Boom Blox Sales Bust; 3rd Party Wii Software Struggles Continue

[WaltJay]

Gamedaily (http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/wii-thirdparty-struggles-highlighted-by-may-npd/?biz=1) has an interesting article on the state of third-party Wii software struggles, including the critically acclaimed Boom Blox.

To-date, Guitar Hero III, Sega of America's Mario and Sonic: Olympic Games, and TTWO's Carnival Games are the only third-party Wii games that have sold more than 1 million units to-date according to NPD, and there are many third-party Wii exclusives that have come-and-gone with minimal reaction from the market. Nintendo's share of software dollars on its platform has approximated almost 50% since the Wii was introduced, and reached an all-time high in May of 68%."

The NPD Group has just told us that Boom Blox sold a paltry 60K units and was ranked #25 for the month of May. Considering the great reviews in addition to the hype this game received for its connection to Spielberg, we are more than surprised by this lackluster performance.

Will the lackluster third-party software sales ever come back to bite Nintendo, or will the Wii continue to sell regardless?

[Baron Samedi]

Yes, I'd like to see Boom Blox try to outsell those numbers on PS3 and 360, too :rolleyes:

[Telefrog]

Was there any marketing for this game other than preview praise from gaming sites? No one I know outside of gaming has even heard of Boom Blox.

[AgtFox]

Will the lackluster third-party software sales ever come back to bite Nintendo, or will the Wii continue to sell regardless?
I'll say no and yes. Somehow Nintendo learned from the GameCube and has created a system that has a catch (The Wii remote, the balance board, etc.) that everyone gravitates toward. Nintendo has hit the jackpot with usability with both the DS and the Wii, now Microsoft and Sony are supposedly going to try to tap that accessable market.

Nintendo couldn't care who picks up 3rd party games if the 1st party stuff is selling like hotcakes and Wiis continue to fly off shelves. Both are a lot more money in their pocket than whatever fees they charge for 3rd party games.

[Mot Wakorb]

Is it just me Telefrog, or the only games these days on the Wii that do get marketing, Nintendo games? I really haven't seen much in lines of 3rd party advertising. Could be me.

[Jetherik]

I have seen advertisment for Boom Blox. I am surprised that it isn't doing well. It is a really fun game for the family.

[TrackZero]

"The NPD Group has just told us that Boom Blox sold a paltry 60K units and was ranked #25 for the month of May."

And that is what I tried to tell the Wiibots way back when. Nintendos console exists for Nintendo alone, just like with the NES, they'll cut everyone else out from their platform.

Boom Blocks deserves at least 250k+ sales, it's a damn fun title (one of the few on the Wii, IMHO).

[Telefrog]

Is it just me Telefrog, or the only games these days on the Wii that do get marketing, Nintendo games? I really haven't seen much in lines of 3rd party advertising. Could be me.

I'd agree. Case in point. GH III for the Wii. All the TV spots I saw for GH III were for either the PS3 or the 360 version. I didn't see a single GH III TV ad stating that it was also available on the Wii. Now, it went on to sell a crapload on the Wii, which shows that the GH III brand was strong enough to transcend that barrier, but I think that had a lot to do with the name and the close association of Wii-mote waggle and the normal GH guitar gameplay which emphasizes the strengths of the Wii. (IE - Watch friends and family flail and have fun.)

[Baron Samedi]

"The NPD Group has just told us that Boom Blox sold a paltry 60K units and was ranked #25 for the month of May."

And that is what I tried to tell the Wiibots way back when. Nintendos console exists for Nintendo alone, just like with the NES, they'll cut everyone else out from their platform.

Boom Blocks deserves at least 250k+ sales, it's a damn fun title (one of the few on the Wii, IMHO).

Well, we sure as hell know that YOU didn't purchase a copy of it.

[Loki_09]

Really, the only reason I've bought Nintendo platforms post SNES was for 1st party exclusives. There have been a few exceptions to the rule, but the real draw for me is the Marios, Metroids, etc.

[WaltJay]

Is it just me Telefrog, or the only games these days on the Wii that do get marketing, Nintendo games? I really haven't seen much in lines of 3rd party advertising. Could be me.

I think you're correct. The only 3rd party Wii games I've seen any ads for is Mario & Sonic at the Olympics and Rock Band.

So if this is true (3rd parties not spending much on marketing), can we really blame Nintendo for its 3rd party struggles? If EA doesn't do any marketing for Boom Blox and it flops, how is that Nintendo's fault? Have any of you seen a Zack and Wiki TV ad? You can't make money without spending money.

[violentp]

Lucasarts you silly sons of bitches. Where is The Dig, Full Throttle, Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle and Sam and Max Hit the Road? Where Lucasarts, where?

[Telefrog]

Lucasarts you silly sons of bitches. Where is The Dig, Full Throttle, Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle and Sam and Max Hit the Road? Where Lucasarts, where?

Any of those games on Wii (or XBLA) would be a day one purchase from me.

[violentp]

Any of those games on Wii (or XBLA) would be a day one purchase from me.

I would purchase the damned things on a friends console.

[Banacek]

So, what are Wii owners buying? You still can't find units in the stores. You would think that even shitty games would get a boost in sales with the hardware units Nintendo is selling.

[KSmitty]

"The NPD Group has just told us that Boom Blox sold a paltry 60K units and was ranked #25 for the month of May."

And that is what I tried to tell the Wiibots way back when. Nintendos console exists for Nintendo alone, just like with the NES, they'll cut everyone else out from their platform.

Boom Blocks deserves at least 250k+ sales, it's a damn fun title (one of the few on the Wii, IMHO).

Of course Nintendo wants to use their console to pimp their games. Doesn't every console company? Or did you forget the large green monster of 2007? Third party Wii games don't usually have good advertising. I have said it before and I'll say it again, Nintendo is the ONLY game company that I see advertising during prime time television on major networks. While watching TV on any given night I would see a commercial for whatever new Nintendo game was out. Can you say that about any other company? Maybe singular cases like Guitar Hero III, GTA4 and Halo3 but no game COMPANY consistently spends marketing dollars constantly advertising their product outside the gaming/18-25 year old male sphere.

Also it has been shown that Wii games slowly but surely chug along making decent sales. Most of those 3rd party games that hit 1M did so over a long period of time. Now it looks very bad compared to Nintendo sales of +1M out of the gate, but eventually third party software makes its way to profit.

[AgtFox]

So, what are Wii owners buying? You still can't find units in the stores. You would think that even shitty games would get a boost in sales with the hardware units Nintendo is selling.
Well, Wii owners are still playing with Wii Sports, probably picked up Wii Play with the extra controller and have recently picked up Wii Fit if they can find it.

They are also obviously picking up 1st party titles. Putting Wii Sports in with the Wii was the most brilliant thing Nintendo could have done. It was also brilliant putting the controller in with the Wii Play and selling it for the price of a game.

[Heretic Machine]

If I weren't as informed about gaming as I am, I'd think Bloom Blox is just some random shovelware shit, and probably a Tetris clone. It's name and cover art are just extremely generic, despite the fact that the game seems very interesting once you look into it further. If they had sunk money into commercials, I'd say it'd be doing much better; but that's a step that most Wii devs don't seem to take.

You cannot expect average consumers to just go out and buy your random, no-name game, without you feeding them some kind of information before hand.

[Banacek]

Well, Wii owners are still playing with Wii Sports, probably picked up Wii Play with the extra controller and have recently picked up Wii Fit if they can find it.

They are also obviously picking up 1st party titles. Putting Wii Sports in with the Wii was the most brilliant thing Nintendo could have done. It was also brilliant putting the controller in with the Wii Play and selling it for the price of a game.

But with Boom Blox, the game is good and there are tons of commercials for it on Disney and Nickelodeon. I don't get why they are not moving units.

[ALLoGISTIC]

I think they completley missed the boat with the price point on this one. critical acclaim aside, it has a generic name with generic box art and looks like a simple puzzle game based on jenga. Thats a really hard sell at the highest wii price tag $50. I bet the sales numbers would have painted a much different story if it came out at 29.99. I think most of us are desperate for a reason to turn on the Wii, and the blogosphere had me convinced this was it. but, what am I getting for my 50 bucks??? in the end, apparently like everyone else, Ive decided to wait for a price drop.

[Banacek]

If I weren't as informed about gaming as I am, I'd think Bloom Blox is just some random shovelware shit, and probably a Tetris clone. It's name and cover art are just extremely generic, despite the fact that the game seems very interesting once you look into it further. If they had sunk money into commercials, I'd say it'd be doing much better; but that's a step that most Wii devs don't seem to take.

You cannot expect average consumers to just go out and buy your random, no-name game, without you feeding them some kind of information before hand.

My daughter watches Disney, and I swear there were commercials for it one every show, if not more. I guess they needed commercials for adults as well.

[divinechaos]

Well, Wii owners are still playing with Wii Sports, probably picked up Wii Play with the extra controller and have recently picked up Wii Fit if they can find it.



So Wii owners will buy anything if the word Wii is on the title.

[mkelehan]

The solution is demos. Third party games sell poorly because the vast majority of them are completely worthless. Since people can't try games before they buy them, why would they risk $50 on a game that's most likely crap? Nintendo's games will continue to sell, because people know what to expect with a game called Mario Kart or Smash Bros. For new, innovative titles, they're doomed to failure unless they can get people to try them.

This is the main reason I think the "no demos ever for WiiWare" policy is the exact opposite of the way to go.

[AgtFox]

But with Boom Blox, the game is good and there are tons of commercials for it on Disney and Nickelodeon. I don't get why they are not moving units.
Because people that have bought a Wii are fickle in their buying choices? They are fine with their Wii Sports, Wii Play and Wii Fit (if they have one) as well as Nintendo's iconic characters and don't want to step outside that comfort zone?

[Baron Samedi]

I think they completley missed the boat with the price point on this one. critical acclaim aside, it has a generic name with generic box art and looks like a simple puzzle game based on jenga. Thats a really hard sell at the highest wii price tag $50. I bet the sales numbers would have painted a much different story if it came out at 29.99. I think most of us are desperate for a reason to turn on the Wii, and the blogosphere had me convinced this was it. but, what am I getting for my 50 bucks??? in the end, apparently like everyone else, Ive decided to wait for a price drop.

Finally, a quality post. Yes, this is the problem. At $30, I would've bought it. At $50, I rented it - twice. And played it at a friend's house who purchased it recently.

[Banacek]

Because people that have bought a Wii are fickle in their buying choices? They are fine with their Wii Sports, Wii Play and Wii Fit (if they have one) as well as Nintendo's iconic characters and don't want to step outside that comfort zone?

Well, the numbers say you are right. I guess this just means that there is going to be less and less 3rd party games on the Wii.

[Norse]

Is pricing really the issue? Wii owners seems to have no problem wasting their money.

[Loki_09]

Is pricing really the issue? Wii owners seems to have no problem wasting their money.

buuuuuuuuuuuuuuurn.... :D

[AgtFox]

So Wii owners will buy anything if the word Wii is on the title.
Well, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Zelda: Twilight Princess don't have Wii in their name ;)

[divinechaos]

Is pricing really the issue? Wii owners seems to have no problem wasting their money.

Oh snap! Very well played, sir.

[Zaro]

I think boom blox will sell ok through time, casual don't buy game the day it's release.

[TrackZero]

Well, we sure as hell know that YOU didn't purchase a copy of it.

No, but I did play it. If I owned the system, I would have grabbed it.

[Cyndair]

I think they completley missed the boat with the price point on this one. critical acclaim aside, it has a generic name with generic box art and looks like a simple puzzle game based on jenga. Thats a really hard sell at the highest wii price tag $50. I bet the sales numbers would have painted a much different story if it came out at 29.99. I think most of us are desperate for a reason to turn on the Wii, and the blogosphere had me convinced this was it. but, what am I getting for my 50 bucks??? in the end, apparently like everyone else, Ive decided to wait for a price drop.

This is the reason that I haven't purchased Boom Blox yet. From the looks of it, I know I just won't play it enough to merit a 50 dollar purchase. When I slap down 50 bucks for a first party Nintendo title I know that I'm either going to be getting a lot of content and a great single player experience (Mario, Zelda, Metroid) or it is going to be something that my friends are begging me to play when they come over (Mario Kart, Smash Bros). I'm not going to play Boom Blox by myself and my friends don't know what it is to give a crap about it.

If the price tag would have been 30, I would have been all over it.

[Heretic Machine]

My daughter watches Disney, and I swear there were commercials for it one every show, if not more. I guess they needed commercials for adults as well.

Well, I watch tons of Cartoon Network, and I haven't seen even one. I mean, I'll take your word for it that they exist, but I'm not even sure that they should be aiming for kids who are still watching Disney (isn't that mostly girls these days) and Nickelodeon.

[Banacek]

Well, I watch tons of Cartoon Network, and I haven't seen even one. I mean, I'll take your word for it that they exist, but I'm not even sure that they should be aiming for kids who are still watching Disney (isn't that mostly girls these days) and Nickelodeon.

While it is almost totally marketed to girls, my daughter and all her friends love the Wii. I guess that's why they marketed it there, even though the commercial seems aimed at boys. I think someone in marketing didn't do their research.

[digitalErich]

The question around all of this no one seems to be asking...is there really a magic bullet for this? It might very well be the case that you either get the core gamers with their lowers number and higher attach rates or you get the massive numbers of casual gamers with their conservative spending habits.

Why does everyone assume there's a middle ground; a mythical large user base that will buy games in droves? I increasing becoming convinced that this demographic doesn't exist, yet.

Edit: I think you create this demographic with a combination of a Wii-like console (at least in a few aspects, accessibility and cost being the important two) and sub $30 games.

[Ph00p]

I'm betting the entire reason is exactly as users stated, the price point $50 for a derivative of JENGA won't fly no matter whose name you put on it, hell you could have had Jesus Christs' Boom Blox and even for $50 it probably would have the same amount of sales. Spielberg's blockbuster magic doesn't instantly translate into game sales, maybe thats the other thing they were banking on.

I'm EAGERLY awaiting a ~$30 purchase of this game when I find it used or it goes(hopefully soon) to the bargin bin.

[Ravenlock]

While it's really disappointing to see the numbers on Boom Blox be so poor (primarily because every time a "really good" 3rd party title does poorly on the Wii - Boom Blox, Zack and Wiki, Okami - it makes it less likely we'll get more of them), I agree with the folks saying the price point and lack of info out there about the game were the problem.

I never saw a single thing for Boom Blox promotionally outside of the gaming news websites I read, which the average consumer is certainly not checking out. And while I personally think the game is a justifiable $50 purchase, I wouldn't think that if I just saw it sitting on the shelf and knew nothing about it. It definitely looks like shovelware if you don't know what you're getting, and the near-total lack of advertising would have only contributed to that negative assumption.

Also agree with the person who said demos would solve this problem. Hopefully once Nintendo works out an expanded storage solution (which they're way, way behind on), demos will be the next thing they look into, because I guarantee that if more people had had a chance to try out a small section of Boom Blox for free, sales would have been considerably higher. Hopefully once the price drops, it'll make a fair number of sales, though obviously then it'll be too late for most people to care.

[frederec]

Well, I watch tons of Cartoon Network, and I haven't seen even one. I mean, I'll take your word for it that they exist, but I'm not even sure that they should be aiming for kids who are still watching Disney (isn't that mostly girls these days) and Nickelodeon.

I watch a fair amount of Cartoon Network, and I have seen a number of commercials for it. Though it's possible I saw them on one of the cable channels I've been watching more frequently (Discovery or Food Network), though they're not as good of a fit.

[51|RandoM]

Will the lackluster third-party software sales ever come back to bite Nintendo, or will the Wii continue to sell regardless?

The lackluster 3rd-party sales is the bite back of Nintendo's traditional relationship with 3rd-party developers. It isn't the cause, it is the effect.

As far as Wii hardware sales go, those are driven primarily by one game and one game alone, Wii Sports. All they need are more videos of wholesome girl-next-door playing Wii Sports with her friends to sell the console indefinitely. That coupled with a console masquerading as a piece of Apple hardware instead of something only an otaku could love(the gamecube) is all it needs. Oh, and being priced much lower than the competition. :)

[Sl1pstream]

I can't seem to keep Hudson's "Sports Island" in stock, which I don't really get. You've got Wii Sports, why would you buy this thing?

It's too bad that Boom Blox doesn't sell though. Or much else.

[RMan]

And that is what I tried to tell the Wiibots way back when. Nintendos console exists for Nintendo alone, just like with the NES, they'll cut everyone else out from their platform.
Please ignore Guitar Hero, Sonic, Resident Evil, Carnival Games, or any other Wii game with the normal ingredients for success, or the above statement sounds idiotic.
Boom Blocks deserves at least 250k+ sales, it's a damn fun title (one of the few on the Wii, IMHO).
I agree, 250K sounds about right, and that's likely what it will get. It's a game any gamer should play, but it's still a gamer game, it's not, no matter how many old people can play it and have fun, a mass appeal game on the level of, well, any of the mass market successes on the Wii or anywhere else. It's mechanic is totally novel and interesting to initiated gamers (at least for a bit), but it's simply a puzzle game to everyone else, and will get the steady sales rate a new puzzle game generally gets. They tried to give it some personality with making the living blocks (which was a great idea), but it's still a pretty dry game relying on an abstract game mechanic.

I doubt most at EA saw this as a big game, but it's mechanic worked and it was a project worth doing, and unless they had some VERY poor organization on it, it'll make money. Just because it's made by EA and has Spielberg attached to it doesn't mean everyone involved thought it was a blockbuster. But, it has big names on it, and is a good game, and is 3rd party, so all the FUD spewing haters out there wanna call it a failure because it's not killing Mario kart or something, but that's just silly.

[vherub]

I think it has the potential for longlegs based on word of mouth. 60,000 for a new ip the first 3.5 weeks it is out from a 3rd party developer isn't terrible.
It has large appeal across age and gender, and once you play it, especially in a party setting, you want to play it again.

if it was called "Mario presents Boom Blox" it would sell a ton more, but that's also because Nintendo has created one of the greatest modern brands in gaming or any industry.

[atariv8]

My sister-in-law and her husband bought a Wii and they've never been into gaming. They'll play Wii Sports, possibly buy a golf game and Wii Fit and will never buy another game for it again. I would think they represent 50% of the Wii population. Wii is the gaming iPod to most people. Hell, I'm a gamer and I've only rented or bought a handful of games for my Wii. It's hard to make it through some of the crap thrown at it since it's got a gigantic install base and half-assed developers think they can make their money back easy on a crappy game.

[Entropy Effect]

As much as I like Nintendo, I feel like part of the problem is that $50 is starting to feel over priced for a Wii game compared to $60 for a 360 or PS3 game. I will gladly pick this up at $30, but it didn't seem to have the production values to justify $50 when it first came out. $10 doesn't seem like enough of a discount for the lack of HD graphics, limited on-line capabilities, and overall lower production values.

[H.Bogard]

EA's marketing failed...

The end is near, REPENT!

[agentgray]

Disclaimer: Boom Blox is awesome. A game that's fun to play single or in a party.

I think it's because when you walk into Wal-Mart, 99% of the Wii games are shovelware and Boom Blox get's lost in the sea of crap.

[jacktion]

I think the Boom Blox sales show how out of touch the marketers and creators are with the market. This is a really great game but they sheathed it in this retarded aura. These little blocky baby monkeys and kitties are so stupid looking and turn off any casual buyer.

The underlying game is much better and sophisticated than the exterior. I don't think most people really understand the market.

Hardcore gamers don't understand the market because they still are scratching their heads as to why the Wii is selling at all.

Game developers mostly don't understand the market because they still try to make everything look like Extreme Babiez games.

I think that if Boom Blox had a better name and a cleaner more mature interface it would have sold way better. Imagine a clean aesthetic like Geometry Wars. Or even a clean interface like Wii fit. Just clean lines and cool colors presenting the product in a neutral unoffensive way.

People should try treating adults like adults more. They might find that people like it.

[Wyrm]

Any of those games on Wii (or XBLA) would be a day one purchase from me.

Agreed and thirded.

Oh, and Boom Blox is awesome. I picked it up this week and have had a shitload of fun with it.

[RMan]

Yea, I'd love to see how well the game would do if it were digitally distributed. I'd say at $20-$30 with a demo, it'd do really well, but as much as I appreciated the game, it's pretty hard to recommend it at full retail. I'd like to know how many projects are being developed under that idea now, IOW, release at retail, at a generally high price, then release a year later online at $20 (equivalent to the greatest hit releases, but without the obvious retail dist. issues) and hit all the people who have heard of the game but weren't keen on it's price, or heard about it 6 months late when it's hard to find on shelves. I'd wager with relatively small (in terms of space required) games like this it could work very well, especially since it's a puzzle game.

Previously games had to get huge sales to have that second tier release, it's interesting that these days, regardless of mass appeal, almost any game can have that second tier release.

[Stryfe01]

I actually thought it was selling well. My gf has been looking for this and can't find it on store shelves. But I guess this is the real reason...

[CapnBob]

My impression seems to be that demand for Boom Blox is slowly rising, but only through word-of-mouth. You can SHOW someone the game and expect them to buy it, they have to either try it out themselves or be told how good it is by a trusted friend.

[CapnBob]

My impression seems to be that demand for Boom Blox is slowly rising, but only through word-of-mouth. You can SHOW someone the game and expect them to buy it, they have to either try it out themselves or be told how good it is by a trusted friend.

Can't. CAN'T show it and expect them to buy. Where is that edit button?

[bapenguin]

So, what are Wii owners buying? You still can't find units in the stores. You would think that even shitty games would get a boost in sales with the hardware units Nintendo is selling.

Twofold really.

1) Nintendo fans are buying the Nintendo Games
2) Non-traditional Gamers are buying Nothing because they have their Wii-sports machine.

[MosBen]

To answer the question of what Wii owners are playing, I think the answer is: they aren't. The last game, and only game, I've purchased since I got my Wii a few months after launch was Mario Galaxy. After I played that for a while the Wii got shut down and the 360 got powered back up. Every once in a while Wii Sports comes out for company (I think it'll probably get some play in a couple weeks when the parents come to visit), but other than that the Wii is dormant.

[Variable Gear]

Twofold really.

1) Nintendo fans are buying the Nintendo Games
2) Non-traditional Gamers are buying Nothing because they have their Wii-sports machine.
It's more like threefold. There is a third segment of the population that is buying not only Nintendo games, but also third-party games. Shock and awe, I know. :p

[Kelegacy]

Who published Boom Blox? Release it as an XBLA game for 1600 pts and you will probably sell more than 65k units. I'm really surprised at its failure; the reviews have been excellent. Like Jenga, only fun.

[surj0]

I can't recall seeing a single piece of advertising for this game, and I know I never saw any videos or demos in any store.

In fact, other than EA titles, I see very little in the way of advertisement for anything other than Nintendo brands. People want to sell like Nintendo 1st party, then they need to be developed at the same level AND marketed like them.

[robotfighter]

Was there any marketing for this game other than preview praise from gaming sites? No one I know outside of gaming has even heard of Boom Blox.
Boom Blox had a pretty extensive advertising campaign. I still see the commercials on the kids/parent's networks and shows.

[robotfighter]

Who published Boom Blox? Release it as an XBLA game for 1600 pts and you will probably sell more than 65k units. I'm really surprised at its failure; the reviews have been excellent. Like Jenga, only fun.

I don't think the game fits XBLA - it really requires the Wii's motion controls to be really fun in a party environment. If I'm just using a thumbstick to aim crosshairs, that's every other shooty game out there.

[Ravenlock]

To answer the question of what Wii owners are playing, I think the answer is: they aren't. The last game, and only game, I've purchased since I got my Wii a few months after launch was Mario Galaxy. After I played that for a while the Wii got shut down and the 360 got powered back up. Every once in a while Wii Sports comes out for company (I think it'll probably get some play in a couple weeks when the parents come to visit), but other than that the Wii is dormant.

Might be true for you, but certainly isn't true for me or my other Wii owning friends. I do still occasionally pop in Galaxy (need to run through as Luigi), but we're also quite happy with Mario Kart, Smash Bros Brawl, my wife and I are getting into Wii Fit, I did buy and enjoy Boom Blox, snagged Okami from Gamefly and bought it from them used, currently working my way through Bully on a rental, have Lost Winds and FFCC: My Life as a King to play on WiiWare... I've got plenty to play on my Wii.

[AgtFox]

Who published Boom Blox? Release it as an XBLA game for 1600 pts and you will probably sell more than 65k units. I'm really surprised at its failure; the reviews have been excellent. Like Jenga, only fun.
Boom Blox is a joint venture between Steven Spielberg and...Electronic Arts.

[RMan]

Who published Boom Blox? Release it as an XBLA game for 1600 pts and you will probably sell more than 65k units. I'm really surprised at its failure; the reviews have been excellent. Like Jenga, only fun.
I doubt very seriously that 360 would be a good place for a game like this one, but I definitely think digital distribution would make a big impact. Most puzzle games these days are getting popular on the PC, and are generally demoed before purchased, and are rarely more than $20 when gaining their fame, and even the best don’t tear up the charts. But hey, Boom Blox is a good, 3rd party game, a heaping of senseless Nintendo hate is par for the course around here.

[ElectricMonk]

I just played boom blox for the first time today. Not impressed. That game is fundamentally flawed, a good idea on paper but in actual game form it's just tediously trying to get the ball to go where you want and nothing about the aiming is fun. I bet it'd be more enjoyable with a regular game pad because then it wouldn't take you a minute of failed clicking to lock onto a 3x3 pixel area.

[Variable Gear]

You are thinking about Boom Blox far too critically.

[Sl1pstream]

I just played boom blox for the first time today. Not impressed. That game is fundamentally flawed, a good idea on paper but in actual game form it's just tediously trying to get the ball to go where you want and nothing about the aiming is fun. I bet it'd be more enjoyable with a regular game pad because then it wouldn't take you a minute of failed clicking to lock onto a 3x3 pixel area.

You don't like fun?

[Ravenlock]

Yeah, I don't see that at all. The entire point of Boom Blox is the physical experience of throwing the ball / pulling the blocks. I think it takes advantage of the Wiimote as well or better than almost anything else on the system, and I don't think it would work nearly so well with a standard controller.

But then, I also never had a problem aiming the ball where I wanted it to go, so I don't share your frustration to begin with I guess.

[Chameleo]

the Warlords game found inside boom blox makes the whole experience worthwhile:

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2008/20080609.jpg


this whole situation played out on my couch around the time of the game's launch. me and 3 friends all trying to survive in the warlords game. We actually put in a good 2 or 3 hours into that... good times!