Pokémon Legends: Arceus breaks Currys UK record for most pre-ordered game
Currys says around 25,000 pre-orders for Pokémon Legends: Arceus are predicted to have been sent out, breaking their all-time record.
Not that there was any doubt that Pokémon Legends: Arceus would be anything but a financial success, retailer Currys has revealed just how popular it was even before the launch today.
In the days leading up to release, Currys’ head of gaming, Nick Hayden, says over 9,000 units were pre-ordered, with 25,000 units projected to have been sent out today.
This makes it the most pre-ordered game in Currys’ history. While it doesn’t share what the previous record was, it’s not too shocking that a Pokémon game would be the one to break it.
Up until a few weeks ago, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company had been notoriously tight-lipped about the game, to the point where it wasn’t even entirely clear what it was until an overview trailer dropped earlier this month.
The positive critical reviews no doubt helped bolster the numbers, but those only came out a couple of days ago. It’s entirely likely that some customers were swayed by the bevy of leaks though, with the game being streamed on Twitch and others sharing all the new pokémon and mechanics ahead of any official info.
Or maybe it’s just because people still love the franchise. For all its flaws and the criticisms some have for it, it remains incredibly popular in the eyes of die-hard fans and casual players.
In a way, we’re seeing history repeat itself. Pokémon Sword & Shield’s pre-launch days were mired in discourse concerning its reduced pokédex and underwhelming visuals, the latter being a point of contention surrounding Pokémon Legends: Arceus as well.
Despite complaints and threats of a boycott, Pokémon Sword & Shield were smash successes, becoming
Read more on metro.co.uk
