While there was plenty of excitement leading up to the launch of Ubisoft’s The Division, there was a fair share of uncertainty as well. The publisher had declined to provide advanced copies for review, and while that is more commonplace now than it used to be, it’s still often looked at as indicating that a publisher is unsure of a game.
As it turned out, this was no detriment to sales, as Ubisoft announced today that The Division had the biggest first week ever for a new game franchise, pulling in $330 million worldwide in its first five days on sale. This comes on top of an earlier announcement from the company that the game had sold more copies in its first 24 hours than any other game in the company’s history. If we do the math, at an average price of $60, Ubisoft has likely sold as many as 5.5 million copies, though that depends how many people purchased the special Collector’s Edition for around $100.
“The Division taking the top spot in the industry for first-week sales of a new franchise is a tremendous achievement. We are very proud of our teams, and humbled by and thankful for the millions of players who are giving us their feedback and support,” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said. “The Division is the latest example yet of our unique ability to deliver immersive gaming playgrounds that keep players engaged, and that they eagerly share with their friends and community.”
Gamers aren’t just buying the game and letting it sit around either — they’re playing it like crazy. The Division had 1.2 million peak concurrent users across the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC over the weekend, and over 100 million hours of the game were played in its first week.
“On top of record-breaking sales, player engagement is the highest ever for any Ubisoft title, demonstrating, among other things, that our investments in our online infrastructure and services are paying off,” Ubisoft’s vice president of online services, Stephanie Perotti, said. “We are delivering an online experience that’s on par with the best in the industry, and that matches the quality and connectivity demanded by The Division and its players.”
So far, 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for Ubisoft. In addition to The Division‘s success, the company also had the best selling game in February with Far Cry Primal.
