Pearl Abyss, 'Red Desert' Release Imminent, Stock Price Plunges 28%... Initial Reviews Are the Main Factor?

Pearl Abyss’s stock price plummeted nearly 28% the day before the release of the new game “Red Desert.” This appears to be due to initial reviews of the game not meeting expectations.

After seven years of development, “Red Desert” received a score of 78 on Metacritic. Metacritic is a website that aggregates professional media reviews of movies and games to provide an average score, serving as a useful indicator for consumers to gauge game quality or popularity. Typically, major games score above 85, often exceeding 90, so “Red Desert’s” score is relatively low.

While outlets like Forbes and MMORPG.com praised the game’s technical quality and content volume, others such as Game Informer, GameSpot, and Eurogamer pointed out issues like weak storytelling, awkward controls, and complex content design, giving scores in the 60s to 70s.

“Red Desert” will be released simultaneously on multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on the 20th of this month. The fantasy open-world action-adventure game is highly anticipated, but initial reviews highlighting its weaknesses have led to mixed market reactions.

This trend could not only impact the company’s stock price but also influence early sales performance. Consumer feedback will be gradually revealed, and the actual user response after release will be worth monitoring for its impact on purchasing decisions.