The PlayStation first-party lineup is stacked with new and exciting experiences for gamers of all interests. Marvel's Spider-Man delivers fast-paced thrills while The Last of Us tells a gritty story. There's no shortage of variety on PlayStation platforms, and because of this, the biggest competition may sometimes come from within. Days Gone hit the PS4 in 2019 to a somewhat mixed reception, with a launch plagued by bugs and criticism aimed at the storyline's familiar themes. This seemed to eliminate hope of Days Gone ever receiving a sequel.

In the following year of 2020, Sucker Punch launched the immensely successful Ghost of Tsushima, an open-world action game that lets players take control of a lone samurai named Jin Sakai. Earning multiple Game of the Year nominations and huge praise from players, Ghost of Tsushima cemented itself as another solid entry into the first-party PlayStation lineup. It joins a long list of titles before it, that enjoyed both critical and commercial success, something which Days Gone didn't quite live up to, particularly the latter category. At least, that's how things seemed until new information recently popped up.

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Days Gone Lifetime Sales Numbers

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Because of the aforementioned lukewarm response to Days Gone when it first became available, it quickly became apparent that it just wasn't on the same playing field as other major PlayStation games. Days Gone wasn't a bad game by any means, nor did it have negative reviews, it just paled in comparison to what fans were used to seeing from the publisher. Because of this, it seemed like there was a notion that the title may have underperformed in terms of financial return, something that would hurt the chance of a sequel.

This was further supported by reports last year that a pitch for a sequel to Days Gone was rejected by Sony, prompting Bend Studio to begin production on an entirely new IP. Fans began to organize petitions in an attempt to convince Sony to reconsider, but the plea seemed to fall on deaf ears. Bend Studio seems to have moved on from the short-lived universe of Days Gone, even if Deacon St. John could have been the centerpiece for even more adventures in the future.

The reviews for Days Gone may have been believed to be a key factor in affecting its sales. At the end of the day, gaming is a business and if a game does well, Sony will likely fast-track a follow up to keep the ball rolling. However, another new detail has come to light, and it is the most surprising of all. Days Gone director Jeff Ross took to social media after Sucker Punch announced that Ghost of Tsushima had sold 8 million copies. It's certainly an impressive number, but Jeff Ross revealed that Days Gone had also hit that milestone by December of 2020.

The Pressure of Success on PlayStation

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This new revelation about how Days Gone sales compare fairly equally to Ghost of Tsushima's sent fans into an uproar earlier this week. The prime reason is that, while Sucker Punch's new franchise seems to have been put on a pedestal by Sony, the company will meanwhile ignore the similar financial success of Days Gone. Many fans feel this is unfair and extremely bizarre, as both games on paper have proven to be profitable hits for the company.

So it really begged the question for fans, why one IP would warrant being in the spotlight while the other was essentially cast aside. Bend Studio is no less ambitious than Sucker Punch, with just as much talent under its roof. Jeff Ross has recently revealed that aside from the rejected Days Gone sequel pitch, Sony also turned down an idea he had for an open world Resistance game.

While the sales are always a large part of the success and reputation of a game, in the case of PlayStation, there may be a bit more integrity at play aside from just making the big bucks. The company has made a name for itself to deliver some of the biggest and best titles in the entire industry, games that are able to innovate and entertain on a massive scale. Days Gone is certainly a good game, but there's a chance that being just 'good' didn't quite cut it in the eyes of Sony.

Days Gone is out now for PC and PS4.

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