Dead Space Takes Top Spot, but Falls Short of The Callisto Protocol's Launch Sales

The past week saw a flurry of new game releases, with Dead Space, Forspoken, Goldeneye, and Hi-Fi Rush all hitting the market. Since Hi-Fi Rush was only available digitally through Game Pass and Goldeneye was largely limited to subscription services, these physical retail charts only provide a partial picture. Digital data, which will be released later in the week, will offer a more comprehensive view, excluding subscription numbers. The Dead Space remake from EA claimed the top spot as the best-selling game. However, its sales were less than half of what The Callisto Protocol achieved in its debut week in December. The Callisto Protocol, developed by some of the original Dead Space creators, had a lower price point of £47 compared to Dead Space's £63. Its release during the Christmas season, when physical games tend to perform better due to holiday gift purchases, also contributed to its success. Additionally, The Callisto Protocol was available on more platforms, including PS4 and Xbox One versions. A more accurate comparison between the two games will be possible once the digital data is released. Notably, EA offered attractive digital deals for Dead Space, including a free copy of Dead Space 2 for PC gamers. Furthermore, the physical release of Dead Space 2 seems to be limited, with low stock levels reported across UK stores. PS5 accounted for 80% of Dead Space's physical sales, while the remaining 20% were on Xbox. This split may change once digital data is included, as Xbox gamers tend to prefer digital downloads. Forspoken, the new IP from Square Enix exclusive to PS5, had a relatively slow start and secured the No.4 spot. Last week's No.1, Fire Emblem Engage, dropped to No.7 with a 76% decline in sales. Meanwhile, The Last of Us: Part 1 on PS5 saw a 32% sales increase, moving up five places to No.15, likely due to the popularity of the TV show. The Last of Us Remastered on PS4 also saw a 27% sales increase, moving up one place to No.31. Another new release, The Witcher 3 Complete Edition, debuted at No.27. Here is the GfK UK Boxed Top Ten for the week ending January 28, 2023: