10 Biggest Video Game Financial Disasters This Generation

1. Crackdown 3

Crackdown 3 might be Microsoft's biggest failure of the whole generation. The long-awaited sequel was once intended as a flagship for the Xbox One X, said to make the most of the console's added performance and an example of what cloud technology could do to transform video games. Sadly, that release day came and went, and after a whole bunch of delays, the title was virtually stealth released in February 2019.

Perhaps because they knew the sequel was a disappointment, Microsoft released it with virtually no marketing push, leaving it to die in a window that saw it competing against the likes of Anthem, Metro Exodus, Far Cry: New Dawn, Resident Evil 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3. Consequently, it debuted at a measly number 13 in the UK charts, selling just 10% of what Crackdown 2 did nine years prior.

Of course, the sales data released so far doesn't include digital sales and, most importantly, how the game performed on Microsoft's Games Pass. That latter platform is particularly important, as Microsoft could have been using the exclusive as a way to push subscriptions.

Still, even with that in mind, Crackdown 3's sales have been a total write off.