Bulletstorm worth making despite not being profitable, says Epic

by Jordan Mallory on Jul 23rd 2011 3:30PM

Speaking with Kotaku, Epic President Mike Capps lamented Bulletstorm's financial performance, saying that the title "didn't make money for us." However, despite its relatively poor sales, Capps implies that the game was still worth making, and that Epic-owned developer People Can Fly is more to the studio than a content farm for the Gears of War series. "The next thing we do with People Can Fly will be great," he said.

We loved Bulletstorm, so it's good to hear that lackluster figures in the consumer sector haven't blinded Epic to the FPS's stellar critical reception. Now that we think about it, a lot of games we've liked lately have been selling poorly. Maybe Joystiq is cursed? Maybe we shouldn't have stolen that gypsy's ice-cream. Or defiled that mummy's tomb. Or built our headquarters over this ancient burial mound. Whatever, this monkey's paw we got at that frogurt place should take care of it.

Via: Eurogamer
Source: Kotaku

Tags: Bulletstorm, Epic, Epic-Games, microsoft, Mike-Capps, pc, people-can-fly, playstation, ps3, xbox

Reader Comments (126)

Ah it wasn't that great.

@TylerDurden102680

At least it didn´t sell on all platforms, otherwise they´d be complaining of piracy on the p.c. as the only cause for not selling.....

@TylerDurden102680
Agree, played the demo, didn't find anything satisfying in it.

@TylerDurden102680

Yeah, the lush, colorful world, fun weapons with built-in achievements, over-the-top dialogue, and massive scale were all so boring in retrospect. The whole time I was like, man, hopefully this turns into a story about a squad of elite soldiers tasked with going up against Middle Eastern Terrorist #3 who's secretly being backed by Neo Soviet General #7, because crazy guns and giant monsters?! WTF, Epic? Yeah, yeah, so you can shoot someone with a guided sniper bullet and then use said guided bullet to push them into their allies before detonating everyone. So what? Does it have an AK-47 with iron sights? I didn't think so. Also, do the guns have "realistic" heft and "intentional" delay? Because that's my idea of fun. Also, no one says anything like "Tango down!" or "EMP!" the whole time. Bulletstorm = Lame

@A Sandwich
This just in: people have different tastes! Story at 11.

@A Sandwich

Yeah, it was dull. I probably made it all of 1/3 of the way through before loaning it to a friend.

On the other hand, I'm liking Shadows of the Damned so far, which is another title that did poorly in sales.

Unfortunately people's expectations for $60 titles has gone through the roof, and ones that don't have an online component of any sort are at a huge disadvantage.

@A Sandwich Your post is full of so much win, I don't even know where to begin.

@A Sandwich

I'm so tired of any negative posts that are clearly directed at Call of Duty.

Bulletstorm sucked because it wasn't on a Nintendo system.

@ItsameMatt03

It's the cool thing to do now just like hating on Halo was when CoD4 released. Next year everyone will be talking trash about Battlefield and blowing the next big franchise

@kentuckyfried Rightfully so, $60 is not a small amount of money. I think this title definitely should have been a $20 downloadable title. Probably would have sold better, I would have bought this game.

@TylerDurden102680

I'm in the minority of people that actually liked Bullet Storm. I think what tanked it was the trailers and the overall introduction to the public. It came across as this potty mouth over the top dialogue shooter that seemed to lack substance and seems to cater to those who attend college frat parties. The demo still didn't so much to impress, but I took a risk as I've been a diehard Epic fans for years (since the original Unreal). I was actually surprised how satisfied I was with the finished product. But the skill shot system was pretty cool and gave many options in terms of game play. The single player campaign was decent for an action game. The whole skill shot premise was cool, but for today's CoD crowd, setting up shots and thinking about how to kill enemies is too much work. I actually LOVE the multi player, but get frustrated as people don't get the "team skill shot" concept and it makes for some frustrating times. I was actually hoping for a sequel, but looks like those dreams have been dashed to the wind. Any XBL players out there looking for somebody to play online with, drop me a message and let's do this!

That's a shame, Bulletstorm was the most fun FPS I've played since the old Timesplitters days.

@slickie

The problem with the game was a lack of multiplayer, and a very harsh lack of being a military shooter. That's all people want in their shooters nowadays, Space Marines and Military Realism. Though, I will admit, I adored the demo, but never bought, waiting for the game to fall to $20 or so. It's not a $50 game by a long shot, but it's crazy fun. The lack of a solid multiplayer (beyond co-op) kills it for me.

@slickie

I agree, Bulletstorm is definitely one of the funnest FPS's I have ever played. I just bought Crysis 2 yesterday though, and I'm absolutely loving the hell out of that game too.

@ShivanSwordsman People want military themed shooters, but they don't want realism - until ArmA 2 and (to a much less degree) Op Flash: Red River start tearing up the sales charts (despite the fact that both have a long way to go before being within kicking distance of realistic), then we're just talking military-themed here. My breakfast is a more realistic military shooter than the CoD and Battlefield series ;). Both series are fun, but they're military-action-escapist, _not_ realistic.

However, they're just near enough to realistic to fool teenagers and adults who don't know any better, whereas Bulletstorm was clearly escapist, and maybe the shooter fans wanted to think they were being realistic? Personally, I found the humor in Bulletstorm grating and trite - very high school playground - and the gunplay was solid enough, but not outstanding enough for me to play it ahead of other things beyond the demo. But I thought it would have been an _awesome_ game for teenage lads (going through the swearing stage ;)), surprised it didn't do better.

I loved it. I especially loved the CoD parody campaign.

Maybe people didn't find the... constant mention of genital parts suitable?

@yab
Thanks to Fox News

@yab

Or Killzone 3 came out on the same day?

@yab I borrowed the game from a friend and loved it. If the game only had co-op, I would've bought a copy of my own. The basic survival mode was a poor substitute for proper co-op.

its was an alright game... nothing that called for a sequel though.

@PR0F3TA I had fun at first, especially the funny dialogue but in the end all I wanted was for the game to end. Its not a bad game, its just not a keeper and I guess other feel the same way.

Around the time that game came out I heard a bunch of people say "I should buy that."

You know who among them actually bought it? None of them. I did my best to explain how awesomely fun that game is, but it fell on apathetic ears.

Maybe I should have tried harder.

@omgJOHN Or perhaps people didn't enjoy the demo, despite having previously wanted to purchase the game. At least that's the case with me.

@omgJOHN

or maybe you should not make it a mission to convince people to buy a game you personally found interesting in the first place. if you enjoyed it, then that should be enough for you.

@brettjr25

Add me to the list of people who tried the demo with an open mind, but just wasn't having any fun with it.

Between a lousy demo and a "trying-too-hard-look-at-us-we're-so-craaaazy" marketing campaign, Epic shoulders the blame for bad financial performance. Sounds like they've learned some lesson here.

@Epoque i didn't have intention of buying it i thought it looked cool and sounded cool . but playing the Demo would make it or break it for me ... and it broke it for me. I just didn't like it i thought .. meh pass. i didn't get any joyment out of it.

@PR0F3TA
"Hey guys. I've been enjoying myself this past week. Let's not talk about it."

How daft are you? Do you ever post anything that isn't stupid?

@copa Its a real shame... I was hyped, played the demo, didn't feel it... but then a friend played and got a better score, so I played it again just to one up him... next thing I know I 'got the game' in both the spiritual and spending dollahbonez way. Its a game you have to play a bit to really see if you like, because until you do, you don't realize the creativity, and the fun of teamwork killing online...

that said, once the gow3 beta came out it got shelved, and I honestly haven't played a game since the beta ended... competitive multiplayer seemed like a no-brainer to me... I realize that it would be harder, but it would be that much better... as you get thumped into the air by an enemy, suddenly combat could be so different as you could leash him up after you etc etc... saddening

it was pretty fun, very nice graphics and all. But i wouldn't exactly call it great.

it was worth the 50 i payed for it at least.

@BrianH

also, gears 2 and 3 on PC please!

I don't pirate! i promise ill pay for it, just like i did gears 1 and bulletstorm!

I'm not surprised, bullet storm was garbage it was a bad gears of war fps attempt in my opinion. Also to make matters worse it dropped to 39.99 a week and 3 days after release wtf? 20 dollar price drop? What was the point of day 1 sales then oh I forgot bullet storm is not a game it was initially a $60 ad for gears of war 3

@type2red "bullet storm was garbage it was a bad gears of war "

I wonder, sir, did you even look at the trailers? Do you even know what Bulletstorm is? Doesn't look like it.

@Androu1 Actually Bulletstorm looked very much like Gears, it uses the same engine and character models. You should play Unreal 3 and then you can see the relation of character models and environment in all three games.

Still wish I played this game

@RadioActiveLunch
You still can. It's still being sold

That's what happens when you make a game with Duke Nukem toilet humor but without the charm.

Well that, and DNF, but I'll just pretend that game doesn't exist.

I've gotta say...I saw this game a while back, and put it in the back of my mind. I forgot all about it, that is, up until your recent articles on the game not selling. I don't even recall reading a review for the game, as I don't often play Sci-Fi FPS. I much prefer military FPS (CoD, BF, MAG, etc...). Anyway, after reading article yesterday, I stopped by the store and grabbed a copy. I've only played about an hour of the campaign, but I'm LOVING it! If you haven't picked it up, give it a shot! Again, I'm no Sci-Fi fan, but this game is fun! Should be down to 30-40 bucks now at most places. Managed to get the Limited Edition (PS3) at Wal-Mart for $29.99.

I just couldn't be bothered playing another FPS title, but then again that's me. I hope to rent this soon though.

@MRB1G

That's sorta how I felt but mostly because it looks too much like their other stuff. I was a huge fan of the Unreal and UT series up until I played UT3 and realized I'm just bored of games like this. When Bulletstorm was revealed all I could do was draw parallels to UT and Gears and I just don't want more of that style outside of Gears anymore. It's reaching is saturation point (for me).

I played the the demo for five minutes then deleted it. That was enough for me. Not up to the Gears standard.

@HokieKC You're extremely stupid if you compare it with a game like Gears. They're both extremely different.

@Androu1

Its like the people that expected Shoot 'Em Up to be a serious movie...

@Androu1 - It's a shooter made by an EPIC subsidiary. I kinda expected it to be a decent game...call me crazy. The demo was repetitive, boring and not up the caliber of EPIC's products.

It was too scripted and no co-op in story mode, instead you had boring half-robot and cocky girl squad with lot of whineying but with low ai to support in action. I hoped it would be kind a Borderlandish co-op experience so i was dissapointed. 5 of my friends didnt buy game cause they wanted kind a L4D type co-op fantasy shooter experience thingi. Was playable thou but fell to short imho.

This is what disappoints me,people refuse new IPs because they want another sequel for ex halo 4. Hell it doesn't sound good on the tongue.

I don't understand why they say "didn't make money for us". Do they only make profits on the first three months of sales or something, or were the initial sales so terrible they forecast they will only get back the development cost someday?

"Bulletstorm was great"? Lol think again idiots

@ORTHROK

We're idiots for enjoying a game that was meant to be so over-the-top and ridiculous on purpose? I enjoy it...because it's fun. No thinking, just shooting. Then again, I suppose if having fun while playing a video game makes me an idiot...so be it. Guess I'm an idiot.

@ORTHROK May I ask why you feel the need to troll on almost every story you comment on?

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Bulletstorm

Bulletstorm worth making despite not being profitable, says Epic

Reader Comments (126)

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:31PM TylerDurden102680 said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 4:20PM Hunter141072 said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 4:21PM Special Agent Steve said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 4:32PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 5:07PM twocows said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 8:00PM kentuckyfried said

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Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 8:22PM ItsameMatt03 said

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Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:34PM slickie said

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Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 4:57PM The Cole Train said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 5:39PM Ballistic H said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 9:00AM Arteen said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:38PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 10:54PM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:39PM omgJOHN said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:41PM Epoque said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:43PM PR0F3TA said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 4:11PM copa said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 4:21PM HardBoiled2009 said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 8:07PM darkinchworm said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 10:04PM benjaminhc said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:40PM BrianH said

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Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:41PM type2red said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:59PM Androu1 said

Posted: Jul 24th 2011 12:37PM heyImWyatt said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:41PM RadioActiveLunch said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 5:15PM Riusaki said

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Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:42PM FerrisCJ24 said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:47PM MRB1G said

Posted: Jul 25th 2011 12:01PM Chibi Chaingun said

Posted: Jul 23rd 2011 3:47PM HokieKC said

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