Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy "undershot our initial expectations", says Square Enix

eurogamer.net:

Square Enix has said Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy did not perform as well as it had initially hoped.

In the newly-released outlines from Square Enix's Q3 financial results briefing, representative director Yosuke Matsuda stated: «The HD Games sub-segment launched Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in Q3. Despite strong reviews, the game's sales on launch undershot our initial expectations».

However, Matsuda went on to say: «Sales initiatives that we kicked off in November 2021 and continued into the new year have resulted in sales growth, and we intend to work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title's slow start».

There are many factors that may have contributed to this «slow start», one being the bitter aftertaste some still have in their mouths following the underwhelming release of Marvel's Avengers.

There is also the other elephant in the room: the Star-Lord in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy isn't Chris Pratt, and his crew of misfits are not the same as the ones curated in Marvel's hugely-successful cinematic universe.

Given the films' universal appeal, be it Guardians of the Galaxy specifically or any other of the MCU entries, seeing someone else's face helming The Milano may seem unappealing.

In addition to these factors, the game also released at a particularly busy time for the industry. October 2021 additionally saw the release of Far Cry 6, Metroid Dread and Back 4 Blood.

In Eurogamer's review of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vikki said she felt unsure of «what Guardians of the Galaxy wants to be.

»On one hand, it's a wonderfully accessible adventure wrapped up in family-friendly packaging, with an action-packed storyline that takes you on a delightful voyage through some of the galaxy's