Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim ships 7 million

ZeniMax Media and Bethesda Softworks announced today that they've shipped 7 million copies of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim to retail across various territories. These launch units, which include pricey $150 special editions, alone are estimated to generate $450 million in global retail sales.

Bethesda also estimates that 50% of the launch units were sold in the first 48 hours, and the game has already received reorders from some retailers. The announcement also touts online sales, with Steam showing 280,000 concurrent players in the first 24 hours.

Shipped numbers aren't to be confused with sell-through rates, of course, but if that 50% sales rate is accurate, we can expect the game to make a dent in the NPD charts. Given the game's buzz and positive reception, that wouldn't be too surprising.

"We are grateful for the fans' response to Skyrim," said ZeniMax CEO Robert Altman in the announcement. "Todd Howard and his team at Bethesda Game Studios have crafted a very special game. Anticipation for Skyrim has surpassed any game in our company's history, and we are pleased that sales and reviews have reflected the quality and hours of amazing gameplay it provides."

Bethesda is currently working on patches for all platforms. Check out our review and new Skyrim Stories feature.