Rage 2 sales have taken the top spot in the United Kingdom, beating out Days Gone after three weeks of strong sales. The newest bombastic shooter set in the colorfully-destructive universe has done well, but there are several caveats to this good news. Firstly, the sales charts only track physical sales in the UK. Secondly, the sequel has yet to beat out the success of the first game in the franchise.
The debut of Rage 2 has kicked Days Gone off of the top spot in the United Kingdom physical sales charts as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. Days Gone had previously held the top spot for three weeks in a row. The zombie shooter with a kickass motorcycle has since seen its physical sales decline by 38%, dropping it down to second place on the charts.
It’s important to note that digital sales have (unsurprisingly) been growing steadily since 2011, consequently causing a decline in physical sales. Furthermore, Bethesda doesn’t report their digital sales figures, making it a bit difficult to figure out the split for Rage 2 sales between physical and digital sales. Overall, the market for physical sales has been described by GamesIndustry.biz as “weak,” allowing some dark horses like A Plague Tale: Innocence to open at the number 9 spot where it may have otherwise not charted in the top 10.
Rage 2 sales were best on the PS4 at 57%, followed by the Xbox One at 38% and PC at 5%. The PC numbers seem terribly low, but it bears repeating that these are the percentages for physical sales. Bethesda probably made most of their PC sales through digital distribution platforms like Steam and their very own Bethesda.net.
Although Rage 2 has a strong start on the UK physical charts (and entered the charts at a higher position than the first game), it has failed to match the pace of its predecessor. Physical sales of Rage 2 have been one-fourth of what Rage had managed, although we can’t say for sure how much of this can be attributed to the increase in digital game sales.
