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The latest release from inventive Japanese studio Grasshopper Manufacture has proved its most successful – but it’s not all good news.
The studio’s CEO Yoshimi Yasuda has revealed that 2012 title Lollipop Chainsaw has become its most successful title ever, with global shipments having passed the 700,000 mark, Andriasang reports.
It’s good news for both Grasshopper and the game’s publisher Warner Interactive, but what do the numbers say of games consumers?
Grasshopper has a number of cult titles to its name, including No More Heroes, No More Heroes 2, oddball horror shooter Shadows of the Damned, DS outing Contact and GameCube and PS2 classic Killer7.
All of these titles have achieved higher average review scores than Lollipop and all have underperformed at retail.
So it was no surprise to see Grasshopper take a more mainstream-friendly approach with Lollipop, choosing a main protagonist who is a sexy blonde in a school uniform.
And for all the frowns and accusations of dumbing down, the consumer has overwhelmingly endorsed the strategy thanks to the strong sales. So who’s to blame here – studios looking to sell their games on the back of sex appeal or consumers for lapping it up?
Grasshopper’s cult developer Suda 51 has also revealed details of its next title – Killer is Dead.
A debut trailer for the game showed a main character with a robotic arm and sword, presented in a cel shaded style. The colourful combat is reminiscent of Lollipop Chainsaw – indeed, Suda also hinted that the title will feature lots of hot girls”.
Cause and effect.
