With a fresh console generation around the corner, many large publishers have been hesitant to release new properties, especially those that lack mass appeal, but Bethesda's gamble on Arkane Studios' first-person stealth action title seems to have paid off.
Speaking with Destructoid, Bethesda PR chief Pete Hines said that Dishonored is far exceeding the company's sales expectations. While precise figures weren't shared, Hines boasted of "terrific numbers" over the recent holiday, both in stores and through Steam, where the game was on sale for half price and stood as the top selling title through the weekend. He also noted that the game is performing well overseas.
Although Bethesda hasn't revealed exact sales numbers, NPD reported in early November that about 460,200 retail units of Dishonored were moved in the US during its first month on shelves. Factor in digital sales, copies sold in other regions as well as another three weeks of availability, and it's easy to see why the publisher is so enthusiastic.
"We're very pleased and appreciate all the fans that have supported Dishonored and Arkane. We clearly have a new franchise," Hines said, all but confirming that you can look forward to a new Dishonored in the next few years. For now, fans can explore the upcoming downloadable content pack "Dunwall City Trials," which will be available on December 11 for $4.99 and contains a set of 10 challenges with new assassinations, wave-based combat and new achievements. Two story-based add-ons are also in the works, with one due in the spring of 2013 and the other coming later in the year.