Krafton, the publisher of "Callisto Protocol," is quite unhappy with the game's sales, but it may have only itself to blame. As Yonhap News (open in new tab) reported, the game's sales projections have been revised downward sharply since its release last month after it failed to meet the publisher's ridiculous expectations Krafton had expected "The Callisto Protocol" to sell 5 million units this year, but but now puts that figure at around 2 million units, and admits that it is still "not easy."

In a briefing during the game's development, Krafton called "The Callisto Protocol" a "Quad A (AAAA), you can play all day!" (open in new tab) experience, which explains in part why the company poured 200 billion won ($161.6 million/£129.8 million) into the game over three years. Even though "Callisto Protocol" was the first in a new series by a new studio, Crafton had high hopes for the game, but after the game's release, those hopes clashed with reality.

"Callisto Protocol" was in the vein of "Dead Space" and was helmed by "Dead Space" creator Glenn Scofield. The "Dead Space" games are well-loved and well-known (so much so that EA is planning a full remake (open in new tab) of the first game), but even in their day they were not sales behemoths (open in new tab). Expecting something that doesn't even bear the Dead Space name to significantly outperform these games seems like a shared delusion, possible only in corporate boardrooms.

According to Yonhap News, Krafton is hoping to build even more enthusiasm for the game with post-release support and content, including new game modes, story DLC, and cosmetic add-ons. The DLC roadmap for Kalisto Protocol (opens in new tab) can be found in a tweet from the game's official account just before its release last year (sparse on details).

Despite its flaws, PC Gamer enjoyed The Callisto Protocol quite a bit. Reviewer Shaun Prescott gave the game a 79% in his review of Callisto Protocol (opens in new tab), and while criticizing the overuse of clichés, he wrote, "An engaging, linear sci-fi survival that weaves a deepening dystopia around dozens of stressful encounters horror" and praised the film's adherence to the basics.

We have asked Krafton for comment on this article and will update if we hear back.