Until Dawn’s player count on PS5 is reportedly 28.6 percent lower than Concord’s, a game that was so disastrous that Sony pulled it from storefronts just two weeks after launch. The reasons behind Until Dawn’s poor performance on PS5 remain unclear, but factors such as high pricing, lackluster marketing, and unfavorable comparisons to the original game are likely to blame.

The remake of Until Dawn launched last week on both PS5 and Steam, and saying it didn’t make waves would be an understatement. Before its release, comparison videos highlighted fans’ discontent with the game’s visual downgrade compared to the original, with many accusing the developers of stripping away its atmosphere in pursuit of realism. Technical issues also plagued the game, which has received Mixed reviews on Steam.

All of these issues – combined with the weak marketing effort on PlayStation’s side – seem to have culminated in one of the worst high-profile launches on the platform this year. According to True Trophies, Until Dawn’s player count on PlayStation 5 at launch was one of the lowest the console has seen this year, and somehow 28.6 percent smaller than Concord’s launch figures.

This is the same Concord that flopped so badly that PlayStation removed it from both its store and Steam just two weeks after release, offering unconditional refunds to everyone who purchased it. While Until Dawn is performing better on Steam than Concord did, it only managed a peak player count of 2,607 at launch, which is hardly impressive.

Several factors are likely contributing to this, including the fact that PlayStation is charging full price for a remake of a game that isn’t even ten years old yet, with many fans arguing that it looks worse than the original. You can still pick up the original Until Dawn for next to nothing on the second-hand market, so there’s little incentive to pay full price for the remake.

Additionally, the game’s marketing has been underwhelming. Since the game was revealed back in January, there have been very few trailers or promotions outside of PlayStation’s official channels, and many fans were likely caught off guard by the game’s launch earlier this month.

In any case, this doesn’t bode well for PlayStation’s future remaster plans, which include a remaster of Horizon Zero Dawn. While Horizon is far more popular than Until Dawn, and will likely receive a more comprehensive marketing campaign, the lack of enthusiasm for a remake of a game that was already widely available and well-received could signal potential challenges for Horizon as well.

Source: TheGamer