Square Enix recently announced that the total worldwide shipments and digital sales for their hit action role-playing game NieR: Automata have crossed the 7.5 million unit mark. This achievement comes just months after the game was reported to have reached seven million units in November 2022.
Developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix, NieR: Automata is a sequel to the 2010 game Nier and is part of the larger Drakengard series. The game was initially launched for PlayStation 4 in Japan on February 23, 2017, followed by North America on March 7 and Europe on March 10. It later became available on PC via Steam worldwide on March 17 and Xbox One on June 26, 2018. The “Game of the YoRHa Edition” was released for PlayStation 4 and PC worldwide in February 2019, while the “The End of YoRHa Edition” for Switch launched on October 6, 2022.
NieR: Automata’s unique gameplay combines role-playing elements with action-based hack-and-slash combat, incorporating various video game genres such as shoot ’em up and text adventure. The game’s story is set during a proxy war between alien-created Machines and human-crafted androids, revolving around the actions of combat android 2B, scanner android 9S, and rogue prototype A2. Multiple playthroughs are required to fully reveal the game’s intricate narrative.
The game enjoyed immediate success upon its release, selling over 198,500 copies in Japan during its first week and quickly reaching the top of the charts. By April 2017, NieR: Automata had sold over 500,000 copies in Japan and Asia, including both physical and digital sales. In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number six in the general software chart. By May 2017, total sales across PS4 and PC platforms reached 1.5 million copies, with most of these sales coming from overseas markets.
By May 2019, NieR: Automata’s worldwide shipments had reached four million copies, and another 500,000 units were sold by March 2020, attributed to the steady sales of the “Game of the YoRHa” edition. The game’s success far exceeded Square Enix’s expectations, prompting them to consider Nier as a potential franchise. PlatinumGames has credited NieR: Automata’s strong sales and positive critical reception for saving the company and renewing interest in their products after a series of disappointing releases.
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