- According to Mat Piscatella, Marvel’s Wolverine was the primary reason PS5 sales surged in the US this September.
- The game impacted the 22% year-on-year increase in unit sales even more than GTA 6.
- So far, the Insomniac title has sold 2.5 million copies, becoming the best-selling game in the US last month.
Unlike other Marvel games developed by Insomniac, Marvel’s Wolverine didn’t have the perfect launch. The action-adventure title fell prey to immense criticism online, with players bashing the game for its excessive accessibility options and its unusual visual design.
Even God of War’s creator came out to criticise the Insomniac project, saying Marvel’s Wolverine was offensively uninspired and didn’t do anything creative with the AAA formula. However, a month after its release, the perception of the game is changing, and the title has certainly become a system seller for Sony.
Why it matters: Marvel’s Wolverine going on to become a commercial success that sells consoles, despite all the discourse surrounding the game, lends more evidence to the importance of licensed exclusives.
In a new interview with GamesBeat, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella revealed that Marvel’s Wolverine was primarily responsible for the huge spike in PS5 sales in the US. The console sold 22% more units year-on-year, and the analyst believes Insomniac’s latest title impacted this sudden uptick even more than GTA 6.
We did see some upticks after the Netflix reveal, but then the uptick for Marvel’s Wolverine’s launch week was far bigger. Ballpark, that positive impact was probably 70% driven by Wolverine, 30% GTA VI.
According to Piscatella, the Rockstar game only contributed 30% to this positive impact, as the surge in PS5 sales after Marvel’s Wolverine launched was much bigger than the one observed after GTA 6 gameplay was revealed on Netflix. Hence, the superhero title was 70% responsible for the humongous increase in revenue the console showcased this September.
The analyst also compared the PS5 case to Xbox Series X|S, saying that even though GTA 6 is coming out on both consoles, the Microsoft hardware recorded the worst September sales for an Xbox console in history.
No doubt, the numbers associated with the Wolverine sales impact are just ballpark figures, but the game has certainly turned out to be a successful system seller for Sony. There is still a long way to go before the Insomniac title reaches its sales target, but becoming the best-selling game in the US last month isn’t a bad start.
Do you think Marvel’s Wolverine will turn out to be a success for Sony in the long run? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devotedly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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