Will Sony's Spider-Sense predict if PS5 sales will boom on holidays because of Spider-Man 2?
In its quest to meet ambitious PlayStation 5 sales forecasts, Sony Group Corp. appears to keep its hopes up for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. The new game is set to be the company's biggest game of the year, and it could boost the PS5's popularity and, thus, its profitability, according to Bloomberg.
PS5 Struggles Since Its Launch
When the PlayStation 5 made its debut in November 2020, it encountered supply shortages during its initial two years on the market, primarily due to COVID-related disruptions. Because of this, Sony took the unconventional route of releasing some notable PS5 games such as God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West on its predecessor console.
This move has affected the sales of the newer console. As a result, PS5 sales have reached approximately 40 million units, lagging behind its predecessor.
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Sony Hopes Spider-Man 2 to Drive PS5 Sales
Sony aims to sell a staggering 25 million PS5s for the remainder of the year.
Recently, the company introduced slimmer PS5 models to stimulate purchases during the holiday season. The impending launch of Spider-Man 2, an exclusive PS5 game, will also contribute to this sales boost as it will be promoted as part of a console bundle.
Spider-Man 2, developed by Sony-owned Insomniac Games, marks the third installment in the series, following the success of 2018's Spider-Man and 2020's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The first two games collectively sold over 33 million copies, establishing Spider-Man as one of PlayStation's most lucrative franchises. The anticipation surrounding this latest release is substantial.
Creating these blockbuster PlayStation games is no small feat. According to Lewis Ward, a research director at the International Data Corp, recent PlayStation titles have exceeded a $200 million production cost. It is expected that the expenditure for this new superhero sequel could fall within the same range.
Ward stated that "Spider-Man 2 has to be a system seller."
Spider-Man 2 Projected to Be a Holiday Blockbuster
Early reviews of the game have been glowing, with critics ranking it among the year's best.
Jim Ryan, the head of PlayStation, announced his intention to retire by the end of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, Sony's chief rival, Microsoft Corp., completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard Inc., a former key partner for Sony, despite Ryan's strong opposition.
Spider-Man 2 introduces intriguing narrative elements that appear tailor-made for future sequels.
With the hype surrounding Peter Parker and the boys, the game is headed to a hot start. Its PS5 debut is forecasted to be even bigger than expected.
It's safe to say that the future looks bright for Spider-Man 2, and it is highly likely to sell tens of millions of copies, according to Ward.
Earlier this month, Adidas introduced a Symbiote-inspired sneakers from Spider-Man 2. A symbiote is a term used for Venom and its related species.
Meanwhile, Gamesradar reports that you can unlock every Spider-Man 2 suit in the game by following its walkthrough.
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