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Fallout 4 Breaks Bethesda Launch Records, 12 Million Units Shipped In One Day

It's official: the launch of Fallout 4 was a huge success. Developer Bethesda Game Studios has revealed that not only did the long-anticipated RPG sequel break through individual records across PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and high-street retailers, but the company confirmed that it shipped upwards of 12 million copies on launch day alone.

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It’s official: the launch of Fallout 4 was a huge success. Developer Bethesda Game Studios has revealed that not only did the long-anticipated RPG sequel break through individual records across PlayStation Network, Xbox Live and high-street retailers, but the company confirmed that it shipped upwards of 12 million copies on launch day alone.

What’s important to note is that, rather than accounting for actual units sold, these figures represent the amount of physical copies distributed to retailers, though if all of these did indeed sell, it would represent sales “in excess of $750 million,” which is a staggering haul. Acknowledging the pent-up demand for Fallout 4, Bethesda pointed to the “tremendous consumer interest” in the recently-released title, and how the premium Pip-Boy Edition quickly became the fastest-selling collector’s edition ever made.

“Major retailers have informed Bethesda of the tremendous consumer interest in Fallout 4 , with some noting it was the most pre-ordered game this year,” Bethesda revealed, noting that the Pip-Boy Edition earned the fastest-selling title “at leading retailers.”

Despite the marketing speak, it’s worth treating these numbers with heightened caution due to the fact that they don’t represent tangible sales figures. For the sake of comparison, Skyrim shipped a total of 7 million units across a 48-hour period in 2011, but only sold through 3.5 million copies, so just over half. By that logic, Fallout 4 still managed to sell around 5-6 million copies on its first day in the market; a strong start, in what will no doubt be a continued success story for Bethesda’s sequel.

Fallout 4 is available now across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. DLC will arrive in the months to come, though last we heard Bethesda was still mapping out the content of said season pass.