So much for exclusive games not selling well compared to its multiplatform competition. Bethesda Game Studios’ latest game was the best-selling title in the United States in September this year. What’s even more amazing is that it’s just the second console exclusive to join the list of the best-selling games of the year so far, with the only other title being the GOTY frontrunner, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Starfield’s distinction as an Xbox exclusive is important. It doesn’t matter how many times Xbox admits its defeat, there exists a fierce rivalry among platforms. PlayStation, with its expansive user base, often gives a lot of games access to a broad potential market. For a game that excludes this considerable chunk of the player base to perform outstandingly is nothing short of exceptional. In other words, Starfield’s success has been realized without tapping into the vast PlayStation playerbase.
Additionally, the fact that Starfield was available on PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass from Day 1 further underscores its achievement. Historically, titles made available on subscription services have the potential to see a dip in direct sales, given that subscribers can access these games without a separate purchase. Even Microsoft has admitted the Game Pass cannibalizes game sales. However, Starfield defied these odds. Circana, previously known as the NPD Group, highlighted that despite its availability on Game Pass, Starfield’s sales remained robust. A testament to this is that within its launch month itself, Starfield achieved the highest dollar sales on PC.
September 2023 US Video Game Market Highlights from Circana – U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware and accessories grew 10% compared to a year ago, totaling $4.5B. Growth in spending on video game content and accessories offset an 8% decline in hardware. pic.twitter.com/LjyIUjuBB9
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) October 18, 2023
What makes this success story even more compelling is the speed at which Starfield climbed the sales charts. Within a few from its launch, it claimed the spot as the seventh best-selling game of the year. This rapid ascent, especially when seen in the context of its release on Game Pass and its Xbox exclusivity, paints a vivid picture of a title that, despite all the criticism, resonated well with gamers.
Circana’s executive director and analyst, Mat Piscatella, further offered insights into Starfield’s performance. The game outsold other titles, including the new release of Mortal Kombat 1, which secured the eighth spot on the same list.
Starfield’s stellar sales performance provides further insight into the potential aftermath of Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media. With over 10 million players, Starfield is a manifest testament to the potency of this partnership and the formidable future possibilities it holds. Bethesda Game Studios titles, known for their longevity, suggest that it will remain a dominant figure in the Xbox ecosystem, especially as new expansions and modding tools are introduced.
On the broader gaming front, the PlayStation 5 maintained its stronghold, emerging as the best-selling console for the month, both in terms of dollar sales and units. This dominance extended to the cumulative sales for the year as well. However, it’s interesting to observe that in the midst of this PS5 dominance, a game exclusive to the Xbox and PC platforms managed to make such a profound impact.
It’s also worth noting the broader sentiment around Starfield. While there exists a section of gamers and communities with reservations about the title, often influenced by a myriad of factors ranging from platform loyalties to pre-existing notions about Bethesda, the commercial numbers reflect a different story. The game has not only witnessed robust sales but has also fostered a significant player count, as gleaned from platforms like Steam.
Starfield’s ascendancy, particularly given its unique constraints and opportunities, is a hallmark of strategic success and potent gameplay that strikes a chord with its audience.
Unfortunately, this might be bad news for those hoping to see future Bethesda titles on other platforms. With Starfield not likely to hit the PlayStation 5 anytime soon if at all, the numbers will likely encourage Microsoft to pursue a similar exclusivity route for The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5. This puts a massive amount of pressure on PlayStation to come up with similar experiences for its platform, which is an added burden as it worries about a similar fate befalling its access to games like Call of Duty and Diablo even if the former isn’t set to become exclusive to Xbox for at least a decade.
