Yesterday, Sony announced that Sucker Punch Productions’ critically-acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima sold over eight million copies within a year and a half of release. And while fans and developers were celebrating the news, it seems to have poured some salt into the wounds of Days Gone developers.
According to former Bend Studio staffer Jeff Ross, Days Gone too sold over eight million copies within a year and a half of release but it was still portrayed as a disappointment. The title has since gone on to sell over a million more copies (and counting) on PC.
At the time I left Sony, Days Gone had been out for a year and a half (and a month), and sold over 8 million copies. It’s since gone on to sell more, and then a million+ on Steam. Local studio management always made us feel like it was a big disappointment. #daysgone #PlayStation https://t.co/KMZr2pGe9r
— Jeff Ross (@JakeRocket) January 5, 2022
Why is Days Gone considered a disappointment?
Days Gone may have sold well, but unlike Ghost of Tsushima, it experienced a lukewarm reception. Days Gone holds a Metacritic score of 71 percent and while it fared better with players, it didn’t receive as much fanfare as the Sucker Punch title, which not only received numerous awards worldwide but it actually made an impact.
For starters, Ghost of Tsushima ended up boosting tourism to the real-life island of Tsushima, and thanks to its popularity, a player-led effort raised enough funds to restore a Shinto torii gate that was damaged by a typhoon. Such was Ghost of Tsushima‘s impact that the game’s creative leads were named tourism ambassadors to the island and were specifically praised for “spreading the name and history of Tsushima through their works.”
In contrast, Days Gone was largely forgotten about and didn’t have a lasting impact. It was also looked at as just another game in the overly saturated zombie genre. Considering Sony’s now focusing on building blockbuster IPs that go beyond video games, it seems that Days Gone just isn’t up to the mark.
Opinion: It’s time to move on for Days Gone
Zarmena writes… While it’s understandable why former, and some current, Bend Studio staffers continue to be upset over the treatment meted out to Days Gone, they need to move on from this. Sony has made no secret of the fact that its metrics for a game’s success don’t start and end with commercial performance. While sales are the most important factor in determining success, Sony has been making an active effort to reach an audience beyond games and it’s been heavily investing into IPs that have the potential to expand. Ghost of Tsushima is one such example, Days Gone is not. Besides, the company already has a zombie juggernaut in The Last of Us, so it doesn’t make sense to greenlight a Days Gone sequel. Let’s leave this one in the vault.
