• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Did Game Pass kill Doom: The Dark Ages?

While The Dark Ages is a huge departure from Eternal's mechanics, I respect id Software's ambition to shift the fundamentals with each entry. And I love TDA it's no less than a 8/10 game.

It also boggles my mind so much why it flopped so badly compared to Eternal.

Yeah Game Pass and that 70 bucks are the culprits I can think. Same thing can be said for Indy game too, aint no way a full-fledged AAA Indiana Jones game would only have 12k peak CCU on Steam had the game not been put on Game Pass.

Tns3SSEJZw7jhMU0.png


Also Doom Eternal released at the very peak of COVID lockdown so probably the sales got boosted a lot by the lockdown.
I doubt it would have had huge numbers regardless. Look at FH6 still managed over 300K. Without Game Pass, this does what, 20K? Maybe 25?
 
Last edited:
Very selfishly, I'm glad there is no Quake reboot. Quake, not to mention Q3A, is one of my favorite games ever and I'm not sure I have the heart to see it modernized.
I pushed hard for a Quake reboot after 2016, but now see why it hasn't been done. It's an almost impossible task and no matter what they do they are going to alienate people
 
Every xbox studio killed themselves by releasing mid games that took forever to make.
There's truth in what you say. But considering they're seemingly firing people based on financial performance, I don't think it's a stretch to assume not actually selling the games caused a lot of damage.
 
I doubt it would have had huge numbers regardless. Look at FH6 still managed over 300K. Without Game Pass, this does what, 20K? Maybe 25?
Yeah, that's why it baffles me, supposedly the indy game should have huge pulls and it is actually reviewed very well. Similar situation for TDA.

For Forza tho, I would put it in its own territory, much like COD and those sports games, where the majority of casual gamers are the mass buyers.
 
I am going to be honest here Doom is the one game that really does not need a story. Or cutscenes. Or deep characters. It is basically portal-demons-kill satan.
Doom is like Mario to me, you only need enough story to make me want to be in the world, and contextualize your goal.

Otherwise, I wanna just jump across gaps shoot demons. Best part of 2016 when I first picked it up was the game started with a guy gassing your character up to rip and tear, a slap opens with you in it, and you're shooting a demon within a minute. Game just goes, no fat, no bullshit.

Oh, and I forgot losing Mick Gordon is felt through the whole game. Music wasn't bad, but it wasn't nearly as memorable.
 
There's truth in what you say. But considering they're seemingly firing people based on financial performance, I don't think it's a stretch to assume not actually selling the games caused a lot of damage.
Gamepass and the stupid retail prices to make gamepass seem more attractive will do that.
 
IMO no and also I don't think it's dead, it's either gonna be a while until the next one or sooner, but going back to basics. It underperformed because of the choices they made.

A big one for me, it doesn't feel like an FPS, I mean I played the whole game with only one weapon and used it as a secondary thing. Just blocking, throwing the shield and punching my way made up the bulk of the gameplay.

It has these large open areas with enemies standing around, waiting for you and matching colors to dodge and kill them. They made a dragon gimmick and while fun and a spectacle, it feels restricted and shallow with the doing left and right to kill stuff.

But it is a fun game, certainly not trash, but not at all a good FPS or DOOM game. It's also way easier than 2016, never mind Eternal and it's not my job to change some sliders to make it challenging or fun.
 
He'll to the fuck yes it did. I got it on ps5. You all failed this franchise.

The game is still an 8/10. 2016 and eternal are just 9.5s so yeah it's a drop off but people out here acting like it's some 5/10 woke slop.

Now, Msoft has left you with the new id software team:

zU7SUwQP8ZK21CVj.jpeg


Enjoy fuckers.
Doom:TDA was still good and I bought it on PS5 full price. It just didn't land for a lot of people unfortunately.

More importantly, how many miles away do you think their collective stench can be detected?
Cat Think GIF
 
Last edited:
Its hard to say why Doom Dark Ages didn't light the sales charts on fire.

It was, IMO a great game, but felt it was too much of a departure from Doom Eternal and 2016.

To me this SHOULD have been a Quake reboot.

Would that have given it higher sales numbers? Who knows.
 
IP Fatigue.

It seems peoples are in disbelief of your post but I can agree with that

Devs have the trouble of not understanding when gamers were craving for something, they get a good meal, they're satisfied, but aren't exactly gonna come back to the table because you made sequels.

Pillars of Eternity 2 was like that. Complete starvation of cRPG genre, PoE goes on kickstarter and becomes huge. Sequel? Blip on radar. Peoples were belly full with the first game.

They should have went with Quake after Doom Eternal, 100%.
 
Too many games. $70 games. $120 for the complete edition. Game Pass. Way too many games. Way too many sequels. I'm tired boss.
 
I tried it on gamepass and didn't like it. Wouldn't have bought it anyway.

I didn't think it was a bad game, it just didn't hook me. Felt it wasn't worth my time.

Good games sell regardless of gamepass. This was an ok game with very limited appeal.

I have spent more money on gamepass over the years than what i would have spent on the actual games. I guess their model worked with me.
 
Top Bottom