One of the lead developers on Sony for making it seem like the game was a disappointment even though its sales figures matched those of other renowned AAA titles. Last year the 2019 zombie title ceased being a PlayStation 4 exclusive with the debut of a PC port that has performed well with its own sales numbers.
In spite of mixed reviews upon its initial release, Days Gone managed to cultivate a substantial player base that longed for a sequel. When it was reported that Sony rejected the idea of a Days Gone 2, fans only intensified their calls for a follow-up installment going so far as to create a petition that acquired over 100,000 signatures. The mixed critical reception and a lengthy development on the first game were some of the reasons Sony cited as to why it decided to on the project. Yet even with those issues, Days Gone has performed well for its publisher, a fact that one of the title's lead developers recently pointed out.
Ghost of Tsushima, another Sony exclusives, reached an impressive 8 million copies sold milestone. In response to this news, Days Gone's game director Jeff Ross tweeted that the survival-horror zombie title reached a similar milestone in about the same amount of time. Ross went even further stating that Days Gone has sold even more copies since then, helped along by the PC port that added a million more sales on Steam. In spite of these numbers, the game director lamented that local studio management still made those involved feel like the project was a disappointment.
Upon release, Days Gone's mixed critical reception proved to be detrimental as it seemed to work against the game's stellar opening sales figures that had it atop the PlayStation store the month it debuted. The reception difference between Ghost of Tsushima and Days Gone is likely the reason why the former is receiving recognition for the milestone, even though both performed about the same sales-wise over the same amount of time. In contrast, Ghost of Tsushima received stellar reviews and was even in the running for 2020's Game of the Year. Though zombie title's financial success was not maintained in the months immediately after release, the game still found a way to reach impressive overall sales numbers.
Unfortunately it seems Days Gone's 8 million mark came too late. Price reduction is a key sales tactic to help push titles that do not do as well as planned upon release and its appears most of Days Gone's fans came sometime after the full price markdown. Money talks and it speaks loudest to gaming studios in the first few months following a title's debut.
Days Gone is available to play now across PC, PS4, and PS5 platforms.
Source: Game Informer, Jeff Ross/Twitter
