Red Dead Redemption 2 Achieves Entertainment's Biggest Opening Weekend of All Time

[Raevenlord]

(Editor's Note: Now isn't this beautiful. We could likely coin a "single player gaming isn't dead" hashtag right out of this one, for sure. What's more impressive is that this particular Rockstar release has only targeted current-gen consoles, leaving out a huge, booming slice of the market - PC Gaming. Let's forget the fact that it isn't all that hard to have a more powerful PC than any of the top consoles on the market today... But well. let's not be salty. here's hoping that Rockstar taps into our own PC gaming market so we can have a shot at Red Dead Redemption 2 as well. Kudos for the company for the apparently amazing world they've built.)

Rockstar Games is proud to announce that the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2 has achieved the single-biggest opening weekend in the history of entertainment. With over $725 million in worldwide retail sell-through during its first three days, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the second-highest grossing entertainment launch of all time next to Rockstar Games' previously released title, Grand Theft Auto V, which achieved over $1 billion in retail sell-through in three days.





Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) also confirmed that Red Dead Redemption 2 set new records on the PlayStation Network for highest ever pre-orders, highest day one sales and highest sales for the first three days in market. Rockstar Games has partnered with SIE to bring PlayStation 4 players first access to earn select online content in Red Dead Online that is planned to release this November.

Red Dead Redemption 2's list of initial benchmarks include:

• Biggest opening weekend in retail sell-through across all entertainment releases;
• Second biggest launch (three days) in retail sell-through across all entertainment releases;
• Biggest entertainment launch of 2018;
• Most pre-ordered full game ever on PlayStation Network;
• Biggest day one full game sales ever on PlayStation Network;
• Biggest first three days full game sales ever on PlayStation Network.

An epic tale of honor and loyalty set in the dying days of the outlaw age, Red Dead Redemption 2 follows Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. Following a botched robbery in the western town of Blackwater, the gang is forced to flee and, with federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, leaving Arthur to make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.



Told across the deepest and most expansive Rockstar world to date, Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's first game built from the ground up for new generation hardware, and seamlessly blends gameplay and storytelling in a completely new way to deliver the experience of living as an outlaw in a notorious gang.

Reviews are outstanding:

• "What Rockstar has delivered in Red Dead Redemption 2 is not just the best game of the year, but the best game of the decade. It does not set a new bar, but rather signals a changing of the guard, a new future for video games, as everything that comes after will be launching in a post-Red Dead Redemption 2 world." - The Hollywood Reporter
• "This is a game of rare quality; a meticulously polished open world ode to the outlaw era. Looking for one of this generation's very best single-player action experiences? Here's your huckleberry." - 10/10 IGN
• "This is a story - a collection of stories, really - about the decline of a way of life, as a small gang of outlaws tries ever harder to outrun the inexorable advance of American modernity, as well as the enemies and lawmen they have antagonized along the way...There can be no doubt that this is a landmark game. It is a new high water-mark for lifelike video game worlds..." - 5/5 The Guardian
• "Red Dead Redemption 2 has undoubtedly raised the bar for narrative open-world games and will likely have a lasting impact on how they are made in the future. It pushes the envelope of what we understand is possible in a video game. It seems that every time we get something new from Rockstar, things inevitably change." - CNET
• "Red Dead Redemption 2 is Rockstar's best game; a grand, magnificent adventure that's vast yet intimate. It delivers a story full of drama and tragedy, not to mention levity and love, and it compacts it all into the most inventive and compelling missions and moments in Rockstar's history... It's a landmark moment for the open world genre, and for the medium as a whole." - GQ UK

Red Dead Redemption 2 will also include access to Red Dead Online. Red Dead Online is the evolution of the classic multiplayer experience in the original Red Dead Redemption, blending narrative with competitive and cooperative gameplay in fun new ways. Red Dead Online is planned for launch in November 2018, initially as a public beta, with more news to come soon.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is rated M for Mature by the ESRB.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[the54thvoid]

I'm sorry but... screw Rockstar for screwing PC gamers. It all started in Dundee in Scotland with GTA, you know, for the PC. Now, wandering through cashville with no soul, the company has forgotten its roots. Shame on you Rockstar, shame on you.

 

[StrayKAT]

Pretty impressive (especially for non GTA Rockstar), and without even a PC port (bastards!).

I'm sorry but... screw Rockstar for screwing PC gamers. It all started in Dundee in Scotland with GTA, you know, for the PC. Now, wandering through cashville with no soul, the company has forgotten its roots. Shame on you Rockstar, shame on you.

To be fair, none of the RDR games have made it to PC... and that's going all the way back to the PS2.

 

[the54thvoid]

To be fair, none of the RDR games have made it to PC... and that's going all the way back to the PS2.

Two wrongs don't make it right.

I'm not even sure I'd have bought it - it's the principle. I like principles. Without them, we're just....well, money grabbing fucktards.

 

[Easy Rhino]

Typical PC Elitist: Spends $3000 on hardware. Complains about spending $300 on a console.

 

[moob]

Typical PC Elitist: Spends $3000 on hardware. Complains about spending $300 on a console.

To play at 30fps? Yuck. I'd rather not play it.

And there are hints that it'll be coming to PC at a later date similar to what they did with GTAV. Here's to hoping.

 

[Easy Rhino]

To play at 30fps? Yuck. I'd rather not play it.

That is hilarious.

 

[R-T-B]

That is hilarious.

30fps is indeed rather painfully hillarious. Elitist? Hell yes, but painfully true also.

 

[Vayra86]

That is hilarious.

Well, I've been there, on a SNES, N64, and then evolved to PS2 and PS3. And with the PS3, issues began. Choppy framerates, Fallout 3 at 720p with shit performance, Oblivion crashing on you left and right (and no mods available to fix it). Oh yes happy days. The games that worked well and ran at 60 FPS solid were Wipeout and Soul Calibur and the rest was mobile game calibre.

It was the PS3 that drove me back to PC gaming altogether - even with the rich library of exclusives definitely worth playing..

And then came the PS4 era, with an extremely low amount of exclusives at launch, subscription online play... and weak hardware. In other words, a PS3 with drawbacks.

 

[moob]

30fps is indeed rather painfully hillarious. Elitist? Hell yes, but painfully true also.

Yep. I wasn't being flippant at all. lol I can't do 30fps anymore. Even a locked 30fps. I don't need 60fps+ either. I'm good with around 48fps+.

I started off on console as well. I go back to the Atari 2600, then NES, then SNES, Saturn, PS1, Dreamcast, PS2 and Xbox. The original Xbox was my last console before jumping solely to PC gaming. I don't not have a console because I can't afford it, I don't have a console because it's an inferior gaming experience.

 

[dhklopp]

Yep. I wasn't being flippant at all. lol I can't do 30fps anymore. Even a locked 30fps. I don't need 60fps+ either. I'm good with around 48fps+.

I started off on console as well. I go back to the Atari 2600, then NES, then SNES, Saturn, PS1, Dreamcast, PS2 and Xbox. The original Xbox was my last console before jumping solely to PC gaming. I don't not have a console because I can't afford it, I don't have a console because it's an inferior gaming experience.

Your post got me thinking as I took a similar path. 2600, Master System, Mega Drive, Mega CD(What!!!), PS1, PS2(x4, broke a few with some amateur modding), XBox, PS3, Xbox 360. This is the first generation I haven't stumped up for a console as I just haven't got the room under the tele, . I really do hope we get a PC version though, I just can't trust drunken me not to buy a system just to play a game.

 

[Easy Rhino]

Meh, not worth it...

Meanwhile I will be playing it sorry guys you will have to wait

 

[R-T-B]

Meh, not worth it...

For both of us. Different people have different requirements is all I can say. Enjoy your game.

 

[Manu_PT]

Meh, not worth it...

Meanwhile I will be playing it sorry guys you will have to wait

Never argue with pc fanboys. They will never give up. The numbers are out there tho. Let them brag about framerates and resolutions on....... Fortnite or an ubisoft port. Meanwhile God of War, spider man and RDR2 easy goty nominees. Console only.

 

[dhklopp]

Never argue with pc fanboys. They will never give up. The numbers are out there tho. Let them brag about framerates and resolutions on....... Fortnite or an ubisoft port. Meanwhile God of War, spider man and RDR2 easy goty nominees. Console only.

Shush you. Drunken me is listening in the background here.

 

[TheGuruStud]

Never argue with pc fanboys. They will never give up. The numbers are out there tho. Let them brag about framerates and resolutions on....... Fortnite or an ubisoft port. Meanwhile God of War, spider man and RDR2 easy goty nominees. Console only.

Why would we aquiesce to low res, no AA, low framerate garbage? Xbox, 360, xbone and ps3 have all provided 100% unplayable performance. I literally got headaches watching that garbage. Current ones are only nonvomit inducing in well made games, but a majority are still unplayable, regardless. Yay 30 fps locked.

Citing boring ass games, too lol. Good job. Spiderman is 100% batman with different textures. We've had enough batmans, it's boring, repetitive and monotonous. Get out.

 

[the54thvoid]

Typical PC Elitist: Spends $3000 on hardware. Complains about spending $300 on a console.

Presuming that was for me? PC Elitist? Sure. If that makes you feel better - call me what you want. I should probably buy a 2080ti too, just to be sure, maybe an i9 9900K as well. But I don't recall complaining about spending $300 on a console, nope, checked my post, weird? -no mention of a complaint about that - you just made it up, which is what you guys are good at - making shit up to suit your narrative.

I have considered buying a console but after 20 years of KB & Mouse, I think it'd be too much for my old brain. And for one game? Nope, no thanks. Plus, 30fps is fucking shit, no way around that one. Hell, I got a 4k monitor I'm going to get rid of because other TPU members were right - 60Hz Gsync is blurry when you're whizzing about. Time to downgrade to 144Hz and 2K. 30Hz? ouch.

But yeah, as others say, enjoy the wild west.

 

[Manu_PT]

Why would we aquiesce to low res, no AA, low framerate garbage? Xbox, 360, xbone and ps3 have all provided 100% unplayable performance. I literally got headaches watching that garbage. Current ones are only nonvomit inducing in well made games, but a majority are still unplayable, regardless. Yay 30 fps locked.

Citing boring ass games, too lol. Good job. Spiderman is 100% batman with different textures. We've had enough batmans, it's boring, repetitive and monotonous. Get out.

Just gtfo. Playing games with a controller on a correctly frame paced game at 30fps is not the end of the world. Of course 60fps or 144hz would be an even better experience, but is not all of that you guys say. People think that the 30fps on a console is the same as locking a PC game at 30fps and controlling the game with a mouse. Also the current TV models all have motion plus without adding artifacts or input lag and make the games butter smooth if you want to. But I guess you are too focused on PC gaming and its overpriced crappy monitors, for you to even enjoy an Oled screen with HDR 1000 and motion plus. Trust me, will be one of the best gaming experiences you will ever have on your life.

While you cry about the 30fps mark, a mere number, those games keep getting goty nominees. Breath of the Wild, Mario Galaxy, Horizon, God of War, Spider Man, RDR2, all nominees. How many PC games have been goty on the last years? Enjoy your counter strike or some random steam indie game at 144hz and pretend you have the one and only gaming platform. How many battle royale solo wins so far bud?

Pathetic community #PCMR :facepalm:

 

[Tomgang]

No wunder it sets record. The first game is great and the dlc undead nightmare like whise. Played the first game on ps3 and gave tons of hours of intetainment.

RDR2 can only be even better than RDR1. But since then i have moved on to pc gaming only. So unless RDR2 comes to pc in a near future, i will not be playing this game. I am not gonna bay a consol for just one game.

 

[15th Warlock]

Haven't played the game yet to be honest, I'm also crossing my fingers for a PC release, or I might just get it for the Xbox X once it's discounted.

Gotta admit it makes no sense to release these games for consoles only, I mean, I get console exclusive titles from first party and second party publishers like MS, Sony and Nintendo, that's the main reason I have consoles, but a tile that can be easily ported to PC, and enhanced as well? The reasoning behind that boggles my mind.

One more thing I don't agree with, well, at least, not until I play the game and test it myself, is the statement in the press release about it being the game of the decade, even with only two years left this decade, I would give that title to the Witcher 3, I haven't played a more engrossing game in the past 10 years, Zelda BOTW and Skyrim come close, but don't match the cheer enjoyment of a tight, mature story that invested me every moment of that game, and also, tight, almost perfect play mechanics, I would definitely be hard pressed to give the title of game.of the decade to any other game, but thinking about the possibility gives me high hopes for RDR.

 

[Tomgang]

Haven't played the game yet to be honest, I'm also crossing my fingers for a PC release, or I might just get it for the Xbox X once it's discounted.

Gotta admit it makes no sense to release these games for consoles only, I mean, I get console exclusive titles from first party and second party publishers like MS, Sony and Nintendo, that's the main reason I have consoles, but a tile that can be easily ported to PC, and enhanced as well? The reasoning behind that boggles my mind.

One more thing I don't agree with, well, at least, not until I play the game and test it myself, is the statement in the press release about it being the game of the decade, even with only two years left this decade, I would give that title to the Witcher 3, I haven't played a more engrossing game in the past 10 years, Zelda BOTW and Skyrim come close, but don't match the cheer enjoyment of a tight, mature story that invested me every moment of that game, and also, tight, almost perfect play mechanics, I would definitely be hard pressed to give the title of game.of the decade to any other game, but thinking about the possibility gives me high hopes for RDR.

I havent played RDR2 either yet, so i cant comfirm if the game is game of the past 10 year, but i have tryed witcher 3 and i agreed that this game is something special. Great story, hours and hours of single player story and so much to do in the game.

 

[jboydgolfer]

My kids were big fans of the first red dead redemption, and I've heard many people speak highly of it, so I was eager to see what this new version had to offer. I watched about 45 minutes to an hour ,and all I really saw was a whole bunch of horseback riding, & although it was beautiful & certainly interesting, im kind of curious if this is going to suffer a "nostalgia/hype death". (there may be a term for it), but basically what i mean is, When the titles predecessor was loved by a younger generation, then they grew up ,and years later saw a new version of that very game was being released, so they pre-ordered it by the millions. Then they discover that they've grown ,and the game isnt half as fun as they recalled ,because now they're more mature , & more discerning and therefore harder to please. Its a reality of the gaming culture, a reality mostly older gamers only know about. We are finally in the age, where the kids who were born into online multiplayer, and Massive Triple A titles, are becoming old enough to feel this very dissapointing aspect of gaming reality....hopefully i am wrong, as i LOVE me a great SP game, but i got the feeling while watching & wanted to mention it. time will tell, once pre-order sales numbers have dropped off, and PC is released (if ever). I would certaily admit, Rock* deserves atleast our trust, as one (if not the) best/most consistent game Developer ever (Bully aside).

 

[happita]

One more thing I don't agree with, well, at least, not until I play the game and test it myself, is the statement in the press release about it being the game of the decade, even with only two years left this decade, I would give that title to the Witcher 3, I haven't played a more engrossing game in the past 10 years, Zelda BOTW and Skyrim come close, but don't match the cheer enjoyment of a tight, mature story that invested me every moment of that game, and also, tight, almost perfect play mechanics, I would definitely be hard pressed to give the title of game.of the decade to any other game, but thinking about the possibility gives me high hopes for RDR.

We'll have to wait for CDPR's next baby, Cyberpunk 2077, to come out before we set that comment in stone

 

[Easy Rhino]

Presuming that was for me?

Nope

 

[moproblems99]

Just gtfo. Playing games with a controller on a correctly frame paced game at 30fps is not the end of the world. Of course 60fps or 144hz would be an even better experience, but is not all of that you guys say. People think that the 30fps on a console is the same as locking a PC game at 30fps and controlling the game with a mouse. Also the current TV models all have motion plus without adding artifacts or input lag and make the games butter smooth if you want to. But I guess you are too focused on PC gaming and its overpriced crappy monitors, for you to even enjoy an Oled screen with HDR 1000 and motion plus. Trust me, will be one of the best gaming experiences you will ever have on your life.

While you cry about the 30fps mark, a mere number, those games keep getting goty nominees. Breath of the Wild, Mario Galaxy, Horizon, God of War, Spider Man, RDR2, all nominees. How many PC games have been goty on the last years? Enjoy your counter strike or some random steam indie game at 144hz and pretend you have the one and only gaming platform. How many battle royale solo wins so far bud?

Pathetic community #PCMR :facepalm:

I am waiting until Cyberpunk. Everything else I can stand to miss. Besides, if I get lonely, I am sure I will be able to pick up the latest BattleDuty Assassin Raider clone if I really need something. Or I could pick up the first ones for about $0.99. I mean how much has really changed?

Edit: Sorry Rhino, wrong quote.