Horizon: Zero Dawn Predicted to Sell 8 Million Copies
By Kyle Sledge 21 February 2017
A research firm predicts that Guerrilla Games’ forthcoming open world adventure, Horizon: Zero Dawn, stands to sell 8 million copies within its lifetime.
With the release date for Horizon: Zero Dawn being just one short week away from happening, it stands to reason that the excitement surrounding what many consider to be one of the most highly anticipated video games of 2017 is at its highest point yet. Taking into account the droves of fans eagerly awaiting its launch, some are predicting that the game will go on to become a massive sales success, with the research firm known as Super Data claiming Horizon: Zero Dawn will eventually reach a point of having its total sales result in 8 million units being moved.
As reported by GameSpot, the new report from SuperData claims Horizon: Zero Dawn will move as many as 6 million copies by the end of 2017, and that total sales within the open world action-RPG’s lifespan will top out at around 8 million overall. Should this occur, then Guerrilla Games’ fresh IP would be on the level of other blockbusters such as Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief‘s End and Konami’s Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.
Found within SuperData’s report for Horizon: Zero Dawn, the research firm’s CEO Joost van Dreunen said that the game’s exceedingly positive reviews from critics is an element that could most definitely help to increase sales for the PlayStation 4 exclusive. Van Dreunen went on to add that the launch of Horizon: Zero Dawn is coming at a “key moment” for Sony due to the fact that hardware sales have begun to slow down, with video game companies needing to rely more so on software sales than anything.
Although information from Sony’s latest earnings report has shown that PlayStation 4 sales have continued to increase year-over-year – to be specific, the company has sold upwards of 54 million PS4s to date – SuperData’s assertion of console purchases beginning to become more decelerated across the board certainly holds weight. For instance, there has also been some recent data compiled and published by the NPD Group pointing to overall hardware dollar sales falling in the United States.
While the prediction of positive sales for Horizon: Zero Dawn is certainly good news for Guerrilla Games and its fans, perhaps the most interesting tidbit in SuperData’s report relates to Joost van Dreunen saying that by being bolstered by strong reviews, the open world title stands a chance at encouraging a lot of newcomers to purchase a PlayStation 4. Essentially, the research firm’s CEO suggests that Horizon: Zero Dawn has the potential to push Sony even further ahead of Microsoft as the de facto leader of the “console wars” by more thoroughly overtaking the Xbox One, with van Dreunen saying, “The release of the game as a platform exclusive suggests that this gap will only widen as consumers flock to play Horizon: Zero Dawn.” While this remains to be seen, it’s without a doubt a cogent argument, as the Xbox One has only sold a reported 26 million units so far.
Horizon: Zero Dawn is set to release on February 28, 2017 for PlayStation 4.
