540°

PS4’s The Last of Us: July’s best-seller, July’s biggest disappointment

The PlayStation 4’s biggest game of the summer missed sales expectations by 50,000 copies, according to an analyst.

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venturebeat.com
Axios23534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

Not really surprising, it was only released a year ago on PS3.

@ Lukas, I dare you to find the word "disappointing" in my comment. I'll dumb my response down for you so you can understand; I'm not surprised ANY game released for a 2nd time within a year has not met analysts expectations

@ Lukas, all is forgiven, cheers

GarrusVakarian3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

Stop trolling, TLOU:R is anything but a disappointment. Top of the July NPD chart, despite only 4(?) days of it's sales being counted, and is currently sitting at 95 on metacritic (I know how much you love those metacritic numbers, Axios).

I've yet to come across a single person who owns the game who is disappointed by it. And why would they be? It's a better looking, and better running version of the most awarded game in history, with all the season pass DLC.

Some random analyst company says it's a disappointment....so it's a disappointment? Give me a break. Disappointments don't top charts after only 4 days of sales.

TheTowelBoy3534d ago Show
XBLSkull3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

I'd call it a disappointment. Tons of perfect scores and GotY awards. It's good but not the most amazing game ever. I would give it 8/10 and I'm probably 2/3 through at this point. A solid game but my expectations were much to high.

of course its the top July seller, who releases games in July? No one, and this game is proof of why developers should spread games out and not pack them all into holiday season. We game year round and if you put out a good game we will buy it regardless of the time of year.

can anyone tell me how long the DLC content is? Not sure I wanna play more than an extra hour or two.

Sadie21003534d ago

Did you read the story? This is about sales expectations/predictions.

NewMonday3534d ago

so 50k is now a "big disappointment"? sigh!

it most likely sold many times that digitally and exceeded expectations.

HammadTheBeast3534d ago

Relax man, you took his comment completely out of context.

jebabcock3534d ago

I think there is some critical grammar here that is being ignored... "BY 50,000" implies it was 50k short of expectations. It says nothing of what total sales were...

Biggest3534d ago

"I dare you to find the word "disappointing" in my comment."

This is an easy game.

"PS4’s The Last of Us: July’s best-seller, July’s biggest disappointment"

Axios2 + 3h ago
Not really surprising, it was only released a year ago on PS3.

rainslacker3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

Didn't TLOU:R sell 1.5 million on it's first day?

They were off by 50K units and they consider that a disappointment? 50K units of 1.5 million is a .03% discrepancy. Hardly a disappointment.

Maybe I'm reading this article wrong, but apparently Sony isn't disappointed in the sales, just some analyst group that got it wrong.

Overall game sales were down, but TLOU:R was most decidedly a successful launch of a game. Way to flame bait a title and article.

Rhythmattic3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

XBLSkull

Then don't.

Two thirds the way through ay?
If you dont know what the games about by then, and haven't enjoyed it , why even bother finishing it?

I say 1/3 your trolling, the other 2/3's is BS.

Lightning Mr Bubbles3533d ago (Edited 3533d ago )

This article is full of crap. This dude should just stick to watching his gay ass college sport.

sonarus3533d ago (Edited 3533d ago )

@rythematic. Not everyone has to love a game. But I like how xbl skull calls it a disappointment with an 8/10 review scores. I wish more disappointing games managed an 8/10 from me lol.

Gaming1013533d ago

For those who didn't read the article, an NCAA football game has historically been released in July and was always the top seller every year, and it's no longer being made. Analysts took into account that this is a remake in their forecast, you must take all factors into account, however the only disappointment was that it didn't meet forecasts.

It is not saying that it is in any way a low selling game overall as it is the month's best seller, or has disappointing quality. Get it now? Good.

SnakePlissken3533d ago

I was disappointed the first time it came around. In fact, I couldn't bring myself to even finish it.

Pacing was slow, felt too generic to me. Like most new games these days. I know a few others that felt the same.

Very overrated game!

Rhythmattic3532d ago

Just popping back in.....

Sooooo agree with this review.

http://youtu.be/fCV1DN6eBkI

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 3532d ago
GarrusVakarian3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

I apologise for jumping to conclusions about your comment. In my defence, you didn't really make it clear what part you weren't surprised about.

Please accept my apology. I love you really, Axios.

Sevir3534d ago

lol @ "I love you" Lukas let that be a lesson that we can get overly serious about our hobby,

lets keep the pitch forks and torches away... we all know how amazing the last of us is!

sourav933534d ago

I see why you moved to GAF Lukas. Some people....

Conzul3534d ago

Oh.
I thought Lukas was being deeply sarcastic.

Whoopsie.

GarrusVakarian3534d ago

@Conzul

I wasn't being sarcastic. I was an ass, so I apologised for it.

Ezz20133534d ago

"I love you really,Axios"

is that a Bromance i see ?

morganfell3534d ago

^^^You are assuming they are both males.

CrashJones3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

Hey Lukas, share the love bud, and hook us up with a bubble will ya? :P

ps. I was on the shelf about picking up TLoU again, but I did, and was far from disappointed. Just an absolutely amazing gaming experience(again)... made better this time(so smooth), and with all the original DLC.

DragonKnight3533d ago

I'm not surprised you'd be confused since Axios2 is a known Xbox fanboy.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3533d ago
incendy353534d ago ShowReplies(2)
princejb1343534d ago

i feel like the game didn't sell well because of the ip name
not many people know about the last of us
I'm sure if it was called something like call of duty : last of us it would have sold 5 million easily

ABeastNamedTariq3534d ago

It sold more than 5 million on PS3 though.. People know.

princejb1343534d ago

@abeastnamedtariq

I meant for ps4

rainslacker3534d ago

It sold 1.5 million on it's first day. That's a pretty good number for any game. Particularly for a game "not many people know about".

This game will have legs going into the holiday season, so given the install base, and the reputation this game has gotten since it's PS3 release, and the fact it's $10 cheaper than most games(probably more come November), I wouldn't doubt that this game easily hits 3+ million sold by the end of the year...if it hasn't already.

Corpser3534d ago

Only on n4g are there people that think it sold 1.5 million in 24 hours , the only source for that is insiderp, a site banned in neogaf

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3534d ago
medman3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

I'm sorry...did I miss where sales figures were posted? An article calls a game a "disappointment in sales" without knowing just how many copies were sold? The game was available for all of a few hours in the month of July....geez. Dubious, at best.

Eddie201013534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

It sold 1.5 million in three days and it was a remaster. If it sold a little under in three days, that does not make it a failure at all.

The only failure is that publishers did not release any major games for the month.

This is some kind crazy spin to say The last of us was a failure by any means.

Eddie201013534d ago

let me correct something, TLOU sold 1.5 million in it's first 24 hours.

SnakePlissken3533d ago

Alot of people bought into the hype. You tell enough people that this is supposed to be the greatest game of all time! More than half of them will believe you.

I found it quite boring and too generic. I didn't even want to finish it. There are so many better games out there!

Eddie201013533d ago (Edited 3533d ago )

I would have say that you have no idea what a great game is.

It is not hype, it is one of the best games ever made.

ramiuk13534d ago

i played it on ps4 and its best story game i ever played,characters,story the feel of the level design was amazing.

Ocsta3534d ago

@XBLSkull

Someone named XBLSkull thinks it was disappointing. Seems legit.

Syntax-Error3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

What did it have to contend with? It's the only new game for PS4, so of course it would've done well. Waste of money considering the graphics upgrade wasn't that major. If you look at what GTA V did compared to TLOU then you would feel a little cheated. We have been dying for something new since Watch Dogs. Even our PS Store isn't as good as PS3's. They are really slacking on the PS4

+ Show (6) more repliesLast reply 3532d ago
JeffGrubb3534d ago

July was pretty weak, but surprised Last of Us didn't do a little bit better.

randomass1713534d ago

For a remaster I thought it did pretty dang well.

Angels37853534d ago

It only had 4 days of sales recorded for npd

Cryptcuzz3534d ago

I wonder why the article or the analyst did not even mention the fact that it only had 4 days of sales for the month of July?

The analyst should be the one to blame. He should be complaining that his prediction for the whole month of July has been short by a measly 50K units, for a game that was recorded in sales for only 4 freaken days lol.

DigitalHope3534d ago

Do remember NDP doesnt count digital sales. Here in canada we have the remastered bundle that comes with a digital copy, but even non remastered ps4 editions are coming with digital copies of tlou:r

The sales are way higher then the ndp report.

JeffGrubb3534d ago

You're right, PassiveAttack, but this analyst is taking that all into account. The expectation was for it to sell 50,000 new physical copies in addition to what it was supposed to do digitally.

jebabcock3534d ago

@Jeff

go back and read the article. And compare it to your comment. The article merely says it was short 50k... Your comment makes the implication that it's total physical sales were less than 50k. Be a little more responsible than that if you are going to be so adamant in your position...

rainslacker3534d ago

According to Sony, it sold 1.5 million on it's first day. If after 4 days, the analyst was off by 50K units, then he was off by .03% compared to first day sales alone.

Now, calling that a disappointment is a big stretch. Any analyst that can come within a .03% margin of error on their predictions would be highly sought after for their accuracy. The typical analyst margin of error is in the 5-10% range.

Spotie3534d ago

I can't believe how hard you tried on this article. It would be impressive if it weren't so sad.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3534d ago
ColManischewitz3534d ago

Were expectations out of whack here?

GribbleGrunger3534d ago

It failed because it didn't meet an analysts expectations? LOL

HeWhoWalks3534d ago (Edited 3534d ago )

Er, what would you call a "disappointment", a success? Not that it WAS a disappointment, but today's journalists are very much like many of today's gamers - entitled individuals who whine more than they cheer they very hobby wee all share.

JeffGrubb3534d ago

@HeWhoWalks I call a "disappointment" a disappointment. Things are not binary.

LeCreuset3534d ago

Exactly. Click-bait these days. Let's devote an entire article to undermining TLOU's status as the best selling game last month, based on projected sales figures from some game analyst not named Pachter (whom I also wouldn't take seriously).

What takes me out is that I often see statements about selling double last month's consoles and only being available in X number of countries repeated in the media with not even a tenth of the analysis of what exactly that means as is taking place in this article with TLOU.

ShowGun9013534d ago

I'd say the analyst failed at predicting the correct sales... but lets blame devs, producers, and consumers! thats easier than me being wrong /s

DanielGearSolid3534d ago

I would THINK Sony's expectations are the only ones that matter here.

But hey what do I know

JeffGrubb3534d ago

Sony is a public company, so that is incorrect.

DanielGearSolid3534d ago

What I mean is...

Sony's expectations account for dev costs and other expenditures. That the analyst doesn't have access to.

Also, one analyst doesn't = July's biggest disappointment.

iceman063534d ago

True...BUT, the public usually bases their expectations around the expectations of the company. Plus, we don't know the magic number of those expectations.

Show all comments (103)
280°

Sony Taps Bungie's Head of Revenue to Lead Live-Service Games

Sony has recruited Bungie's head of revenue Jaremy Rich to head up its live-service gaming division, Rich has announced on social media.

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techraptor.net
ChasterMies14d ago

Please do not put Destiny’s monetization into Sony’s first party games. The monetization is what’s driving players away from Destiny.

just_looken14d ago

The new temp boss is the sony cfo bean counter so i can see this being a thing get every penny.

Cacabunga14d ago

PlayStation officially losing it.. fans will never support gaas games

just_looken14d ago

@car

The new boss did a interview in japan he wants to tap into the mobile market like nintendio so he give 0 fucks about gamers/fans

https://www.pushsquare.com/...

Redemption-6414d ago

@Cacabunga
You only speak for you and those who think like you, but most fans will support what they want. Playstation and PC fans are literally supporting Helldivers 2 and that is a gaas. Maybe you wouldn't, but many more would if they like it.

Huey_My_D_Long14d ago

@Redemption-64
Look, Im not making any judgement calls about this guy, but I will say that Helldivers 2 GaaS model is unique to Helldivers, and legit the only other game I can think of thats similiar was the Avengers game except HD2 pass is still better.
The fact that you can earn in game currency in a way that doesnt make you feel like you have to grind forever, as well you being able work on that pass that you bought...on your own time without a time limit...that right there is fucking huge to me, and I can't name any game other than avengers that avoided trapping players with FOMO logic...I think GaaS on HD2 shouldn't be compared to the rest of the industry...it should be copied.

Einhander197214d ago

Cacabunga

Helldivers 2...

Redemption-64

In Europe it's a 60 40 split favoring PC.
In the US its a 60 40 split favoring PS5.

So PlayStation owners supported the game just fine, it's not getting carried by PC or anything like that.

FinalFantasyFanatic14d ago

@just_looken,
I'm perfectly fine with the way Nintendo entered the mobile market, I never touched their mobile games, meanwhile, the console/handheld stayed the way it is. As for being a bean counter, he's probably going to reel in these massive budgets that Sony's studios have had lately, I haven't played Spiderman 2, but I cannot see how they almost tripled the budget for that game.

@Redemption-64,
That's an exception to the rule, I'm expecting a lot of these GAAS games from Sony to fail, to be fair, they only need a few to succeed, but I would have preferred that they put more of their resources into other types of games.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 14d ago
DivineHand12514d ago

True their monetization is driving players away and at the same time, their decision to chop out content and convoluted systems is keeping new players away from the game.

Joe91314d ago

I don't think that will happen based on how things worked out at Naughty Dog now that we know what we do, seems they had the option to fully commit to live service games or stay making single player experences so they gave up on their live service game. We are not sure how things came about with Bend making a live service game but I hope that was not a forced situation. Sony doesnt seem like they are forcing studios to switch up but we will see, Sony's bread and butter is single player games it is how they dominated the console market.

Obscure_Observer14d ago

Yeah, I though Sony learned something from all their failures in the LS segment under Bungie´s disastrous leadership and supervision which led to games been cancelled, studios closed and all the people laid off.

Looks like Bungie still plays a major role in Sony´s LS initiative and Sony is not backtracking on their GaaS plans.

S2Killinit14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Are we forgetting that Destiny is also a highly successful franchise? I feel like that definitely deserves mention here.

Besides, there is no reason why a person cant learn from past experiences.

Joe91313d ago

I agree, people act as if Destiny flopped when it came out lol it took 9 to 10 years for the numbers to fall yet people are still playing it add the success of Helldivers 2 no wonder Sony is going forward down this path.

S2Killinit13d ago

Personally, I see no problem with Sony also having service games as long as they make good ones, and more importantly they deliver the AAA story driven games that they are known for. So yeah, I agree 100% with you.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 13d ago
Christopher14d ago

I mean, this person made some pretty bad decisions at Bungie. I hope they've learned from them because I definitely don't see those type of ideas as good for PlaySation in general.

CrimsonWing6914d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Honestly, what’s to learn from? How to make people happily continuously dump money into a single game over its life-time? Buy season passes continuously for several years with a smile on our faces?

GaaS is a design decision that is everything wrong with this industry. The fact that Helldivers 2 did so well and people defend the monetization because it was $40 and is a fun game, scares the sh*t out of me to see that the door is open and all shift will probably be to replicate that in future games. We already know the ROI for traditional game dev cost isn’t doing it for them.

I thought with Jimbo leaving we’d see a change for the better… I’m not so sure now.

S2Killinit13d ago

Service games are being offered by everyone. Sony cannot afford to only create single player AAA games. No one can. They already said they will be doing both.

Abnor_Mal14d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Ps5 gamers in 2023 seemed to play more live service types of games, so regardless to how people feel about them, numbers don’t lie and Sony is going where the money is. I mean look at the excitement around Helldivers2, people are showing that they want live service games.

Christopher14d ago

They play long-time existing live service games like CoD, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and the like. Mass majority of new live service games are considered failures and aren't moving gamers away from older games.

just_looken14d ago

Yep the huge issue with live service is they need paid players along with a reason to play them.

You forgot mobile market that also taps into that player base as well as the eve online style games there is only a certain amount of krakens/whales blind supporters compared to the amount of live service games we have its not sustainable math wise.

700 restaurants making food for every seat for 1000-3000 eaters just does not work out

Einhander197214d ago (Edited 14d ago )

Christopher

I am not a big live service fan and literally own zero of the games you listed, but that is not true, unless you call games that aren't the top games to be failures.

There are tons of live service games that are profitable.

Games don't have to be the biggest game ever they just need to make more than they cost.

I challenge you to show professionally prepared data that shows that more live service games fail than make enough to keep going.

Because all the data that I have seen shows that live service is less of a gamble than making a big AAA budget game which needs to survive off retail sales.

FinalFantasyFanatic14d ago

I sometimes wonder if we're at saturation point, where it's hard for a new game to join those ranks unless it's particularly exceptional, people only have so much time and money to devote to these types of games.

romulus2314d ago

Correction, they have no issue playing good live service games

shinoff218314d ago

Lol it's not even a quarter of the ps5s sold. Helldivers may have been a hit but let's not say most are enjoying it because truth is most(the real most ) don't care about it.

S2Killinit13d ago (Edited 13d ago )

I play what is fun. If a live service game is good I’ll play it as long as its not a money scheme which Helldivers is not.

And Im a single player gamer.

mastershredder14d ago

How do you kill a franchise that already been killed?
Destiny’s grind, cash-in-on-playbass-cha-Ching, and pop-culture-insertion mainstream-me-too bs totally killed any rep Bungie had. Sony/Bungie, if you are doing this to ward-off players, it’s already working.

crazyCoconuts14d ago

Headline truncated:
"... off a cliff"

Show all comments (43)
80°

Sony May Soon Let You Decide How Much NPCs Talk In Games

Sony has patented to add multiple dialogue modes to let players switch between how many conversations with NPCs they want in the game.

blackblades20d ago

Sony is like the only ones outta the 3 that has atuff like like this pop up changing thing in ways.

just_looken20d ago

Sony in the past has always been first at bat with new ideas/tech but in the end never fully use it or just toss it away.

blackblades20d ago

I think they did use some but yeah most usually never happened but at least they thought about it. Sony seeks things like this and other, Nintendo seek different ways of playing going by there different controler designs and console designs.

just_looken20d ago (Edited 20d ago )

some of the other stuff sony want's/owns never used
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://gamerant.com/sony-p...
https://www.eurogamer.net/s...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/03...
https://decrypt.co/114754/s...

monitor/adjust game difficultly as you play
https://www.techradar.com/g...

Sony nfts
https://www.theblock.co/pos...

Pay ai to play the game for you
https://thebusinessofesport...

Oh all the above last 12 months

I just imagine a evil scientist with test subjects when it comes down to sony recent patent reports.

Kaii20d ago

Will we get dialogue options that won't spoil puzzles in a matter of seconds? :p

280°

Judge rules in PlayStation's favour in $500m patent infringement lawsuit

Genuine Enabling Technology was seeking damages, claiming the tech allowing PlayStation consoles and controllers to communicate infringes its rights.

Read Full Story >>
gamesindustry.biz
S2Killinit22d ago

Big victory for Sony. And a long time coming.

DarXyde22d ago (Edited 22d ago )

Crazy to think the savings from this lawsuit allows them to develop one AAA game.

Make it Bloodborne 2, please and thank you.

22d ago
Profchaos22d ago

Sounds like patent trolling they tried the same thing against Nintendo with the same pattern.

Motion and control input traversing over higher and lower frequencies seperate from each other allowing the controller to do both

Pyrofire9522d ago

Patents suck. Most of them are complete garbage.

Knightofelemia22d ago

So to recoup the money Genuine is going to take on Nintendo or Microsoft next. I hate patent lawyers they are some of the worst bottom feeders out there.

Show all comments (13)