If you follow our regular UK chart updates, you're probably aware that the data compiled within those lists only takes into account physical sales. The UK charts have been this way since - well, forever - but things are slowly starting to change.
For the very first time, a UK digital chart has been presented. It's still very much a work-in-progress, with some truly big names - including Nintendo - not sharing their sales data, but it still provides a decent look at how the charts might be affected when digital sales are included in the weekly figures.
The data below covers the week ending 26th May (the week before last). In our usual chart update for that week based on physical sales, we shared the news that Team Sonic Racing secured number one, but if digital sales had have been included too, that would not have been the case. Instead, Total War: Three Kingdoms would have been number one after comfortably leading the digital chart.
It's pretty bizarre all around; the mysterious selling power of GTA V in the UK is amplified even further in the digital charts, and Cities: Skylines lurched forwards from 94th place to sixth by going on sale.
Here are the top ten UK digital games for the week ending 26th May 2019:
Last Week | This Week | |
---|---|---|
New | 1 | Total War: Three Kingdoms |
1 | 2 | Grand Theft Auto V |
4 | 3 | Monopoly Plus |
2 | 4 | Minecraft |
49 | 5 | FIFA 19 |
94 | 6 | Cities: Skylines |
7 | 7 | Red Dead Redemption 2 |
5 | 8 | Uno |
11 | 9 | F1 2018 |
8 | 10 | Middle-Earth: Shadow of War |
As we noted above, it's worth remembering that these digital charts do not currently feature all major publishers. Nintendo, Bethesda, and Konami are amongst the more notable absentees, while Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Codemasters, Electronic Arts, Focus Home Interactive, Koch Media, Microsoft, Milestone, Paradox Interactive, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, Take-Two, Ubisoft and Warner Bros all feature.
Would you like to see both physical and digital sales be combined for future charts? Are you as surprised as we are that Monopoly and Uno are in the top ten best-selling digital games in the country? Let us know in the comments below.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 41
What on earth is monopoly doing up there?
GTA V still going strong in the UK.
Yay! Total war three kingdoms! C'mon koei and nintendo, give us some retro romance games on the switch.
This looks like a mobile chart plus a couple console games.
Odd ball Europeans, smh. 😆 j/k
@Quarth @Kalmaro That makes sense... “I’m gonna murder some hoes GTA, and then murder my bros when they bankrupt me because I landed on their fully developed Boardwalk.”
@RyanSilberman I can see why you think that, but it's not. Monopooly Plus is a PC game and Uno is on consoles and PC.
If it were a mobile chart, we would be seeing a lot of different games.
@DrkBndr Oh, so these are all a bunch of digital PC games plus some console ones.
UNO and Monopoly are incredibly popular and well known games and are sold at a bargain price. Nobody should be that surprised.
Half is typical for the UK, the other half is indeed very suprising.
@Kalmaro I hadn't noticed but when I did...I lol'd.
I love the Cistlevinai games from Kanomi
In my opinion this chart is worthless until all companies share their sales information.
@Zach I was thinking Costalvania or Castlevania or something
If it isn’t already, GTAV will probably become the best selling game of all time.
@ReaderRagfish
Online Multiplayer
Uno hahahahaha
No indies? That explains why indies seem to sell so well on switch compared to other consoles, they're always in the top 10 in eshop.
Actually amazing 3 Kingdom is up there!... SEGA rocking on both ends! And also CodeMaster with F1.
Not sure why this is surprising. We had tons of reports that top games sell mostly as physical. This will always be full of PC sales and what not.
Who is still buying GTA V?
It's a game from last gen....that barely worked online, had very little content and was designed to fleece people into buying micros.
That's before we even discuss the dated engine and it's janky combat, physics and controls. Or the skill-less built in aimbot that degrades all gunfights into a hit box snapping affair that a 3 year old could play.
No wonder games suck. If people are willing to buy this outdated trash.
@Grumblevolcano Microsoft open that can of worms last week
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-05-19-minecraft-might-be-the-biggest-selling-video-game-of-all-time-now
Apparently either Tetris, Minecraft or GTAV... depending who you ask.
@Alber-san Nintendo does not publish Indies... so no reason their Switch numbers will not be in there. Publisher just needs to share it.
@Itzdmo Most popular theory is that if you can buy a new copy of the game at a good price, you can acquire a bunch of in game credits at a better rate than buying directly. Basically propping up its own grindy economy. Take 2 does believe it’s undercharging people for playing its game.
This will be an interesting chart once everyone is on board, until then though, it's basically pointless.
I've been playing Total War Three Kingdoms pretty much nonstop for the last week. This is by far the best campaign Total War ever had. CA did an amazing job with this game.
@Agramonte
True but if indies are in the top 10 in the eshop and not here it means they aren't as popular on other consoles.
These charts need to be ranked by revenue. Otherwise, the charts will be dominated by games that go on (aggressive) sale.
Simple answer, special offers. Steam has them all the time
LOL GTA V will never stop selling well in the UK.
Digital sales should be included to begin with, considering what a massive portion of sales they account for now.
@Dellybelly BotW wasn't revolutionary because it was open world. It was revolutionary because of how Nintendo chose to tackle that well-worn genre. As someone who has been playing "open world" games since Oblivion first released more than a decade ago, I was still hugely impressed with how Nintendo tackled their unique take on it.
These charts are meaningless to me. Utterly meaningless.
I’ll never say GTA as a game or series is bad. I quite enjoyed the original 3 and then Vice City. But I prefer my sand box / open world to be fantastical or nonsensical - aka BotW/Skyrim or games like Saints Row/Dead Rising/Crackdown.
Honestly the only problem I have with GTA is that is basically a Virtual Reality of Reality without real life consequences like Death or Jail time. Granted, on pc with mods it would be vastly different and I’d probably love that, lol. But console versions have had limited appeal to me personally.
Funnily enough, the only adverts I see on this website are for Total War.
Pointless charts. All these digital charts are meaningless because of sales and the like... it tells us nothing
@Kalmaro Its often discounted to about £3-4. Also you can nab every achievement in about an hour so achievement hunters probably want in on it, as well as kids.
@Aaron09 seriously! I can understand why it's so popular but how can a game top the bestselling list for almost 6 years straight? Who doesn't own it?
On the other hand, when I get a gaming PC one day, that's definitely on my list...
Well FIFA 19 jumped a lot cos it’s rn 75% off, at least in the Mexican eshop I checked it
@ReaderRagfish "Digital versions of Uno are very popular for some reason, never really understood why."
Unos? Geddit!? Who knows?! 🤣
I'll just get my coat....
Someone needs to introduce UK to squid culture
@ReaderRagfish I downloaded Uno for the PS4. Sure, the fact that I'm a Rayman fan boy and they have Rayman and Rabbid decks helped. But it's one of those games that when you want to play something but it's almost time to go to bed and you don't want to get yourself wound up, it's something nice a relaxing.
To answer the question at the end of the article "Would you like to see both physical and digital sales be combined for future charts?" NO, ABSOLUTELY NO! Putting full price physical releases on the same chart of cheap downloads like Uno just isn't helpful. It's like announcing that the Toyota Corolla outsold Ferrari. OK, but they're not really in the same market, so what's the point?
Why is Cities Skylines bizarre?
It just had some good deals, a few more significant expansions and it's a pretty popular game in general.
If most companies are not sharing the data, this is completely useless information, it's like asking 10% of the population what they think and putting it out as fact
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...