Insomniac Games Leak Exposes PlayStation Plus Impact on Horizon Forbidden West Sales

A recent document leak from Insomniac Games has shed light on how PlayStation Plus subscription affects the sales of Sony's games. Among the leaked materials was a presentation detailing the impact of PS Plus on the sales of Horizon Forbidden West​.

Sony concluded that the PS Plus subscription model significantly negatively impacts traditional game sales. Specifically, for Horizon Forbidden West, being included in PS Plus led to a drastic drop in sales. Without its inclusion in the subscription, the game's second-year sales were projected to be $124 million, equivalent to 30% of the first year's total​​.

With Horizon Forbidden West added to PS Plus, the projected sales plummeted to $35 million, only 9% of the first year's total. This decrease in sales translates to an $85 million loss in retail revenue for Sony​.

The study highlights the challenges publishers face when including their games in subscription services. While player activity increases, adding games to PS Plus can significantly reduce traditional game sales​.

The leak of this information highlights the difficulties in balancing attracting new players through subscriptions while maintaining traditional sales, a key challenge in today's gaming industry​.