EA exec projects Mass Effect: Andromeda will sell 3 million copies in its first week , which could mean the company expects to sell 6 to 9 million in total.

While discussing third-quarter financial results yesterday, Electronic Arts executive Blake Jorgensen revealed that the company is expecting the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda to shift three million units in its first week. Jorgensen bases this number on the six million copies Mass Effect 3 sold in total, though he did not give exact details on the math behind the new figures.

Electronic Arts has, from the very beginning, touted the sales potential of Mass Effect: Andromeda as the entire saga has always done well, a line Jorgensen continued yesterday by saying that first-week sales should make up somewhere between 30 to 50 percent of total sales. Though he would not give a projection himself, this would mean EA is expecting to sell between six and nine million copies of the new Mass Effect game.

This would make Mass Effect: Andromeda one of the best selling games of the year if present trends continue. As most game publishers are hesitant to publish hard numbers on copies sold, for example we know Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was the best selling game of 2016 despite a lack of exact figures, it remains hard to gauge at this early stage how sales will pan out over the year. However, Mass Effect 3 only just missed the top 10 for 2012, so Electronic Arts is probably aiming for a similar spot.

Bold figures indeed, though it's not inconceivable that Mass Effect: Andromeda will do well as Electronic Arts and BioWare have poured their heart and soul into assuring that the game will be a success. Also on board is the marketing department, which have set up a strong campaign to spread the word of the new game far and wide. These factors combined are likely the reason the company are taking the opposite approach to the wait-and-see strategy employed with Titanfall 2.

Whether or not the expectations of Electronic Arts will come true remains to be seen as consumers are fickle creatures at best. In the case of Mass Effect: Andromeda, it will be interesting if the bitter disappointment that followed the ending of the first trilogy still lingers with fans. If, however, gamers can move past that and the new galaxy the developers have created hits the right tone with the audience, Andromeda is a lock for success.

Mass Effect: Andromeda releases March 21, 2017 on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.