God Of War Ragnarok Sees Sony Massively Increase PS5 Shipments
We're going hammer and tongs (or should that be hammer and axes?) in the gaming world, as everyone is gearing up for God of War Ragnarok's release. It's not just us players who are looking ahead to its November 9 release, and apparently, Sony has massively upped its PS5 stock levels.
Although the God of War name has humble roots way back in 2005, it's since grown to become a literal god of the PlayStation-exclusive lineup. After many years away, 2018's God of War reboot was a breath of fresh air to the series and was a triumph for all to behold. Not only being held as one of the best games of all time, it was also the best-selling PS4 game of all time.
Why Is God Of War Ragnarok Changing Sony's Stocks?
With God of War being such a goliath just four years ago, it makes sense that Sony is expecting similar sales this time around. However, given the fact that this is the end of the Norse saga - and possibly the end of the road for Kratos - it's likely to sell even more. Added to this, the fact Ragnarok was supposed to release in 2021 means its delays have only added to the hype.
David Gibson, Senior Analyst at MST Financial, posted on Twitter to show a graph of how PS5 stock levels have increased since it was released in November 2020. It's clear to see the trajectory levels are going in, mainly put down to the easing of the global pandemic and production lines rumbling back into motion. It's been no secret that COVID-19 ground the industry to a halt in terms of getting the parts needed to get PS5s into shops.
Gibson says that an increase of 400% is likely down to Ragnarok, which makes sense as a first-party exclusive. Added to this, we're heading into the holiday season, where adults and kids alike are sure to be praying there's a PS5 under the Christmas tree. Either way, Sony is ramping up its assault on the console wars by making sure anyone who wants to splash the cash on PS5 can get one.
Wait, Isn't God Of War Ragnarok Releasing On PS4?
Click to enlargeGibson's stats only relate to the USA, but it's likely this booming business model is being rolled out across the globe. If you can't nab a PS5 or don't have the funds, at least you can play the next chapter on the PS4. Although you'll miss out on its new-gen graphical abilities and the DualSense's many bonuses, ol' faithful will see us through if the PS5 is still out of reach.
Players were warned Ragnarok would be one of the last PS4 games, however, that was recently walked back by promises we'll keep getting last-gen releases. Even though Sony isn't ready to let go of the PS4 just yet, the figures speak for themselves about a push into new-gen. The fact PS5 shipments rose from 2.3 million units to 3.9 million units in just a couple of months in 2021 laid the groundwork for it to top 7 million imports in September 2022. For the first time ever, maybe we'll get some PS5 Black Friday deals - here's hoping.
