Bulletstorm targeting 1m sales

The co-developer of EA’s console and PC shooter Bulletstorm has said it is hopeful that the game will beat the 1m unit sales mark.

"We got a reorder on day one from one of the big US retailers that focuses on games," Epic Games president Mike Capps told IndustryGamers. "That was a pretty good feeling.

"[Launching a new IP] is really hard. I read something that less than one per cent of console games this generation launched as new IP sold a million units. So if you don’t sell a million units you lost money, basically. I’m pretty confident we’ll be on the good side of that number. I’d rather sell Gears-type numbers that’d be fantastic."

Capps also confessed that much of the controversy that surrounded the game pre-launch – including a quite unbelievable report from Fox News – probably contributed to the game’s commercial success.

"There are two ways to answer the question," he explained. "The first is what it does for Bulletstorm and the second is what it does for the industry.

"For what it did for Bulletstorm – yes, there were people who were very excited about any attention at all. For a game that’s over-the-top, they probably helped sell more units than they convinced people to pick at us.

"What was most exciting about it for me [was the reaction from the media in the industry defending us]. Every journalist said this Fox report is junk. It’s wonderful to see a media that’s defending free speech. As for what it does for the industry as a whole I think it’s terrible. There are people who really respect Fox News’ opinions and look at that and are [convinced that video games are bad]."