Sniper: Ghost Warrior sells two million copies

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 20 December, 2011

"We are all very happy."

Sniper: Ghost Warrior has sold two million copies, Polish game company City Interactive has announced.

The first-person shooter went on sale in June 2010 on PC and Xbox 360. A PlayStation 3 version launched a year later.

"We are all very happy that we have reached the two million units milestone," City Interactive boss Marek Tymiński said.

"This builds a strong belief we can do even better with the sequel and other upcoming releases."

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, built using Crytek's game engine CryEngine 3, is due out in 2012.

City Interactive announced Sniper had sold one million copies in February 2011 - seven months after it launched.

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About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 5 months ago

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  • Hantheman #1 5 months ago

    Wasn't this game slated by everyone?

  • ThaneKrios #2 5 months ago

    Imagine if it wasn't a bad game.
    Edited by ThaneKrios at 20/12/11 @ 13:38

  • ring_piece #3 5 months ago

    @Hantheman

    Yes, it was. But this has what I call the "Just Dance effect". Where critics severely misjudge the value of the game to the potential customer.

    A good game always successfully spreads virally by friends. Professional reviews can be under-estimating.

    Although it's never mutually exclusive. -Everyone can spot a shit game too.

  • Uncompetative #4 5 months ago

    I bought it. "Does what it says on the tin" would explain the sales, methinks... Niche market, etc.

  • arcam #5 5 months ago

    I don't think this was a game that spread by word of mouth, it's just that people are crying out for a sniper game.

    The best thing to come out of it is that I'd bet loads of studios are now be working on a sniper game, and when they all come out in 6 months to a year's time, at least one of them will probably the awesome sniper game many people are waiting for.

  • kangarootoo #6 5 months ago

    /sigh

    So their previous sniper game that was more about sniping (also a bit ropey, admitedly) didn't do so well, but the sequel that has less to do with sniping and more to do with "FOLLOW ME" NPCs and helicopter fights shifts more units.

    The third in the series will probably have more in common with Outrun. Thanks general public, thanks a lot.

  • OllyJ #7 5 months ago

    regardless of the quality of the title, devs probably should be looking at the fact that people quite obviously want to have a good Sniper game!

    We can't get enough, if it could be like Tiger Woods with a Barrat Rifle I'd be there day one.

  • kangarootoo #8 5 months ago

    Or have the trailers and demo mis-sold this to me? What is the word people? Is it actually a game about lone sniping, or specific checkpointed instructions from a voice in your ear?

  • acuratebob #9 5 months ago

    i loved this game, got it day one, got every achi for it, loved it till my friends stopped playing th Mp with me, then slowed eased off it myself, still cant wait for the second one...

  • arcam #10 5 months ago

    @kangarootoo What was their previous sniper game?

    This one, from what I've heard, isn't as snipey as many people would like - still lots of run and gun - I don't think you'd get that isolated sniper experience (basically the "All Ghillied Up" mission from CoD4, which is what I think people are really looking for).

  • javvyman #11 5 months ago

    I agree with peoples opinion that the public are craving a sniper game.

    Think of the amount of people that play COD that live and die by a sniper (quick scope)
    I'm certain around 60% of people in MW2 used a sniper regularly, and Sniper : Ghost Warrior was released at a time when quick sniping was considered cool and went viral on Youtube. I guess that translated into sales.
    The two best experiences i've had as a sniper are from MOH AA in the bell tower, and Sniper Elite for the original Xbox.
    Edited by javvyman at 20/12/11 @ 12:31

  • miiiguel #12 5 months ago

    It's a poor man's CoD with several "sniping" levels. It's pretty bad, in my opinion, even though I'm not much into shooting, the game is clearly below average.

    edit: Nothing even close to "All Ghillied Up", which was a seriously good gaming moment.
    Edited by miiiguel at 20/12/11 @ 12:34

  • kangarootoo #13 5 months ago

    @arcam

    Oh nuts, I've gotten confused.

    Ok, so the game in question is their FIRST sniper gamer, which as you say isn't as snipey as it could be. They are currently working on a sequel, which is rather LESS snipey than the first one, and I had a bit of a grey moment there and confused the two.

    So I played a demo of the sequel, and it had barely any sniping in it, and that which it did contain consisted of some NPC telling me exactly what to do :( I didn't enjoy it, its fair to say.

    Edit: I know they mentioned the sequel in the article, which should have alerted me, but not much after the headline I had already formed my incorrect conclusion and gone off on one. What a tit :)
    Edited by kangarootoo at 20/12/11 @ 12:34

  • Spunkweazle #14 5 months ago

    The word "Sniper" in the title = 2 Million sales

    they could have used "ninja", "zombie", or "monkey"

  • ThaneKrios #15 5 months ago

    @Spunkweazle Or "boobs".

  • retr0gamer #16 5 months ago

    And yet the studio that makes the Stalker games closes. :(

  • mAc062 #17 5 months ago

    2 million idiots!

  • Ferral #18 5 months ago

    They did release a huge patch for this which sorted out most of the issues and removed invisible walls etc if my mind serves me right. They actually listened to player feedback.

    It will most likely be in a way more playable state now than what it was when initially released. Should imagine it will pop up cheap in the Steam Christmas sale, will probably pick it up then. Not to bad if a game isnt a top title that doesnt draw in the crowds and you can pick it up cheap just to have a daft mess with on the odd occasion.

  • RevanNL #19 5 months ago

    With 9 billion people, there are too many people living on this planet. Now there are two million people who should be shot with a sniperrifle for purchasing this god-awful game.

  • Alex_V #20 5 months ago

    One of the worst game experiences I've had in recent years, a pity that so many were presumably suckered in by the box art and concept.

  • obscured021 #21 5 months ago

    Game sucked wish i could get my 20 euro back, if you want a sniper game pick up sniper elite, or wait sniper elite 2

  • kangarootoo #22 5 months ago

    So this is £10 on Steam currently, instead of the listed normal price of £20. However, the last few comments don't fill me with confidence (plus I just watched a trailer within which the PC referred to "the sniping spot" - yeah, I'm sure that is what military snipers call them all the time).

  • albo #23 5 months ago

    @mAc062 2 million ignorant parents who are inclined to buy it after their screaming child cries for a game that's remotely like cod

  • schnide #24 5 months ago

    @Spunkweazle

    That's exactly it. It has the exact blend of generic elements that will drive impulse buys for the COD market. "Sniper" to make it sound refined, "Ghost" to make it sound stealthy, and "Warrior" to make it sound shooty and gung-ho. Plus it has the obgliatory colon.. as it were.

  • arcam #25 5 months ago

    Hah, despite all the terrible feedback I'm still kind of tempted if it goes <£4 in the Steam sale :D

    Can anyone suggest any other game that might satisfy my sniping urges instead? Maybe I should just spend a bit more (i.e. any) time as a recon in BF3, or maybe wait for Sniper Elite v2...

    I had good fun sniping Far Cry 2, that did a good job, and I should probably work a bit with Arma 2 as I hear sniping in that can be fun too.

    Your best sniping experiences EG?

  • Retro_ #26 5 months ago

    @RevanNL - That's 7 Billion :)

  • Mockerre #27 5 months ago

    They must have made a killing, as making games in Poland is relatively cheap.

  • RevanNL #28 5 months ago

    @Retro_ My mistake, still, it just feels wrong to live in a world where a game like this can sell 2 million copies, while Resistance 3 and Rayman origins fail to even sell 500k

  • ozzzy189 #29 5 months ago

    'we're all very happy '
    Well, maybe not all the folks who paid full price for the game are?

  • Darksjeik #30 5 months ago

    The concept and peoples hopes sold two million copies, not the game

  • bracken3000 #31 5 months ago

    I got this on cheap a few months back and it was a good try, just silly bugs and other issues, like you have the sniper rifle yet the enemy can get you from the same distance. If they ironed out these probs, it would be worth a look.

  • kangarootoo #32 5 months ago

    "in a world where a game like this can sell 2 million copies, while Resistance 3 and Rayman origins fail to even sell 500k"

    QFT. Resistance 3 was (slightly) unexpectedly brilliant. Best of the series yet.

  • 00.00.01 #33 5 months ago

    @kangarootoo
    Don't spend a tenner on it. You'll regret it, I tested it and it's buggy as f#&k and should not have made gold.

    //starts working on "battleninjamonkeysniperspaceboobs"//

  • m0dm0use #34 5 months ago

    The game didn't sell to me just becuase of the word sniper, it is the pacing and the multiple ways you can look and attack a situation yes on release the AI was far to strong and this ruined the game but many updates later it is great £13.99 now you can get the game with the DLC included on the consoles and is a worthwhile game to play.

    A lot of comments seem to be from players who either love cod/battlefiled and camp.

    Nothing wrong with call of duty or battlefiled but don't make connections between those two series and this game they are for a different market both being fps but both different in there own ways. And with the use of a different engine and already stunning game will be even more so to look and play.

    A lot of the negative comments and reviews seem to be in the period where it was "filled with bugs" the only bug I found was the one on my screen and the magic eyed ai which has been since fixed.

    I sold the game soon after release due to not having live and access to updates and my replacement just arrived today and I look forward to getting back online soon.

    Time to hide those negative thoughts and comments on this game, this isn't EA or Activision with multi million budgets and big budget add campaignes and comparing it to those publishers works is not going to help the industry start new studios with the attitude so many above have.

  • ToAks #35 5 months ago

    enjoyed this game, it was something diffrent, something i craved for, it could've been so much better but i still enjoyed it for what it was, a budget sniper game from the same team who made that chopper game on ps2!