When it comes to the UK software sales charts, FIFA is often King. While some like to pick on Nintendo's fairly regular entries from Mario, for example, FIFA is an annual affair that, from year to year, promises revolutionary improvements to shake up the series. FIFA 13 did represent a genuine improvement, though not necessarily on the Wii U.
In happy news for EA, UK retail tracker GFK-Chart-Track has announced that FIFA is the first franchise to pass £1 billion in UK sales, a daunting figure by any standards. The second highest franchise, currently on around £800 million in sales, is Call of Duty, with Nintendo's own moustachioed mascot coming in third place. Important points to bear in mind are that spin-offs are included in the totals — such as the Mario & Sonic games — while DLC and the full extent of services such as FIFA Ultimate Team won't be included. The biggest proviso is that this only covers the period since 1996, so Mario's missing out on his NES and SNES sales figures.
Still, big brands and annual releases are clearly big business, which perhaps explains why Nintendo isn't reluctant to keep the Mario games coming on a regular basis.
[source computerandvideogames.com]
Comments 12
Nintendo's achievements with Mario are phenominal given that any spin-off games don't count, and FIFA and COD are multi-platform and annual affairs! Well done The Big N!
@THENAMESNORM It actually does include the spin off games if you read it again where as DLC etc for Fifa isn't,so FIFA is really out on its own in the UK.No real surprise there though
This comment above me is correct, the thing is C.O.D is on multiple platforms all three and so is FIFA on All formats Nintendo is Not. Well done Nintendo
Best part of the Fifa games is the glitch montages on youtube!
proud of nintendo
"Revolutionary Improvements" to shake up the series..........it's just soccer/football, what's these revolutionary improvements that some how makes it revolutionary improved?
@SheldonRandoms Play Fifa 98' and then play Fifa 13 and then you will see the changes in the gameplay (as in controls, AI, Ball physics etc)
People will have a go at EA for putting the same game out every year, but they've actually done a great job with FIFA recently. Up until around 2007 or 2008, Konami's Winning Eleven/ISS/Pro Evolution was ALWAYS better than FIFA, yet FIFA always outsold it because of the license. EA could have just kept going that way, but they didn't, they kept working until the not only had the license, but the better game too.
They have sort of tried to do the same with Need for Speed, although it's questionable to just how successful they've been, but at least they're trying.
FIFA is my go to multiplayer game. I play it over Live pretty much every day, and have no problem paying £40 once a year for a game that gives me well over 200 hours in return. They definitely refine it enough each year to make it worth the upgrade too. It's like the beat em ups, unless you play them hard enough, you won't understand how much difference the changes make. Every year my brother says 'it feels the same' during the first few weeks... then he tries going back to the previous release and admits he was wrong.
This isnt a surprise. UK has a huge soccer fanbase. Good job EA!
@SilentHunter382 IDK, it's just because of what happened with the FIFA12/13 on Wii and the same thing with PES, but what are these "Revolutionary Improvements" that EA speaks of, and I want to know with such recent games in the series, not 98' and 13'
@SheldonRandoms To be fair, on the PS3/Xbox the game is a lot better now then it was 2 years ago. Tactical defending and First Touch Control are big improvements. One time my dad walked into my room and starting swearing at the TV because he thought his team were losing in real life. The game feels real.
I gotta admit FIFA 12 or FIFA 13 is considered one of the best football game out there. They listen to customers to improve the gameplay. I remember during in the early 2000, FIFA games were totally crap, but they gained its strength when FIFA 09/10 were released.
Tap here to load 12 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...