After playing Solatorobo, I got curious about the Little Tail Bronx series it hails from. A bit of research revealed the existence of a very recent game in the series: a 2021 release called Fuga: Memories of Steel, which acts as a prequel to Solatorobo and garnered highly favourable reviews from critics and players alike. More research revealed some potentially interesting gameplay mixing elements of SRPG, shooting game and roguelike, as well as a complex narrative and rich universe. Even more research uncovered the fact that Fuga cost a whopping 2,5 million euros, and was yet not profitable in December 2021, with sales reaching only a mere million euros.
Such a combination of events was a mystery to me. How could a highly praised game released on virtually every gaming system available at the time perform so poorly? While pondering that mystery, I proceeded to purchase Fuga; my interest was piqued, and I wanted to secure it after my short yet glowing experience with Solatorobo. I quickly discovered that no physical release existed, neither for the Switch nor for any other system; and thus I headed to the Nintendo eShop. But once there, my purchasing impulses were eradicated on the spot by the game’s price tags: Fuga requires you to fork out 40 euros for its normal edition, and no less than 60 euros for its deluxe edition — with no demo included, b*tch.
We’re basically talking about a digital game that costs as much as a physical game — not just on the Switch, but on every platform it’s been released on. Such a setting is pretty common; however, it mostly applies to major games that also have a physical version — with physical being the main release channel. Digital-only games tend to be cheaper as a rule, and for good reason: not only are they often simpler than games that get a physical release, but they also usually don’t target the same audience. And here, I think, lies the main reason Fuga sells so poorly: CyberConnect2 simply chose the wrong distribution channel for it, and missed on most of its intended target audience by doing so.
Let’s check the facts, folks: we’re dealing with a game belonging to a confidential series, with an original and potentially complex gameplay and a deep, heavy story that clashes with the overall cutesy graphics. This is a very niche proposition; and typically, niche gaming aficionados also favour physical games. This is not an absolute law; yet the correlation is very strong. Look no further than yours truly to find an example of it: I’d have secured a physical version of Fuga in a heartbeat, but I’m balking at the thought of buying it digital. And mind you, I’m not the only one: some fellow gamers expressed the same sentiment in comments in the article I linked above.
There is no doubt that Fuga lost some sales because of its digital-only release, and is probably still losing some as we speak. It’s impossible to tell how many; but it may be enough to hurt its career and legacy on the long run. Incidentally, no physical release means less visibility, which only makes matters worse. At that point, the best thing CyberConnect2 could do to salvage Fuga would be to release a physical version, and to advertise it the best they could; otherwise, I’m afraid this game will simply fly under the radar and disappear quietly.
I’d really, really like to play Fuga. There’s a 25% discount on it as I’m writing this; but is it enough to convince me to cross the digital-only Rubicon? I’m not sure, honestly. I still have a couple of days to ponder the matter; but regardless of my final decision, my hesitation speaks volumes about the impact of the distribution channel on a game’s sales. Had Fuga been granted a physical release, the cartridge would already be in my collection — and my money in CyberConnect2’s pockets; instead, I’m agonizing about whether or not I should buy it, and I may end up not doing so. That’s a pity, as I love nothing more than to support little-known developers producing niche works of love; but honestly, CyberConnect2 kinda shot themselves in the foot with this one.
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