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Is Xenoblade Chronicles X underestimated?

Aostia82 said:
Ballpark for Wii U version is higher, between 700k/800k

I thin 2mil is possible, even if Switch version should slightly overperform here
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If Wii U XCX sold 700 to 800k. Then sure. I think it will hit 2m combined. I just feel 1.5m is quite to reach for XCX Switch alone.
 
Aostia82 said:
Oh, me too
especially being so "late to the party" and being the 4th iteration/being non-numbered episode
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Yup. Also its proximity to Switch 2 hype may cut the leg hard sadly.
 
The timing for this release is not the best indeed. There's many things going against it. However I'd say >1M in its first quarter and 1.5M lifetime should happen.

That said, if this game gets any Switch 2 benefits, such as a patch or DLC, that would certainly boost its chances quite a bit. It would also massively increase its legs, helping it sell well over the first few years of Switch 2. On the other hand, unveiling these hypothetical benefits a mere ~2 weeks after the release of the game could be tricky.
 
Lelouch0612 said:
What if they reveal a new Xeno game at the April 2nd Direct? That would make its release date very interesting as people would pick up the entry to ride the hype
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Xenoblade Chronicles X2 would push te brand to new heights!

(only half-jokin' here)
 
Keeping the X branding doesn't make much sense to me, with the end of the trilogy and all the Xenoblade games available on Switch I think either Xenoblade 4 or Xenoblade something else would be more attractive, to show this is a new big deal. Even if the design of X carries over to a new game.
 
Vena said:
I could see a XCX-2 being revealed, especially since the core Xenoblade story is concluded. That or they make a XC2 Remaster/Remake given its popularity.
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a remaster isn't needed. just patch the trilogy to detect the Switch 2 and increase the resolution and frame rate
 
I imported the original game on the Wii after I figured out how to mod it to play imports.. really enjoyed it so I later bought XCX but never got around to playing it like quite a few of the titles I picked up for Wii U.

I didn't end up buying XC2 or XC3 due to Nintendo's pricing strategy.. is XCX a spin-off officially or how does it actually play into the overall chronology of the series?
 
Vena said:
I could see a XCX-2 being revealed, especially since the core Xenoblade story is concluded. That or they make a XC2 Remaster/Remake given its popularity.
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Well their strategy of new release -> remaster/remake -> new release is coming to an end unless they start talking to Bamco/SE for Xenosaga/Xenogears remakes/remasters. They could always go the spin off route with a Xenoblade Warriors too.
 
Not going into full spoilers but the game has leaked and let's just say that the new story content is more significant than anyone would have guessed.
 
Bad Contestant said:
is XCX a spin-off officially or how does it actually play into the overall chronology of the series?
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probably more closer to a spinoff since it has no bearing on the numbered titles. though Takahashi says everything is connected, somehow. I'd chalk it up to an alternative line of games since it was never conceived as a spinoff to start with
 
I do think a Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Definitive Edition could be a savvy sell. Loosen the Field Skills. Improve the performance and resolution. So forth.

Replaying the game about a year or so ago, it occurred to me that it could seriously use that fresh coat of paint.
 
SquidEnthusiast said:
Not going into full spoilers but the game has leaked and let's just say that the new story content is more significant than anyone would have guessed.
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Damn! Glad I have been able to avoid any spoiler

Damn! I hate them for having locked the new content behind game completion

Damn! Cant wait for Xenoblade X-II first teaser on April 2nd
 
One of the hooks of the remakesters are new story and XC2 is already finished. I think it's better to work on X-2 and the next Xenoblade story line
 
I don't think using 4 makes sense, they might want to slightly rebrand the new titles so to make it easy for switch 2 players to jump in, especially if they continue with X
Xenoblade Saga or something might work or Xenoblade Y
 
fiendcode said:
What if they reveal two?!?

Manifesting Xenoblade X2 and Xenoblade Warriors...
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Xenoblade Warriors and Xenoblade X2 will make all Xenoblade and Monolith Soft fans goes crazy in hype lol.
 
Lelouch0612 said:
I 100% agree, it is pretty clear that it limited XC3's potential a bit.

I think they'll keep the "Xeno" prefix tho.
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I think they'll keep the Xenoblade trademark. Takahashi has repeatedly stated that he wants to keep growing the brand.

That said, and this is in agreement with you and others, I don't believe using either 4 or, worse yet, X2 as part of the name is the best strategy moving forward, particularly for their first venture into the new generation, which provides a great opportunity to take the IP to the next level. To achieve this, they should minimise any baggage from a marketing point of view (note that I'm not advocating for a clean state regarding lore, as some people want, and I'm not expecting them to do so after all the steps they've been making in the opposite direction).

I guess Xenoblade Y could work for the next game if it's a successor to X (the new ending to XCXDE might clarify whether this is even possible, but I'm doing my best to avoid any spoilers). However, if MS indeed reached a stopping point with the saga after 3, as Takahashi mentioned, and they want to differentiate the upcoming games as a new phase, they could always resort to strategies such as using a different alphabet (e.g. Xenoblade α, β...) without giving up the well-established brand.

Edit: oh and where do I have to sign to finally get that XenoWarriors game?
 
They should just start going with Xenoblade Chronicles: subtitle
Going forward

That way people aren’t scared away and you can continue gameplay ideas from whichever entry with no expectations
 
If Xenoblade 3 was hurt by being a sequel, it's because it tied in elements of 1 and 2 and a subset of fans insisted you needed to play those games as well(you don't for Xenoblade 3 main game).

Numbers are generally not a deterrent or we wouldn't have seen Persona 5 blow up in comparison to past games in the series.
 
Oregano said:
If Xenoblade 3 was hurt by being a sequel, it's because it tied in elements of 1 and 2 and a subset of fans insisted you needed to play those games as well(you don't for Xenoblade 3 main game).

Numbers are generally not a deterrent or we wouldn't have seen Persona 5 blow up in comparison to past games in the series.
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It is not a problem for franchises that make it clear that the games are separate (think of FF, Persona..) but Xenoblade already muddied things with 2 and 3.
 
Xeno 3 was only hurt by being a sequel in that Nintendo decided *in their advertising* to push that point much more than it being able to be a stand alone story on its own. I've known people who played 3 first and went back and played the others because they wanted to learn more, and then I've known people who didn't play 3 because they were under the assumption that 1 and 2 need to be played first. (I am sure some people are going to @ me for saying you don't need to play the others first, but it's true, the story is totally understandable and characters enjoyable without doing so).
 
Reviews out

Joseki

Official Hangout  Post in thread 'MC/OC reviews & scores round-up and their impact on sales'

PUgH4rip.jpg

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
Publisher: Nintendo
Release date: 2025.03.20
Platform: Nintendo Switch

Opencritic: 88
Metacritic: 88
  • Thanks!
 
3 wasn’t hurt from being a sequel. It was hurt from the amount of sh!t on screen. The 7 characters on screen, the combat, and the UI turn causal consumers off of it. The game is also relatively blurry with even more stuff going on making it not very attractive to causal consumers. If the game was crystal clear sharp with all that stuff going on, it wouldn’t be a huge problem (tho it could still turn some people off), but the game is also blurry, making the readability problem even worse. XC3 is the worse by far in-terms of clutter (and micro management).

In fact, the connection with the other games boosted its profile. If it was any other game, it would’ve completely BOMBED honestly.

Although, Switch 2 has the ability to fix most of its glaring issues.
 
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the technical issues of Xenoblade had no affect on the sales. I do agree that the screen clutter of the series is intimidating though
 
Multiverse said:
3 wasn’t hurt from being a sequel. It was hurt from the amount of sh!t on screen. The 8 characters on screen and the UI turn causal consumers off of it. The game is also relatively blurry with even more stuff going making it not very attractive to causal consumers. If the game was crystal clear sharp with all that stuff going on, it wouldn’t be a huge problem (tho it could still turn some people off), but the game is also blurry, making the readability problem even worse. XC3 is the worse by far in-terms of clutter (and micro management).

And I think the connection with the other games boosted its profile. If it was any other game, it would’ve completely BOMBED honestly.

Although, Switch 2 has the ability to fix most of its glaring issues.
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Yeah the resolution is definitely a huge turn off for casuals just like with Pokémon. Right?
Casuals are not immediately turned off by some technical draw backs.

XC3 got very good reviews and a big marketing push and looks and runs better than XC2 with a higher resolution than XC2. And yet XC2 was the break out moment for the franchise but the easily superior XC3 would have BOMBED instead?
 
Multiverse said:
3 wasn’t hurt from being a sequel. It was hurt from the amount of sh!t on screen. The 8 characters on screen and the UI turn causal consumers off of it. The game is also relatively blurry with even more stuff going making it not very attractive to causal consumers. If the game was crystal clear sharp with all that stuff going on, it wouldn’t be a huge problem (tho it could still turn some people off), but the game is also blurry, making the readability problem even worse. XC3 is the worse by far in-terms of clutter (and micro management).

And I think the connection with the other games boosted its profile. If it was any other game, it would’ve completely BOMBED honestly.
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Everything you mentioned is even worse in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and that game had great legs.

The issue here is that some people felt (rightly or wrongly) they would need to play the first entries. We saw a record breaking start for the series and small legs which is the pattern so many sequel games have.
 
Yeah, technical aspects definitely didn't work against XC3, which looks and runs noticeably better than XC2. Marketing that game as heavily connected to the worlds of XC and XC2 was probably its main burden, one that XC2 never had to deal with as it was marketed as a completely separate entry from XC.

I love the overarching narrative and the deeper connections between these games, but it would be in the best interest of the IP if these are restricted to late game (or DLC) events instead of comprising the very premise of any game, no matter how self-contained its story is (which it was in XC3).
 
BTB123 said:
Yeah the resolution is definitely a huge turn off for casuals just like with Pokémon. Right?
Casuals are not immediately turned off by some technical draw backs.

XC3 got very good reviews and a big marketing push and looks and runs better than XC2 with a higher resolution thsn XC2. And yet XC2 was the break out moment for the franchise but the easily superior XC3 would have BOMBED instead?
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Lelouch0612 said:
Everything you mentioned is even worse in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and that game had great legs.

The issue here is that some people felt (rightly or wrongly) they would need to play the first entries. We saw a record breaking start for the series and small legs which is the pattern so many sequel games have.
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Arynio said:
Yeah, technical aspects definitely didn't work against XC3, which looks and runs noticeably better than XC2. Marketing that game as heavily connected to the worlds of XC and XC2 was probably its main burden, one that XC2 never had to deal with as it was marketed as a completely separate entry from XC.

I love the overarching narrative and the deeper connections between these games, but it would be in the best interest of the IP if these are restricted to late game (or DLC) events instead of comprising the very premise of any game, no matter how self-contained its story is (which it was in XC3).
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XC2 was only bad in portable mode (and in like one town docked). It was still more readable than 3. XC2 has other problems (bad clunky slow UI/Menus and field skills 🤢). It sold more because it’s an early Switch game among other things. XC3 doesn’t have that advantage plus it’s more of a clutter fest combat wise (mechanically and visually), a clutter fest audibly. Not saying XC2 isn’t a clutter fvck but XC3 took it to a new level. This isn’t simply a technical issue but a design problem. 3 to maybe 4 characters on screen should be max. Having 7 on XC3 is just way too many. Pokémon unironically despite its issues is not blurry and is actually more readable and the combat is very simple and also it’s Pokémon. Why are you even raising it as an example? Gamefreak can put dung in the case and people will buy it.

I’m just going to say that don’t be surprised if XDE turns out to be the best selling or at least second best selling Xeno game just based on the fact that it’s the cleanest looking game by far.
 
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Multiverse said:
You all don’t need to show that you haven’t played 3. XC2 was only bad in portable mode (and in like one town docked). It was still more readable than 3. XC3 is more of a clutter fest combat wise (mechanically and visually), a clutter fest audibly. Pokémon unironically despite its issues is not blurry and is actually more readable and the combat is very simple and also it’s Pokémon. Why are you even raising it as an example? Gamefreak can put dung in the case and people will buy it.
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first of all, get off your high horse.

second, we have actual information about the rendering and technical makeup of both XC2 and XC3. you're gonna be really hard pressed to convince people that XC3's temporal upscaler is worse than whatever XC2 has going on. no one brought up the screen clutter as that has nothing to do with the rendering

as to why people are bringing up pokemon, it's a technical mess. it shows that people don't care about tech as long as it doesn't interfere with the play. XC series on switch can get quite blurry, but it doesn't interfere with the play, hence why you don't see it being brought up as a "problem"
 
Vena said:
XC2 was the better game with the better story, and thus sold better. Fight me.
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Would be nice if a mod wouldn't turn this into a nonsensical XC2 vs. XC3 thread.
As someone who loves both, there is more than enough of that annoying fighting in other places...
 
Vena said:
It was a joke on the discussion above.
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Fair I guess.
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Anyway, I agree that the visual/audio clutter and chaos can be very intimidating to casuals and people outside the fanbase core and thus lead to some people not getting into the franchise due to the fear of high complexity. Especially since the clutter became somewhat of a meme with people posting screenshots with all the UI prompts on social media in a mocking way (I'm pretty sure Jason Schreier did it at least one time).
But I disagree that the perceived level of clutter of one game is the reason why game x had worse legs than game y when pretty much all games have an issue with intimidating screen noisiness, and I don't think the casuals really make an distinction here.
And as other already remarked, I don't think it's true that XC2 has less visual/audio noise than XC3. Or that it's less "blurry".
 
They are going to stick with the "new world, new plot, new cast but with a larger setting and story being quietly developed in the background" formula. They are not going to turn Xenoblade into Nintendo Final Fantasy.
That direction is a no go.
 
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Renmazuo said:
They are going to stick with the "new world, new plot, new cast but with a larger setting and story being quietly developed in the background" formula. They are not going to turn Xenoblade into Nintendo Final Fantasy.
That direction is a no go.
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FF doesnt even have a direction and is an identity crisis so thats a weird comparison to begin with.
 
cw_sasuke said:
FF doesnt even have a direction and is an identity crisis so thats a weird comparison to begin with.
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If the FF example bothers you you can replace it with Tales of or whatever. My point is that there isn't going to be a clean break in future entries.
 
Renmazuo said:
They are going to stick with the "new world, new plot, new cast but with a larger setting and story being quietly developed in the background" formula. They are not going to turn Xenoblade into Nintendo Final Fantasy.
That direction is a no go.
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Dragon Quest is able to pull it off, being clean breaks and all connected at once.

Some are more clear than others, but the general theory is that:
9→10
____ ↗︎8
11→3→1→2→7
↘︎6→4→5

There is some argument about how 7 and 8 properly fit in with the Roto Series(1,2,3,11), and how the Tenkuu(4,5,6) series fits in and if the Hakobune(9,10) series has a connection or not (its connection can be clarified at any time since 10 is still ongoing development).

It's really not an issue appealing to both audiences of people who like the connections, and people who like the stand alone stories.
 
SquidEnthusiast said:
The next Xenoblade should be X2 in terms of formula if not title. The X formula still has a lot of untapped potential.
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It needs to take the best aspects from X and the best aspects from the main trilogy, and someone needs to slap the gameplay systems designers until they show some self restraint lol
Xenoblade can easily grow even more if they play it smart
 
The great reviews should carry a decent boost with them in terms of sales. Very curious to see how this will perform.

WoM seems great in any case.
 
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