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SuperData thinks Sony has struck gold with its latest new PS4 IP. Horizon Zero Dawn arrives in the UK next week, and has already been receiving glowing reviews, boasting a current Metacritic average of 88 per cent. In fact, the game will do so well that it will rival established IP such as Uncharted, the company has predicted.
Initial positive reviews of Horizon Zero Dawn are promising for the Sony empire,” SuperData Research CEO Joost van Dreunen said. The first wave of opinions by industry reviewers on Guerrilla Games’ new title, Horizon Zero Dawn, suggest that it will be a favourite among consumers.
Based on our initial observations we believe that Horizon Zero Dawn can sell around 4-6m units by end of 2017, given its early in the year release. Lifetime sales will likely be around 6-8m, which puts it in the same category as Uncharted 4 and Metal Gear Solid V.”
Dreunen also believes the timing of the release is very important, as next-gen hardware sales start to soften.
Horizon Zero Dawn is strong strategic move by Sony as competitors move in,” he added. The release of Horizon Zero Dawn is a key moment for Sony’s PlayStation, because hardware sales have been softening for Sony and the company is increasingly going to rely on successful game releases.
Now that we are in the second half of the current console cycle forces Sony and its rival Microsoft into a price war for the more risk-averse consumers that typically enter the market at this stage. And the release of the Nintendo Switch in early March will further increase the pressure on Sony to remain the platform of choice for the current gamer generation.
To date, Sony has sold 54M units sold worldwide, compared to 26M for the Xbox One. The release of the game as a platform exclusive suggests that this gap will only widen as consumers flock to play Horizon Zero Dawn.”
