Analyst: Two Call of Duty ports overshadow Xbox’s Halo remake.

Strange developments are unfolding in the realm of video game sales. After years of being an Xbox exclusive, Halo has finally made its way to PlayStation with the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the classic Halo: Combat Evolved. However, despite the excitement this crossover would have sparked back in 2007, it appears that current PlayStation 5 players are largely indifferent.

Data from Alinea Analytics reveals that Campaign Evolved sold approximately 351,000 copies on PlayStation in July. It was overshadowed by titles like Palworld, Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto V, several EA Sports games, and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Rescynced. On Steam, the game managed to sell around 212,000 copies, while Xbox (both console and PC) sales reached about 900,000. Given that Halo 3 sold 14.5 million copies on a single console, these PS5 figures are underwhelming. Although Campaign Evolved has garnered positive reviews for its updates and new missions, this enthusiasm hasn’t translated into strong sales among PlayStation fans, likely due in part to the absence of PvP.

While Microsoft may have anticipated a stronger performance from this iconic series making its debut on a competing console, a safer bet has proven more lucrative. Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard recently launched Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. These titles have surpassed expectations, collectively selling 11 million copies at $39.99 each (or $19.99 for PlayStation Plus subscribers), amounting to an estimated $435 million, according to Alinea’s data.

Iron Galaxy managed the ports of these 2010 and 2012 Call of Duty games, which, despite being unchanged from their original versions, have sold 3 million and 8.2 million copies, respectively. The first two Black Ops games were previously exclusive to the PS3. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 version remains backward compatible with modern Xbox systems.

The strong sales of these seemingly straightforward ports highlight the ongoing demand for Call of Duty’s multiplayer experience, while the lukewarm reception of the Halo remake suggests a decline in interest for the franchise following Bungie’s split from Microsoft after Halo: Reach. It appears that a significant portion of players continues to gravitate towards multiplayer shooters and sports games, largely overlooking other offerings, even those featuring the iconic Master Chief.

In summary, the console wars have resumed.