but the game is doing well in
the UK as well
EDIT: removed US because I can't find any stats specifically for North America
I'm kind of baffled everyone's focus on the marketing. I've not met a person who was unaware the game was on Playstation. I've met people that didn't know the game existed, but not people unaware its on Playstation. Atlus hasn't made an Xbox exclusive since SMT Nine in 2002.
Anecdotal evidence isn't always the best evidence; your network of friends & associates might have similar tastes & awareness levels for the same games, so of course they'd know about it.
I'm speaking about console owners who would be new to the IP, the developer, and the genre. Some of them may not know if the game at all or not very well in the West due to the marketing deal. Remember, SEGA/Atlus could not mention PlayStation OR Steam in
ANY of the Western marketing. At all.
That is unprecedented for a game that is a 3P, even when a platform holder has a marketing deal.
Try going to a Japanese retail website and finding a PS5 available to buy.
What's the point of filling the supply chain if demand doesn't require it?
Terrible Metaphor numbers
Nah; all things considered they're pretty good. It's a new IP and the chart doesn't include digital, meanwhile we already know the digital share is going to be higher combined due to growth of PC in the market and Steam picking up a lot of the digital sales (probably at least 50/50 PS/Steam for digital in Japan for the game, could lean a bit more towards Steam).
Honestly, anyone thinking the Metaphor numbers are bad SHOULD be asking "where's Xbox?". This was a Day 1 release on Xbox and yet AFAIK, the game is nowhere on the physical charts for that platform. Meaning digital sales are likely not much better for it there. When Phil Spencer or whoever at Microsoft tries crying again about the lack of (natural) Japanese support for Xbox, just point to these sales charts for Metaphor and show them why.
If the situation by some insanity repeats in the US (where MS have been advertising the game fairly well, IMO), then that's all the proof any Japanese/Asian 3P and most Western 3P will require: you simply don't need Xbox (as it currently is) to reach the vast majority of your customer base (current & potential).
