According to NPD Group, Sega's MadWorld sold 66,000 units in March 2009. While a new franchise on a console that's geared towards a mainstream audience should have tempered expectations, the numbers are shockingly low. The game was well reviewed and developed by a supremely talented studio (Platinum Games) known for some brilliant work with Capcom (Viewtiful Joe, Okami).

While Sega and Platinum Games are surely disappointed with the low sales, the news is also a blow to enthusiast gamers that want more "core" and mature games for the Wii. The low sales are sure to scare the pants off of developers and publishers that were considering creating and releasing Wii titles. Like id's Todd Hollenshead said earlier in the week, "independent Wii-centric development is not really justified yet."

Personally, I find the figures disheartening -- mostly because I want Platinum Games to succeed and partially because I want more people to see the Wii as a "gamer's" system. While I'm sure Platinum will eventually have a hit that's commensurate to its talent, it looks like the Wii's perception as an enthusiast system will be getting worse in the short term.

Are you surprised at the poor sales of MadWorld? Did you buy the game? Why do you think it flopped?

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