The Charticle

Has World of Tank Blitz's 1.4 GB file size restricted its top grossing chart success?

The weight of armour

Has World of Tank Blitz's 1.4 GB file size restricted its top grossing chart success?

In our recent World of Tanks Blitz Making Of, Kirk Mckeand branded the game a "poster child" for the free-to-play model. 

It might sound like a classic case of journalistic hyperbole, but it isn't far from the truth. World of Tanks has gained a massive following on PC, and now developer Wargaming wants to see if it can replicate that success on mobile. 

You'd imagine that bringing a free-to-play title to a platform that's arguably the home of the freemium model would be a risk-free move. Of course, the mobile world is in a constant state of flux, and what should fly high on one day might crash and burn on the next. 

So, in this week's Charticle we'll be taking a look at how World of Tanks Blitz has been performing on the iPad top grossing charts.

Why only iPad? Because, if we're being honest, a game that tasks players with strategically decimating enemy war machines requires the biggest screen possible. 

Explanations aside, it's time to get on with the main event. So, let's find out if World of Tanks Blitz has the hallmarks of a hit. 

Blitzkrieg

Even though it couldn't get anywhere near the top 10 - perhaps because of its massive 1.4GB file size - World of Tanks' performance on the US top grossing chart is still notable.

Since launching back in June, the game has spent the majority of its life inside the top 100. A peak position of 44 highlights the game's main weakness. Due to file size and gameplay, this is not a typical pick-up-and-play F2P game.

However, its consistency in the top 100 will be envied by other developers who find their time at the top is often short-lived.

World of Tanks Blitz showed consistency, remaining within the iPad top 100 top grossing chart in the US

It's a similar story on the European top grossing chart, which looks at performances in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, and the UK.

However, in Europe, the game's level of consistency has been much higher, with the title spending the majority of its time in the top 50, and, in some regions, the top 25.

Peak positions of 11 in Spain, 18 in Germany and Italy, 19 in France, and 26 in the UK - arguably the title's Achilles heel - also show how World of Tanks has blossomed in Europe compared to the US.

World of Tanks Blitz performance on the European front is strong than in the US

But, surprisingly, World of Tanks Blitz's best showing has been in Asian markets.

In South Korea, the game has spent most of its time hovering around the top 20, peaking at #9, and only ever falling at low as #59 since launch.

In Japan, the game's situation is almost identical, though World of Tanks couldn't quite muster up a challenge on the top 20. Instead, it has spent its life saving inside the top 80, frequently visiting the top 60, and peaking at #33.

The game's performance in South Korea and Japan might surprise some

What do you call someone who has an unhealthy obsession with video games and Sean Bean? That'd be a 'Chris Kerr'. Chris is one of those deluded souls who actually believes that one day Sean Bean will survive a movie. Poor guy.