 

Corndog

Banned
It’s kind of funny looking at the stark contrast in reactions to this between this place and other places on the internet lol. Everywhere else is super hyped up by the info in this interview. But on here it’s just the typical console warrior crap.
I’m an Xbox person and am not really interested in it. I also think forspoken looks like crap.
Not every opinion is console warring.
 

sankt-Antonio

:^)--?-<
Bought Prey because of GAF hype, what a shitty PS4 port that game is controlls are so freaking shitty, like damn. Won't touch anything Arkane for a long time.
 

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
I'm not saying I wish the game was like Left 4 Dead, but, oh god, not another Far Cry. I admit I'm biased since I only recognize Far Cry 1 as an enjoyable game for me, but still, why does it have to be Arkane's Xerox Copy of ANY game, why not do something that makes its own mark? Good luck to the devs and the success of the game, even if there's a good chance I'll try it out on GP and discover it doesn't appeal to me.
Maybe read the article, man.

They're not trying to copy anything, they're pulling elements they like from open world and co-op games and applying all the Arkane immersive sim design on top of that to make something totally unique.

Arkane always falls into this trap of "games everyone loves but no one buys because they are hard to explain concisely." With Redfall they are trying to follow some popular trends incorporating open world and co-op but it's still going to fail because people want to put things in boxes and their games don't fit.

It's a shame, I think this is shaping up to be something really special.
 

gothmog

Gold Member
I'm excited to try it and I'm really glad they are getting the word out that it is not a L4D clone.
 
If they weren’t trying to sell it as a L4D, B4B type game the first CGI trailer they showed was extremely bad marketing.
 
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VN1X

Banned
I wasn't excited for this game, but after this comparison to FarCry, I lost all interest.

Akkane should do a sequel to Prey, instead of a new FarCry with vampires.
Arkane's spin on anything is just fantastic though.

I'm amazed so many here fail to read between the lines and it always makes me forget I'm supposed to be on an enthusiast forum made up of, mostly, older gamers. Obviously they aren't referring to the worst parts that we've all come to meme about in the past few years with regards to Far Cry but the freeform nature of it and how emergent gameplay and its systems are (or used to be).

That said I will say that the comparison is a bit odd in that they themselves are masters of the "Immersive Sim" and if anything they might as well compare it to their own past output instead. Personally I am very much looking forward to this as Arkane just seems make whatever they feel like without compromises or having to cater to a mainstream audience. How people still doubt Arkane after all these years, especially when they don't live up to a certain financial metric (are you all investors or something?) is mind boggling to me.
 
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SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
If they weren’t trying to sell it as a L4D, B4B type game the first CGI trailer they showed was extremely bad marketing.
The game doesn't really have a close analogue in the market. Those sorts of games are always hard to market.

Look at Deathloop, people didn't know what to make of that one. Got crazy critical acclaim but just confused consumers.
 

johnjohn

Member
Note the time period that quote is from. May 2021. Deathloop bombed since then, despite a huge marketing effort on behalf of Sony and Bethesda and despite mainstream gaming journalists hyping the game to high heaven. In fact, as I understand it, Deathloop somehow sold less than Prey. Eventually, Arkane's parent companies Bethesda and Microsoft are going to expect them to start bringing in some money to justify the marketing budgets they're handing Arkane and I have a feeling that starts now with Redfall, an obvious attempt to go mainstream by ripping off Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.

And if Gamepass, the alleged Netflix of gaming, is supposed to be the fix for this, let's look at what's been happening with Netflix original series in the last several years. Niche series with devoted, but small fanbases are getting cancelled on cliffhangers after one to two seasons. By analogy, it seems to me we're going to see the same happening to niche Gamepass developers in a few short years. You either bring in millions of players or you get the axe.
So you didn’t even bother to read the title of the thread you’re posting in lmao.
 

Pagusas

Elden Member
I am surprised at how harsh some of you guys are towards Arkane.
Why? They are like the genius kid you see wasting all his potential on horrible ideas. You just want to scream in frustration at him.
 
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So you didn’t even bother to read the title of the thread you’re posting in lmao.
Read my later post where someone else said basically the same thing. Their marketing team can say whatever they want, but every gameplay video looks like Left 4 Dead and/or Borderlands.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Why? They are like the genius kid you see wasting all his potential on horrible ideas. You just want to scream in frustration at him.

This is their biggest, most ambitious game yet, and without knowing much about the game, you've already decided the entire premise is horrible. Ah, well.

Read my later post where someone else said basically the same thing. Their marketing team can say whatever they want, but every gameplay video looks like Left 4 Dead and/or Borderlands.

Butt Left 4 Dead and Borderlands are entirely different types of games...
 

Riky

$MSFT
It's Arkane, it was always going to be top quality, never in doubt.
Gamepass will probably give them their biggest player base ever.
 

T4keD0wN

Member
While i think left 4 dead is way better than far cry 2, this somehow sounds better to me.
Jesus, their marketing is so terrible. Unless they wanted to confuse people because they though that left 4 dead clones are more popular and would lead to more sales which would be even worse.
 
While i think left 4 dead is way better than far cry 2, this somehow sounds better to me.
Jesus, their marketing is so terrible. Unless they wanted to confuse people because they though that left 4 dead clones are more popular and would lead to more sales which would be even worse.

Thats what im saying in all the marketing they focus on joining up with people and fighting vampires. The original CGI trailer had 4 people quipping about assisting each other with their powers, and even all the promotional images features 4 characters.

If they wanted people to think this was closer to far cry or even prey they’ve done a horrible job so far
 

elliot5

Member
Thats what im saying in all the marketing they focus on joining up with people and fighting vampires. The original CGI trailer had 4 people quipping about assisting each other with their powers, and even all the promotional images features 4 characters.

If they wanted people to think this was closer to far cry or even prey they’ve done a horrible job so far
Game playable by four people (thus potential to sell 4 copies) features four characters in marketing material. Surprised

How would you show a far cry style game off with 4 players
 
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johnjohn

Member
Read my later post where someone else said basically the same thing. Their marketing team can say whatever they want, but every gameplay video looks like Left 4 Dead and/or Borderlands.
So you're saying they're lying and this is going to be a game made up of linear levels where you fight through hordes of vampires? This isn't the marketing team saying this, it's the creative director of the game... I'm pretty sure he has a good idea of what the game is going to be.
 
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Then you get people that are like i had no idea this was coop why do they suck at marketing so much

Co-op seems to be the point of contention for most people, especially since they don’t have shared progress.

It’d be better if they marketed as a straight up single player game with a very optional co-op like Fromsoft does. Even the L4D association has been a turn off for people, those genres haven’t been doing great lately
 
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Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
If it ain’t Prey 2 it’ll be mediocre at best. But with the cocaine smoked by game journos to praise DeathLoop , there’s a chance this will sucker in a lot of folks.

I’m not falling for this shit again. Death loop looked mediocre, and so does this. It’ll take a lot of first hand GAF impressions to sell me on this.
 
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