Stellar Blade is a great first attempt for console gaming from Shift Up. The South Korean gaming company has an eye for quality gaming and Sony Interactive Entertainment saw the potential for a partnership. It seems as though the gamble paid off better than expected.
It seems the success of the Soulslike genre heavily inspired the game developers. The ambitious project resonated well with the gaming community; the numbers do not lie, and the game is a massive hit in the Japanese market.
Stellar Blade and the Soulslike Genre Are Carrying the PlayStation Brand in Japan
Shift Up struck gold with this new franchise and sent the gaming community into a frenzy. All eyes were on the developers leading up to the game’s launch and the fans were already eager to see where the studio would go.
The fans have been asking director Hyung Tae-Kim for an expansion or a sequel for Stellar Blade but have not given any solid answers as to what the studio is working on next.
It is safe to assume that Sony and Shift Up are committed to expanding the series beyond the base game. The Japanese market has held up the PlayStation brand well because of this project and the latest game of FromSoftware and it is evident that the Japanese community is interested in this gaming genre.
Stellar Blade has now sold over 111k physical units in Japan! #StellarBlade
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) July 20, 2024
– Still in the Famitsu top 30 weekly sales chart 3 months after release!
– Stellar Blade and Elden Ring are the only PS5 games in the top 30 chart pic.twitter.com/CtZprbmD6Q
The developers cut corners in the development process of their first console game by focusing more on the combat and less on the narrative. Although it was unconventional, risky, and unorthodox, it paid off immensely. The director appealed to the gaming community and identified which parts of a game worked.
Stellar blade and Elden ring are the only ps5 games
— Senku Harlock 🇵🇸 (@senku_harlock) July 20, 2024
Director Hidetaka Miyazaki went all out for his latest Soulslike game and wanted to teach the player base a valuable lesson of never giving up rather than quitting.
The influence of the Soulslike genre inspired indie game developers to step out of their comfort zone. Game developers and players are benefitting from the genre.
Elden Ring Has Set the Standard for a True Soulslike Experience
Shift Up already accomplished impressive feats with their first attempt and the game received the highest user score on Metacritic. It is a rare achievement but the talent of the developers exceeded expectations.
Other game developers should look at FromSoftware and Shift Up for inspiration and aspire to make great games. The Soulslike genre is not for everybody but there is a target audience that will support any project that even slightly resembles the genre.
Miyazaki collected flowers for the success of his latest game and hinted at the possibility of developing smaller projects with a similar tone. The future of the genre is looking bright and full of potential.
Shift Up will likely continue down this path and improve on what is already great. Fans in Japan are optimistic to see more from the studio.
What are your thoughts about the Stellar Blade sales in Japan? Let us know in the comments section below!
