Darksiders 2 is a great game, a sequel didn’t innovate too much, but carved a path for itself, essentially becoming a more action packed adventure game with RPG elements. The game sold well when it was launched initially, giving a beleaguered THQ some much needed relief. But beyond that initial sales explosion? It’s fizzled, and it looks like THQ won’t even be able to earn back the cash that they poured into the game, at this rate.
So far, Darksiders 2 has yet to break the two million shifted units mark, failing to break even for THQ. According to industry guesstimator analyst Michael Pachter, Darksiders 2 has ‘probaby’ sold only a million units, with a quarter of them being adopted in the first month of release.
But since then, the game has failed to gain any sort of traction, stalling in the sales department, and spelling some bad news for THQ. “Darksiders II’s performance and a history of game delays and cancelations leaves us sceptical that THQ can successfully execute its turnaround strategy, which centers on a streamlined release slate,” Pachter said to Gamesindustry.
THQ isn’t exactly in the red right now, as they have managed to turn a profit thanks to a restructuring that laid off employees, shut down studios and cancelled games, but an underperforming Darksiders 2 may make that climb back up to the top even more difficult.
But more importantly, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the Darksiders franchise either.
Last Updated: October 31, 2012
