There has been a great deal of speculation about the underwhelming retail performance of PlatinumGames' MadWorld, but now OTX research group GamePlan Insights has released detailed data illustrating the often-thin correlation between online acclaim and real-world retail success, particularly on the Wii platform.
As demonstrated by GamePlan's Nick Williams at the Los Angeles Game Conference, with slides made available to Gamasutra, the game's strong awareness among the hardcore online gaming community bore little relationship with its weak awareness among the wider gaming public.
For example, from January to March, the tracking metrics used by major consumer gaming site IGN.com pegged the bloody brawler as the Wii game with the highest level of unique interest, and by extension purchase intent.