Sales Performance
Ongoing coverage on Sales Performance.
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Sega Says Sonic Racing And Shinobi Sales Have "Fallen Short" Of Expectations
Sega has acknowledged that sales for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and the recent Shinobi revival have fallen short of expectations, despite positive critical reception. The company plans to update its sales and marketing strategies and continue supporting Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds with additional content. New titles for legacy franchises like Crazy Taxi and Virtua Fighter are also planned for 2027.
Sales of Sonic Racing CrossWorlds and Shinobi have fallen short of expectation
SEGA has expressed disappointment as sales for both Sonic Racing CrossWorlds and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance have failed to meet internal expectations. While initial sales were strong, the momentum for both titles has since declined.
SEGA says Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance sales haven’t met its expectations
SEGA has expressed disappointment with the sales performance of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, stating both titles have fallen short of expectations. Despite this, SEGA plans to continue supporting Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds with new DLC, including Godzilla and Evangelion content, and is releasing a native Nintendo Switch version of Shinobi: Art of Vengeance later this year.
Microsoft's Xbox games keep ending up as flops according to new report
A new report indicates that several Xbox games, including Avowed, Hellblade 2, and Forza Motorsport, have significantly underperformed Microsoft's sales and engagement expectations. This comes amid reports of expected layoffs and studio closures at Xbox, with CEO Asha Sharma acknowledging the company has 'over extended' its resources and needs to reassess investment priorities.
Even with PS5 Ports, Many of Xbox's Games Have Been Underperfoming
An internal memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma revealed that the division is operating at a 3% accountability margin, leading to layoffs. Many of Xbox's first-party games, even those with PlayStation 5 ports, have underperformed in sales and Xbox Game Pass engagement, failing to meet expectations.
007 First Light Budget Was Not $200 Million, Exec Says As Game Passes 3 Million Sales
IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak stated that the James Bond game 007 First Light did not cost $200 million to develop, clarifying that the figure includes bonuses, marketing, and other expenses beyond the game's production cost. The game has surpassed 3 million sales and is tracking above internal forecasts. Abrak also discussed potential sequel involvement with Amazon and how future titles might see reduced development costs, referencing the Hitman series' budget reductions.
Capcom says it will consider developing Pragmata into a series
Capcom is considering developing Pragmata into its own series following strong initial sales of over two million units on Nintendo Switch 2 within its first 16 days. The company noted that development costs were comparatively lower than its major IPs and highlighted the success of fresh ideas from younger staff. The director of Pragmata has also expressed interest in making a sequel.
Leaker says Rayman 4 release dependant on Rayman Legends Retold success
A leaker suggests that Ubisoft's development of Rayman 4 is contingent on the sales success of the recently announced Rayman Legends Retold. While preliminary plans for Rayman 4 are in place, the company will reportedly only fully commit to the project if Rayman Legends Retold performs well.
Mina The Hollower Is Selling Much Faster Than Shovel Knight
Mina The Hollower has sold 300,000 copies in its first three days, significantly outperforming Shovel Knight's initial sales. Developer Yacht Club Games stated these strong sales ensure the studio can continue operations without layoffs or seeking external investment. The game's success is attributed partly to positive reviews, with Mina The Hollower currently tied as the best-reviewed game of 2026.
PlayStation First-Party Game Sales Fell to 32 Million Copies in FY 2025
Sony's first-party PlayStation game sales have declined significantly, reaching 32.1 million copies in FY 2025, down from 58.4 million in FY 2020. This trend, despite critically acclaimed releases like Astro Bot, may be influenced by the end of pandemic-driven sales boosts and a shift away from PC releases for single-player titles. Sony is also facing increased development costs and has scaled back live-service ambitions, potentially needing to focus on releasing more games to reverse the sales downturn.
Subnautica 2 Has Sold So Well That Krafton Has to Pay That $250 Million Earnout to the Devs
Krafton is reportedly set to pay a $250 million earnout to the developers of Subnautica 2 due to its strong sales performance. This payment was a central point in a legal dispute involving the former leadership of Unknown Worlds.
Take-Two CEO considers Red Dead Online to be ‘immensely successful and long lasting’
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick stated that Red Dead Online has been 'immensely successful and long lasting,' despite not reaching the same heights as Grand Theft Auto Online. He also defended the overall sales performance of the Red Dead series, which has sold 85 million units.
Alan Wake and Control 'Should Have Sold More,' New Remedy CEO Says, as He Accepts Skepticism of His Former EA Background
The new CEO of Remedy Entertainment believes that franchises like Alan Wake and Control should have achieved higher sales figures. He acknowledges potential skepticism regarding his background at Electronic Arts, a company often associated with aggressive monetization strategies.
Subnautica 2 outpaces Crimson Desert, Slay the Spire 2, and more to become "Steam's fastest-selling 2026 game…
Subnautica 2 has become Steam's fastest-selling game of 2026, selling 4.1 million copies in its first week, with four million of those on Steam. The game has generated $100 million in revenue, with $96 million coming from Steam sales. It is outperforming other major releases like Crimson Desert and Slay the Spire 2 in terms of sales speed.
Saros is off to a slower start than Returnal, with some analysts concerned Housemarque "will struggle to break even"
Despite generally favorable reviews and a smoother difficulty curve than Returnal, Housemarque's new game Saros is experiencing a slower launch. Analysts note that while Saros has sold 300,000 copies and generated over $22 million, its sales pace trails behind Returnal, even with a significantly larger PlayStation 5 install base. Concerns have been raised about the game's ability to break even given its reported $76 million development budget.
Dead Space Producer Doubts Dead Space 4 Will Ever Be Made: 'The Numbers Just Aren't There'
Former Dead Space writer and producer Chuck Beaver believes a fourth installment in the sci-fi horror series is unlikely due to insufficient sales figures, despite a dedicated fanbase. He suggests that the numbers simply do not support the development of Dead Space 4.
Mouse: P.I. for Hire made all its money back in a month, selling 730,000 copies in "stronger-than-expected" launch with 94% positive Steam reviews
Mouse: P.I. for Hire has achieved strong financial success, selling 730,000 copies across all platforms since its April 16 launch and recouping its development costs within a month. The game, described as a Cuphead-esque boomer shooter with 1930s animation-inspired visuals, has garnered a "Very Positive" rating on Steam with 94% positive reviews. Publisher PlaySide Studios noted that sales exceeded expectations, highlighting the strength of the intellectual property and player engagement.
Nintendo explains how it achieved Switch 2 sales that “far exceeded” its expectations
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa stated that the Nintendo Switch 2's first-year sales of nearly 20 million units significantly surpassed the company's expectations. He attributed the success to strong pre-launch interest, robust production, and a smooth transition for existing Nintendo Switch owners due to backward compatibility.
Remedy says Control has now sold over 6 million lifetime copies and reaffirms Control Resonant is still "on track" for a 2026 release
Remedy Entertainment announced that its game Control has surpassed 6 million lifetime sales, driven by promotions and increased visibility from the upcoming Control Resonant. The developer also reaffirmed that Control Resonant remains on track for a 2026 release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Despite the failure of FBC: Firebreak, Remedy's single-player titles like Control and Alan Wake 2 are contributing to increased revenue.
Capcom teases that Pragmata might have a future as a franchise
Capcom COO Rob Dyer has indicated that Pragmata could become a long-running franchise, following its strong sales of one million copies in two days. This suggests Capcom sees potential for further development and expansion of the Pragmata intellectual property.
