Boom Blox Collapses With Poor Sales

By Paul Munn | June 16, 2008

I guess Steven Spielberg himself can’t even summon enough magic to dispel the black cloud hanging over nearly all third-party Wii releases. The sales stats are coming in for the game I’ve heard nothing but great things about and they’re dismal. Just 60,000 units in its first month amidst an absolute ocean of an installed base of Wii machines is just terrible.

Joystiq calls attention to another terrible-selling game that’s also a critical darling: Zack and Wiki. I’ve seen Zack and Wiki in action and while it’s not my cup of tea it’s definitely got charm and puzzle-solving fun to spare. Let’s hope Boom Blox finds a second wind soon and gives Spielberg an excuse to make more games as well-designed as Boom Blox seems to be and not walk away from the industry in disgust.

Via Joystiq.

Tags: boom blox, Nintendo Wii, sales, steven spielberg

Topics: Nintendo Wii | Comments

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Joe Haygood

Well, I think a lot of it is the premise of the game. When I think Speilberg, I think big spectacle, not exploding blocks. This game was at E3 last year, and while it looked nice, it was not what I expected from this Hollywood mogul. Give me something original that feels latger than life, not a bigger version of building blocks.

It also could be that the game has had virtually no marketing on any of the TV stations I am watching, and Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network are staples in our household, which is where I would of expected marketing for a game like this.

Maybe it is just me.

Joe Fourhman

Toon Disney runs ads for Boom Blox all the time; we see it during their Jetix block.

Great little concept game. Crappy menu interface, and a really stupid linear multiplayer choice (you can't play any particular multiplayer level, you have to unlock them in sequence... so if you get stuck on one, congratulations, you're done with multiplayer) and the level editor is a mess. But fun party game with lots of unique levels and different gameplay styles.

But yeah, nothing "Spielbergian" at all.

StephenJMunn

The game's facing one issue above all else: an arrogant price point. Spielberg's name on the thing or not, incredibly brilliant mechanics and gameplay aside, it's a puzzle game that's $50. I want the game, but at $50 it's too steep even for an enthusiast like me. The mass appeal of the game means it's going to have an even harder time cracking that market with that price tag.

Joe Fourhman

Oooooo. So agreed. I paid the $50 and really wished it would have been $40 or less. Even though there's a ton of levels, the sort-of cheap graphic aesthetic makes it look like less than it is.

Betcha there's a price cut coming soon!

thekranz

While $50 may have been a bit high I absolutely love the game. The replay value is huge and it's a great game to play with my girlfriend and to just have on in the background during parties.

I've certainly gotten my monies worth. I'm only about 50% complete through the single player stuff, but damn for like 30 minutes of quick fun this game can't be beat.

In terms of the price point being the overarching problem, look at the landscape. Carnival Games is still selling for $40 (jesus, it's actually sold out online at best buy right now) and if you don't think Boom Blox is at least worth $10 more than that you're crazy.

It's the type of game that I hope can have a long tail, and spread virally as people play it at get togethers.

StephenJMunn

It's worth noting that these early reports of poor sales were greatly exaggerated. The game came out very late in the month and the monthly sales only reflected a few days of sales. Since then it's shown to have impressive legs, selling very strongly on a continuing basis.

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Boom Blox Collapses With Poor Sales