In the UK weekly boxed game chart, the new Need for Speed only managed to chart in 17th place - that’s behind last year’s Just Dance 2022 and the Lego Harry Potter Collection. UK sales data seen by GamesIndustry.biz reveals the game’s physical sales were down 64 percent on the series’ previous entry, 2019’s Need for Speed: Heat. Why has it failed to make more of an impression? Yes, last week was a busy week for new releases, with Marvel’s Midnight Suns and The Callisto Protocol also vying for gamer’s wallets and attention. But it also feels as if Unbound had a particularly muted release - with little to no marketing signalling its arrival here in the UK. It’s an odd situation, and one we can only ponder EA’s decision-making around, following the game’s protracted development. Unbound was made by the Guildford-based Burnout and Need for Speed studio Criterion, though work was put on hold by EA for some time in favour of helping out on the beleagured Battlefield 2042. Need for Speed Unbound was Eurogamer’s Game of the Week last week, where our Editor-in-Chief Martin Robinson also discussed why you haven’t seen a review from Eurogamer just yet (it’s on the way!). “EA didn’t supply any pre-release code (or any post-release, for that matter) so I’ve been making the most of the 10-hour trial on EA Play,” our Martin wrote. “Indeed, I’ve just squeaked beyond those 10 hours and the fact I didn’t mind paying up for the full product suggests I’m having some sort of fun.” Did you pick up Need for Speed Unbound?
