Fans of the Epic Mickey series will recall with fondness the excitement and uniqueness of the first game… and the sequel? With a hint of bitterness. Epic Mickey 2 fell far short of critical expectations, and players were by and large disappointed by the mediocre, rushed port we saw head to the Wii U.
And it wasn’t only critical expectations that were squashed, but commercial ones as well. A report in the LA Times has brought to light the disappointing sales surrounding Mickey’s adventure in gameplay:
“Although the 2010 game was a modest success, selling 1.3 million units in the U.S. from its November launch through the end of that year, 2012’s sequel sold only 270,000 copies during the comparable time period, according to a person with access to sales data from research firm NPD Group who was not authorized to share it publicly.
It’s unclear whether Spector and his Texas-based Junction Point Studios will continue working with Disney. [John] Pleasants declined to discuss the topic and Spector could not be reached for comment.”
It’s sad to see such a unique concept potentially run to ground so early in its life, but perhaps Disney and its partner game studios will find a way to revive this series and infuse it with fresh life. We can hope, anyway.
