Developer Naughty Dog announced today that it has sold more than 6 million units of its post-apocalyptic game The Last Of Us.
That generated an estimated $360 million at retail for the publisher, Sony Computer Entertainment, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation 3 game ever made. That shows the wisdom of shipping a big game at the end of a console cycle, as Sony has sold more than 80 million PS3s to date.
Naughty Dog also noted that its downloadable content (DLC) has received universal acclaim. The Last of Us: Left Behind, a short story about 14-year-old Ellie and her best friend, has received an average rating of 89 of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic, making it the best-rated PS3 DLC ever. I played it, and it is a touching addition to the story that sheds light on Ellie’s past while introducing the gameplay change of being able to pit two enemies against each other.
The main game has received five awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, including best game.
Naughty Dog representatives will give a number of talks on The Last of Us at next week’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, including a session on creating Ellie, a believable companion character in the game.