The first two Red Faction games were for the last generation and they had pretty good reviews. But it was 2009’s Red Faction Guerrilla that performed well. The game sold over a million copies and people really seemed to enjoy the open world game play and the competitive multi player. Overall, it seems the first three Red Faction games were well received.

Regrettably, Red Faction Armageddon didn’t do as well. It was a fun game, but the single player wasn’t nearly as engrossing as Guerrilla. Volition, the developer, also decided to omit competitive multi player because they felt no one would play it. Instead, they opted to keep co-op game play. Competitive multi player was one of the best parts of Red Faction Guerrilla. Many groups of dedicated gamers bought the multi player DLC for Guerrilla and continue to play it.

With the removal of competitive multi player, many value-minded gamers seeking the best bang for their buck changed their minds and decided to wait. They either decided to buy the game used or wait for a price drop. It no longer became a day-one priority for them.

When Guerrilla was released in June of 2009 it was a breakout success for several reasons. There was a unique concept behind the game and there was very little gaming competition in June and July of 2009. Unfortunately, for Armageddon the release date of June 2011 may have been a poor choice, which may have hurt sales numbers. This June gamers saw the release of Infamous 2, Duke Nukem Forever, Alice Madness Returns, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D, as well as several other games. The point is, there were too many other great games in June and people might have passed over Red Faction Armageddon.   

If THQ had changed the release date, and if Volition had kept in competitive multi player and added some sort of drop in single player co-op, more people would have purchased Red Faction Armageddon on day one. Unfortunately, it is too late to make changes. Red Faction Armageddon is now on the list of 2011 games that didn’t sell well. As a result, it brought an end to a fantastic series. At least Volition will release Saints Row the Third this fall. In the end, THQ wants to focuses on games with a broader appeal.

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