Original Article By John F. Trent At BoundingIntoComics.com:
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently revealed that Hogwarts Legacy’s initial gross revenue totaled $850 million, which is nearly as much as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s entire theatrical run. The numbers indicate those pushing a boycott of the game completely failed.
Numerous individuals called for a boycott of the game including failed political candidate Brianna Wu who tweeted back in January, “My position on Hogwarts Legacy is clear. I’m boycotting it. I think if you care about trans people you should too.”
“But, in what should not be a surprise to anyone, most gamers don’t care about trans dignity enough to sacrifice for them. By all accounts it will sell very well,” Wu added.
A day later Wu wrote, “Hogwarts Legacy isn’t a game. It’s a character test. And a a lot of people are about fail it.”
Former The Wizarding World of Harry Potter actress Sarah Daniels also called for a boycott of the game.
She tweeted, “From someone who was literally a poster child for the Hogwarts School Choir at Universal Studios… if I can not buy Hogwarts Legacy, so can you. It really is that easy. This was one of the best, most memorable parts of my life, but JKR is harming people I care about.”
During Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q4 2022 Earnings calls, Zaslav said, “As the only studio scaled in gaming, we see it as a meaningful differentiator with substantial opportunity. With the successful launch of Hogwarts Legacy two weeks ago, we reimagined one of the biggest global franchises in the world.”
“The game was one of the most highly anticipated of 2023,” Zaslav continued. “And consistent with our overall commitment to great storytelling, we delayed the launch to get it right.”
He then declared, “And the response from consumers has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve already seen more than $850 million in retail sales. And we still have more platforms launching over the next few months.”
For comparison, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever only grossed $854.8 million globally during its entire theatrical run.
The film grossed $453.7 million domestically and $401.1 million globally. The film was heavily front-loaded with $181.3 million of its domestic gross coming on its opening weekend.
In contrast, Hogwarts Legacy’s grosses might actually have an enormous tail given the game only released on PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, and PC on February 10th.
As noted by Zaslav it still has yet to release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 4, 2023, and then on July 25, 2023 on Nintendo Switch.
VG Chartz notes that as of January 2023 there are 31.7 million PlayStation 5’s in circulation and 20.6 million Xbox X|S units. There were 117 million PlayStation 4’s sold over the lifetime of the console and 51.2 million Xbox One’s. There are also 121.8 million Nintendo Switch’s sold.
It’s quite possible that Hogwarts Legacy could see a huge increase in revenue when it becomes available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as well as when it arrives on Nintendo Switch in July.
