In Square Enix’s financial report, the company expressed dissatisfaction with the sales performance of Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy. The company felt sales for the game were off to a slow start and hope to make up for it with future sales.
In the financial briefing, representative director Yosuke Matsuda said, “The HD Games sub-segment launched Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in Q3. Despite strong reviews, the game’s sales on launch undershot our initial expectations.” Continuing, “Sales initiatives that we kicked off in November 2021 and continued into the new year have resulted in sales growth, and we intend to work to continue to expand sales to make up for the title’s slow start.”
Despite Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy being a hit with critics and gamers, there are a few possibilities for why sales have been slow. Fans may have mistakenly likened the action-adventure game to the disappointing Marvel’s Avengers, a game that has been thoroughly criticized by players. Unfamiliarity with the characters may have been a factor as well as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy featured a totally new take on the group of misfits rather than starring the exact characters from the popular MCU films. Perhaps fans weren’t ready to see anyone else but Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and company explore space aboard The Milano.
Marvel’s Guardian’s of the Galaxy also debuted alongside major releases such as Far Cry 6, Metroid Dread, and Back 4 Blood in the same month. Many gamers may have opted for one of the competing games rather than take a chance on the unfamiliar game.
Despite its slow start, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy has been embraced by gamers. It currently boasts a score of 84 on Metacritic for Xbox Series X. Many of the reviews praise its captivating story, fun gameplay, top-notch graphics, and hilarious banter among the characters. It seems that many fans would certainly welcome a sequel. Though, whether the sales justify a sequel is another question entirely.