BioWare's lastest co-op shooter, Anthem, has been a contentious title: fans and critics alike have criticized the title for its repetitive quests, lack of polish, and a general sense that the game has under-delivered. Despite the fact that many gamers have still gone on to enjoy the game, it remains one of BioWare's worst-reviewed games of all time. Perhaps, then, it should be no surprise that the game is already being discounted on Amazon.
Anthem has been out for for just over a week (or two, when you consider EA early access). The game was labelled as a potential Destiny killer, but a myriad of game design problems and a string of negative reviews ahead of its full launch have undoubtedly curtailed sales for the game. In the United Kingdom, for instance, Anthem sold just 10% of what the first Destiny sold in its first week.
It's likely that Amazon sales are far behind initial expectations too , as the online retail giant has just slashed physical Anthem copies from $59.99 to $50.99 in a bid to boost sales. Amazon hasn't revealed its online Anthem sales numbers, but games that are selling like hot cakes don't usually get an unexpected discount so shortly after launch. It's not known how long the discounted price will remain in effect for, so gamers still interested in Anthem might want to act quickly. Then again, larger sales may come later as companies that over-purchased physical stock attempt to clear valuable shelf space.
Despite the negativity surrounding the title, Anthem producer Michael Gamble stated that "lots of folks" were playing the title, assuaging fans that BioWare would not be shuttered after initially poor Anthem sales metrics. The studio pushed out a large Day One patch for the title, and will undoubtedly be working on fixes to help improve the standard of the game to a level that satisfies its fanbase.
It's been a long road for the Anthem developers, and it's far from the end yet. Games like Rainbow Six Siege have proven that a game's playerbase can be grown over time, so both BioWare and Electronic Arts will be looking at how to mimic this long term success. For now, though, the Amazon discount is indicative of a struggling launch window that has left much room for improvement.
Anthem is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Amazon