Without a doubt, the launch of Electronic Arts and BioWare's new action-RPG Anthem hasn't been without its flaws. Whether it was due to the inordinate amount of lengthy load times, the unpredictable server disconnects during expeditions, or even the sizeable surprise update just one day after release, it's safe to say many have walked away disappointed. With this being the case, a lot of these issues and more may have dissuaded gamers from purchasing the title, as it has now been revealed that Anthem's physical sales for its first week in the UK only reached around 10% of what Destiny 1 sold during its first week in the region.
This information regarding Anthem's physical sales in the UK comes from the video games industry analyst at Niko Partners, Daniel Ahmad. If these details are accurate, then it means that roughly 40,000 boxed copies of Anthem were sold in the UK during its first week, as the original Destiny sold around 417,000 tangible copies in the region during its first week. This also means that BioWare's previous effort, Mass Effect: Andromeda, had first week physical sales that were more than double that of Anthem's.
It is worth noting, though, that the UKIE/GfK has published its Top 10 in sales for the week ending on February 23, 2019, and Anthem has officially taken the number one spot on the physical sales charts for the UK. So, despite only having sold around 10% of what Destiny 1 did in its first week in the region, Anthem has still managed to beat out other new releases such as Metro Exodus and Far Cry: New Dawn for the time being.
Plus, even though the meager figures for Anthem's physical sales in the UK paint a picture of a grim future to come, there's always the chance that the action-RPG scored big when it comes to digital sales. After all, BioWare has primarily designed the release to be a live service that caters to multiplayer fans, and many people who partake in products of this ilk often purchase these games digitally.
So, despite what looks to be poor physical sales at the outset, it will be interesting to see how Anthem performed in the digital marketplace at launch in order to get a much clearer perspective on the initial size and interest of its user base, as well as how much larger the game's audience could grow. Speaking of player retention and growth, though, the game already has stiff competition for the road ahead insofar as looter-shooters are concerned, with Tom Clancy's The Division 2 set to launch next month, and Destiny 2's Season of the Drifter occurring soon.
Anthem is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Source: ResetEra