Runic Games' Diablo-inspired action role-playing game Torchlight has sold 500,000 units, just weeks before its May 12 arrival on Mac via Steam.
Torchlight hit the sales milestone a little over six months after the title's original PC download release on October 27, 2009.
The game is the first title from Seattle, WA-based Runic Games, which was founded in 2008 by staff from the teams behind Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, Fate, Hellgate: London and Mythos.
Aside from digital storefronts, Torchlight also released to physical retail in January this year in the U.S. in a distribution partnership with Encore, and in March in Europe as part of a deal with JoWood Entertainment. Perfect World announced a publishing agreement with Runic Games for Torchlight in August 2009.
The action RPG Torchlight is just the beginning for Runic, as the studio is currently working on a free-to-play Torchlight MMO.
The game normally retails for $20, although in conjunction with the sales milestone and the game's release on Valve Software's newly-available Steam for Mac distribution platform, Torchlight is currently selling for half off on Steam.
"We are delighted by the response to Torchlight," said Runic CEO Max Schaefer in a statement. "We’d like to thank the greatest gaming community in the world, Valve, Perfect World, World Domination (Mac port), and all our other distribution partners for making this possible."
Wow. Those guys made a killing (well them and Valve of course...). No wonder Valve never get round to making games anymore. They are making way too much cash keeping PC gaming alive.
Well killing not so much, especially when you figure that mose of those copies were sold at 5 or 10$ but it's great for them to have sold that many copies!!
500,000 copies at $10 average for estimated revenue of $5 million is not a killing for you? Man I hope that you never become CEO of a game company I work for.
Even if every single one of those copies sold for only $5, that's still nearly $100,000 per employee considering the 11-month development time and <30 people throughout its development.
Personally, I am not a fan of the huge development costs that larger game publishers demand. Runic here has shown that it is possible to make a profitable game with small team and budget. I look forward to seeing what else they have to offer.
In any industry 5 million $ is just that 5 Millions $, sound to me you have somehow lost your gripe on reality, not everybody definition of success involve making game with 50 Millions $ in budget and with a team of 300... For most indie studio success start the moment you break even on your spending and you know you will be able to get some more investment for your next title, let alone make an actual profit on it.
Gotta say congrats to the team. For a small indie game, 500k units is great at any price. That combined with the investment they just got must be great for the team and the founders. I have a mixed opinion of publisher-owned studios but c'mon guys, they're generating revenue on a solid game and just got some more money to make more games. Here's to hoping they put that money/revenue to good use and produce a couple more games.
My only real worry would be that with all that cash, they might end up bloating their team and running into all the usual "What Went Wrong" bullet points in their next game's post-mortem. :)
Well 500k copies was a drop in the bucket for one small (12 person) team. Their game has sold more that a billion copies at like 20 or 30 a copy. However at the 500k mark they were still less than 50% out of debt for making the game. However now Mortal Kombat holds its own just fine.
Due to involvement with PWE this game will belly out in mediocrity for ever and will be remembered as well as E.T.
Oh yeah! @ Ephram,
I have no idea where you got your copy of the game but it costs $19.99.
500,000 copies at $10 average for estimated revenue of $5 million is not a killing for you? Man I hope that you never become CEO of a game company I work for.
In a billion dollar industry, no, a revenue $5 million isn't that much.
Personally, I am not a fan of the huge development costs that larger game publishers demand. Runic here has shown that it is possible to make a profitable game with small team and budget. I look forward to seeing what else they have to offer.
In any industry 5 million $ is just that 5 Millions $, sound to me you have somehow lost your gripe on reality, not everybody definition of success involve making game with 50 Millions $ in budget and with a team of 300... For most indie studio success start the moment you break even on your spending and you know you will be able to get some more investment for your next title, let alone make an actual profit on it.
Wouldn't it be great if more people lost their 'gripe' on reality?
Kudos to Runic for polishing a small section of gameplay to an absolute sheen. Very enjoyable.
My only real worry would be that with all that cash, they might end up bloating their team and running into all the usual "What Went Wrong" bullet points in their next game's post-mortem. :)
Due to involvement with PWE this game will belly out in mediocrity for ever and will be remembered as well as E.T.
Oh yeah! @ Ephram,
I have no idea where you got your copy of the game but it costs $19.99.