The release date is fast approaching and PlatinumGames newest title, Astral Chain, is already on sale at Walmart.
PlatinumGames Inc. was founded in 2007 in Osaka, Japan by former Capcom employees Shinji Mikami and Atsushi Inaba. It didn’t take the company long to make their mark on the gaming world, as they would release Bayonetta just two years later. They would then go on to create worldwide hit titles like Nier: Automata, Anarchy Reigns, and Star Fox Zero.
Due to their continued success, many had high expectations for Astral Chain, a game that was touted by some to be a step up from Bayonetta. Originally, the game’s designers wanted to place it into a fantasy setting and allow players to use magic, but through a suggestion from Nintendo, they gave it more of a cyberpunk feel instead. Game reviewers that got early access to the game gave it high praise, but strangely it has already managed to go on sale at Walmart.
While it’s unclear if PlatinumGames original concept would have been as well-received, Nintendo’s decision to have the company change it seems to be the right one. While it is strange that Walmart has already put the game on sale, it could pay dividends in the end as it would get people talking about the game and perhaps raise sales numbers. It’s also a good technique to lure people away from digital downloads, and get them into Walmart for a purchase.
News of Walmart’s decision comes from GameRant who goes on to say that while the game will retail for $59.99, Walmart’s across the country will only charge $49.94 on launch day. They go to point out that this event isn’t out of the norm for the company as they instituted similar price drops for Switch exclusives like Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. In Astral Chain, players will control two twins in their quest to repel an invasion of interdimensional beings using a living weapon called the Legion. Astral Chain will release on the Nintendo Switch on August 30th.
The fact that Astral Chain has already received positive feedback will help to entice consumers that are on the fence, but Walmart’s decision will make it even harder for consumers to not give in and purchase the title. It’s hard to argue with Walmart’s decision here, especially given that they are a company that invests in research which helps them to understand what to stock during inclement weather.
Even though Astral Chain has had a small marketing window, it would be hard to believe that the game would fail to reach sales expectations. If sales from Walmart make up a good portion of overall sales, we could expect every major Switch exclusive to be treated this way in the future.
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