10 More Great Video Games Nobody Bought
8. Brütal Legend
Celebrity involvement in video games can be a great way to turn head and boost sales. Getting cold and cynical about it, the race to include known actors as starring roles in video games over the last decade or so has been all about marketing.
However, Brütal Legend found out that it can make very little difference... or, in fact, harm the end product.
That's not to say that Jack Black as Eddie Riggs - a roadie who gets transported to the world of heavy metal to fight demons - is a bad casting choice. If anything, it's perfect and JB brings his established charisma and expressiveness with clear enthusiasm. The game featured an exciting world (with several heavy metal cameos) and a stacked soundtrack of metal classics of the past and the 2000s.
Interestingly, Brütal Legend was one part God of War like hack and smasher and one part RTS-esque army management. It was a really refreshing and surprisingly solid combination of elements, that caught a lot of people unawares. Reason being, EA just didn't bother to market the game aspect of Brütal Legend and focused entirely on Jack Black and its heavy metal theme. Thus, actual gamers weren't sure of what they were getting into.
Like Double Fine's previous release Psychonauts, Brütal Legend sold abysmally and is now considered a cult hit.