The best games that failed financially. What went wrong? [TOPtech]

Beyond Good and Evil (2003)

Beyond Good and Evil goes first. The ambitious action adventure game created by Michel Ancel, the father of the cult Rayman series, delighted with its original world and plot, unusual humor and plot, and expressive characters. So what went wrong? The commercial failure of the game is mainly due to a poor advertising campaign and strong competition. One gets the impression that Ubisoft himself did not fully believe in the success of his production.

Shenmue (1999)

Released in 1999, Shenmue was a breakthrough in the gaming world, and not only because of its record-breaking production budget. The title, created by Yu Suzuki, a Japanese game designer, took us to the streets of an interactive and vibrant city. It is safe to say that Shenmue was one of the first sandboxes in the history of games. The reasons for Shenmue’s failure should be sought in the fact that initially the game was released only on Sega’s own console, i.e. the Dreamcast.

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003)

The continuation of the adventures of a New York detective tormented by the past turned out to be even better than the prequel. Max Payne 2 offered a Hollywood pace of action, and the graphic design defends itself even 20 years after the premiere. Why did such an excellent title sell below expectations? Perhaps it was influenced by the fact that the game went on sale in 2003, and this period was full of great premieres.

Grim Fandango (1998)

Grim Fandango is considered one of the most iconic titles in the history of games, but when the game hit the store shelves in 1999, the mood at the LucasArts headquarters was grave. The admiration of the reviewers did not help, nor did the excellent opinions of the players themselves. Grim Fandango turned out to be a financial disappointment and contributed to the twilight of the era of classic adventure games.