Fallout 3 Launch Ships 4.7 Million Units
Early reports by previewers and reviewers warned fans of the series that Fallout 3 lacked the subtle yet powerful humor that the originals had. The sales numbers show that either fans had anticipated that with the game being developed by a different studio or that the fans didn’t care. Bethesda has reported that the title shipped 4.7 million units worldwide at launch across the various platforms.
The game’s high review scores and the fact that it was one of the most highly anticipated titles of 2008 translated to over $300 million in retail sales. It released on October 28th in North America to frantic excitement but really shone in the UK. It was released on October 31st and quickly jumped to the top of the charts. It held the #1 spot in overall game sales as well as the #1 slot for every platform it was released on.
It’s hard to say if it’ll find anywhere near the same level of success when it releases on December 4th in Japan but I doubt Bethesda is sweating bullets about that.