Sales results are often interesting, either for confirming expectations or defying them. Some information on the top selling games in the US for the first six months of the year - based on physical retail sales via NPD - are worth a look then, even if there's only one Nintendo title in the top 10.
So, below are the top 10 games in the US for the first half of 2015.
- Mortal Kombat X (Publisher: Warner Bros.)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Publisher: Take-Two Interactive Software)
- Battlefield Hardline (Publisher: Electronic Arts)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Publisher: Activision)
- Minecraft (Publisher: Microsoft)
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Publisher: Warner Bros.)
- Dying Light (Publisher: Warner Bros.)
- NBA 2K15 (Publisher: Take-Two Interactive Software)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Publisher: CD Projekt Red)
- Super Smash Bros. (Publisher: Nintendo)
Of course, all of these titles are multi-platform, showing that it's difficult for system exclusives to make much of an impact. It's nevertheless pleasing that Super Smash Bros. on Wii U and 3DS has made it into the top 10, considering its separate launches in the latter half of last year. The absence of single-platform games should also remind us to not overlook successes such as Splatoon, which has performed well on the Wii U.
We're pretty surprised by a few of the results, nevertheless. Mortal Kombat X clearly performs well the gorier it is, and Minecraft just won't go away.
What do you think of this US top 10 for 2015 so far?
[source fortune.com]
Comments 24
Minecraft is eternal. It will exist on these lists forever.
Wow, Mortal Kombat seems to be more popular now then it was a decade ago. To think MKX would take the top spot on the charts in 2015 and the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are not even out yet! Mortal Kombat has not looked so strong since the 90's.
Battlefield Hardline was another surprise. Looks like EA made the right choice by not having Hardline compete with Advance Warfare last fall. I'm happy Hardline is doing well, its a pretty cool game.
Still, I'm shocked only Smash made it on the list for Nintendo's systems. Did the Pokemon games not sell enough? Because they are generally strong sellers well into the first half of the next year.
This is great news! The top 10 so far are quite extraordinary! I wonder what else will be added to Smash as DLC to help it rocket to the top of the list?
I'd be curious what the 11-20 spots are.
Good news.
If only it would tell us which version sold more than the other. I know that its both games combined, but I'd still like to know.
I'm not sure about that list. Most of those games are multi platform. Are they accounting for all of the console sales?
Its funny how you can make stats look like what ever you want it to be. If we look at real sales numbers, that table would start to look a lot different. Example: EA Battlefield hard line is a multiplatform game and is position 3. Without doing any research, it would intimate that is outselling Smash bros and even more fishier, Advanced warfare.
Then you look at the actual sales figures and this is what is really happening in the USA (only). Battlefield Hardline sales: PC - ??, XB360 = 90k, PS3 = 60k, XB1= 620k, PS4= 590k, Total = 1.36m units (released march 2015).
Smash Bros sales: Wii U (not including 3ds sales) = 1.92m (released september 2015)
Advanced Warfare sales: PC - 90k, XB360 = 2.49m, PS3 = 1.39m, XB1= 2.96m, PS4= 2.53m, Total = 9.46m units (released November 2014).
In actual sales which actually means something, Advanced Warfare and smash bros on Wii u would be above EA - Hardline
Just a side note:
Even Mortal Kombat X sales: PS4 = 1.01m, XB1 = 700k, Total = 1.71m sales puts it correctly above Hardline, but under smash bros on the wiiU (3ds sales in the US alone is 2.68m)
@megamanlink Something I want to point out is that unless the 9 million for Advanced Warfare and Smash's sales are from 2015, then they don't count on this chart.
Regardless of lifetime sales of both games, this top 10 only covers the first half of 2015, which means any sales before that(in 2014 or in the case of Minecraft 2013) don't count.
So far in 2015, Mortal Kombat X and Battlefield Hardline have outsold Smash and Advanced Warfare. Now, those two games are likely behind in lifetime numbers, but nothing outside of sales in the first half of 2015 factors into the numbers on that chart.
If lifetime numbers were a factor, Minecraft would likely be in the #1 spot given its enduring popularity.
@megamanlink didn't read carefully di ya.
I still respect that Nintendo can have a non multiplat sell so well. Really amazing when you think about it...especially given the Nintendoomsayers everywhere.
Really good. Nintendo's first party sales are always impressive though.
@Caryslan
The NPD treats the two versions of each Pokémon game as separate titles, despite Nintendo's own treatment of both versions as one title. According to them, Pokémon X is different from Pokémon Y and Pokémon Omega Ruby is different from Pokémon Alpha Sapphire. (GfK does this as well).
Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire sold a combined total of 2.5 million copies in 2014, yet failed to crack the NPD's Top 10 best selling games of 2014 list. This was because each version was counted separately, so the split was probably 1.3 million for Omega Ruby and 1.2 million fro Alpha Sapphire (those are just my estimates).
Also, this list only accounts for sales of games from January 1st 2015 to June 31st 2015. Any sales not from that 6 month time period is not included. In that regard, it would make sense that the year's best selling game is Mortal Kombat X, a early Q2 2015 title.
@Caryslan - You completely missed the point of my opening line "Its funny how you can make stats look like what ever you want it to be", pointing to it's selection criteria. To most people looking at the chart would easily mislead them in to thinking a game like Battlefield Hardline is doing well or better than say Samsh on WiiU, when in reality it isn't. The misconception that Nintendo isn't doing well financially without the 3rd party support is based on misleading information such as these, that serve more as PR for some companies than it does for others. Again I was pointing out relevant Statistics vs irrelevant statistics.
@Tubalcain - I guess you didn't read the wording in my statement carefully neither.
I wish that we could see all of these things charted to individual systems and they really need to start showing digital sales somehow. I mean there is pretty much a monopoly on digital sales for every console and a near monopoly for PC.
Because while 8.1 million copies sold sounds good, it is a slightly different picture if there is 1.62 million each on five individual consoles while an exclusive game sold 3.4 million (not actual numbers for anything, just invented like these numbers partially) on a single console. I am also interested in how many are bought per system versus how many systems in the wild. If 20.1 million PS4 owners only bought 2 million copies of the game that says something (most likely that the majority is waiting for it to be a free PS+ game). Both of those things tell you how well received the game was to each individual console audience.
EDIT: If I am throwing out wishes, I would also be interested in pricepoint/number of games sold charts. Did the game sell because it was good, or did it sell because it was $30 at christmas and there was nothing else affordable that looked interesting?
@Darknyht
Your hitting the nail on the head. These are the true statistics that matter, as they also explain why some perceived games or companies that appear to do well disappear or go bust. In the case of the PS2 (for example), it has been stated that it sold more than 150million units, yet only 5 games in its catalogue sold over 10 million units 3 were GTA games (21m, 16m & 13m) and 2 were Gran Tourismo games (15m & 12m). 13 games sold more than 5m but less than 9m and the trend falls further down. The point I am making is that the game sell through doesn't match the apparent size of the audience which almost leads to the conclusion that the PS2 was either selling with no games (dvd player) or that they were selling multiple versions (of PS2's) to the same customers. This could explain why there audience wasn't growing or why the 100m userbase was never really there. For all the failings of the wii described by most core gamers, of their 100m+ unit sales, 82m+ units of wii sports were sold and played by the userbase. 35m played mario kart wii, 32m played wii sport with a further 7 games doing over 10m unit sales. The point here is that the Wii stat gives you a better indication of the size of their audience who are likely to buy games or a specific game genre as opposed to the PS2 audience which leads any statistician to believe that more than 70% of the console sold may not have been used for games. Relevant stats (what we can actually do) vs irrelevant stats (PR).
@westman98 It's kind of dumb to count Pokémon as seperate titles but group all platform sales of one game together. I'd rather sales for each SKU
Ugh. I seriously wish nintendo could get these sales up. But as long as they have a gimmicky underpowered console, they will continue to loose sales
@Darknyht I don't think I could agree more
@firstnesfan
The weird thing is that Smash Bros for 3DS and Smash Bros for Wii U are considered to be the same game, under the title "Super Smash Bros." While both versions of Smash Bros share the same character roster, controls and gameplay mechanics, they differ greatly in art style (this is due to the 3DS's lack of horsepower and is not a design choice), stages/arenas, and game-modes. These differences are substantial enough to make each version count as a different game.
@megamanlink you mean NPD is making it appear that Nintendo is failing? Huh? Its a list if top selling games in the 1st quarter of 2015 how in Batmans Manpecks could it be doom and glomm. NPD tracks SKUs, they make lists, they dont care about sony, nintendo or any other developers,
NPD also tracks beauty product sales, you mean they make it also appear that other beauty products company is failing or is it just your preconception thats controlling your viewing of the list
holy mother, that poopy MKX actually made this much?
@Tubalcain
You clearly do not understand what a statistical analysts role actually is. Manipulating data to produce an end result that fits the narrative is their job. NPD, DFC and other companies of that ilk, sell this statistical data for a living as they advise investors where to put their money. Just as much as providing a chart with no actual sells figures is used to alter the perception of a product/companies success. Examples of data manipulation occurs daily when analyst compare the current months sales with the same month of the previous year instead of month on month for the previous 3. It depends on what information you want present, whether its relevant or irrelevant (facts vs PR).
Your right that they don't care about games company but i never said they did.
But what they do care about is money and its there job to move your share price up or down to suit their needs. But the only way they can do that is by providing a report with their analyst in it which (in the games industry) eventually becomes your chart. Go to any games outlet and you will find that their games chart is not the same as their competitors. Why because the products they need to shift may be different, their stock inventory may be different and so on.
The point I raised originally was that 'Its funny how you can make stats look like what ever you want it to be'. If you can't comprehend that statement, it makes no sense to continue this conversation.
So your saying they are making it appear that nintendo games dont sell? So basically NPD has some agenda. That they are manipulating stock prices to increase the share prices of all other developers in the top 10 other than nintendo? That its nintendo vs everyone else?
So your saying they are making it appear that nintendo games dont sell? So basically NPD has some agenda. That they are manipulating stock prices to increase the share prices of all other developers in the top 10 other than nintendo? That its nintendo vs everyone else?
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