Shopper spending on video video games was not as bleak because it appears to be like on the web page. Gaming followers in america spent $1.03 billion on {hardware}, new full recreation software program, and equipment, in response to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. Whereas that is down 34% from final October, 2018 was an outlier as a result of launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 and 4 weeks of Call of Duty sales.
October 2019 was truly above common, with sturdy gross sales performances from Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare, The Outer Worlds, and Luigi’s Mansion 3. Listed below are the total outcomes:
| October 2019 Greenback Gross sales | Oct’18 | Oct’19 | Change | |
| Whole Video Sport Gross sales | $1.57b | $1.03b | -34% | |
| Video Video games {Hardware} | $307m | $182m | -41% | |
| PC & Video Video games Software program (PC, Console and Moveable; Bodily and Full Sport Digital Codecs from the STEAM, PlayStation and Xbox platforms) | $983m | $620m | -22% | |
| Video Video games Equipment & Sport Playing cards | $277m | $231m | -4% | |
“October 2019 tracked spending throughout online game {hardware}, software program, equipment, and recreation playing cards totaled $1.03 billion,” NPD analyst Mat Piscatella stated. “That’s the second highest complete for an October month this decade, trailing solely the document setting $1.57 billion in October 2018.”
Whereas 2019 was principally preserving tempo with 2018 by way of September, the previous was at all times going to fall behind the latter in October. Most years, together with this one, don’t have a recreation like Purple Useless Redemption 2. And Name of Responsibility: Black Ops IV launched in early October 2018. Fashionable Warfare, in the meantime, launched midway by way of the NPD’s reporting interval.
In order anticipated, 2019’s year-to-date gross sales are down considerably from the earlier comparable interval.
“Yr-to-date spending throughout tracked online game {hardware}, software program, equipment, and recreation playing cards has fallen 10 p.c when in comparison with 2018, to $9.Three billion,” stated Piscatella.
Let’s get to the software program charts.
Software program
NPD tracks bodily gross sales at retailers, however it additionally will get digital knowledge immediately from publishers. However not each firm participates. For instance, Nintendo doesn’t share its first-party gross sales, and Activision Blizzard doesn't present its Battle.internet gross sales.
These charts are sorted by greenback gross sales — not variety of items bought.
Prime 20 best-selling video games of October within the U.S.
- Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2019
- The Outer Worlds
- Luigi’s Mansion 3*
- Madden NFL 20
- NBA 2K20
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
- WWE 2K20
- FIFA 20
- Borderlands 3
- Ring Match Journey
- The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink’s Awakening*
- Mario Kart 8*
- Minecraft#
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Overwatch
- Tremendous Smash Bros. Final*
- Code Vein
- Purple Useless Redemption II
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
* Digital gross sales not included
# Digital gross sales solely embody Xbox One and PlayStation 4
Once more, the comparability to 2018 is tough, however Piscatella notes that this is among the best-performing Octobers ever.
“Greenback gross sales of tracked online game software program declined 37 p.c in October versus a yr in the past, to $620 million,” stated Piscatella. “Regardless of this decline, October 2019 tracked software program gross sales characterize the third highest complete ever achieved for an October month, trailing solely October 2008 and October 2018.”
For the entire yr, the intense spot is software program for Nintendo Swap.
“Yr-to-date greenback gross sales of tracked online game software program are down 7 p.c, to $4.5 billion,” stated Piscatella. “Good points in gross sales of Nintendo Swap software program gross sales have been offset by declines throughout all different platforms.”
Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare
The newest Name of Responsibility is preserving that franchise’s momentum going sturdy.
“Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare debuts because the best-selling recreation of October 2019, and is now the best-selling recreation of 2019 yr so far,” stated Piscatella. “That is the 12th consecutive yr a Name of Responsibility recreation has ranked because the best-selling recreation of its launch month. Name of Responsibility stays the best-selling online game franchise in U.S. tracked historical past by greenback gross sales.”
Luigi’s Mansion 3
“Luigi’s Mansion Three was the third best-selling recreation of October, whereas additionally being the month’s best-selling recreation on Nintendo Swap,”stated Piscatella. “Luigi’s Mansion Three set a brand new launch month franchise gross sales document, besting the earlier excessive set by Luigi’s Mansion.”
Preventing video games in 2019
“Yr-to-date gross sales of combating style video games are at an all-time excessive, with style gross sales 11 p.c increased than the earlier year-to-date excessive set in 2015,” stated Piscatella. “Each Mortal Kombat 11 and Tremendous Smash Bros. Final have considerably contributed to that success.”
The 10 best-selling video games of 2019 to date
- Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2019
- NBA 2K20
- Madden NFL 20
- Borderlands 3
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Kingdom Hearts III
- Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
- Anthem
- Tremendous Smash Bros. Final*
- Grand Theft Auto V
The 10 best-selling video games of the final 12 months
- Purple Useless Redemption II
- Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2019
- Tremendous Smash Bros. Final*
- Name of Responsibility: Black Ops IIII
- NBA 2K20
- Madden NFL 20
- Borderlands 3
- Mortal Kombat 11
- NBA 2K19
- Battlefield V
Xbox One
- Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2019
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
- Madden NFL 20
- The Outer Worlds
- NBA 2K20
- Borderlands 3
- WWE 2K20
- FIFA 20
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Gears 5
PlayStation 4
- Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare 2019
- The Outer Worlds
- NBA 2K20
- Madden NFL 20
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint
- WWE 2K20
- FIFA 20
- Borderlands 3
- Mortal Kombat 11
- Grand Theft Auto V
Nintendo Swap
- Luigi’s Mansion 3*
- Ring Match Journey
- The Legend of Zelda: Hyperlink’s Awakening*
- Mario Kart 8*
- Tremendous Smash Bros. Final*
- Overwatch
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt*
- Tremendous Mario Maker 2*
- New Tremendous Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
Nintendo 3DS
- Pokemon: Extremely Solar*
- Pokemon: Extremely Moon*
- Mario Kart 7*
- Luigi’s Mansion*
- The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Masks 3D*
- Tremendous Mario 3D Land*
- Luigi’s Mansion: Darkish Moon*
- Tremendous Mario Maker*
- Tremendous Smash Bros.*
- Minecraft*