We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again - 2015 is the year of Fallout. Bethesda is pulling out all the stops in its Fallout 4 marketing campaign, getting creative and a little bit bizarre in the process, like putting Vault Boy onTinder. Vault Boy’s single status aside, however, the success of Fallout: Shelter shows just how excited gamers are to finally get their hands on Bethesda’s next post-apocalyptic RPG.
The community response hasn’t gone unnoticed by Bethesda, either. In fact, at least one studio employee thinks Fallout 4 has what it takes to be one of the all-time greats. In fact, Bethesda’s Vice-President of PR and marketing, Pete Hines, suggests that the upcoming Fallout 4 could be the developer’s biggest release ever.
That’s a bold claim from any studio, but it’s especially noteworthy coming from the same developers who brought us The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. Hines clearly believes the record-breaking numbers that followed Skyrim’s release in 2011 are beatable, though, saying:
It’s important to look at Hines’ statement in context. While Fallout 3’s lifetime sales haven’t been publicized, it’s a safe bet they were very strong. For example, the game shipped 4.7 million units within the first three months of its launch, and has continued to produce a strong modding community to this day. While those numbers are impressive, there’s a reason Hines and Bethesda are going to be measuring Fallout 4’s success not by its post-apocalyptic predecessor, but by the lofty heights achieved by Skyrim.
“I think this can top Skyrim. It could be our biggest release ever.”
Just how massive were Skyrim’s sales numbers? Try 7 million units within its first week of release alone, and lifetime sales eclipsing 20 million units.
It’s not just the sales figures that make Skyrim such a tough game to surpass, either. The game also holds a number of “fastest selling” records, as well as numerous best RPG and Game of the Year awards. Hines understands this, saying that “Skyrim was a massively big deal” for his studio, but remains confident that Fallout 4 can top it. With reports coming in that some of Bethesda’s own producers are finding new surprises in Fallout 4 after 400 hours of gameplay, its not a stretch to imagine Hines’ isn’t over-exaggerating the game’s potential.
While it’s impossible to predict the future and Fallout 4 might not end up beating out Skyrim’s mind-boggling sales numbers, it’s easy to become a believer. The Fallout 4 Pip-Boy Edition’s sales are hard evidence there’s a big crowd eagerly awaiting the game’s release. All that’s left is to actually play the game, and after the irradiated dust settles, we’ll see if Bethesda has their next record-breaking hit on their hands.
Fallout 4 releases on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on November 10, 2015.
Source: MCV (via VG247)
