It takes a lot for a video game to be a success; it either needs to be a very well-made game that gives gamers something new or it needs to be a part of a franchise that already has numerous fans. Sometimes developers even release games that are a combination of these two factors. This is what Hogwarts Legacy was: a game that belonged to a franchise that many loved and also had gameplay mechanics that were fun enough for everyone to try. Helldivers 2 is another such massively successful example.
This combination brought Hogwarts Legacy to some great heights. It was already gaining a lot of popularity when the developers announced it, but once it was launched, it just blew up. Its popularity was such that it became an unmatched success, to such heights that it would be hard for a game to match it anytime soon.
Helldivers 2 would not match sales records for Hogwarts Legacy
Fans were always curious about how it felt to be exploring Hogwarts. There had been a bunch of games before that allowed this but to a very limited extent. This changed when Avalanche Software announced Hogwarts Legacy.
This game was beautiful, and it featured a painstakingly designed Hogwarts. Fans were able to explore every nook and cranny of this place without any invisible walls. They could attend different classes. What’s even better is that the developers even provided them with a whole outside area to explore too.
In no time, gamers were exploring Hogwarts, taking quests, defeating enemies, and uncovering secrets. This was a game that fulfilled every dream a Harry Potter fan could have had. And it was announced that for every platform available, from PlayStation 4 to Nintendo Switch, it was going to be released everywhere.
It’s been more than a year since Hogwarts Legacy launched, and now this game is easily the best-selling game of 2023. By 2024, this game will have already had total lifetime sales of 24 million. It’s an incredible feat. And one analyst suggests that it would be hard to match these numbers in 2024 without a blockbuster release.
In a recent interview with GamesInsider.biz, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella talked about the spending of US consumers in the coming months, and pointed out how things can change.
“Right now my most optimistic outlook is down about 2%, if you start looking a little bit on the more pessimistic side, you’re looking at down about 10%. If things really go sideways, you’re looking at a little bit more.
He also suggested that 2024 would need a very big game to match the success of Hogwarts Legacy. Even though the year opened with successful games like Helldivers 2 and Palworld, it’s still pretty far behind the numbers of Hogwarts Legacy.
This makes sense too, as last year some of the biggest games launched after Hogwarts Legacy. Much-awaited games like Starfield and Spider-Man 2 made their existence known to their fanbases, yet they were not able to match the success of Hogwarts Legacy. Spider-Man 2’s lifetime sales equated to 10 million, while Starfield’s sales records come down to the number of concurrent players due to its availability on Xbox Game Pass.
This is why the industry needs a blockbuster in 2024. Games like Suicide Squad have already gone downhill, and games like Helldivers 2 are just too small to reach those heights.
There are some games that can match this success
While Spider-Man 2 and Starfield failed whereas Hogwarts Legacy succeeded, there’s still a developer and publisher that can bring in this kind of number. That publisher is none other than Nintendo. It has been overlooked that, despite being launched on a single platform, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sold over 20 million copies.
This game was third behind Hogwarts Legacy and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. But it does not look like Nintendo has a new Zelda ready as of now; hence, it would come down to the new Call of Duty game this year. Let’s see what Activision has in store for its fans.
