Have you ever considered that people my age were among the pioneers of playing CRPG's and in those days they were nearly ALL TB. We're still around and most of us still enjoy playing games, but we're no longer catered for.
The problem is that you are expecting to be targeted with budgets that could be supported only by a much wider consumer base than the base of old players like you and me.
We maybe a 'niche' market now, but we're a large niche with money to spend.
I don't think this is right. Old CRPG players still active and enjoying more TB is most probably a small number of people. Here some facts:
- 1974, 100 000 units (action game).
- 1977, Video game market crash
- 1980, Ultima on Apple II, 30 000 units
- 1983-84, Video game market crash
- 1985, 100.000.000$ is the sum of worldwide games sells.
- 1990, NES in USA only, 19 Million units
- 1989, Super Mario Bross 3, 9M units sold for USA and Japan only.
- 1997, Diablo 2.5M units
- 1998, Baldur's Gate 2M units
- 2000, BG2 5M units
- 2001, Arcanum 230K units
- 2001, GTA 3 about 20M units... for PS2.
- 2003, Temple of Elemental Evil 130K units
- Wii: I'm bored to collect numbers, you can easily find plenty about the wii. Senior and video games? Wii and series of "games" those seniors buy are quite far from TB CRPG world. Well ok it's not Australian seniors.
Ok there are important numbers missing in this list. It's difficult to find numbers for old computer RPG and that's even more complex because of multi platform release. It's so difficult that I suspect the reason is the numbers aren't good. Anyway this list is better than nothing and I wonder where is the mass of old seniors that played games, not to mention those playing TB CRPG and still playing.
Very good TB CRPG? Arcanum, 230K units isn't a lot. Not a good marketing, a bit too easy to use this arguing. Where was the good marketing for Gothic 2 or The Witcher? Only much after those games had sold much more than 200K units.
So no evidence but hints:
- Old senior still game player, enjoying TB CRPG... Very small base.
- Last very good TB CRPG, a mid failure, ok the reason could not be the game genre.
- Senior buying games? See Wii games sell, seems not at all TB CRPG.
The problem is people expecting high, high enough to not be compatible with a small consumer base.
Make a good TB CRPG and people will buy it, if it's marketed fairly. Leave the consoles for the teenies!!
Perhaps, I'd love it too, but most hints I see are more negative than positive. Moreover with old good simulators running nowadays it's possible that most seniors will prefer playing old games of their young adult time than buy a shiny crap made by a bunch of young idiots.
Anyway I go continue play Realmz or go try finish Shiren The Wanderer and let you Drakensang and Fallout 3... I wonder who is the true TB CRPG fan here? ;-)