What if Budokai failed back at 2002?

[DBZAOTA482]

The first Budokai is often credited as this revelation for DBZ games due to a large number of low-quality DBZ games before it, as it was more than just a cheap cash-in. It was a good DBZ game for the time and an alright fighter.

But what if it failed be it critically and/or commercially? Would Atari/Namco eventually give up when the DBZ craze in North America dies out (1999-2003), would it just give Dimps more incentive to turn it up a notch for the sequel, or would another game take it's place?

[Hellspawn28]

They would have try again a few years later.

[Super Sayian Prime]

... You answered this question 8 months ago:

They would still go at it but instead of releasing games that are, for the most parts, a labor of love they'd only release low quality cash-in after low quality cash-in then they'd give up around 2004, when the series is past it's peak in NA.

http://www.kanzenshuu.com/forum/viewtop ... 11&t=29203

[Captain Strawberry]

They have to release a new DB game every year anyway so might as well try again with a sequel

[Fresh Prince]

They have to release a new DB game every year anyway so might as well try again with a sequel

Budokai 2 didn't top Budokai imo.

yet we got Budokai 3, if we got Budokai 1 and 2 and people didn't like it and came out with 3 people would like 3 but would Budokai 3 even exist if Budokai 2 does worse than the "failed" Budokai of 2002?

[Bullza]

Well they tried to replicate the same success with Yu Yu Hakusho except that did fail. I think they did one more game after that and then you never heard from it again.

[VegettoEX]

It wouldn't have mattered, because other games from other developers were already in the works to pick up the slack.

Legendary Super Warriors (a Japanese-made Game Boy Color game) and Legacy of Goku (an American-made Game Boy Advance game) were there for the kid audience, which was more important at that point for a solid grounding moving forward. One failed console game wouldn't have mattered, and they likely would have followed it up anyway with a sequel (which would have been in the works by the time the game shipped, anyway), and pending garbage sales on the first game while development on the second continued, switched developers earlier than they did for Spike to mix things up.

But meanwhile, there were still tons of portable games coming out, and those were just as important.

So, ultimately, I'd say it wouldn't have mattered one way or the other if Budokai #1 specifically failed. They still would have created more console games, and they in all likelihood would have continued with fighting games on the consoles regardless.