The Last Of Us Part 2 Continues To Shatter PlayStation Sales Records

Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part 2 continues to shatter PlayStation sales records. The game’s controversial portrayal of violence made headlines even prior to its release, though, that didn’t stop fans from flocking to the sequel to 2013’s The Last of Us. With an immersive story and different decisions to make regarding how to surpass a situation, TLOU2 has drawn in and maintained a vast community.

Since its release, The Last of Us 2 has received multiple updates, one of which implemented a new Grounded difficulty as well as permadeath. As the developer continues supporting the game, fans continue delving into its post-apocalyptic world, completing challenges, and even setting speed run records. Released on June 19, 2020, The Last of Us 2 has become one of PlayStation’s most popular games in just under two months.

As the game’s two-month anniversary approaches, VGC reports The Last of Us Part 2 is persistently break PlayStation sales records. The game “is now PlayStation’s third highest-grossing video game ever in the United States,” behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. In life-to-dollar sales, The Last of Us Part 2 trails Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War, both of which released in 2018. These broken records reinforce the trend The Last of Us Part 2 set when it first launched, as it sold 4 million copies worldwide in three days, “making it the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive to date.” It also possessed the second-biggest launch month ever, and broke PlayStation’s digital launch record “with 2.8 million copies sold digitally in June.”

The Last of Us Part 2’s sales records are indicative of both the franchise’s popularity and consumers’ craving for engrossing content. In a time when entertainment consumption is at an all-time – with people trying to escape reality much more often – it is easy to see why Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic action-adventure title has made waves. The titles with which the game has been compared in terms of its sales records, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man and God of War, also indicate that titles with riveting, immersive, single-player stories are still a favorite among gamers, as it’s hard to replace a good story – something to which Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 can attest.

The game’s achievement of 2.8 million digital sales in June also reinforces another trend that has been consistently growing year-over-year, with 2020 finally seeing a surge in the sale of digital content due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the first time in the industry’s history, digital sales have outnumbered physical sales. There’s nothing more convenient than being able to turn on a console and purchasing a game from the comfort of one’s own home. While going to a retailer, such as GameStop, and buying a physical copy (or even a digital code) still offers a chance for gamers to socialize – especially if going to a launch party hosted by the retailer, which was a dying occurrence even before the pandemic.

The Last of Us Part 2 is available now on PlayStation 4.

Source: VGC

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