Physical Sales of Resident Evil: Requiem Outperform Xbox Versions, Reveals New Report
- Resident Evil: Requiem sold 1.3 million physical copies on PlayStation, generating 15% of its overall revenue.
- Physical sales accounted for a significant portion of revenue for other games, including Wolverine and Pragmata.
- Japan demonstrates a strong preference for physical copies, impacting total sales figures and leading to Sony’s new digital strategies.
A recent report indicates that physical disc-based sales of Resident Evil: Requiem on PlayStation may surpass those of all versions on Xbox. This insight comes from Alinea Analytics analyst Rhys Elliot, who detailed the findings in a published newsletter analyzing top PlayStation titles by physical copies sold.
According to Elliot’s estimates, Resident Evil: Requiem achieved 1.3 million physical sales, contributing 15% to the game’s total revenue and 30.2% of its revenue from PlayStation. Remarkably, physical copies generated 1.8 times more revenue on PlayStation than all copies—digital and physical—sold on Xbox.
The report also highlights that physical sales for titles like 007 First Light, Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and Crimson Desert are below 30% of their total sales. Although this represents a minority for those games, it still contributes significantly to overall revenue. For instance, among the examples cited, Wolverine sold 800,000 physical copies, making up 30% of its revenue from total sales of 2.6 million.
In Japan, a more robust market for physical game sales has emerged. First-party PlayStation titles and Japanese-focused games, particularly from Capcom, exhibit higher ratios of physical sales. Elliot notes that 44% of Pragmata’s copies sold were physical, and similarly, 44.1% of Onimusha: Way of the Sword’s sales were also physical. Japan accounted for 12% of Onimusha’s sales and 11% of Pragmata’s. This consumer behavior appears to substantially affect global sales statistics.
In light of these trends, Sony has introduced a digital-only PS5 Black model, exclusive to Japan, priced at $350, with an additional disc drive available for $75. Elliot suggests this strategy may serve to encourage Japanese consumers towards digital game purchases.
Contrasting the success of physical sales in single-player titles, sports games reflect a different trend. PlayStation’s top-selling game, FC 27, attributes only 8.9% of its sales to physical copies. Elliot connects the overall popularity of physical sales on PlayStation to the backlash Sony has experienced regarding its move toward digital-only games.
Recently, PlayStation founder Ken Kutaragi remarked that discs have become a “metaphor for ‘owning’ games,” suggesting the discomfort surrounding their discontinuation relates to consumer mentality. Despite the associated backlash, Sony has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing digital strategies.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
