Dead Space, Mirror's Edge pass 1m unit sales; Left 4 Dead nears 2m
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Feb 4th 2009 at 4:14PM }
Going by the sales figures, at 1.8 million units sold, Left 4 Dead isn't exactly a standout either -- but it does go down in EA's "win" column. As an EA Partners game, Left 4 Dead didn't cost EA development bucks; and while that means a lesser share of gross revenue, the game's decent sales performance has likely equaled greater profit for EA compared to the results of its new, in-house IP.
Where does EA go from here? Well, a "new" Dead Space game can signal one of two things: (a) EA is confidently moving forward with its plan to build compelling, new franchises; or (b) EA is morphing its compelling, new franchises into redundant, tired formulas. If the latter, don't blame EA. Our money does the dictating. EA just follows along.
Source - EA Q3 2009 Earnings Conference Call Script [PDF]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
WiNG [XBL&Steam: WiNGSPANTT] from lifeinagame.com @ Feb 4th 2009 4:18PM
I know this has nothing to do with EA, but just want to remind the other readers that L4D probably sold much more than this via Steam.
Isaac @ Feb 4th 2009 4:27PM
Yeah, Valve loves PC gamers the most.
and we love Valve back.
I love you Valve.
Lars @ Feb 4th 2009 4:56PM
I was gonna say the same. Everyone I know has it on Steam. Except for one friend who bought both versions. Needless to say the 360 version is a steaming turd compared with the PC version. Of course if you have no computer to play it on then by all means, buy the 360 version.
Obie @ Feb 4th 2009 6:06PM
Agreed. And they will sell even more if they announce the damn DLC!
Dr Jeckyl and Mr ESC. @ Feb 4th 2009 6:38PM
Yeah its boring on the x360 but Valve tried their best to save it.I got it as a gift,I played for a weekend and I got sick of it.
I would play the Orange box again in the x360 but my other X360 scratched the disc beyond repair and this one is starting to crap out.Horray for MS faulty console.
False @ Feb 4th 2009 4:20PM
Need 4 Speed sold $5.2M??? Seriously?
Haggard @ Feb 4th 2009 4:43PM
It was a bit hit here in europe apparently.
Haggard @ Feb 4th 2009 4:43PM
*big
Kevin @ Feb 4th 2009 4:53PM
Don't think you meant $5.2M. 5.2M copies on 360/PS3 is probably closer to $312M.
Three Hundred and Twelve Megadollars.
Neuromancer @ Feb 4th 2009 4:53PM
Yeah it's sick isn't it
Yuccadude @ Feb 4th 2009 4:21PM
Woo! Go Dead Space. Got it on launch day and played it through in 3 days, lent it to my friend and he loved it too. Pretty much my 3rd or 4th fave game this past fall.
Dr. @ Feb 4th 2009 4:26PM
A few friends and I had the 'brilliant' idea to play it through in one sitting. To be perfectly honest, I have no desire to ever look at it again.
Good game though :D
Mr Khan @ Feb 4th 2009 4:25PM
Mirror's Edge probably cost them a bundle, Digital Illusion games always seem to
HyperNexus @ Feb 4th 2009 4:26PM
Glad to hear Dead Space has sold a million copies.
rockinrobbie @ Feb 4th 2009 4:30PM
EA shot themselves in the foot here.
Deadspace was an AWESOME game released at the wrong time. They need to learn to stop saving all releases for sept/oct/nov, especially new IP
Moptimus Slime (Leader of the Ryan Scott Defense Force, Ultrastiq Revolutionary) @ Feb 4th 2009 4:42PM
yeah, who releases a survival horror game around Halloween? They should've waited until Thanksgiving or Christmas
Haggard @ Feb 4th 2009 4:45PM
Well, everyone releases survival horror games around then. And every other type of game.
That's the problem.
Popfrogs @ Feb 4th 2009 5:06PM
Halloween isn't relative to game sales, that time of year lands in the holiday shopping season.
Now if you wanna talk about horror movies releasing around Halloween, yeah, that's true.
Brett @ Feb 4th 2009 5:44PM
Ya, I feel like summer would be a great time to release a new IP, i Know last summer I was dieing and consequently tore through msg4 like I had never playeda videogame before in my life by the time it released
Ontoglory @ Feb 4th 2009 4:53PM
I wonder how their margin was on those two titles or if the profit from existing ip's absorbed some of the cost. Loved Dead Space and loved Mirror's Edge - despite the flaws which were definitely there.
I really applaud EA for Mirror's Edge - bold artstyle and unique game mechanics and I'd love to see a sequel to iron out the flaws and flesh out the gameplay.
potato @ Feb 4th 2009 5:48PM
Absolutely agreed. I bought Mirror's Edge and absolutely have no regrets. It's an incredible game despite all of its faults, and it feels good to play something fresh and original instead of "yet another shooter".
It saddens me that the gaming community clamored for more original games, and when someone dared to take them up on the offer they got slapped for it. For all the complaining we do about formulaic shooters, incessant sequels, and graphics above gameplay, we sure are buying a lot of copies of COD5, Killzone 2, and GOW2.
cloud858rk @ Feb 4th 2009 4:56PM
Left 4 Dead was amazingly fun, for a week.
cloud858rk @ Feb 4th 2009 5:02PM
Way to be mature.
But seriously, I loved L4D for a week and after that it got meh. I don't know what the hell happened.
WRE @ Feb 4th 2009 5:20PM
*high fives Moptimus Slime*
Einhanderkiller @ Feb 4th 2009 6:06PM
You should learn the advanced Infected techniques. It's possible to get 25 damage pounces in tight areas if you're good. Only works with a mouse, though, unless you can somehow play with super high sensitivity on analog sticks.
cloud858rk @ Feb 4th 2009 6:09PM
I think I just need to avoid matchmaking and play matches with a bunch of guys on my friends list.
Obie @ Feb 4th 2009 6:13PM
Seriously? I enjoyed the hell out of it since launch date and until I beat it on expert and got all achievements. When they release new levels, I am popping that sucker back in.
Ontoglory @ Feb 4th 2009 4:57PM
When is the industry going to learn that the summer is a viable time for big releases, just like movies? Kids are home from school with disposable income, market the hell out of the game and watch them come. Plus it gives the devs a few more months of polish time. Bioshock came out in August (360) and that did great sales wise. Mirror's Edge probably could have benefited both quality wise and sales wise from that strategy.
WRE @ Feb 4th 2009 4:58PM
I love Dead Space so much. I've never been one to buy the same game twice, you know, like some guys will buy the same game on different consoles. But I don't give a fuck. When Dead Space comes to the Wii, I'm getting it, even if it's a shitty port. I love you, Dead Space.
*hugs his copy of Dead Space*
Popfrogs @ Feb 4th 2009 5:11PM
Yeah Dead Space is good but I don't know if it's huggably good. It outdoes Resident Evil, that's for sure, since EA thought it'd be a great idea to make a survival horror game that doesn't use tank controls.
WRE @ Feb 4th 2009 5:22PM
I love Dead Space so much, I'm not even excited for Resident Evil 5. There, I said it!
harma41 @ Feb 4th 2009 5:46PM
Dead Space was indeed so good, that I also have no excitement for RE5. After playing Silent Hill 5(meh), and then Dead Space(excellent!), I can truly say that Dead Space is one of the greatest survival horrors ever made.
EA: Dead Space 2 please!
Haggard @ Feb 4th 2009 6:22PM
It just suffers from a few common faults of the genre, but the set pieces and weapons are awesome. I also vaguely enjoyed the story, although it did feel like a lot of it was there to simply lengthen the game
"Hey Isaac, this just broke, go fix it"
....
"Excellent job! Oh crap, something else just broke, go fix it"
....
"Hey, grats, you've saved us! No wait, you put us in a new and substantially more dangerous peril"
Sagan @ Feb 4th 2009 5:12PM
1m in sales used to be a huge success... They probably made a profit off of those games. I mean that's at least 50 million in revenue. And development cost can't have been much more than 10 million.
Deck @ Feb 4th 2009 5:15PM
Good news that Dead Space and Mirror's Edge sold over 1 million. Though I know when looking at the whole picture, that's not too great as its new IP development that probably cost them quite a bit. Though I am hoping that perhaps their success here (I would say over one million is a success) means that we may get a sequel.
mirilene @ Feb 4th 2009 5:16PM
I loved Mirror's Edge, dispite its flaws. But having it come out in the same 30 days as Wrath of the Lich King, Left 4 Dead, Prince of Persia, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 2 and Age of Mythologies DS pretty much made me take a hard look at what i could afford and what i had time for.
Mirror's edge and Fallout 3 got pushed back to 01/09 and Fable 2 and Gears of War 2 are still on my pick up at some point list. I wasnt even going to get L4D right away either, but all my buddies did so i had to.
They need to spread this crap out a lot better and games would sell more. We live in an age where a game gets just as much press in sept or march as it does at xmas time. Get on the ball developers!
pseudo.hero @ Feb 4th 2009 5:43PM
Dead Space needs more love, those who have not played it are really missing out on a great new ip
Scott @ Feb 4th 2009 5:49PM
I loved Mirror's Edge thoroughly. It actually seemed pretty tight to me, I don't recall any notable flaws, on the PS3 version, anyway. There were maybe a couple spots where my wall-run messed up, but I wouldn't say they were totally inexplicable.
Jimmijam @ Feb 4th 2009 5:44PM
"...don't blame EA. Our money does the dictating. EA just follows along."
Indeed, our money does the dictating. Unfortunately our money is not a bottomless pit. So I do blame EA for timing these releases amidst the crowded onslaught of other "higher profile" titles.
I loved Dead Space, but had to play it through rental because I saved my pennies for Fallout 3 and Little Big Planet.
If Dead Space was released during any of the other months, I would have picked it up without hesitation. Heck, I'm looking forward to once I get my savings back to par.
potato @ Feb 4th 2009 5:56PM
Ditto. I'm still waiting on my chance to play Dead Space - I could only afford 3 games over the holidays, and it came down to GOW2, Fallout 3, and Mirror's Edge. I'll pick up Dead Space in a few months once I have the cash flow.
Surprisingly, ME has gotten the most replay value out of those 3. GOW2 is dead last, actually.
harma41 @ Feb 4th 2009 5:43PM
Dead Space totally rules! Please make another! Thank you! Period!
psyCh0i @ Feb 4th 2009 6:05PM
Dead Space and Mirror's Edge are two of my favorites in 2008, beat Resistance 2! They deserved better sale figures.
jorojoserojas @ Feb 4th 2009 8:38PM
Mirror's Edge was my second favorite game last year, so it warms my heart that it has at least cracked $1M.
More people need to buy it, if only to experience something a little different than the norm.
Phil @ Feb 5th 2009 12:45AM
Glad to know that Mirror's Edge broke that marker.
Now then, DICE? Get to work on the next one. AND DON'T SKIMP US ON THE EXTRAS/POST STORY MODE CONTENT.
Hooterman @ Feb 10th 2009 3:44PM
I waited out on Mirror's Edge until the PC release, and I had an absolute blast with it! I was very skeptical of the game during the previews and development, but they really pulled it off in my opinion. It really pulls you into the world and gets your blood pumping. Incredible graphics/art style, inventive gameplay, we need more creativity like this.
I'm glad they broke 1 million sales, but there's no reason that NFS sold 5x more. I'm a huge NFS nut and Undercover blew a ridiculous amount.
haadurin92 @ Feb 12th 2009 12:01PM
I just realized that from Mirror's Edge and Dead Space, they made over $120 million. They're both great games; how much did they take to develop? I want a Mirror's Edge sequel more than ANY OTHER GAME AROUND (except maybe Freedom Fighters, but let's face it, that's not gonna happen...).