Sales Swing Beyond Any PlayStation Experience
The latest signifier of a new Spider-Man craze is evident in the amount of video game copies sold for the PlayStation 4. Previously, we learned that the Marvel superhero managed to outdo the dad of war in sales. Then sales charts from the UK clued us in on the web-slinger’s popularity in the market, as did the shortage of game copies in Japan, but the official numbers are now in.
In three days, Marvel’s Spider-Man swung even farther than movie numbers after it sold a total of 3.3 million copies. With a retail price of $59.99, which amounts to roughly $198 million, the game towed more revenue than Spiderman: Homecoming in its opening weekend (Thanks, USA Today). I always knew games were a superior medium to film, but I never really quantified the fact. Keep in mind, however, that the numbers are a rough estimate and the official numbers haven’t been released by Sony. In addition, the number of game copies sold doesn’t account for the PlayStation 4 Pro limited edition bundle, which was pre-ordered out of existence. Speaking of pre-orders, the PS4 exclusive also achieved a record-breaker with 1 million pre-orders before launch.
For comparison, we can look at the last Spider-Man game, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Developed by Beenox, the game failed to sell well and even drowned critically, sitting at 49% on Metacritic. Marvel’s Spider-Man, on the other hand, sits at an 87% rating.
“Our expectations are always set at the highest levels,” said Stephen Turvey,  PlayStation’s global senior vice president of sales and head of North America business operations. While Spider-Man has had a rocky history with video games in the past, Turvey credits developer Insomniac Games and Marvel with “bringing Spider-Man back to gaming in a way that you want to experience it.
“It’s met and exceeded all expectations. I think the company, and the campus, and our fans are super proud of it.”
In the following months, we should have a strong idea of how many console sales were motivated by Marvel’s Spider-Man. Just as well, fans can expect downloadable story content in the future. The first, called “The Heist,” features Spider-Man anti-hero Felicia Hardy aka the Black Cat. Until more updates come our way,
Happy web-slinging.
SOURCE: USA Today