IndustryGamers - Informing the Games Industry

Heavy Rain Sold Four Times Better Than Expected in U.S., says Cage

Posted August 17, 2010 by Ben Strauss

Heavy Rain has enjoyed critical and sales success throughout the major markets. With immediate success in the U.K. and welcome sales figures in Japan, the numbers from the U.S. seemed somewhat borderline when the game quickly disappeared from the NPD's monthly top 10.

However, now it's been revealed that the game’s sales not only lived up to expectations, but they surpassed them. Quantic Dream CEO David Cage, speaking at GDC Europe, said that Heavy Rain ended up selling “four times as many copies” as Sony expected. “They were shocked. ‘Oh my god, what happens?” Cage said.

NPD pegs sales of the game in the U.S. at just over 400,000 units; Cage said that sales have topped 1.5 million worldwide, and 2 million sales are expected by February.

There was a problem of course with all of the success. Cage said because the marketing budget for the game was based on lowball sales expectations, the marketing could have been a lot stronger, given the positive sales numbers. Cage still believes that Sony did a great job publishing the game in the U.S., especially given the game’s unorthodox concept and that it's a new IP.   

[Thanks Joystiq]

Ben is a recent graduate of Xavier University.  You can see him ramble on about gaming, gamification, military-related gaming and manly things on his Twitter @Sinner101GR.