Death Stranding has Japan’s Biggest Launch of a New IP this Generation

Hideo Kojima’s newest game, Death Stranding, just released on PlayStation 4 last week. Now, sales data for the game is starting to trickle in, and the game is doing pretty well. According to the Game Data Library on Twitter, Death Stranding had the biggest launch in Japan for a new IP this generation with an estimated 185,909 copies sold at retail in the country.


Death Stranding pushed Yakuza spinoff Judgement out of the top spot by over 30 thousand additional copies sold. The game also beat out From Software mega hits Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bloodbourne to achieve this feat. The Game Data Library also points out that unlike the other three games, that follow a formula that the developers had been implementing and improving on for years, Kojima didn’t do that with Death Stranding making it unique in that regard. However, the Game Data Library can see the game not having the legs to have high future sales specifically pointing out the game having three times the launch sales of the Switch exclusive Ring Fit Adventure, but predicting Ring Fit Adventure to outsell Death Stranding in the long run.

Death Stranding also placed second behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in sales during its launch week in the UK. With how divisive the game has been with both critics and players alike, currently sitting at an 83 on Metacritic with 6.4 user score, it will be interesting to see sales data for other major countries, like the US, when that data is available. Death Stranding is currently available exclusively on PlayStation 4. The game will also be heading to PC via both the Epic Games and Steam in early Summer 2020.

Zachary Dalton: I have a major passion for video games, the stories they tell, and writing about them. Avid believer that video games present the best storytelling opportunities out of any media, and that needs to be conveyed. Former competitive Pokemon player. Attended university to study game development. Wouldn't be who I am today without games.
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