It’s becoming a familiar story that repeats itself month after month: video game sales are sliding, but there are bright spots and better times ahead.
Last month, NBA2K20 hit stores, where it was welcomed by a massive consumer response, instantly becoming the year’s best-selling game and securing a spot in the record books with the most launch-month sales of any sports video game in history, surpassing the record set by its predecessor, NBA2K19.
According to the NPD Group, overall sales for the entire video game category — including hardware, software, and accessories — was $1.2 billion, an 8% decline versus last year. In terms of overall software sales, this September’s $732 million was a 4% decrease from the same period last year.
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TOP 20 VIDEO GAME TITLES | SEPTEMBER 2019
- NBA 2K20 | Take 2 Interactive
- Borderlands 3 | Take 2 Interactive
- FIFA 20 | Electronic Arts
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening | Nintendo
- Madden NFL 20 | Electronic Arts
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint | Ubisoft
- Gears 5 | Microsoft
- Code Vein | Bandai Namco Games
- NHL 20 | Electronic Arts
- Mario Kart 8 | Nintendo
- Minecraft | Multiple
- Grand Theft Auto V | Take 2 Interactive
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo
- Spyro Reignited Trilogy | Activision Blizzard
- Red Dead Redemption II | Take 2 Interactive
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege | Ubisoft
- Plants vs Zombies: Battle For Neighborville | Electronic Arts
- Marvel’s Spider-Man | Sony
- Catherine | Atlus
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Nintendo
Year-to-date software sales are flat at $3.9 billion, and overall spending across video game hardware, software, accessories, and game cards is down 6% at $8.3 billion.
The biggest decrease is a 22% drop in hardware sales (a repeat of August), continuing the downward trend as we near the end of the cycle for current-generation systems and look ahead to the next-gen systems that will begin launching late next year. Gains continue for Nintendo Switch, which is the best-selling system of the year.
With big titles in the pipeline for fall, including Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and new installments of the Pokémon franchise, the gaming industry should see a bit of a boost moving into the holiday season.