One intriguing remark from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot has been lingering in my mind. During a recent investor meeting, Guillemot highlighted “a fiercely competitive market where players are incredibly discerning about the quality and content of games,” mentioning criticism or ‘bashing’ as potential risks for games. It’s a corporate statement that seems to address the mixed to negative responses to some of Ubisoft’s recent titles. The fact that gamers have standards and express their opinions is far from new, and it’s definitely a positive development. However, there’s merit in examining how games are critiqued online today and the impact this can have on a game’s sales or reputation.
The popular game Monster Hunter Wilds is currently under discussion. According to a recent report by research firm Circana, this game remains the best-selling title in the US for the entire year. Previously, Capcom had announced that it was their fastest-selling game ever released. However, Capcom’s latest financial report revealed that sales of Monster Hunter Wilds have significantly decreased, dropping to approximately 500k within three months after selling over 10 million in its first month. This decline has led to a drop in stock prices.
On Steam, which is one of the largest platforms for the game in the U.S., Wilds has been shunned due to persistent performance issues, and subsequent updates have sparked criticism regarding the game’s replay value and balance.
A successful game started off strongly but subsequently plummeted drastically, which is a familiar scenario, yet Wilds has reached an unusually steep decline, even surpassing the initial troubles of Monster Hunter World on PC. This predicament makes it increasingly challenging for Capcom, known for a string of popular games over several years, to erase this blemish from their reputation. The ongoing poor state of Dragon’s Dogma 2, another challenging launch for Capcom on PC, doesn’t aid in the matter at all.
During a recent chat with Mat Piscatella, the executive director at Circana games, I brought up Monster Hunter Wilds as an illustration of how a game’s image and feedback can genuinely influence its success. Piscatella often emphasizes the might of the “Fortnite, Minecraft, Roblox” live service titans and how other games must adapt to survive in their wake. I wondered if he believes this massive shadow also plays a role in similar situations.
Piscatella notes that Wilds is quite intriguing, suggesting that the intense criticism may stem from the fact that in today’s market, a large chunk of time and resources are invested in just a few major games. As a result, people have numerous other appealing alternatives to spend their time and money on. This broader gaming culture also tends to magnify real or perceived issues, such as those experienced by Wilds on PC, which are particularly noticeable.
Piscatella says, “It’s much like the concept of substitution, isn’t it? Instead of spending X dollars to join game A, they can continue playing their long-time favorite game, which they’ve been engaged with for 7 to 10 years. That’s the choice people are making today.
The situation with ‘Wilds’ is quite unique due to its incredibly passionate and dedicated fanbase. They were so eager that they flocked to it on launch day. However, certain issues came to light later, which might not have been as apparent had everyone not already invested in the game. Nowadays, influential streamers or YouTubers can significantly shape public opinion about a game just by sharing one screenshot, don’t they?
A screenshot speaks volumes. The launch of Monster Hunter Wilds generated buzz, both before and following its debut, due to issues with textures that sometimes reverted to frightening, low-quality textures reminiscent of the Nintendo 64 era. This was amusing during the beta phase, but post-release, it became less humorous as a playful origami monster theme morphed into a sign of PC-related problems. As criticism about the game’s performance grew, so did concerns about its technical issues.
Piscatella notes that there are numerous methods of sharing information about games, some of which are sincere while others might not be entirely trustworthy. This communication can shape a game’s reputation. For instance, if a streamer like X displays a screenshot from the game and it generates excitement among viewers, it’s unfortunate but true that people are often influenced by such promotions due to their sensitivity to them.
Given that the cost to join is quite steep, while there are also free alternatives available, the implications are indeed very significant.
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2025-08-01 22:41