The New York Times published an op-ed Wednesday attributing the success of this year’s hottest video game Elden Ring to the pandemic. Unfortunately, this analysis ignores many historical factors that guarantee the game’s success in any year. But it’s important to stress that the game and its success are not a product of our global crisis.
Elden Ring sold 12 million copies worldwide in the first three weeks of its release, a staggering sales figure usually only achieved by industry giants like the Call of Duty or Pokémon series. It’s essentially a sequel to From Software’s Dark Souls series, which actually started with “Demon’s Souls,” a PlayStation 3 exclusive in 2009.
The New York Times article described the Dark Souls series as a “moderate success,” a fair analysis considering only its sales history. By comparison, Elden Ring has sold roughly half of the entire Dark Souls trilogy game’s lifetime sales in three weeks. It achieved all of this despite the notoriously challenging Dark Souls games and now Elden Ring. Without compromising its original vision, From Software has focused on tweaking its formula with each successive game to find more ways to empower players. And many players buy Elden Ring Runes for a better experience.
Elden Ring has repeatedly topped the “Most Anticipated Games” list in 2021. After it was delayed, it was 2022. Since its announcement, it’s become a popular meme, lashing out at Game Awards host Geoff Keighley for revealing even a little of an early release about Elden Ring. When he finally revealed the first gameplay trailer at last year’s Summer Games Festival event, he declared: “I’m free!”
So no, Elden Ring’s success didn’t come out of nowhere, and it certainly had nothing to do with quarantines, lockdowns, or the survival malaise caused by a global pandemic. The success of Elden Ring has to do with how its developers have designed and iterated on its successful formula over the past 11 years. Once this formula clicks, its resonance with players is undeniable. Elden Ring is a victory, a milestone for the video game industry. So it’s thanks to the people who make the game and the people who play it, not the environment. Players can also buy some Elden Ring Runes at IGGM if they want a little more ease in the game.
