'Marvel's Spider-Man' Already Facing Shortages In Japan

Marvel's Spider-Man is selling so well overseas that consumers in Japan are buying the game digitally with the physical version sold out in stores.

Media Create shared sales numbers for Marvel's Spider-Man that we reported on days ago, figures that showed the game has sold over 125,000 copies during its first week in Japan, a number that dwarfed the sales figures for God of War. Following that news, the same outlet (via DualShockers) shared an analysis of the data that indicated a shortage of physical copies of Marvel's Spider-Man is happening in Japan.

Reiterating that the game sold over 125,000 copies in Japan's first week alone, the analysis went on to say that 96.17 percent of the initial shipment was sold. Media Create also estimated that "a considerable number of purchasers" have instead shifted to buying the digital version of the game because they can't find it in stores any longer. Different Spider-Man games have been released in Japan in the past, but it appears that the popularity of Insomniac Games' take on the game may have come as a surprise with the game selling out in physical form in Japan while remaining available elsewhere.

PlayStation 4 Pro sales also saw a spike in Media Create's reports on the Japanese sales figures, a rise that it equates to the Marvel's Spider-Man game as well. Aside from consumers simply buying a PlayStation 4 Pro to make the most out of the Spider-Man game, the bundle that included the game and the enhanced PlayStation console also affect the numbers. The sales of the PlayStation 4 Pro reportedly increased to 169.06 percent in Japan compared to the past week.

Marvel's Spider-Man's success hasn't just been limited to Japan either. It's performing well in other regions, too, the UK in particular being one region where the game now claims the title as the fastest-selling game of the year when looking at the physical purchases. That title was previously held by Ubisoft's Far Cry 5, and though the victory for Marvel's Spider-Man was by a slim margin, it's worth pointing out that the latest Far Cry game was available on multiple platforms while Marvel's Spider-Man was limited only to the PlayStation 4. Batman: Arkham Knight still holds the title as the fastest-selling superhero game for this generation in the UK, GamesIndustry.biz reported, but a shifting preference towards digital sales and the platform availability of the Batman game likely affected that.

Marvel's Spider-Man is now available on the PlayStation 4.