Square Enix and PlatinumGames RPG NieR: Automata has sold more than 500,000 copies in Japan and Asia. Automata previously surpassed sales expectations in its first month of availability, as Square Enix had not expected the game to be such a huge success.

It has now been confirmed that NieR: Automata has moved more than 500,000 copies in terms of physical shipments and digital sales on PS4 alone in Japan and Asia. In a celebratory tweet, the NieR team explains that it had announced the achievement at a pre-release event at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)'s offices in Taipei ahead of the game's Asia launch on April 27. The NieR team also thanked everyone for their "support" ahead of the game's PC release in the region.

As the game is a JRPG, it may not seem surprising that NieR: Automata has sold such a high figure in Japan and Asia. It may also seem unsurprising to know that at least Japanese physical sales accounts for 300,000 of that tally. However, it is remarkable given that the first NieR game was not such a huge hit.

Although the 2010 game does have a cult following behind it, mixed reviews meant that it didn't sell particularly well on PS3 or Xbox 360 and in seven months it sold around 134,000 copies in Japan. In comparison, NieR: Automata has sold almost three times that much on one platform in just over a month in the country.

And that figure may well grow too. While the PC release of the game in Japan and Asia is sure to have an impact, recently released downloadable content for the game could also move the needly quite a bit. The first piece of NieR: Automata DLC lets players fight the Square Enix CEO, which is nothing short of hilarious if not intriguing enough to get people to buy it.

One big question though, is when the sales success will (literally) pay off for NieR: Automata's developers. Game director Yoko Taro and executive producer Yosuke Saito recently revealed that they have yet to be paid for their work on the game. Though, should the game sell enough (and presumably if the developers finally get their payday), a remake of the original NieR game could be on the cards.

NieR: Automata is available for PC and PS4.

Source: Siliconera