KUALA LUMPUR: Just days before a major video game release next week, Sony PlayStation has found itself facing two major developments that further highlight its apparent incompetence.
The company announced that its current flagship exclusive title, Marvel’s Wolverine, has sold 2.4 million copies.
While that is a sizeable figure, several factors need to be considered:
- Marvel’s Wolverine was developed by a team of more than 3,000 people.
- The game’s budget is reportedly more than US$300 million, excluding marketing costs.
- The Marvel brand and the Wolverine/X-Men intellectual property have enjoyed enormous popularity since the 1980s.
- It took PlayStation around 50 days to reach that sales figure.
By those measures, the numbers are underwhelming.
For comparison, Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time sold more than five million copies in its first four days following its release on Nov 6.
And that is a remake of an existing game, with production costs considerably lower than those of Marvel’s Wolverine. Yes, the PlayStation exclusive topped the sales charts in the United States and Europe, but being No. 1 in sales and selling enough copies to turn a profit are two very different things.
The other major development? PlayStation has cancelled its upcoming online shooting game, Fairgames.
While developer Haven Studios will thankfully remain intact and serve as a support studio for the company, the cancellation nevertheless highlights the publisher’s flawed strategy of relying heavily on live-service games across its catalogue during the latter stages of the PlayStation 5’s life cycle.
Alongside the short-lived Concord in 2025, the cancelled multiplayer online projects based on The Last of Us and Spider-Man, which could have delivered long-term returns, and the reworked Horizon Hunters Gathering, which nobody asked for, this represents another string of setbacks for what was once a revered gaming juggernaut.
Journalists, media outlets and content creators in Southeast Asia and elsewhere who continue to defend the company in exchange for their precious exclusive access are, frankly, deluding themselves.
The company should be thankful that it at least has Grand Theft Auto 6 to persuade prospective customers to buy a PlayStation 5. That should hold for the next year or so, until the game’s eventual PC port arrives.
Short Beats
Jensen Huang has resigned as chief executive officer of graphics card maker Nvidia.
Grand Theft Auto VI has surpassed 10 million pre-orders, generating more than US$1 billion in revenue. The game is scheduled for release on Nov 19.
Peripheral maker Logitech is giving its employees time off to play Grand Theft Auto VI.
Square Enix’s upcoming Japanese role-playing game, Romancing SaGa 3: Destinies United, will now be released on Feb 4, 2027. Its release was previously scheduled for Feb 16, 2027.
Games Of The Week
Warhammer Survivors is a 2D bullet-heaven game set in the Warhammer: Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000 universes. Play as more than 40 iconic champions from both franchises and take on swarms of enemies across repeated runs and challenges. Available on PC, it is our pick of the week.
Football Manager 27 is the latest entry in the long-running football management simulation series, combining strategy and role-playing elements within its sporting framework. Available on PC and consoles.
Takeover 2 is a classic 2D side-scrolling beat-’em-up featuring 21 stages, four playable characters, stylish visuals and a catchy synthwave-influenced soundtrack.
Tanuki: Pon’s Summer is an open-world life simulation game in which you play as Pon the tanuki, restoring the neighbourhood shrine before summer ends while delivering packages.
Dreadmoor is a dark, first-person fishing adventure in which you fish in murky waters, upgrade your boat, craft survival equipment and battle monstrous creatures lurking in the depths. Available in Early Access on PC via Steam.
Sonic Pico Park is a co-operative action-puzzle game featuring characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Play locally or online with between two and eight players.
Midwest 90: Rapid City is a Malaysian-made tycoon survival simulation set during a monster apocalypse. Run a roadhouse serving monster meat and decide whether to prioritise profits or help the city survive. Available in Early Access on PC via Steam.
Recommended Viewing
Gamers Nexus has released a video investigating the black market for Nvidia AI GPUs in China. The investigation is particularly relevant given the latest developments surrounding the graphics card manufacturer.