Plus: Hot Pre-orders and How to Use Them

Strategic use of pre-orders serves as a powerful tool for high-profile video games to secure early revenue and enhance platform visibility. By analyzing Steam, Epic Games Store, and console performance data from early June 2022, the findings suggest that titles with high "hook" factors and significant wishlist counts—such as Stray and Warhammer 40,000: Darktide—can leverage pre-orders to appear on top-grossing charts before launch. This creates a discovery loop that provides additional marketing momentum and financial security regardless of eventual critical reception.

Market analysis of then-current Steam releases indicates a strong performance for niche simulation and genre-bending titles. Captain of Industry achieved over 4,000 concurrent users (CCU) by tapping into the popular factory simulation segment, while Devolver Digital’s Card Shark demonstrated the viability of stylized, high-concept indie titles. Conversely, Souldiers faced challenges despite strong visuals, illustrating how regional pricing controversies and high difficulty can impact early user reviews and long-term momentum.

The scope of this analysis covers global PC markets and U.S.-specific console and VR trends. Data sources include the GameDiscoverCo Hype chart, Steam SKU rankings, and manual tracking of PlayStation, Xbox, and Meta Quest storefronts. In the console space, free-to-play titles like Roller Champions and established IPs like Evil Dead: The Game led downloads, while the Meta Quest VR market showed signs of potential saturation as median sales for new titles appeared to stabilize.

Looking forward, the transition of formerly exclusive titles, such as The Cycle: Frontier moving from the Epic Games Store to Steam, highlights the importance of follower counts and mechanical reworks in maintaining player interest. The upcoming release schedule suggests that while premium-priced titles like The Quarry maintain high expectations due to developer pedigree, the "boomer shooter" and simulation genres continue to dominate the mid-tier Steam market.