10 Failed Xbox 360 Games That Became Cult Classics
7. Alan Wake
When you break down the numbers, there's no question Alan Wake was a success. On the Xbox 360 alone, this detective thriller sold two million units.
So, why is it on this list? Although Alan Wake's success is incontestable, it deserved SO much better. You see, Remedy Entertainment had the misfortune of releasing this project just before Red Dead Redemption. In two weeks, Red Dead made 1.5 million sales. In that same time frame, Alan Wake didn't manage one-tenth that amount.
But it wasn't all bad news. Through word-of-mouth, Alan Wake gained a lot of traction over the following months, giving sales a boost.
Sadly, this created another problem. Alan Wake wasn't just good. It was... too good. Consumers were so desperate to get their hands on the game, it was pirated like crazy. In fact, it was the most pirated Xbox 360 game of the year, save for Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Because of this, the developers believe they potentially lost over a million sales. Alan Wake sold decently, but it could've doubled its profits, if it had a better release date and wasn't illegally downloaded.