Black Ops 3 DLC, Rise of Iron Top PS4 Add-Ons of 2016
By Cody Gravelle 05 January 2017
The official US PlayStation blog reveals the top selling PlayStation store add-ons in 2016, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 DLC and Destiny: Rise of Iron leading the pack.
Gaming retrospectives after a new year has been rung in can be entertaining as well as insightful, and the past year was full of unexpected moments. In 2016, modern video game development and structure were challenged repeatedly by releases like Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Pokemon GO, both of which went on to huge financial success despite the latter’s heavily criticized gameplay. Perhaps the most surprising success of the past year, however, was the fact that Rocket League was the most downloaded game in 2016 on the PlayStation Network, surpassing AAA juggernauts like Call of Duty and Battlefield on its way to the top.
The US PlayStation blog – the source of that intriguing Rocket League statistic – has also provided gamers with insights into the most popular PlayStation 4 add-ons of 2016. That category is particularly important because it can demonstrate which games have the potential for a long life-cycle after release, as gamers continue to purchase more content and exhibit interest in a game months after its new-release shine has worn off. In 2016, it was two titles – Call of Duty: Black Ops 3‘s DLC and Destiny: Rise of Iron – that stood out on the sales charts.
For Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, it was a return to form for a title that initially struggled to impress fans of the series who had felt they had seen what the game had to offer many times before. The release of well-received multiplayer DLC like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3‘s Salvation helped keep interest in the game high, and Black Ops 3‘s position at the top of the PS4 add-on sales chart is one that likely won’t shock any gamer familiar with the series’ status as a sales machine.
Destiny: Rise of Iron, on the other hand, might have taken more fans by surprise. It wasn’t too long ago that critics were writing obituaries for Destiny 2 well ahead of its release, but Bungie has listened to fans over the past year and delivered the kind of additional content that draws gamers back to titles they had given up on. Destiny: Rise of Iron has been heavily praised as a shot in the arm for Bungie’s constantly evolving mixture of MMORPG and FPS elements, and the PlayStation blog provides some hard evidence for its effectiveness.
Overall, the news from the PlayStation blog confirms that 2016 was a strong year for innovation, but that traditionally big games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and Destiny: Rise of Iron managed to keep up with quality additional content. It’s an encouraging sign that should make fans of either series excited for their overall direction.
