Days Gone reportedly outsold Ghost of Tsushima, but Sony considered it a "big disappointment"
Days Gone apparently reached eight million sales quicker than Sucker Punch's game
Days Gone's director has claimed it outsold Ghost of Tsushima at over eight million units shipped.
Just earlier this week, it was reported that Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima had sold through eight million units worldwide since launch in 2020, as you can see in the tweet from Game Informer below. Days Gone game director Jeff Ross responded to the news in his own tweet below, claiming that Bend Studio's zombie shooter actually sold the same amount of copies in less time on the market.
At the time I left Sony, Days Gone had been out for a year and a half (and a month), and sold over 8 million copies. It's since gone on to sell more, and then a million+ on Steam. Local studio management always made us feel like it was a big disappointment. #daysgone #PlayStation https://t.co/KMZr2pGe9rJanuary 5, 2022
This is positioned against Ross revealing that Sony management considered Days Gone's sales a "big disappointment." According to the former Bend Studio director, Days Gone would go on to sell over nine million total copies worldwide after it launched on Steam last year in 2021, but Sony management specifically viewed the eight million sales figure eighteen months after launch as a disappointment.
Sony being disappointed with Days Gone's sales isn't exactly new. Last year in 2021, a report claimed that Bend tried unsuccessfully to pitch Sony on a sequel to Days Gone. According to the report, a lengthy development and mixed critical reception to the original game had Sony turning down the pitch, and instead assigned Bend to help Naughty Dog develop their multiplayer project.
Ross went on to reveal other details about the situation surrounding Bend in the replies to his original tweet just above. While it was originally reported that Bend was assigned to develop the Naughty Dog project, as well as a new entry in the Uncharted franchise, Ross seemingly pushed back against this notion, responding to a follower that "nobody was forced to do anything" at the studio.
Additionally, Ross also claims to have heard anecdotes about Sony refusing to sell the IP rights for Days Gone. "I've heard anecdotes they won't even sell the IP to another publisher," the former director stated, responding to another fan question about a sequel. Whatever the case, it seems that Ross badly wanted to develop a Days Gone sequel, and Sony wasn't having any of it.
Check out our Days Gone Horde locations guide for how to experience some of the best content Bend's shooter has to offer.
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Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.