Capcom updated their Platinum Titles list today, confirming that Mega Man 11 has sold 2 million units worldwide as of December 31, 2024. This makes it the best-selling game in the franchise, surpassing Mega Man Legacy Collection (1.60M) and Mega Man 2 (1.51M).
Originally released in 2018, Mega Man 11 has maintained steady sales over seven years as an evergreen "catalog title"—Capcom's classification for software that continues generating revenue through extended promotion, discounts, and bundle sales. Digital catalog titles account for a significant portion of Capcom's profits, with Mega Man 11 contributing alongside other Mega Man titles released in recent years.
While not the fastest-selling title in the franchise—that honor goes to Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection—Mega Man 11 has accomplished a feat no other game has in the series' 38-year history. To think there was a time when so many Mega Man games couldn't even crack 500,000 or even 100,000 copies, this milestone was once just a pipe dream.
...And yet, for whatever reason, they've gone right back to sitting on their hands with this series.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that Capcom's current business strategy requires to "expand the brand awareness" of any given IP before creating any new games for it, that way they can introduce as many people as possible to the franchise and maximize sales
DeleteThe problem is that Mega Man has already been there and done that; it has already had multiple TV shows, comics and merchandise (but most important, games) so it's an uphill battle for Capcom to reintroduce the series to anyone who doesn't knows Mega Man already and making them *care* about it at all
Like all of those crossover cameos they have done in the last couple of years aren't anything anyone but Mega Man fans keep an eye out for (cameos are supposed to work backwards: it's to introduce pre-existing fans to something else), that Mega Man live-action movie is never going to come out, the Secret Level episode is literally a one-shot short
I said before, the brand is already saturated with awareness. Got flack for it.
DeleteWhatever. At least they arent making bad games. Thats a win.
It is kinda crazy how the game had almost no advertising post release, not even an update or dlc, but still managed to slowly climb the chat via sales and bundles.
ReplyDeleteA big win for all of us. I would say.
Great news! Just…don’t go and make Megaman 12 just because 11 did well, at least not right now. If a new game is on the horizon, put your attention to another series like X or Legends. Classic can wait.
ReplyDeleteBold of you to assume they have plans for *any* new game, besides maybe another collection.
DeleteWell I did say “if”, I know it’s a long shot still, I just hope if we do get something new, it’ll be something outside of classic. Though yes, a collection is most likely than anything else.
DeleteDespite this achievement, one can easily see why Mega Man does not get new games. Capcom Arcade Stadium is a collection of old games, and it made more than Mega Man 11. Okami, a single entry, has made more than the top seller of a franchise which is comprised of over 100 games. Street Fighter 2, from SNES, has made twice more than the latest numbered Mega Man title. This formula for our Blue Bomber worked in the past because there was a balance between investment x profit. With games nowadays demanding more and more investment, Mega Man is simply not profitable enough. Sure, they could always revert to the Mega Man 9 formula and release something retro, and considering how we are thirsty, we would still buy it, but sadly, it will be forever a niche series. Some will say I am being too pessimist. I rather say realistic.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the crux of it, really. Mega Man was never that big or popular besides a few games, and game development (at least from an AA company like Capcom) is just too damn expensive these days. 11 only happened because Inafune put Mega Man in the spotlight, proving yet again there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
DeleteAlso, very cheeky of you to just make your screen name “Anonymous.” :p
>11 only happened because Inafune put Mega Man in the spotlight
DeleteI can confidently tell you that MM11 would have been made regardless of whatever Inafune was doing at the time and whether or not he had any success on it, because MM11 was made for the 30th anniversary much like the less-demanded and far more overlooked Ghost n' Goblins Resurrection. You just don't see GnG fans (if there are any out there) looking around the clock for a new game as hard as Mega Man fans
Also, on a side note, it's kinda funny to think people started to think less and less of Inafune because he was more interested in turning Mighty No. 9 into a multi-media empire than checking if the game was in good shape, causing all of the fans to lap it up to Capcom with MM11, just for Capcom suddendly deciding they don't want to make any new games if they can't turn it into a multi-media empire too! Now we have been left with literal nothing
I wouldn't call Capcom AA, they are definitely AAA (anything that has games selling 28 million units or multiple active franchises that have over a hundred million units sells is).
DeleteMega Man is not exactly the biggest seller but it's not the worst seller in the world either. Yeah if you compare it to Street Fighter, Resident Evil and Monster Hunter or a single entry of Okami sure... But if you compare it to Castlevania, Contra, Bomberman, Strider, Ninja Gaiden, GnG, Viewtiful Joe, Tales of etc etc It's damn near the bully at the table taking their lunch money.
You also have to understand that the Okami numbers don't come from a single release. It's multiple re-releases of that game that obscure the numbers. I also don't think Okami has the same staying power as Mega Man. If Capcom were to try to milk Okami anywhere near the degree they did Mega Man, you'd see a huge drop off quick. Also the original PS2 entry did very poorly at first. It also takes a lot more to produce and develop an Okami game in comparison.
So let's not get carried away with the mindset of Mega Man being a pathetic selling series that Capcom can't sustain. Or thinking it's a juggernaut Big Daddy that Capcom could just squirt out and sell 10s of millions of units with... It's like a decent selling series, no more no less.
Fair enough, I just always err on the side of pessimism with most things MM11, haha.
DeleteSo, we can *definitely* expect MM12 around ‘27/‘28 then, right? …right?
If they really want Mega Man to be really big, they should make a Mega Man game that finally bridges the series with Mega Man X since us fans been wanting to see that for the longest time.
ReplyDeleteNo better way to make Mega Man big than to kill off the main series.
DeleteAll those sales, and what good did that do? Not one MM main timeline sequel has been made since.
ReplyDelete