Today in quotes that are sure to turn heads, LawBreakers publisher Nexon has stated that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is at least partially responsible for the failure of its team-based shooter. LawBreakers launched in August last year, but it quickly fell off the radar and has reportedly struggled to maintain a sizeable user base ever since.
Battlegrounds released around the same time as LawBreakers, and Nexon reckons that the timing certainly didn't help its game get off to a good start. "We had very high expectations for [LawBreakers'] launch; however, the timing of its launch turned out to be unfortunate, specifically the blockbuster PC online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds came out right about the same time, making the market environment very tough for first-person shooters in general and for Lawbreakers," said Nexon CFO Shiro Uemura.
Of course, LawBreakers also arrived on PlayStation 4 -- a platform without Battlegrounds -- and it still couldn't hold its own. It starting to seem as though it just wasn't meant to be.
With the publisher openly discussing LawBreakers' inability to stick, we're left wondering what the future holds. Do you think LawBreakers could have a chance going free-to-play, or do you think it's all but doomed? Defy gravity in the comments section below.
[source pcgamesn.com]
Comments 41
Go free-to-play, see what happens. Hey, it worked out splendidly for WarFrame...
Then why is Call of Duty having one of its best years? After all, that's an online shooter that launched in the aftermath of the PUBG explosion.
Competing with Overwatch was always going to be an uphill struggle. I assume it has a lot in common in terms of game play.
@get2sammyb Not a fair comparison, imo. COD is a well known brand. Much harder for a new IP.
I had never heard ANYTHING about this game until it was already out.... the art style is right up my ally, but by the time I heard of it, it was already DOA.
No open BETA? No trial? The sad truth is if you're going to try and market a new IP that's a PvP only game, it needs to provide people the ability to try it for free.
I don't think it's fair to blame your game's failure on a similar game that's doing well. Battlegrounds was a brand new game as well, they both had a shot at success. Not the best attitude to have.
Because the gameplay isn't fun. That's why it didn't stick. Just my opinion after playing the beta.
@naruball PUBG itself is a new IP.
It's rubbish, that's why...the beta was truly awful....plus it's an MP only FPS that nobody has any experience of...why risk your hard earned cash when there's so many better games to play.
@get2sammyb I'm aware, hence my comment about COD.
PUBG wasn't even proper FPS...the mechanics of one game and the other are completely diferent, no comparison at all besides having guns! That's like saying Assassins Creed had no chance coming out at the same time as Super Mario cause they are both 3rd person lol
Lawbreakers had more competition from Overwatch! PUBG had no impact on Lawbreakers PS4 sales - you could argue indirectly that PUBG had an impact because of Fortnite but the game-play is still 'different'. There are a lot of FPS games and a lot of competition. There is room for new games to make a name for themselves, gain a following against the 'juggernauts' but its a tough genre because of the competition and Lawbreakers didn't stand-out or capture an audience with other games offering more.
I forgot this game even existed. It's like 2017's Battleborn.
The problem is the game's just too generic, while the competition either have colourfull cast (overwatch and paladins) or innovative gameplay (pubg battle royale) this game is just another multiplayer only shooter with unforgettable characters.
I’d like to have given it a try I missed the beta. I just don’t have the time to invest in any more multiplayer games, especially ones with no track record of keeping a player base. I’m already disappointed that I can’t often get games in titanfall 2
@NathanUC it did have a beta on PS4, though it only lasted 3-4 days. even then it was a struggle to find full games - i remember a game lasting more then half an hour because it was 5 v 2 and nobody new joined the game - and the 2 in the other team just camped in their base trying to snipe, so we couldn't reach the score objective quickly. so it always looked like a risky investment to me, as i couldn't see a big community gathering around it. fundamentally, it's not vastly different from the smaller run and gun shooters that quake and unreal tournament were doing 20+ years ago... and that market is aptly catered for by other alternatives, and it's not likely to convert people who prefer larger team-based shooters like battlefield or killzone.
@leucocyte I guess it goes back to my original issue then. I didn't even hear about this game until it was already out (and I heard about it via people saying it's dead already). I follow a good few sources online, but I don't remember seeing anything about a beta (or even a trailer).
It still looks like a really really fun game.... maybe it will go F2P or something.
@NathanUC
I’m hoping they try ps plus first to bring in some fresh players
... I actually thought it was free to play, and yet I still haven't bothered. That's not exactly good.
I don't think it got the same media attention as Overwatch and PUBG. This happens in every genre though.
I wanted to jump into this AND Quake Champions, but I switched internet last year to a Satellite-based thing (and I use Wi-Fi in the home, at that), so I just can't play online games anymore. Not unless it's, like, 3-5AM - then my internet's speedy enough to do it But normally? Nah.
Kinda sucks, but f*** Verizon and co. here in the 'States. Our "choices" for ISPs suck big-time, and with people trying to dismantle net neutrality atm, it's only gonna get worse :/ I just don't wanna support any of the big guys, and I'm too old to obsess over a shooter like I used to Quake 3 anyway (although I was briefly addicted to Overwatch and then Paladins a bit longer)
After what the Cliffy bro said about consoles, I will gladly boycott any game coming from this guy. Anyway, it was really easy to ignore this game.
To be honest it's too generic of a game compared to a similar game like Overwatch. You can probably so anyone a picture of Tracer to anyone and they would probably know where she's from, same with Winston and D.Va but can you do the same with a character from Lawbreakers?
I don't think it was PUBG that hurt Lawbreakers it was the fact that it was to similar to Overwatch.
Trailer looked so cliched and boring, like it was trying so hard to be like Overwatch. Blaming the "competition" is a cheap cop out.
Tbf the game is fun to play, I've put over 100 hours into it, free to play or maybe ps plus is a must.
That statement is just shifting the blame and ignoring their own deficiency. Egocentric nonsense.
If it was good enough there would have been enough interest.
Ooooook Nexon, whatever you say! *WINK
Just a general comment about games today, and it might (or might not be an issue that affects the sales of today’s games): The size of the game makes a difference to me. I’m so tired of deleting and redownloading games on my PS4. I was at GameStop yesterday and they had Agents of Mayhem new for PS4 for $9.99 and I decided, nope, can’t do it. Too big of a back log of games I haven’t played yet—and probably won’t—because I’m tired of dinking around with figuring out which games can and can’t fit on the hard drive. COD I will make space for. LawBreakers? Nah. I’ll pass.
Boy, publishers sure are complaining a lot nowadays when their game doesn't meet expectations, and they're blaming other games/devs for it.
@jgrangervikings1 I was honestly just like you. My wife solved this for me by buying me a 4tb external hard drive so with my 1tb internal means that issue is gone forever. I’ve re downloaded all my games and installed all my disc games so if I want a one off go on battlefield 4 I can without thinking I can’t be bothered to install and download for half an hours gaming. Same thing with the vita for me the moment I bought a 64gb memory card it became the system I always wanted it to be.
LawBreakers is my GOTY, so this whole thing makes me sad.
For one thing, I doubt many of the people talking trash even tried this game. And then personally, I think this game is waaaay more fun, balanced, and satisfying to play than any PVP shooter last year (and I've sunk dozens of hours into all of the big ones...PUBG, OW, R6S, Battlefront 2, COD WW2, Quake Champions, etc...just not Destiny 2).
Oh well, that's how it goes.
@naruball I totally agree.
@gingerfrog Thats what i mean to many online games plus the service games i wont buy them any more i just dont have the time.
@jgrangervikings1 External harddisk?
@Flaming_Kaiser Please keep everything in one response instead of doing multiple replys right after another. Thanks
@jgrangervikings1 Gotta get an external HDD dude. You can't survive with out one in this day and age of gaming, You would just drive yourself bonkers always deleting and redownloading.
Nonsense.
If you aren't willing accept accountablity for a failure then you simply do not deserve to succeed, and odds are, unless you are supported by someone else, you will not.
From what I've seen and played during the beta I thought the game was overpriced, generic, mechanically shallow, and just not all that fun. I feel like it should absolutely have been free to play.
I might blame everyone else to save my job too.
Id also say that Overwatch is obviously the most potent competitor here on consoles - especially PS4 - and well, maybe they should have also sticked to initial Free2Play plans or - like I suggested - make it free at „psplus“ at realease - worked with RocketLeague so .. missed opportunities!
Great game tho , I played it a few times and it’s Fun. What a shame
I think Cliffy B maybe has a part to play as well he can piss people off with his crap sometimes not that it will be just that.
@jgrangervikings1 stick a 2TB in the PS4/Pro then get a 3TB portable drive makes life so much better in that department.
What a great attitude to have: "We messed something up, so it's somebody else's fault!"
over.watch
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