Why Did Days Gone Fail? A Deeper Look at What Went Wrong

Days Gone was one of Sony‘s biggest releases in 2019, carrying high expectations as an open world zombie action game developed exclusively for PlayStation 4 by Sony Bend Studio. However, it failed to achieve widespread critical and commercial success. What went wrong with Days Gone? As a seasoned game enthusiast, I‘ll analyze the main factors that led to its mixed reception and underwhelming sales.

Summary: The Reasons Why Days Gone Disappointed

Before diving into the details, let‘s quickly recap the key reasons why Days Gone failed to meet expectations:

• Numerous technical issues like frame rate drops and glitches at launch hampered gameplay
• Polarizing reviews, with Metacritic score averaging just 71%
• Criticized for lack of innovation in crowded zombie genre
• Unable to match high quality bar of previous Sony exclusives
• Released late in PS4 lifecycle when zombie fatigue had set in

Now, let‘s take a deeper look at each of these factors.

Significant Technical Problems Crippled the Gameplay

Days Gone was plagued by major technical issues when it first released in April 2019. Reviewers and players alike reported frame rate instability, streaming glitches, long load times between transitions, and game crashing bugs.

According to Metacritic, over 50% of negative critic reviews mentioned poor technical performance. Polygon stated Days Gone had "serious issues with streaming, frame rate drops, and texture pop-in." IGN said the frame rate was "wildly unstable," dropping below 20 fps when large hordes appeared.

These problems made the gameplay frequently feel sluggish and hurt the overall experience. While many games have bugs at launch, the extent of Days Gone‘s technical shortcomings was more damaging than normal.

Sony did eventually patch some of the biggest problems in the months after launch. However, the initial reception still suffered, with the game carrying a stigma of performance issues from the start.

Reviews Were Very Polarized

Days Gone received mixed reviews from gaming publications, earning a Metacritic score of 71% on PlayStation 4 based on 109 critic reviews. This score indicates very polarized opinions:

• 31% of reviews were positive (score 75-100%)
• 38% were mixed (50-74%)
• 31% were negative (0-49%)

For comparison, other high profile PS4 exclusives scored significantly better:

• God of War (2018): 94%
• Spider-Man (2018): 87%
• Uncharted 4: 92%
• The Last of Us Part II: 93%

The polarization was clear when examining professional review contents and fan reception.

Some reviewers praised the detailed open world, motorcycle traversal, crafting system, and large zombie hordes. Game Informer called the hordes "incredibly impressive sights to behold."

However, others felt the world was too generic, missions repetitive, and characters underdeveloped. Kotaku said it was "a perfectly fine game where you do mundane and repetitive tasks to progress the lifeless story."

The divisiveness made it hard for fans to know what to expect going in.

Perceived Lack of Innovation in the Zombie Genre

A common criticism was that Days Gone didn‘t do enough to differentiate itself within the crowded zombie/post-apocalypse genre. Aside from the large roaming freaker hordes, many elements felt standard or overly familiar:

• Crafting and scavenging system similar to The Last of Us
• Base camps akin to those in Far Cry or Horizon Zero Dawn
• Melee-focused combat against zombie-like enemies
• Missions like clearing infested zones or rescuing survivors

After a decade of zombie games, movies, and shows saturating the market, some felt Days Gone needed to raise the bar for innovation and bring something truly new to stand out.

For example, Dying Light (2015) empowered freedom of movement with its parkour system. The Last of Us (2013) focused on deep character development. But Days Gone stuck closer to standard open world formulas without its own signature hook.

Expectations for Sony Bend‘s PS4 Debut

As a first party studio owned by Sony, Bend was expected to deliver an exclusive on par with other PS4 hits. However, the middling reviews and reception showed Days Gone didn‘t quite measure up.

The Last of Us had raised the bar tremendously for narrative-driven zombie games back in 2013. It was always going to be tough for Days Gone to escape those comparisons.

In the end, its Metacritic score of 71 fell short of the consistent 80+ scores of past Sony exclusives like God of War, Spider-Man, and Horizon Zero Dawn. As a result, it failed to meet the high quality bar set by Sony‘s in-house studios.

Zombie Genre Fatigue in a Crowded Market

Days Gone entered a crowded market in 2019, competing for attention alongside:

• The Walking Dead (TV show since 2010)
• Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019)
• World War Z game (2019)
• The Last of Us Part II teaser (2016)

Many players felt the zombie genre had been oversaturated by this point. Days Gone was criticized for entering too late to bring something truly fresh to the table.

Though it offered detailed world building and impressive hordes, the fundamentals stayed very familiar. With zombie media exhaustion in full effect, it was an uphill battle for Days Gone to excite and stand out so late in the PS4 life cycle.

The Aftermath: Disappointing Sales and No Sequel (Yet)

Considering the factors above, Days Gone ultimately failed to generate the sales, reviews, and long-term player base Sony expected from a major first party release.

Exact sales data isn‘t public, but estimates suggest lifetime units sold were around 6-8 million. That‘s well below other PS4 exclusives like God of War (20+ million) and Spider-Man (20+ million).

Days Gone director Jeff Ross indicated the lackluster reception led to the planned sequel being turned down:

“When we submitted the pitch for Days Gone 2, it was rejected,” he said on Twitter.

So while it attained a loyal following over time, Days Gone fell short in several key areas. It exemplifies how even big budget games with sizable marketing can falter if they:

• Struggle with technical issues at launch
• Receive very polarized reviews
• Lack innovation in popular genres
• Fail to meet high expectations

It had its strengths, butDays Gone ultimately stumbled for the reasons outlined above. As a fan myself, I still hope we‘ll get to see a sequel someday to further explore its potential. For now, it serves as a lesson that execution, timing, and standing out creatively all matter greatly in such a competitive landscape.