Alinea Analytics is back with more insight into the industry, based on its proprietary approach.
Some sources say this data is relatively reliable, others point to flaws within its results that require further scrutiny.
I think it’s interesting, assuming we all understand that we’re looking at estimates and not official data.
But analyst Rhys Elliott’s latest report is more important, as it focuses on first-party PS5 games from last year.
There are some big hits here, as well as some misses, so let’s break it down:
It is worth emphasizing that this data only account for the PS5 platform itself, so the PC sales of Death Stranding 2 and Marathon are not. MLB The Show 26 is multiformat as well.
But reading Elliott’s analysis, the takeaway here is that Ghost of Yotei is doing very well, and has seen its sales tail extended with a smart and timely discount.
It feels like MLB The Show 26 is trending a little lower than last year’s game, but that could be due to fatigue or a general softening of interest in baseball now.
Saros is a big problem: Elliott says he has to keep selling at discounts et al, but he’s unlikely to break even now. That’s the real concern in this area, we think the ratings are accurate.
Marathon also seems to have completely failed to connect to consoles, although PC sales should be the biggest draw. I wonder if Sony is worried that it failed to convert customers for this title to the PS5, despite being a studio.
Again, these are just estimates, but it shows me that people are hungry for cinematic single player games for the PlayStation first and foremost. Given this, is it really surprising that the company is doubling down on titles like Marvel’s Wolverine?
I think God of War: Sons of Sparta will probably end up being profitable as it was made by a small indie team, but Elliott is predicting revenue in the region of $4 million for this one. Yes, it adds variety to the PS5 catalog, but it won’t be a footnote to Sony’s balance sheet.
Still, these are interesting estimates. Are you surprised by the sales made here, or does this look a lot like you’d expect? Let us know below.