Gamer fatigue coupled with declining last-gen sales and disappointement of Call of Duty: Ghosts could lead to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare selling millions of copies less than its predecessor, according to research firm Sterne Agee.
According to analyst Arvind Bhatia (via Cinema Blend), the firm expects Advanced Warfare to ship 15 percent fewer copies than Ghosts in the fourth quarter of the year, meaning they're expecting roughly 17 million copies shipped as opposed to 20 million with Ghosts. In his note, Bhatia mentions skepticism in the franchise's direction as a result of Ghosts' disappointment, a drop in software sales for last-gen systems, and consumers holding out on purchasing the game until they determine if they are upgrading to PS4 or Xbox One.
Advanced Warfare does have some positives going for it, including the excitement that new exoskeletons could bring. While Call of Duty has always been a faster-paced shooter, the addition of exoskeletons and other futuristic technology looks to redefine the gameplay experience.
Gameplay aside, Advanced Warfare may also benefit from the lack of direct competition. While there are a ton of new blockbusters releasing in the coming weeks, the franchise's biggest competitor, Battlefield, isn't getting a new installment until 2015 with the delayed release of Hardline. Of course, there's still the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection and the recent launching of Destiny, two games that could siphon off some potential sales.
Should Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare sell less than Ghosts, it would be the second year in a row that the franchise has declined in sales. Activision attributed Ghosts' drop in sales to the console transition. With the PS4 and Xbox One in our hands for almost a year, it'll be interesting to see if Activision's traditional powerhouse can continue its unprecedented run.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is set to launch on November 4 for PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.
