Metal Gear Solid V is a phenomenal game, even if it does lose the plot in its second chapter, ending on a perhaps bitter note. It’s done rather well too, selling a couple of million copies across the five platforms that it’s been released on.
According to the UK’s Game Industry trade rag, MCV, says that the game has sold through around 3 million copies thus far. That’s not terrible, but you’d expect better of such a hugely anticipated game, sold on so many platforms.
They say, citing a Forbes contributor (not Forbes itself), that Metal Gear Solid V will have to sell a great many more copies – double those already sold – just to break even. This is based on the rumoured development (sans marketing!) budget of around $80 million to make the game. Whatever numbers are being thrown around for the game’s marketing budget are pure speculation.
While all of this is guesswork with very little to back it up, it’s certainly plausible, though I have no doubt that the game will not only break even for Konami, but even go on to make a profit – especially once Metal Gear Online’s microtransactions starts brining in bank.
Given the success of previous games in the series, and the heaps of praise from critics and gamers, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about.
Says Konami:
With respect to our METAL GEAR SOLID series, we have sold over seven million units of METAL GEAR SOLID, the original action game that we introduced in 1999 and seven million units of the sequel, METAL GEAR SOLID 2 SONS OF LIBERTY. METAL GEAR SOLID 3 SNAKE EATER, launched during fiscal 2005, sold more than four million units. METAL GEAR SOLID 4 GUNS OF THE PATRIOT, launched during fiscal 2009 has sold more than 6 million units, increasing our total series sales to over 41.2 million units as of March 31, 2015.
Metal Gear Solid V will do just fine. It’s out right now, and it’s incredible…save for a few annoyances, no compelling argument for the overt sexualisation of sniper Quiet and an online mode that’s plagued by server issues. Still, with this being nothing but conjecture based on rumour and speculation – and with game publishers to tight-lipped about everything, we’ll likely never know how many copies Metal Gear Solid V needs to sell to make a profit.
Last Updated: September 22, 2015
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 08:32
$80mil
Masehare.
Could do with just $1mil
Kromas untamed
September 22, 2015 at 08:48
Ek sou kon doen met ‘n miljoen
Ek sou myself met net ses nulle kon versoen ja.
Ek sou kon doen met ‘n miljoen.
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 08:50
Maar ek soek ‘n Britse miljoen asb
Kromas untamed
September 22, 2015 at 08:53
Ek kan net vir jou ‘n miljoen Zimdollars maklik organieseer.
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 08:54
*organiseer
Genugtig Kromas, dit klink asof jou orgaan nies
Kromas untamed
September 22, 2015 at 08:56
Gramatiese Natzi!
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 08:59
*Grammatiese
*Nazi
[skud kop]
Kromas untamed
September 22, 2015 at 09:01
Dis te ******* vroeg in die oggend jou bliksem.
Ek het nog nie eers my derde koffie klaar gedrink nie en ek het die hele aand Satan 3:Maaier van siele gespeel tot vroeg in die oggend.
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:08
Dis nie my skuld jy lei aan ‘n gebrek van koffie, slaap en korrekte spelling nie.
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:58
You need an Afrikaans interpreter Big Boss. 😛
Kromas untamed
September 22, 2015 at 10:07
That particular post has no spelling mistakes!
Also I may be Afrikaans but IT in general is English so I am getting a bit rusty. 🙂
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 10:14
Kojima did not realize that there are Afrikaans fans out there. Why I was always ordered to get an Interpreter before interrogating an Afrikaans merc in Angola pissed me off a little lol
and its not fake like Far Cry 2, they actually say P##s and kuk lol
When the soldier shouted VOETSEK!!! at D-Dog I laughed my arse off 🙂
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 22, 2015 at 10:50
I love it when you talk foreign.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
September 22, 2015 at 10:44
*Ek sou kon doen met ‘n lemoen
Ek sou myself met net ses skille kon versoen, ja,
Ek sou kon doen met ‘n lemoen…
*Vryf snot neus met neusdoek af….
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 22, 2015 at 08:45
3 mil seems surprisingly low
RinceThis
September 22, 2015 at 08:47
I don’t want them to break even! #fuckKonami
Kromas untamed
September 22, 2015 at 08:48
+1
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 08:50
I want them to break…
RinceThis
September 22, 2015 at 08:53
Yes!
Viking Of Science
September 22, 2015 at 09:10
I want MGSV to not break even…. Give Konami more reason to fuck off from AAA development. Let them become irrelevent…. let ’em make pachinko machines….
PULL THE LEVER
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:55
But… its 60fps 😛
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:19
110hours at 70% and finished mission 45.
What a hoot, I found myself grinning a few times and face palming myself when I put 2 and 2 together. As a MGS1 fan and played the remastered version on the Gamecube with Liquid and Solid snake its all making sense.
QUITE is the ultimate fucking bad ass. Everything about her is explained in mission 45.
I also accidentally uncovered and finished the story for PAZ. After seeing the end of that side mission once you give her all 10 photos I can now see where mission 46 is going and why people are fuming over the ending.
On 25000 hero points. Base os built and on my way to building a nuke. That I am sure if any gamer out there disarms it today as its International peace day a cut scene will unlock.
This is hands down the most enjoyable game I have ever played. Just free roaming is more fun than arsing about in GTAV.
I BET YOU as it is explained in the first hour when masked Big Boss says “You are me and I am you” that its all an illusion from the Phantom effect of being cloned.
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:33
*Quiet
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:33
COVER ME
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:33
Quietly?
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:33
Starts humming
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 22, 2015 at 09:43
She can’t even cover herself. *run*
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:51
QUITE the true fact there
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:53
She does if you unlock the handkerchief from Sniper Wolf 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 22, 2015 at 10:00
Surprised it’s not DLC, like the horse armour. 😉
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 10:08
I think all the extra skins are micro transactions. For the impatient gamer who does not know the meaning of the phrase Risk = Reward. Nice to see the single player is not affected at all. Im talking to you Dead Space 3.
Anyway Im sure we will see the full extent of the dreaded Micro Transaction when the MGSV On-line game is released next month.
Alien Emperor Trevor
September 22, 2015 at 09:38
W3 sold 4 mil in its first 2 weeks, why aren’t console gamers supporting one of their premiere titles?
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:41
I think all the negative publicity with Konami the last 3 months since they cancelled PT has played a massive toll.
I bet the people who own MGSV are the old school loyal fan base. As a casual I don’t blame them for shying away.
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:42
So you are quite the casual then?
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:47
I played MGS1, MGS1 the Silicon Knights remaster, Snake Eater that left me awe struck in 2006, Never had a PS3 so I never got to play… watch MGSIV.
I am a MGS casual, but Kojimas Stylization and cheesy Philosophy IS COOL AS FUCK.
I was not on the hype train at all for MGSV. I brought it on a whim as I happened to be in Musica on the 1st. Then to my surprise Ive ended up placing it on a higher pedistool than The Witcher 3. Trust me, it was hard to admit that its my GOTY 2015. I have never played such a polished game before, an open world at 60fps with gameplay that is 100% responsive.
Only Con I have, is the shaky cam.
P.S. You get to kill Evil Afrikaners 😛
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:52
Right, you totally missed my joke then it seems
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 09:52
Quite so 😛
Grand Admiral Chief
September 22, 2015 at 09:53
xD
Nathaniel
September 22, 2015 at 09:42
It sold well but I was expecting more copies to be sold in this time considering how awaited this game has been. I am also sure they will break even soon, maybe by the end of the year.
Jonah Cash
September 22, 2015 at 09:58
I will wait for this in a bargain bin someday as with most triple A titles this year. I am now going to become the one year behind gamer… I will play the full games that should have launched that way.
RinceThat
September 22, 2015 at 10:01
I also suspect that Konami cut the 3rd chapter that was revealed in the special edition Blu Ray. Just wait and see the ANGER from the fans followed by automatic purchase orders 😛
Brady miaau
September 22, 2015 at 10:46
I am with you, but certain games, like Witcher 3, Dragon Age and Mass Effect I cannot help myself.
I order on day one. Fallout 4? Hmm……………..
But this game? Bargain bin for me.
Mabenito
September 22, 2015 at 10:20
3.0 mil copies sold with a minimum of 50$ each (SA included), isn’t that equal 150.0 mil? (+70.0 mil profit). My maths and logic may be wrong.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
September 22, 2015 at 10:40
That would be the $80M for the speculated marketing budget only, no import costs, distribution costs, manufacturing or development costs included…
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
September 22, 2015 at 10:40
That would be the $80M for the speculated marketing budget only, no import costs, distribution costs, manufacturing or development costs included…
Mabenito
September 22, 2015 at 11:32
$80M for Makerting? That’s insane. If that’s true.
Greylingad[CNFRMD]
September 22, 2015 at 12:37
I wouldn’t believe that number, not solely for marketing, full development costs, yes, maybe, but not just for marketing, so take that number with a tad of salt, but I wouldn’t venture into equating copies sold into sheer profit
Ryanza
September 22, 2015 at 10:41
Publishers don’t get the full $60 or in your case $50. Maybe half of that $50 if not less.
Ryanza
September 22, 2015 at 10:29
And don’t forget. #FuckKonami.
Don’t Support DRM. #FuckDRM.
Brandon Gurney
September 22, 2015 at 18:25
How does it lose its plot? Everything you need to know is in the cassette tapes.