Helldivers 2 drives UK March game sales up 26% | UK Monthly Charts

3.65 million PC and console games were sold across the UK during March, an impressive rise of 26% over the same period in 2023. Dragons Dogma 2 and Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth also perform strongly, while hardware sales continue to fall.

[solideagle]

"After eight weeks, the game's sales are now trending ahead of where Spider-Man 2 (Sony's last big release) was after the same length of time. They are, of course, very different games, with Spider-Man 2 retailing at £70 and only releasing on PS5. Helldivers 2 has a lower price and is also available on PC."

wow! never expected Helldivers 2 to be this big hit. congrats to the devs and Sony :)

[Obscure_Observer]

And people still wonder why Sony is now going multi platform with PC and focusing on Live Service games.

300+ Million on Spider-Man 2 just to see it lose in sales for an AA live service game released day and date on both PC and PS5.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is another very expensive AAA game only available on PS5 which appears to be doing very poorly in sales, despite it´s quality and critic´s reception. It´s performing worse than Final Fantasy XVI which got roasted by some classic Final Fantasy fans due its combat system.

Well, it´s not really surprising that Totoki is going to pursue a more aggressive multi platform approach from now onwards.

Sony is a business after all. They need to make money.

[Nyxus]

"Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth also perform[s] strongly"

But yeah, it's obvious you live in your own little world, far removed from reality.

[Einhander1972]

Rebirth in one month has already sold more than Starfield even though it was on a on a single platform, and it's already shown to have long legs, and FFXVI was pulled back into the top 20 on the success of Rebirth while Starfield had dropped out of the top 20 in one month. And keep in mind that Rebirths sales were split due to a dual pack release which has sold around 40% of the copies of the main release.

And Spider-Man 2 on a single platform has been in the top 20 every single month since release.

Starfield will be on PlayStation way before Spider-Man or Final Fantasy will be on xbox.

You should be more worried about the fact that major publishers are questioning if it's even worth it to bring games to xbox anymore when games these days have an 80/20 split PS versus xbox since game pass killed sales on the platform and now no one buys anything on the platform and the only console they can actually move is the series s for cheap game pass only consumers.

[lodossrage]

As always, people see and hear what they want to see and hear.

The report LITERALLY says FF VII Rebirth is performing strong.

Why is there this narrative that just because Xbox does poorly that suddenly Playstation and/or Nintendo are dragged along with them? Even though sales records show the other two doing well.

[Rockstar]

@ Obscure.

Keep fighting the good fight for your favourite plastic box. 🙄

[Sonic1881]

What has Starfield done in sales? I'll wait ✋️ 😂😂😂 Desperate comment from you again.

[Christopher]

*** 300+ Million on Spider-Man 2 just to see it lose in sales for an AA live service game released day and date on both PC and PS5. ***

Spider-Man 2, on only one platform, was the 4th best selling game of 2023. WTF are you on about? Do we ignore that Helldivers 2 is also $30 cheaper than Spider-Man 2?

**** Sony is a business after all. They need to make money. ***

Oh, NOW we care about the profitability of a business. Not when talking about Game Pass, only when talking about Sony exclusives.

[Obscure_Observer]

@Nyxus

"But yeah, it's obvious you live in your own little world, far removed from reality."

I didn´t said those games flopped. But it´s obvious that *right now* both games aren´t doing better than its predecessors in sales.

"Rebirth in one month has already sold more than Starfield even though it was on a on a single platform, and it's already shown to have long legs, and FFXVI was pulled back into the top 20 on the success of Rebirth while

@Einhander1972

"Rebirth in one month has already sold more than Starfield even though it was on a on a single platform"

"Starfield will be on PlayStation way before Spider-Man or Final Fantasy will be on xbox."

You have a beautiful crystal ball.

"You should be more worried about the fact that major publishers are questioning if it's even worth it to bring games to xbox anymore"

Which publisher?

@lodossrage

"The report LITERALLY says FF VII Rebirth is performing strong."

In comparison with Rebirth?

"Why is there this narrative that just because Xbox does poorly that suddenly Playstation and/or Nintendo are dragged along with them?"

Who said Nintendo? Sony is the only company out three who lost 10 Billion because they failed to meet their own sales target for the PS5.

https://www.techradar.com/g...

@Christopher

"Spider-Man 2, on only one platform, was the 4th best selling game of 2023. WTF are you on about? Do we ignore that Helldivers 2 is also $30 cheaper than Spider-Man 2?"

So? Doesn´t make Helldivers II´s achievement in sales as a multi platform game any less impressive! If anyone had told you that Helldivers II would outsell the freaking Spider-Man 2 in sales in the same time frame in UK, you would have had a good laugh.

"Oh, NOW we care about the profitability of a business. Not when talking about Game Pass, only when talking about Sony exclusives."

We heard from Jim Ryan how Gamepass weren´t sustainable and viable model. We heard from many "insiders" rumors that Microsoft would drop day one games on Gamepass.

And here we are. Almost 7 years later and Gamepass is still going strong.

Under Nadella Microsoft has become the most valuable company in the world. Under Phil Spencer Xbox has become Microsoft´s third biggest business ahead of the freaking Windows.

https://www.theverge.com/20...

Last time I checked Sony had lost 10 Billion in market value because they couldn´t meet their own PS5 sales projections.

Those are the *facts*. So no, I´m not worried about Gamepass profitability at all.

That said, I´m not worried about Sony exclusives either, because they already said they´re pursuing a more aggressive multi platform route with PC gaming, which based on Helldivers II massive success on PC, is imo, the best way to go.

[Nyxus]

"I didn´t said those games flopped. But it´s obvious that *right now* both games aren´t doing better than its predecessors in sales."

You said the game was doing poorly, while this article literally says it's performing strongly. I guess you also missed the part of the article where it said the PS5 was comfortably number 1 in March.

[Obscure_Observer]

@Nyxus

I just think games sales on Playstation is not what it used to be. Hence why that despite the PS5 as the number one, consoles sales overall are still failing reason why Sony now expects to sell 21 million consoles in its 2023 financial year, down from a previous forecast of 25 million.

Also, Square-Enix doesn´t seem eager to reveal worldwide sales for Rebirth yet, which is odd since they´d revealed the worldwide Final Fantasy XVi sales numbers (3+ Million) in less than a week.

Ultimately, I think the PS Plus is taking its tool on Playstation sales as well. (Not nearly as bad as Gamepass, mind you) Especially considering its large collection of games and the lack of major first party releases.

[Nyxus]

Obscure you can post all sorts of theories but at the end of the day the article states Rebirth has performed strongly, and you wrote that it did poorly. The opposite of what the article literally says. That's what It was responding to.

[Obscure_Observer]

@Nyxus

Fair enough. The article is clear and you got it right.

[Christopher]

***So? Doesn´t make Helldivers II´s achievement in sales as a multi platform game any less impressive!***

No one said it isn't impressive, but you literally said that it loses in sales when you ignore facts about it, specifically the cost to buy and that Spider-Man 2 still sold extremely well. You then sell the idea that this is reason why it should go same date on PC and PS5. If games like Spider-Man 2 went same day release on PS5 and PC, Sony would start selling hardware at the rate that Microsoft does. That's not their business plan. And you know it. Microsoft is doing what it's doing because they are losing at hardware, Sony is doing what they're doing because they're winning at hardware. Stop trying to act like Sony should give up their strength to do the exact same thing as Microsoft. That's dumb. We already have a Microsoft, we don't need two of them.

[Chevalier]

"Almost 7 years later and Gamepass is still going strong."

Supposed to be observant? Pretty blind to the point of idiocy. Gamepass is NOT going strong. They missed Xbox projections 2 years straight and onto making a 3 fiscal year of not meeting their own goals for Gamepass. Their numbers are flattened off so much they're now too embarrassed and stopped announcing numbers like how they stopped announcing hardware sales too. Gamepass has tanked their sales so bad that Xbox has just started selling their exclusives on other platforms and it's only a matter of time till the rest of Xbox exclusives get released on other platforms to stop the bleeding.

[lodossrage]

@Obscure_Observer

"In comparison with Rebirth?"

What do you mean in comparison to Rebirth? Rebirth is the game in question. Looks like you're just trying to bring other factors into the equation because everyone laid your lack of comprehension out to dry.

And how much as Xbox been losing from not hitting THEIR targets?

On a side note, Nice essay you put out there responding to EVERYONE that showed you up lol

[Obscure_Observer]

@Christopher

"You then sell the idea that this is reason why it should go same date on PC and PS5. If games like Spider-Man 2 went same day release on PS5 and PC, Sony would start selling hardware at the rate that Microsoft does."

That´s a fallacy right here. Spider-Man is a *licensed game*. I´m not saying Sony should put *all* of their games day and date on PC especially their top tier first party games.

In Spider-Man´s case, at the top of absurd 315 Million in development costs, which demands Spider-Man 2 to sell up to 7.2 Million copies to just break even, they have to split gains with Marvel for every single copy sold. Marvel gets a cut which ranges from 18% (physical) up to 26% (digital). In bundles it gets nasty. 35% up to 50% for each unit sold.

Imo, Sony would sell far more copies if Spider-Man 2 were released day and date with PC. Period! They will release that game on PC on a later date anyway. So why waste 2 years working on a later PC port just to end up with a 40K concurrent players on STEAM just like Horizon Forbidden West did in contrast with Helldivers 2´s concurrent players? I´m not a professional but I don´t think it´s smart business.

I don´t think people at insomniac are happy either. After all their hard work, stress and internal pressure to meet deadlines they still got hit by layoffs and now they will face budget cuts.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/12...

"That's not their business plan. And you know it. Microsoft is doing what it's doing because they are losing at hardware"

Microsoft is doing what they´re doing because they see things beyond console gaming, because in case you didn´t notice, the console market isn´t growing. Specially among the younger folks. And companies wants profits now!

"Stop trying to act like Sony should give up their strength to do the exact same thing as Microsoft. That's dumb. We already have a Microsoft, we don't need two of them."

What *you* need means nothing in the grand scheme of things. You want things to remain the same when companies like Sony and Microsoft are losing money and needs to take action now.

You can deny all you want but Sony has been following Microsoft for quite some time. The new PS Plus, PC gaming, Mobile, Cloud, MAU, 11 new gaming studios acquisitions under Jim Ryan and more. And now they have even more aggressive multi platform plans.

https://www.gamesindustry.b...

[Christopher]

Obscure, c'mon now. You can't just say something without the reason behind it. Why is Microsoft looking beyond consoles? Because they're losing in that arena. Sure, they'll keep pumping out hardware to compete with Sony and to promote their subscription service on console versus leaving Sony to decide the market entirely, but they do this while trying to push everyone to their strength in the market and get rid of the other market. Microsoft absolutely wants Sony to abandon what is obviously working for them in order to compete in an arena where Microsoft is the strongest. But Sony shouldn't abandon exclusives or hardware. To do as such would be to turn them into just a publisher. That's 30% off the top of every sales for them, not just a percentage of some games to a license holder. It makes no sense to give up your ecosystem strength.

[Obscure_Observer]

@Christopher

"Obscure, c'mon now. You can't just say something without the reason behind it. Why is Microsoft looking beyond consoles? Because they're losing in that arena."

That´s a very simplistic view/opinion on a far more complicated subject.

Microsoft *always* tried to push for technology and innovation across multiple segments throughout their history.

Microsoft has been developing games for PC since the seventies. Way before Xbox even be considered. To port games to PC is nothing but a natural course of evolution for them and another recurring source of income, because as you already know, gaming development is growing beyond viability and sustainability.

Unlike Sony, you never heard Microsoft calling the PC as their *main competitor*. And what´s happening to Sony right now? Yeah, they´re pursuing the PC market following Microsoft yet again.

Should I assume that´s because they´re desperate because the PS5 is not selling well or fast enough? Should I assume that the PSVR2 is gearing up to PC because it flopped on PS5?

That would be pretentious, irresponsible and ignorant on my part, since, again, it´s far more complicated than that.

I mean, why do you think Xbox has become Microsoft´s third biggest business ahead of Windows? That´s because Phil saw things beyond the barrier of exclusivity and now Xbox is an will continue to make even more money out competitors like Nintendo and Sony, because in the end of the day, all we want from the companies that make us games, is for it is to continue and be healthy.

I know you don´t want Playstation to lose focus on what made they market leaders, which is high quality exclusive games as their main pillar.

But times are changing. Sony needs to take action so they can evolve and adapt to survive. And to achieve that goal, my guy, Sony don´t have to take actions that will please you, because it´s not you the person running their business.

You, like many people here always talks how you don´t want Sony to do this and that. How you don´t want Sony to become "another Microsoft", but never point out solutions.

You said Sony has been "forced" to release MBL on Xbox, like they´re enduring torture to do so. But in reality, is that Sony is making money out Xbox gamers and San Diego is right now, a healthy studio. No jobs or/and budge cuts for them.

Can´t say the same about Insomniac. So yeah, I stand by my opinion.

"Microsoft absolutely wants Sony to abandon what is obviously working for them in order to compete in an arena where Microsoft is the strongest."

Microsoft can´t force the market leader into doing anything.

Thing is, Sony has a business to run and I know they wouldn´t want to take Playstation games elsewhere if they didn´t have to.

But how they can possible respond to their investors and shareholders since Microsoft is making money at the same time Xbox console sales is failing in contrast with Playstation selling PS5 like hotcakes while still losing money? HOW?

https://www.theverge.com/20...

https://www.theverge.com/20...

[Christopher]

*** That´s a very simplistic view/opinion on a far more complicated subject. ***

No. No it's not. This isn't rocket science.

*** Microsoft *always* tried to push for technology and innovation across multiple segments throughout their history. ***

Microsoft always tried to push for THEIR technology and THEIR innovation as long as they can charge you for it.

*** Unlike Sony, you never heard Microsoft calling the PC as their *main competitor*. And what´s happening to Sony right now? Yeah, they´re pursuing the PC market following Microsoft yet again. ***

Sony doesn't call PC their main competitor. And Microsoft has spent since the mid point of the 360 telling us that Sony isn't their competition either. Microsoft can say what they want, which they do, but it isn't the truth.

*** Thing is, Sony has a business to run and I know they wouldn´t want to take Playstation games elsewhere if they didn´t have to. ***

I mean, that's now how businesses work. Not on need, but greed. Sony doesn't need to go to PC at all. They want to to get more money. But they make almost all their money on PlaySation. They want more money, so they put it there after they've squeezed out their console for more.

The fact you think it's a need shows your lack of understanding on how businesses operate. Not out of need, but making more profit.

[DivineHand125]

It's no surprise software sales were better in March compared to February. There were some strong releases such as Dragons Dogma 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Arrowhead has been very active with content and event updates in Helldivers 2 which is live service done right.

It seems the sale on Hogwarts Legacy gave the game a second wind as it still managed to score in the top 10. $30 on steam and $35 on PSN.

All consoles also saw an increase in units sold compared to February.

[Scissorman]

It's nice seeing the PlayStation Portal continuing to surprise so many people with its demand.

[purple101]

!!! Its been NO.1 IN the uk - 8 WEEKS IN A ROW !!!

[CantThinkOfAUsername]

Finally a live-service game that deserves it.

[shadowT]

great game!