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Several of November’s sport releases have shot to the highest — properly, near the highest — of the charts, in line with industry-tracking agency The NPD Group. Consumer spending within the U.S. can also be barely larger than it was final 12 months, thanks partly to a surge in {hardware} gross sales. Overall spending for the 12 months remains to be down barely in contrast with 2021.
November 2022 Dollar Sales, Millions | Nov 2021 |
Nov 2022 |
Change |
Total Video Game Sales | $6,111 | $6,286 | 3% |
Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription shopper spending throughout Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR platforms) | $4,983 | $4,742 | -5% |
Video Game Hardware | $866 | $1,254 | 45% |
Video Game Accessories | $262 | $289 | 10% |
“Strong hardware performance in the month of November (45% increase vs. year ago to $1.3 billion) was due primarily to a significant increase in PlayStation 5 volume when compared to a year ago,” mentioned NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. “PlayStation 5 was November’s best-selling hardware platform in both unit and dollar sales, while Nintendo Switch ranked 2nd across both measures. PlayStation 5 remains the best-selling hardware platform of 2022 in year-to-date dollar sales, while Nintendo Switch leads in units.”
The enhance in {hardware} gross sales is probably going pushed partly by vacation gross sales. Piscatella famous in a LinkedIn publish that gross sales of {hardware} bundles (which may be barely dearer than the consoles alone) are counted in direction of {hardware} gross sales, not software program. An enhance in accessible items to buy additionally possible helped transfer the needle.
Piscatella added, “November’s strong performance brings year-to-date spending to $49.0 billion, a 6% decline when compared to the same period in 2021.”
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November 2022 NPD: Top 20 best-selling video games of the month within the U.S.
NPD tracks bodily gross sales at retailers, but it surely additionally will get digital knowledge straight from publishers. 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. And that is for full-game gross sales and doesn’t embrace in-game spending.
Rank | Last Month Rank |
All Platforms | Publisher |
1 | 1 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
2 | NEW | God of War Ragnarök | Sony (Corp) |
3 | NEW | Pokémon Scarlet/Violet* | Nintendo |
4 | NEW | Sonic Frontiers | Sega |
5 | 4 | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
6 | 3 | FIFA 23 | Electronic Arts |
7 | 8 | NBA 2K23* | Take-Two Interactive |
8 | 2 | Gotham Knights | Warner Bros. Interactive |
9 | 39 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (Corp) |
10 | 47 | Mario Party Superstars* | Nintendo |
11 | 10 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
12 | 28 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
13 | 11 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
14 | 6 | Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope | Ubisoft |
15 | 7 | Persona 5 | Atlus |
16 | 5 | NHL 23 | Electronic Arts |
17 | NEW | Tactics Ogre Reborn | Square Enix Inc (Corp) |
18 | 13 | Minecraft | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
19 | 40 | Horizon 2: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
20 | 36 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* | Nintendo |
While a number of new releases are jockeying for 2nd place on the charts, they haven’t toppled Modern Warfare II. In truth, when it comes to year-to-date gross sales, MWII has formally dethroned Elden Ring — which simply gained Game of the Year on the Game Awards — because the best-seller. It additionally now outranks Bandai Namco’s hit because the best-selling sport of the 12 months and the final 12 months.
In response to the NPD report, Activision president Rob Kostich mentioned in a press release, “From the start, the excitement for Modern Warfare II has been incredible. We’re grateful to our fans, who have come together in record numbers. We know our players always have many entertainment choices in front of them, which our teams recognize and are constantly driving to create exciting, new experiences. Our first mid-season content refresh is only days away, and there’s so much more to come in 2023.”
November releases shoot up the charts
November noticed the discharge of a number of well-liked franchise video games. God of War Ragnarök, Elden Ring’s main competitor at The Game Awards, instantly jumped to 2nd place. Considering it was ones Sony’s most profitable first-party launches to this point, it’s not a shock. It’s additionally charting within the 12 months’s top-selling video games, and tops PlayStation’s personal charts (see under).
The different main franchise launch this month was Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, which additionally made it onto the best-seller listing at rank 3. Considering each Legends: Arceus and Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl have each remained on at the least one among these charts all 12 months, that is additionally not stunning. Sonic Frontiers, nevertheless, is doing virtually in addition to the opposite two at rank 4. While Sonic has simply as a lot identify recognition, it’s a little bit of a shock (however a gratifying one) to see it working so carefully with the leaders of the pack.
Black Friday boosts numbers for video games on sale
As the charts present, a number of video games that had been additional down the listing have jumped up some locations. It’s not as dramatic a leap as, say, October’s Persona and Nier boosts, but it surely’s value noting all the identical. Mario Party Superstars, for instance, went from forty seventh place to tenth due to being half-off in the course of the sale interval. Similarly, Forbidden West and Miles Morales bought a gross sales increase due to vacation worth minimize.
November 2022 NPD: 20 best-selling video games of 2022 to this point
Rank | Last Month Rank |
All Platforms | Publisher |
1 | 2 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
2 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
3 | 4 | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
4 | 3 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
5 | NEW | God of War Ragnarök | Sony (Corp) |
6 | 5 | Pokémon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
7 | NEW | Pokémon Scarlet/Violet* | Nintendo |
8 | 6 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
9 | 8 | FIFA 23 | Electronic Arts |
10 | 7 | MLB: The Show 22^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
11 | 9 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
12 | 10 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (Corp) |
13 | 11 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
14 | 12 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land | Nintendo |
15 | 14 | Gotham Knights | Warner Bros. Interactive |
16 | 13 | Minecraft | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
17 | 21 | NBA 2K23* | Take-Two Interactive |
18 | 15 | Nintendo Switch Sports* | Nintendo |
19 | 20 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (Corp) |
20 | 22 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
^Xbox & Switch digital gross sales not included
November 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling video games of the final 12 months
Rank | Last Month Rank |
All Platforms | Publisher |
1 | 3 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
2 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
3 | 6 | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
4 | 4 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
5 | NEW | God of War Ragnarök | Sony (Corp) |
6 | 2 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
7 | 8 | Pokémon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
8 | NEW | Pokémon Scarlet/Violet* | Nintendo |
9 | 9 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
10 | 16 | FIFA 23 | Electronic Arts |
November 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling Nintendo-platform video games within the U.S.
Rank | Last Month Rank |
Nintendo Platforms | Publisher |
1 | NEW | Pokémon Scarlet/Violet* | Nintendo |
2 | NEW | Sonic Frontiers | Sega |
3 | 17 | Mario Party Superstars* | Nintendo |
4 | 11 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
5 | 4 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
6 | 1 | Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope | Ubisoft |
7 | 13 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* | Nintendo |
8 | 7 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
9 | 5 | Splatoon 3* | Nintendo |
10 | 6 | Nintendo Switch Sports* | Nintendo |
November 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling PlayStation-platform video games within the U.S.
Rank | Last Month Rank |
PlayStation Platforms | Publisher |
1 | NEW | God of War Ragnarök | Sony (Corp) |
2 | 1 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
3 | 4 | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
4 | 3 | FIFA 23 | Electronic Arts |
5 | NEW | Sonic Frontiers | Sega |
6 | 6 | NBA 2K23* | Take-Two Interactive |
7 | 2 | Gotham Knights | Warner Bros. Interactive |
8 | 11 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (Corp) |
9 | 12 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
10 | 13 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (Corp) |
November 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling Xbox-platform video games within the U.S.
Rank | Last Month Rank |
Xbox Platforms | Publisher |
1 | 1 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
2 | 3 | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
3 | 4 | FIFA 23 | Electronic Arts |
4 | NEW | Sonic Frontiers | Sega |
5 | 2 | Gotham Knights | Warner Bros. Interactive |
6 | 6 | NBA 2K23* | Take-Two Interactive |
7 | 5 | NHL 23 | Electronic Arts |
8 | 8 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
9 | 9 | Forza Horizon 5 | Microsoft (Corp) |
10 | 7 | Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
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