Shuhei Yoshida Says He Was Surprised Horizon Forbidden West Sales Weren’t Better

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 19, 2025 2 Views 5 Min Read
Shuhei Yoshida Says He Was Surprised Horizon Forbidden West Sales Weren’t Better

Former SIE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was surprised that Horizon Forbidden West didn’t sell more units than it did. 2022’s Horizon Forbidden West built on what fans enjoyed about the original Horizon Zero Dawn by taking protagonist Aloy on a new quest to discover the mystery behind a deadly plague within the ruined remains of the western United States. Reviews for Horizon Forbidden West were mainly positive, praising the game’s rich visuals and gripping combat while criticizing the plot.

While the Horizon games have faced issues like releasing around the same time as blockbuster hits like Elden Ring and negative review bombing campaigns, the series is fairly lucrative for Sony. In the UK, Horizon Forbidden West was the second-biggest launch for the PlayStation 5 at the time of its release, and its overall sales figures have since been bolstered by Forbidden West’s PC launch in March 2024. By April 2023, Horizon Forbidden West had sold over 8.4 million units, with Sony reporting that the overall Horizon franchise sold 32.7 million copies around that time.

Why Horizon Forbidden West Doesn't Have to Hurry Towards a Remaster Like TLOU2 Did

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However, former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida expected Horizon Forbidden West to perform better, as revealed in a recent interview with Kinda Funny Games. This marks Yoshida’s first interview since stepping down as SIE Worldwide Studios President in 2024, and he said that Horizon Forbidden West’s sales numbers left him surprised as the game was the sequel to an established IP and these typically perform better than their predecessors due to having a built-in fanbase. That being said, he still loves the Horizon franchise and described Forbidden West as “bigger and great.”

Former PlayStation Head Shuhei Yoshida Thought Horizon Forbidden West Would Sell Better

While Horizon Forbidden West may have fallen short of some sales expectations, the series is still going strong with big plans for the future. Last year, a more lighthearted take on Horizon Zero Dawn was released in the form of the family-friendly LEGO Horizon Adventures, which was also the first Horizon game to be released on a Nintendo console. Several new Horizon projects are said to be in development, including a third mainline entry and an online multiplayer spin-off.

As for Horizon Forbidden West itself, both the base game and its 2023 Burning Shores DLC expansion recently reached a wider audience with the release of the previously mentioned PC port in March 2024. A live-action movie adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn is reportedly in the works at Colombia Pictures in partnership with PlayStation Productions.

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