Gaming
37.5+ million copies of Xbox’s best-selling games wasted, according to fans
Microsoft recently released their earnings report for quarter three, revealing that their profits for Xbox content and services have increased a whopping 34% this quarter. Despite this, they claim to have never made a profit from selling the consoles themselves, meaning most of this profit is made from the sales of games. This led ManySpins to investigate exactly how satisfied gamers are with the games they purchase from Xbox.
Using a list of the 20 best-selling Xbox One games, they used Metacritic’s user score to find out exactly what players thought of the games they had purchased. Metacritic’s user scores range from 0-10, with higher scores indicating better reviews from the gaming community.
Xbox One’s best-selling games that disappointed fans most:
Xbox One Game | Number of Copies Sold Worldwide | User Score (Metacritic) | Number of copies potentially wasted | |
#1 | PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds | 8 million | 49% | 4,080,000 |
#2 | Call of Duty: Black Ops III | 7.37 million | 46% | 3,979,800 |
#3 | Call of Duty: WWII | 6.23 million | 43% | 3,551,100 |
#4 | Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare | 4.79 million | 38% | 2,969,800 |
#5 | Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | 5.22 million | 55% | 2,349,000 |
#6 | Star Wars Battlefront | 4.14 million | 45% | 2,277,000 |
#7 | Assassin’s Creed Unity | 3.58 million | 45% | 1,969,000 |
#8 | Grand Theft Auto V | 8.72 million | 79% | 1,831,200 |
#9 | FIFA 17 | 3.71 million | 52% | 1,780,800 |
#10 | Halo 5: Guardians | 4.92 million | 64% | 1,771,200 |
ManySpins can reveal the game with the most copies potentially wasted is PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The game has sold a total of 8 million copies so far, but with only 49% of players happy with their purchase, around 4 million copies have been wasted.
Call of Duty games claim spots 2 to 5 of the most wasted games, with a grand total of nearly 13 million copies wasted between the four games. COD is known for being expensive as part of Xbox’s triple A games, and as there are now 24 COD games, it is easy to see how Microsoft could be more focussed on profits rather than quality gaming.
Coming sixth is Star Wars Battlefront, and with just 45% of players happy with the game that means an estimated 2.2 million copies went to waste. Eighth is Grand Theft Auto V with approximately 1.8 million copies wasted, followed by FIFA 17 in ninth (estimated 1.7 million copies wasted).
Rounding up the top 10 most disappointing Xbox One games is Halo 5: Guardians. Selling a grand total of 4.9 million copies and with a score of 64%, around 1.7 million copies of this game were potentially wasted on unhappy customers.
Kevin Roos, expert from ManySpins.com said: “Many of Xbox’s games are £50-60 on release, so despite making a loss on the consoles, Microsoft generates a lot of income through the sales of games and gaming passes. It’s not surprising that their profits have increased during the pandemic with more people spending longer at home and less time commuting.”
He added: “Microsoft knows that they can sell their consoles for a loss and still make money, especially if they keep bringing out new consoles meaning gamers have to purchase new versions of their games to continue playing.”
Methodology:
- ManySpins.com used Wikipedia’s list of ‘best-selling Xbox One games’ to find the 20 best-selling video games on Xbox One.
- They then searched each game on Metacritic to find the user score for each game, specifically the Xbox One editions.
- ManySpins.com then ranked the games from best to worst based on their Metacritic user score to find which best-selling Xbox Ones games players were most disappointed by.
- Number of copies potentially wasted was calculated by multiplying the games’ total sales from Wikipedia’s list by the percentage of negative reviews on Metacritic. These are approximate values only.
All data is correct as of 10/05/2021, but is subject to change.
Gaming
AI Gives Horses for Courses True Meaning in ‘Owners Club’ Racing Game
Invincible GG, a groundbreaking competitive gaming platform and technology company, has outlined the latest AI developments of its interactive mobile horse racing game, Owners Club, which is set to provide a new injection of interest into the ancient sports of kings.
Following a successful game launch in Q3 2024 and activations at the Doncaster St. Leger and York Ebor festivals, thousands of Owners Club players have started to formulate an expansive game world that gives the masses the true feeling of horse ownership, breeding, and racing experiences.
Being founded on the latest in AI and Web3 technologies allows the game to evolve with more nuance over time, with the former being implemented to enhance users’ strategic horse development and create developing traits and performance benefits that can lead to further self-training opportunities in-game.
Each horse has its own unique, nuanced genetics and racing traits. These can be trained via evolving in-game activity—which will include collaborative intelligence in future releases and passed on to future colts and fillies to create racing dynasties that will stand the test of time while also bringing in lucrative in-game winnings and potential syndicate stud earnings.
Further features include an AI-powered event simulation engine (instead of predetermined RNGs), and sophisticated algorithms that factor in horse health, jockey decisions, and environmental factors that ensure Owners Club races maintain tension and excitement throughout, just as racing fans in the real world would experience from the grandstand.
Jonathan Strause, Invincible GG CEO, said: “Gamers of today want more than static, insular game worlds. They’re looking for immersive experiences in evolving ecosystems, multiplayer competition, and the feeling that they’re fully integrated into the game. Owners Club is offering just that for both current racing enthusiasts and the next generation of racing fans.
“With unrivaled AI integration into the theoretically unlimited stable of in-game horses, combined with back-end Web3 technology that empowers players to easily realize what true thoroughbred ownership and training feels like, Owners Club players can forge their own relationship with horse racing via the gamification of training, racing, and trading in the app, which can only help the future engagement of this ancient pastime.”
Owners Club will be showcased to its biggest live audience yet at the QIPCO British Champions Day on 19th October, 2024, with live races broadcasted as-live to screens around Ascot, with various prizes on offer for the winning owners.
Gaming
Evoplay introduces action-packed skill-based title Adrenaline Rush to wider operator network
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, is expanding the availability of its flagship 3D racing title Adrenaline Rush to all of its operator partners, following a successful exclusive release.
Adrenaline Rush combines the thrill of high-speed racing skill-based gaming mechanics, providing an immersive experience for players who enjoy a strategic and competitive edge in their gameplay. Players can engage in intense races where success is determined by both speed and skill, making it a standout title in Evoplay’s diverse portfolio.
Following its main global release on October 8th, Evoplay is set to launch two additional versions of the game, slot title Adrenaline Rush: Super Boost on October 22nd, and crash game Adrenaline Rush: XCrash on November 5th, creating an expanded offering that caters to a variety of player preferences.
Released initially as an exclusive, Adrenaline Rush has already garnered attention for its innovative mechanics and immersive gameplay, earning the Skill Games Supplier award at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards. With this wider release, Evoplay’s global operator network will now be able to offer the title to an even broader audience.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Adrenaline Rush is a one-of-a-kind experience that perfectly blends competitive racing with skill-based gaming. Since its launch, it has resonated strongly with players, and we’re thrilled to now offer this exciting title to all of our operator partners globally.”
“The upcoming releases of the equally popular slot and crash versions will ensure that Adrenaline Rush remains a fan favourite across multiple formats.”
Asia
SuperGaming announces official launch date for Made-in-India-for-the-world battle royale Indus; epic cinematic trailer also unveiled
SuperGaming, India’s leading game development studio, has officially announced the launch date of its highly anticipated Made-in-India-for-the-world battle royale, Indus. Set to release on October 16th, Indus will be available for download on both Android and iOS platforms, via the Google Play Store and iOS App Store respectively offering players an exciting new battle royale experience.
After recently entering open beta, mass testing amongst players across the world coupled with their invaluable feedback has been instrumental in shaping the game’s development. The immensely successful beta phase attracted players into the action-packed world of Indus, building significant momentum ahead of its release. With over 12.5 million pre-registrations on Android alone, Indus is ready to deliver a fresh, thrilling & immersive battle royale experience, setting the stage for one of the biggest game launches out of India this year.
Speaking on the announcement of the much-anticipated launch, Roby John, Co-founder and CEO of SuperGaming, said, “With the launch of Indus, we’re not just introducing a game—we’re presenting a unique take on the battle royale genre to the world. Our vision with Indus has always been to showcase Indian Art and Culture through unique characters, weapons and stories rooted in Indian heritage while also bringing our dual win condition with Cosmium and a never done before “Grudge” feature to a popular game genre. The overwhelming support from our community during the beta phase has helped us fine-tune key aspects of Indus, and we’re excited for the world to experience Indus and see what the SuperGaming team has built”
Alongside the release date announcement, SuperGaming has also unveiled an epic cinematic trailer. It offers an exciting look where players engage in high-stakes combat across a vast and dynamic battleground.
Centered around Adi, the trailer highlights his journey within the world of Virlok. As the leader of his squad, Adi enters Virlok with two goals: to collect the rare resource Cosmium and to settle a personal score with his nemesis, Pokhran. Viewers can witness Adi’s evolution—starting from a novice, training and sharpening his skills, and culminating in an epic showdown where he finally takes down Pokhran, settling his grudge.
Indus brings a fresh twist to the battle royale genre with its dual victory condition. Players can win by either being the last person standing or by strategically collecting Cosmium which spawn in the last circle of Nirvana, adding a new layer of complexity and depth to traditional gameplay.
The trailer also offers a sneak peek into the dynamics of Cosmium collection and Grudge, a unique in-game feature that allows players to settle scores with their opponents. Additionally, the Grudge system allows players to track down and face off against the opponents who defeated them.
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