“Long gone are the days when Metacritic determined how well a game would sell,” says Saber boss

It’s been a good week for Embracer Group and Interactive saber: after the publisher/developer combo announced it Evil Dead: The Game Selling 500,000 units in less than a week, it’s becoming clear that there’s an appetite for all things multiplayer horror – a trend helped by the overwhelming success of games like Dead by Daylight.

During the presentation of Embracer Group’s Q4 report, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch was asked about the launch of Evil Dead: The Game, with the presentation’s moderator addressing the game’s ratings results… which he says “are not fantastic, but for that the genre are pretty solid”.

In response, Karch notes that the Saber team is “pleasantly surprised” with the results to date, which – to date – have exceeded the team’s internal goals. “The other thing we learned,” Karch continues, “is that the days of a Metacritic score determining how well a game sold are long gone.”

Karch suggests that games today are sold by “social media, by influencers and by buzz,” according to Karch.

“Games are sold on the quality of the product itself, regardless of how well the game performs. I can name 8 and 9 point games that I can tell you the publishers wish were never released. It’s nice to put a plaque on your wall, but if you can’t afford the nail to hang the plaque, what’s the point, right?”

Karch hinted at Elden Ring and its dominance of the market in early 2022, explaining that launching (and monetizing) a game when there’s such a “juggernaut” to operate around is difficult, but the developer is has learned that “there are many opportunities to monetize the product post-launch” and that “even with premium games, it’s no longer about being put in a box, hoping the first month goes well, and it then to forget”.

Karch says that in the case of Evil Dead: The Game, it’s been reviewed and sold better than the publisher expected and is a little surprised by its success. To support its initial pull out of the gate, the CEO notes that it will continue to be supported with a long DLC ​​roadmap because “when a game has a long tail, it needs support”.

And if you want more from Evil Dead: The Game, don’t fret — Karch refers to the game as “the first in a new franchise” and repeatedly references the title’s “strong legs” and “long tail.” So, aside from the extensive roadmap Saber has already laid out, you can probably expect other games to continue the legacy of Sam Raimi’s iconic series.

Karch also notes that Saber — which has over 50 titles in the works — has plans to “release similar games based on similar horror licenses of the past” and explore a new area of ​​the gaming market.

For now, Karch is excited to see Evil Dead: The Game “continue to kick ass.”