UPDATE: Bethesda’s PR firm contacted us today to inform us that the correct expected gross amount is $450 million globally, and NOT $500 million as we had initially stated. We’ve updated the article below to include the correct information.
Original: While you might be struggling to earn money in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the folks at Bethesda appear to be making out just fine in real life. Zenimax Media Inc. released a presser this morning announcing that Skyrim has shipped over 7 million copies to retail outlets and that the game is expected to gross over $450 million globally.
The full announcement reads:
With tens of thousands of fans lining up at retail outlets at midnight on 11/11/11 to purchase the game, Skyrim continued to record strong sales following its release. More than 50% of launch units were sold in the first 48 hours and Bethesda Softworks has been receiving large reorders from major retailers in the North America, and across Europe and Australia.
Online activity has been notable, with Steam reporting that in the first 24 hours of its release, Skyrim set a record with over 280,000 concurrent players, far outdistancing all other titles.
“We are grateful for the fans’ response to Skyrim,” said Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media. “Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda Game Studios have crafted a very special game. Anticipation for Skyrim has surpassed any game in our company’s history, and we are pleased that sales and reviews have reflected the quality and hours of amazing gameplay it provides.”
Skyrim’s director, Todd Howard was undoubtedly pleased and added that, “Without a doubt, this has been our most ambitious project ever. After over three years of development, we’re finally excited to get it into everyone’s hands.”
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC and features a massive open world RPG structure with a wide variety of side quests to the main storyline. So far the game is one of the top candidates for Game of the Year awards everywhere, and it currently holds a 96 on Metacritic.
Let us know if you picked up Skyrim and have had a chance to play it in the comments or the forums!