On March 9th, the latest first-week sales data for Titanfall was released across major online media and magazines related to video games.
In fact, it wasn't just media outlets related to video games and the electronics industry, but also economic news, economic magazines, and even some mainstream news outlets that reported on the sales data disclosed by Gamestar Electronic Entertainment for Titanfall.
This was a rare occasion where Gamestar Electronic Entertainment disclosed the sales figures of its own products.
Most of the sales data is speculated by various media outlets, who use their own abilities and techniques to make predictions from different angles.
Although some of their speculated numbers are fairly close, they never carry the same persuasive weight as the official published data.
"Chiyo-san, have you heard? A video game has reached an astonishing 7.5 million units in its first week of sales. And that's just the first week! A record album reaching sales of hundreds of thousands is already incredible, but a game reaching over 7 million units in its first week—this is amazing!"
"Hmm, while that's indeed impressive, I'd like to point out that the comparison isn't quite right. You should calculate the per capita output. You see, the cost of an album's sales mainly covers the production of the album itself, along with the songwriters and performers, and maybe a few more for filming. In total, there aren't that many people involved. Plus, the output of albums is more efficient than games. From what I know, Titanfall took over a year and a half just for its development, and over a thousand people were involved. An album definitely can't compare."
"However, from what I've heard, Titanfall's soundtrack albums are also selling like crazy all over the world, with sales reportedly surpassing a million. Not to mention the various Titanfall merchandise, which has created a huge social impact and can truly be considered a successful sales phenomenon."
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Everyone involved was left speechless by the staggering sales numbers.
The media were filled with praise.
Originally, the mech culture was considered a relatively small niche, and it was even showing signs of decline.
But after Titanfall's release, mech-related topics quickly surged.
Mech-related products saw a sharp rise in sales.
Toy manufacturers in Japan specializing in mechs also reaped some benefits, though this was just a small advantage, reviving many struggling mech toy manufacturers, including a significant number of overseas orders.
The Titanfall IP was firmly held by Gamestar Electronic Entertainment.
After Titanfall became a hit, countless companies rushed to Gamestar Electronic Entertainment's headquarters to negotiate business deals.
Even just securing a small amount of Titanfall licensing would likely lead to a huge profit.
Of course, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment also had its own merchandise department.
They had already produced some Titanfall related products, including models and toys.
However, these models and toys were mainly prepared for the game's limited edition releases.
A physical copy of Titanfall was priced at $59, while a physical collector's edition, bundled with a Titanfall BT statue, sold for $300.
At first, only about 100,000 units of the collector's edition were planned, and the marketing department was worried they might not sell them all.
But unexpectedly, the collector's edition sold out in just one week.
Subsequent Titanfall merchandise flew off the shelves, with people buying everything from Titanfall statues to badges and blankets.
By the end, even a cup with a Titanfall logo could sell for 2,000-3,000 yen, despite the manufacturing and packaging cost being less than 100 yen.
The profit margin on these items was even higher than that of the game itself.
In comparison, products like statues seemed to be a better buy, as their manufacturing cost was more in line with the retail price.
However, no matter how hard the merchandise department tried, it still couldn't meet the overwhelming demand from players and customers.
Orders for Titanfall merchandise flew out like snowflakes.
Looking at such a valuable IP derivative, how could Gamestar Electronic Entertainment possibly hand out licenses to others? Why not keep it all for themselves?
But following the instructions of Gamestar Electronic Entertainment's chief, Matsubashi Makoto, the merchandise department did allow a small portion of Titanfall product licenses to be given out.
This was essentially a favor—while they were enjoying the big profits, they didn't forget the small companies. In the future, if Gamestar needed something from them, they shouldn't refuse.
By handing out just a small portion of the leftovers, they'd gain a great deal of goodwill, which would pay off later.
In addition, the Japanese government and governments around the world also benefited from Titanfall.
Previously, Gamestar Electronic Entertainment had built a life-sized Titan statue in various cities, each one uniquely representing the style of that city or country.
These statues quickly became must-visit spots for passionate Titanfall fans, proving their loyalty.
For core fans, they would definitely find a way to visit each Titanfall statue around the world and take photos with them.
Such initiatives had a positive impact on local tourism industries.
While this may have been a small benefit, it represented a good omen, showing that video games not only brought profits to the game industry itself but could also boost other sectors.
What's more, a state government in the U.S. even formed a Titan research group.
They truly wanted to develop a Titanfall-style mech.
Based on research from local engineering and mechanical experts, they discovered that the mechs in Titanfall actually had a realistic possibility of being built.
Of course, artificial intelligence at that level is impossible for now, but constructing a similar mech was entirely feasible.
So, they applied for funding to study the feasibility of building a Titanfall mech.
While this may have been more about securing funding, it still proved how significant the Titanfall phenomenon had become.
In Japan, the Tokyo government even planned to transform a park into a place filled with Titan statues from the game.
They had seen firsthand how games and anime could benefit tourism.
They still remembered the advice Gamestar had given them back then.