Physical disc sales accounted for 35% of Marvel's Wolverine's total sales in September, according to data compiled by Ampere Analysis and reported by The Game Business. The game, which launched on September 15, sold approximately 2.16 million units in its first month. In Europe, the physical version proved even more popular, making up 51% of sales. While France saw over two-thirds of its Wolverine purchases as physical copies, the United Kingdom leaned towards digital, with two-thirds of sales being digital.
This data emerges amidst Sony's recently announced decision to cease physical disc production for PlayStation games by 2028. The move has drawn criticism from preservation advocates and industry figures. The Video Game History Foundation has called for trade groups to provide solutions for archiving and preserving digital-only content in the event of storefront closures. Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has also voiced concerns, suggesting that the 20% of players who opt for physical media represent a crucial, highly dedicated segment of the gaming community.
Despite the community's strong reactions, Sony has indicated it will proceed with its plans, acknowledging the feedback but maintaining its trajectory. The trend away from physical media is further evidenced by upcoming major releases. Grand Theft Auto 6 will not receive a physical disc version at launch, and even its collector's edition is reported to contain only a code in an empty box.
Marvel's Wolverine was the second best-selling game on PlayStation 5 last month, trailing only EA Sports FC 24. The latter sold close to 5 million units on PS5 and an additional 1.65 million on Xbox, highlighting the console's larger install base. Other titles like How to Fish and Wardogs also saw significant sales across platforms, with Wardogs nearing 3 million units sold, boosted by strong word-of-mouth and viral social media content. Control: Resonant and Silent Hill: Townfall had slower starts, with 305,000 and 291,000 sales on PS5 respectively. The Blood of Dawnwalker, an RPG from former The Witcher developers Rebel Wolves, performed well with 1.8 million sales across all platforms.