Video game fans couldn’t have dreamed of a better start to the year. Highly anticipated titles such as Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, and God of War have lived up to expectations and sold millions of copies. And that’s not all. Many probable bestsellers will be released later this year. As a result, 2022 might be exceptional for players, publishers, and digital distribution services.
There are some years that players consider legendary. For instance, 1998, with such hit releases as Unreal, Starcraft, Half-Life, Grim Fandango, Metal Gear Solid, and Baldur’s Gate, is often cited as the best year in the industry’s history. There’s a good chance that 2022 will be remembered with the same kind of fondness.
God of ports
The year started with the release of God Of War. This long-awaited PC port of the PlayStation bestseller premiered on January 14. Santa Monica Studio and the porting team at Jetpack Interactive did an outstanding job, creating a nearly flawless version of the 2018’s hit. Players have appreciated their efforts. Even though most players have already completed the newest chapter in the Kratos saga, the PC port has sold at least 2 million copies in one month. Gaming analytics at GAMIVO point out that it’s another irrefutable proof that porting console exclusives to PC is a pretty safe and profitable investment.
Therefore, players may expect Sony to offer their jealously guarded treasures to a broader audience. Nathan Drake is another PlayStation icon that will follow in Kratos’s footsteps. Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, which will debut on PC later this year, is expected to recreate the success of Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, and God of War.
“There is, however, an essential condition – the port must be decent and well optimized. Technical issues may sink even the best games”, Mateusz Śmieżewski, CEO at GAMIVO, indicated.
Game of games
Also, PlayStation players can’t complain as they’ve finally got the much-anticipated Horizon Forbidden West. The sequel to the critically acclaimed action RPG set in a world overrun by dinosaur-like machines received very favorable reviews and has become an instant bestseller. Nonetheless, the biggest winner of the first quarter is FromSoftware and their Elden Ring. The creators of the Dark Souls series have a loyal fan base, but casual players have avoided their games due to the high difficulty level. This time, the Japanese studio gave its characteristic formula a little shakeup. Unlike previous souls-like games, Elden Ring features an open world, a well- explained story, and more chances to upgrade a player’s character before facing bosses. Furthermore, the studio hired George R. R. Martin, the Game of Thrones author, to help them develop the game’s lore. As a result, Elden Ring is far more approachable for non-hardcore gamers.
No wonder the game topped lists of the most anticipated releases of 2022. Mateusz Śmieżewski revealed that Elden Ring even broke GAMIVO’s record for the most pre-ordered video game, which shows how many players believed in the project. All their hopes were rewarded right after the premiere. Elden Ring received nearly perfect scores and has sold an impressive 12 million in just three weeks.
Those are only three examples out of many successful games and expansion packs released in early 2022. Players have also appreciated Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Dying Light 2, Sifu, Total War: Warhammer III, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – Dawn of Ragnarok, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, and Cyberpunk 2077’s patch 1.5, to mention only a few.
Promising future
The entire industry, including players, developers, and digital distribution services, holds their fingers crossed that the rest of the year will be equally fruitful. The odds are pretty high as some exciting titles, such as God of War: Ragnarok, Gotham Knights, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, are still to premiere in 2022. Unquestionably, some surprise hits will also emerge. GAMIVO experts suggest that survival games have been flourishing for the last few years, and very likely, a new representative of this genre can become a dark horse that will top the charts, just like Velheim did in 2021.
Successful premieres can, without a doubt, help the video game market expand. According to the Newzoo report, the industry continues to grow each year. It generated 180.3 billion dollars in 2021, and it’s expected to surpass 200 billion dollars in 2023. GAMIVO is a prime example of such growth. The service for gamers offering video games and gaming accessories released its annual financial statement in March. The platform reported 9.3 million dollars in net revenue, which is 48% higher than the 2020’s result.
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