Despite trudging through the mire of a less than ideal lead-up to release, 2K Games’ basketball sim NBA 2K20 posted a more than respectable launch week, standing proudly atop the EMEAA sales charts.
Best Selling Game of The Week
Data compiled from sales of retail game copies and digital downloads on digital storefronts Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Store for week 36 of 2019 across 43 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand, show that NBA 2K20 was the best selling title.
It stands among auspicious company including tactical shooter Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege in second place, and perennial Rockstar staple, Grand Theft Auto V, a stalwart that seemingly won’t be dislodged, in fourth. Rockstar also popped up into the top ten with Red Dead Redemption 2 still selling strongly nearly a year on from release.
A surprising addition and one that makes full use of tapping into the nostalgia of bygone gaming eras, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered took the third spot.
NBA 2K20 Sells Despite Controversies, Criticism and Bad Reviews
NBA 2K20’s success is symptomatic of a staunchly-devoted fan base and a constant appetite for the franchise, even though year-on-year improvements lack depth and scope.
And, this despite both the press and players lambasting 2K Games for unabashedly upping the ante in terms of microtransactions with what for all intents and purposes is a gambling simulator mode.
The backlash doesn’t stop there, with a firm “Mostly Negative” rating cluttering up NBA 2K20’s Steam listing amid strongly worded, albeit slightly vitriolic reviews that verge into meme territory and jocular jabs rather rapidly.
The fruit of countless bugs and issues plaguing the launch version of the game, a #fix2k20 hashtag also did the rounds last week, securing the coveted trending label on Twitter in the process.
We’d feign surprise at how NBA 2K20 has managed to top the EMEAA charts while a dumpster fire blazes away backstage, but in reality, it is more of the same. Big developers throwing around the weight of a league-sanctioned franchise have a ready-made player base that, regardless of controversy, will invariably buy into the game.
Last modified (UTC): September 16, 2019 5:00 PM