
Here’s the thing: Astro Bot is never going to outsell a series like Super Mario – it just doesn’t have the legacy to do so. It’s also never going to outsell stalwart series like Call of Duty or EA Sports FC – they’re just more commercially popular.
But it sounds like, in Europe, the PS5 platformer couldn’t be doing much better: “It’s done better than basically every new 3D platform game in the last 10 years,” explained Games Industry.biz’s Christopher Dring on X (or Twitter), adding that this excludes Super Mario games.
He added: “Its true success won’t be known for years, but it’s had a strong start for the genre.” Platformers tend to act as evergreen games, so Sony will be counting on good sales for years to come.
Dring expanded that, in its first month on the market in Europe, the Team ASOBI exclusive has sold 34% more copies than Sonic Frontiers and approximately 52% more copies than Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. While both titles were notoriously slow starters – requiring aggressive price reductions to help improve their performance – they’re more established brands available on multiple platforms, so it’s positive stuff for Astro Bot.
In the US, the game’s also doing pretty well. According to Circana sales analyst Mat Piscatella, in its first week available, the title was only outpaced by NBA 2K25. It’s also performed reasonably well in the PS Store sales charts, too.
This is all good news for fans of fantastic platformers, then. Let’s hope the good word of mouth keeps the game in the charts for months to come.
[source x.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 112
Just got the platinum today! Fantastic game. I’ve also been listening a lot to the soundtrack when I’m not playing it, which is also sublime.
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Great game with at lot of love and thought put into it.
Would be great to have a sequel in the future.
Well deserved meta 92%.
That’s because it’s easily the best game in the genre outside Mario and even goes on to rival Mario in some capacities. It deserves being the best reviewed game on OpenCritic this year.
@LifeGirl hate to burst your bubble but if that’s your logic, your’e choosing to ignore every previous first party game that did profit prior to Concord. We can all look at matters in isolation to build an argument… but if the isolated incident is the exception and not the rule, the argument flatlines when you draw back the lens.
Such an amazing game and great to know it's sold very well, hopefully this greenlights a sequel or even some DLC.
Concord aside it's been a great year for Playstation, and for me Astro Bot has been the highlight.
This is easily my GOTY it was absolute perfection ^__^
Good to see a well made game is selling well.
I might save this game for Christmas Holidays 👍
@LowDefAl the more pertinent question would involve the the cost vs revenue. Astrobot cost considerably less to produce than most Sony first party blockbusters, so by that token wouldn’t need to earn as much revenue to be just as (or even more) profitable.
@colonelkilgore Haven't been too many of those recently though have there? One of the biggest complaints of the PS5 is that its quality first party games can fill a shoebox.
@LifeGirl your argument was that Astrobot isn’t profitable when considering Concord’s losses… I merely pointed out the flaw in that. The amount of first party games released this generation is a different matter. Would I like this gen to have been more like the back half of the PS4 gen in regards to first party bangers? Yes… yes I would. It’s important to note though that halcyon period we harken back to was the back half of the PS4 gen… let’s see how the back half of the PS5 gen pans out before we pass judgement.
@LifeGirl
A shoebox!? The PS5!? I wish!
Love to see this. Astro is amazing and I also listen to the OST on Spotify quite often. I hope we get a sequel before PS6 comes.
@LifeGirl What a weird unrelated connection. By the same logic, if we take Concord into consideration, does that mean Spider-Man 2 was a bomb?
@LifeGirl They’ve only released 2 Live Service games and the other one, Helldivers 2, made about $500m in its first 3 months. That definitely covers the cost of both itself and Concord. So Jog on.
Great game. If only there was a semblance of challenge.
Always glad to see the game doing well. The Astro Bot IP deserves this.
Goty for me. Hopefully it continues to do welland prove there is place for more than Mario in platformer genre.
It’s nice to see and hopefully a resurgence in platformers. Don’t get me wrong, I love Mario, but it would be nice to see other IPs develop or return, like Astro Bot.
Excellent. Now greenlight Astro 2, get Mm working on something mascot platformer-esque, Sly and Jak reboot time, and where's my Ape Escape?
@LifeGirl if we take concord into the equation does that mean Sony are losing money on the tvs they sell?
I guess my prediction is right that Astro Bot possibly already pass 1 million copies.
I mean, sold 34% better than Sonic Frontiers in EU alone is big considering Frontiers sold 3.5 million copies worldwide and released for 5 platforms.
@LifeGirl I'm not sure how your logic work. But at least Astro Bot is played and beloved by many people and also live a lot longer than Concord.
Hope it sells shed loads so we get a 2nd.
Hard to put in words just how much I love this game.
GOTY for me and so deserves strong sales.
As a platformer fan this makes me happy!
@RoomWithaMoose id love a new ape escape or even a ground up remake of the first game
Well deserved, Astro Bot is a top-notch game
Remember me that I still have the very last level to complete to get 100%, if you know what I mean
This whole game was so refreshing in the gaming landscape, I’m glad it is a relative success.
Really enjoyed all the astrobot games but they're no mario if we're honest...
It's kind of like people enjoy fun games and not just "cinematic experiences".
My personal GotY easy.
I don’t get the hype with Mario, never understood the draw of it and I’m from the NES/SNES days. Obviously you can’t deny it’s success but I was always more into the Strike games/Shinobi/Road Rash and all the other Mega Drive goodness, and then PlayStation happened, I just never had time for Nintendo 🤷♂️ I’ve certainly got time for this though I’ll add ha it’s on my list for sure. Go Astro
In a year of a few decent but not special games, and technical messes, Astro has really shone through this year.
Well we have it in the local library, but there's a long queue for it, so I'm going to wait a little bit. And since the Astro's playroom was awesome, I'll be patient.
Plated it yesterday. Absolutely adore this game, and I played all three. I know it sounds like milking the cow, but Sony should really get to work and get quality studios to make various astro bot games. This is Sony's chance to solidify a mascot so strike while the fire's hot!
Glad to hear this is doing well! It’s so well-deserved and truly just pure gaming joy.
This is coming from a self-proclaimed Rational Nintendo fanboy.
@LifeGirl The logic here actually made me double take.
I'm surprised because the character does not look marketable at all.
My game of the year. Absolutely stunning work from Team Asobi, I loved Astro's playroom and this is exactly what I'd hoped for.
@Deljo I love so many Mario games but Astro bot beats Odyssey & Wonder for me, it's close with Mario 3D World which is one of my all time favs.
@Mikey856 Same here. I was Nintendo/Mario in the late 80ies because it was all we had. But retrospectively it’s not that great and didn’t age very well in my opinion. When I see the young generation, they don’t care at all about Mario, it’s a thing from their parents and once again it’s only popular because you don’t really find video games dedicated to the family environment. Until Astrobot, I can’t really name a PS game that can unite kids to grandma in front of a TV.
So glad the game has been successful, it truly is an absolute masterpiece. I hope this franchise will continue for a long time!
@LifeGirl plenty of first party PS games, and most of them are fantastic. I'm sure they could make more if they put less effort into them, but quality over quantity is not a bad approach, and there are more than enough options as it is.
Pretty much what i expected.
The question is if Sony learns from it.
@somnambulance it has more gameplay variety than the current 3d Mario. Almost every level has a unique gameplay element.
@RoomWithaMoose or allow team Asobi to create something new from scratch. Whilst also creating content for astro bot an astro bot playroom. Don't destroy such creativity by getting them to just pumping out astrobot game's.
I’m obsessed with my PS5 but Nintendo is where most of my gaming time goes. I love Mario and this game made me feel that same exciting experience that mainline Mario games offer. I absolutely loved this game. I played it from beginning to end and more. It was such a knockout and I wouldn't complain seeing PlayStation develop more platforming titles like this with this level of quality.
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Hope we get a lot more Astro
You love to see it. You love to see it!
@Mikey856
Personally I love Mario games, in particular the 3D ones.
If you don't though that's perfectly ok, if we all loved and enjoyed exactly the same games then the world would be a pretty boring place.
If you do enjoy this Astro Bot game though I would definitely recommend you try Super Mario Galaxy at some point.
Of all the Mario games I feel that Astro Bot draws most of its inspiration from that one
I'm of two minds on the game itself. It's incredible, but also like dancing on a grave...or a cemetery. Like, "Yeah I DO remember Wipeout, whatever happened to that dev-oh RIGHT. Oh cool Ape Escape. What is Japan Studio up to these days..? Ohhhh...sweet." For me, it gets depressing.
Would have sold more if sony didn't fear pc gaming.
@LikelySatan i agree. Collecting some of those bots was bitter sweet.
„Acclaimed PS5 Platformer Astro Bot Really Couldn't Be Selling Any Better“
This is a false statement. It sales numbers are not limited by physical copies, so of course it could sell better. In theory, but also in practice.
Why has this game not yet shifted 5 million copies, i.e. Super Mario territory? I didn’t buy it yet, because I know that it’s high price will reduce in a not too far future by a significant amount. Zelda Echoes of Wisdom meanwhile: day one.
Glad it's doing well. Might pick it up on a sale but usually more interested in more mature games. Playing infamous 2 at the moment and it's so edgy it's entertaining 😂
So how many copies has it sold?
@Mikey856 Astrobot is literally a (very, very good) Sony-badged rehash of Super Mario Galaxy. That you “don’t get the hype” says more about your personal bias than the quality of Mario games. They’re objectively fantastic, just like Astro.
Seen a lot of discourse around SiE's profit Vs loss argument on various games. To clear a couple of things up, both sides of the argument are right. Astro Bot has made a solid profit alongside other 1P titles but did make a sizable loss of Concord. SIE operating profit is already razor thin hence the trend to increase hardware prices to compensate for software losses. The hardware hasn't gotten more expensive to make, but the software has.
Great game but I thought sackboys big adventure was better (I liked that it had more challenge levels) it's worth a shot for anyone who likes platformers and I think it's on ps plus
@LifeGirl Yeah that's not how it works. But if you want to take Helldivers 2 being a runaway success, then doesn't that mean Concord made a tidy profit?
@Max_the_German It's not a literal statement.
@LikelySatan I stood in the hub area punching those Wipeout pilots and thought "this is basically what Sony did to Studio Liverpool, and the fanbase".
@Dalamar For real, I played most of the regular levels on autopilot. Even the "challenge" levels weren't particularly challenging.
@LikelySatan this is kinda the only reason I've yet to pull the trigger on this... I get the feeling it's an entire game built around "oh I get that reference." is that not what it is? honestly I'd love to be sold on this game but it screams nostalgia-driven experience which I don't find particularly compelling.
@zupertramp It's totally not only that. It feels great, and is almost as effortlessly creative as the best of the best Nintendo games. I'd compare it to Smash or Sonic Racing Transformed. The nostalgia and references are thick, but the games stand on their own, imo.
@Member_the_game except you can see where you are going, the controls are not awful, and it isn't based on a gimmick that gets tired after three "worlds."
...sorry I'm the only Galaxy hater, apparently.
Game is like a bunch of bad Sonic bonus levels.
It's a great game for kids. Obviously as you can see from how successful the switch has been its a huge market. Can't think of that many games Sony has released that can compete with the likes of Mario. My little brother is 7 he loved astro bot. Now personally being 22 it's not for me but glad it sold well
@LikelySatan
Please don't apologise 😂
As I said in my other post, if we all loved the same games then world and in particular these message boards would be a pretty boring place (if everyone just agreed with each other all the time)
Personally I found the camera in Mario Galaxy to be perfectly serviceable.
Mario Sunshine on the other hand, totally different ball game, the camera on that was dreadful. I'm not sure if they fixed it when it was re-released for the Mario 3D Allstars trilogy but the OG GameCube version was awful.
Far too many leaps of faith due to poor camera control
@vyseofhr is it bias? PlayStation didn’t exist when I decided I didn’t like Mario games. It just so happens that nowadays I’m a PlayStation gamer and Astro is a literal love letter to PlayStation fans. I wouldn’t say that bias really.
@Member_the_game Ha. I'm used to talking about Galaxy on Nintendolife. That usually does require an apology.
Sunshine is strange. The FLUD could propel Mario all over, so Sunshine had a lot of big chasms to jump that you wouldn't see in most Mario games. But it definitely didn't work as well in tight corners.
The planetoid gimmick was done better in Ratchet and Clank than Galaxy, imo. At least that game didn't ask the player to crest a horizon blindly while jumping on an enemies head.
@zupertramp Here's a video where a guy asked his wife to play Astro Bot and she had a lot of fun with the game despite she doesn't know any cameos outside Crash Bandicoot.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CYhGI2csMH8&pp=ygUWTXkgd2lmZSBwbGF5IGFzdHJvIGJvdA%3D%3D
A platformer wouldn't sold well if it doesn't have solid and fun core gameplay as well great level design and catchy music, which Astro Bot had all of them.
@vyseofhr Not everyone likes Mario. I mean, a lot of people prefer Sonic, Bubble Bobble, Pitfall!, Alex Kidd, Wonder Boy, Prince of Persia, Adventure Island, or Mega Man over Mario and these games existed long before Sony released PS1 in 1994.
@Mikey856 I get you man. I enjoyed Mario but i prefer other platformers over the Italian plumber long before i get my hands on PS1.
@Cal_ I'm almost double your age and it's a great game. It looks great, it runs great, it sounds great, and most importantly it plays great. You've effectively applied an age limit to having fun, which is straight up asinine.
Besides, who do you think all the cameos of PS1 characters are aimed at? Because it isn't your 7 year old brother.
I only just picked this up, myself.
@PuppetMaster I could absolutely not care any less about how many sales a game has to be clear.
It's a good game so glad it's selling well but for me I've got a few galaxies in and kind of just got bored of it. Prefer the spyro games but I'm always happy when there more bigger budget Platformers
But PS5 has "no games".
Fantastic. It's easily the best 3D platformer since Galaxy 2; Don't get me wrong.. SM3DWorld was really fun and Sonic Frontiers was good too.. but Astro Bot just hits different. It has SOUL and it has personality.
By far my GOTY 2024 and nothing else will change that
I think the really dropped the ball with crash. This is definitely a competitor to Mario I just got 100% last night actually and it felt just like a Mario game but on a way not powerful console. Crash 4 did not feel like a crash game and I think that's why it suffered. Get rid of playing as dingo, tawna and cortex, stop hiding boxes in ridiculous places no one will find and get rid of the filters on levels to pad out replayability. Make the game just like the ogs, hub world, insanely difficult platforming, fun power ups and abilities, and you get a great crash game. It's not that difficult.
@MrPeanutbutterz its a kids game obviously adults can play it but it's aimed at children
GOTY, obviously.
@ChrisDeku
Helldivers 2 is not a Sony developed game. It's developed by an independant swedish developer.
They did have to pay them.
Concord was a sony internal studio project.
That...doesn't sound impressive.
People seem to be coming up with new ways every week to excuse poor performance.
"Well, it's better than x and y, but not z"
Too many participation trophies knocking about.
@zupertramp I'm sorry if my comment not clear enough. But my main point isn't about sales but it's about a good game build around a solid and fun core gameplay as well excellent level design and audio that support the experiences.
You said Astro Bot entire game is build around cameos or reference but it isn't. Cameos is just a fun little gimmick for longtime PS fans. But people who doesn't know jacksh*t about who's Solid Snake, Sir Daniel Fortesque, Ape Escape, Kazuya Mishima, etc etc can still play and enjoyed Astro Bot. That's why i gave you the video that showed a person had a lot of fun with Astro Bot even without any knowledge about PS characters except Crash.
@PuppetMaster I thought I was asking what it was. Maybe my comment came off wrong. Anyway I appreciate the input about the gameplay though (and level design and such).
It's just, seeing some random woman I don't know enjoying it on YouTube, or hearing about how it's a Sony title that sold well among Sony fans isn't really what I was looking for. Just needed some confirmation it's not just fan-service.
@Fishnpeas Leave it to negative nancy's like you to give a negative twist to a very positive article..
Big, massive, gigantic YIKES. Shame there's no ''dislike'' button on this site, otherwise I would've given you one instantly. People like you just won't let us platform fans have this one. Shameful.
Same will probably happen with Dragon Age Veilguard; it will probably spawn all the haters in one place at once. Needless to say, the ''ignore'' button will surely come in handy for me in the coming weeks.
@Cal_ So you're saying that all those nods to a console released in 1994 and the games on it are aimed at people born circa 2014?
@Fishnpeas "It's better than every other game in the genre bar the undisputed leader"... yeah, such a lame result! /s
@Nem Hasbro had nothing to do with the game, Sony are the sole publisher and the IP owner so I'd wager they are taking a nice big percent of the sales. Even at 20/30% of sales thats still £100-£150 in their pocket.
@Fishnpeas
Scruff
ChrisDeku wrote:
FYI Sony have launched far more than 2. Gran Turismo 7 is a live service, MLB The Show 2024 is a live service (as was 2023, 2022 etc) those are all very successful.
I’m still waiting for actual copies sold and not these cherry picked statistics. People did this for FF16 also.
@Nem @UltimateOtaku91 already replied to you, just wanted to add that Concord wasn't fully owned and financed by Sony from the start. Sony bought Firewalk Studios in 2023 when the game was already 5 years in development. It was also partly financed by ProbablyMonsters, some kind of incubating studio/publisher of some sort.
If i remember correctly there are Playstation devs saying the $400m isn't true and if so, it probably includes the purchase cost of the studio
@Nem What a bunch of absolute nonsense. Helldivers Intellectual Property is 100% owned by Sony, it wasn’t co-published by anyone and Sony will take 100% of all earnings and Arrowhead will be given a commission or bonuses based on milestones.
It’s the exact same situation as say Pokemon or Smash Brothers. Neither of those games are made by studios owned by Nintendo. But Nintendo owns the IP.
I believe Astro's Playroom being a free pack-in game for PS5 also helped the game to sell so well, just like I predicted.
I'm really happy to see a new 3D platformer IP doing so well, here's hoping PlayStation turns Astro Bot into a franchise so it can rival Mario, and Sony continues making and marketing more games like this.
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@Nem Uuuum I'm pretty sure the Helldivers IP is owned by Sony 😅
@ChrisDeku Ok. Take it up with these guys: https://helldivers.fandom.com/wiki/Helldivers_2
@Nem I just check that link and it showed Helldivers 2 publishers is Microsoft and Phil Spencer Studios 🤣
This wiki doesn't mention about Hasbro as Helldivers 2 co-publisher though.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helldivers_2
Also, here's Helldivers 2 ending credits but i don't see a single mention about Hasbro as publisher either. But Sony, SIE, Playstation Studios, Nixxes, the whole SIE marketing and engine got credited.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WDm2dKvhpNM&pp=ygUbaGVsbGRpdmVycyAyIGVuZGluZyBjcmVkaXRz
Hmm something is wrong here 😁
@Nem What guys? That's a public wiki that can be edited by any human being in the world without even creating an account. It's also been fixed and states the publisher correctly now.
You can also search in Global Brand Database to find out official filings for trademarks etc. Helldivers 2 is registered to Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. solely.
They own the IP in totality, they always have. They would have covered the entire budget and Arrowhead will be working for a fixed rate with some bonuses based on performance.
@Cal_
Lol. Its a game for anyone that wants to enjoy it and from my perspective, you are still a kid!
I loved it to bits and it will be in my GOTY considerations for sure.
I'm 60. Never too old to enjoy a fun game
@Titntin yeah your right I do enjoy the mario galaxy games so I'm sure I'll enjoy astro bot
@Cal_ I hope you do my friend. Its a game full of joy and really puts a smile on your face
Glad it's going well! Would love to see the series continue! I think the best thing is the way Astro Bot both works on his own, but can also be injected into seemingly any other game's DNA and work so perfectly. Asobi are an insanely talented bunch!
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@Fishnpeas
Touche
@ChrisDeku Good. Thanks for fixing it, i suppose. Was worth me pointing it out.
But you went off misinterpreting what i said. I never said the IP doesn't belong to sony i said they didn't develop the game internally. So stop tooting that horn.
That site did fool me, so sony just needs to pay the developer.
There, i fixed my original post. I have no problem to admit when i made a mistake.
But i still disagree with what you are implying. You have a sample of 2 live services. A rate of 50% success and you broke even. Does this sound like a recipe for success? How much was spent financing these games and can a 50% success rate even me maintained? Also keep in mind the helldivers 2 playerbase is now much smaller, so you won't be getting the same rate of returns.
Astro here cost much less to develop, likely is selling more consoles and is making good sales profit with much less risk.
@Mikey856 What you’re describing there is literally platform bias, yes. “I play Sony, so therefore Astro > Mario.”
@PuppetMaster - You’re not wrong. However, none of those franchises has a game that comes even remotely close to the inspiration that AstroBot has taken from Mario Galaxy. And the Venn diagram of people that enjoy platform games but don’t like Mario games must be almost vanishingly small in 2024.
This surprises no one that played and beat this gem. They just need to make it VR2 compatible so I can replay it again!
@vyseofhr nah not in the way you mean it isn’t lol. I’ve never liked Mario that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like other Nintendo franchises who knows I’ve just never tried them.These days the PS releases just appeal to me a lot more than any other platform 🤷♂️ maybe it’s my age and PS tends to be more adult oriented
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