With the recent year-end NPD sales figures, the data trackers unveiled the top 10 games of 2009, but IndustryGamers has taken it a step farther and acquired the top 10 best selling games chart for all time. NPD notes that the list was compiled at the title level, not SKU level, meaning sales for all platforms are included on multiplatform titles. Also, this chart does not include PC games and is focused on console/handheld titles. Finally, it should be noted that "all time" means since 1995, since that's how far back NPD's tracking data goes.
Here's the top 10, ranked according to unit sales (NPD declined to provide the units):
- Wii Play
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Wii Fit
- Mario Kart w/ Wheel
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Madden NFL '07
- Call of Duty: World at War
- Namco Museum
Activision's dominance of this list is quite remarkable, and it shows you why the publisher has seen such tremendous revenue growth in the last 15 years. The fact that the chart is at the title level also makes individual SKUs like Wii Play or Wii Fit that much more impressive. NPD industry analyst Anita Frazier notes that the chart is indicative of the recent expansion of non-traditional games. "I like the number of non-traditional games on the list. It shows that non-traditional content can be lucrative and have wide appeal. From Wii Play to Wii Fit to Guitar Hero, these are all games that don't fit in the traditional gaming 'box' yet have enjoyed great success," she said.
11 Comments
January 20, 2010
It's worth noting that Wii Fit and Wii Play were peripherals with games attached and that neither of those titles would have sold that well as software alone skus.
January 20, 2010
And what about Namco Museum???
January 20, 2010
Funny, I always thought World at War would be the worst CoD game, but here it is, number 9 on NPD's Top 10 Best Selling Games of All Time.
January 20, 2010
Namco Museum is the "wtf" entry of this list. Eery list needs at least one game like that.
January 20, 2010
*every
January 20, 2010
It's true that some of these are peripheral based, but that in some ways makes it more impressive to me because it's a higher price, which can sometimes limit sales. And this chart is based on units, not dollars. I'm not counting Wii Play though because you're basically getting a controller and bargain game packaged together. Wii Fit and GH3 on the other hand are more expensive propositions for consumers.
January 21, 2010
As stated before, Wii Play is dubious to me.. I'm skeptical that anyone bought it for the actual game (even though it was better than Wii Sports IMO), rather, they bought it solely for the controller that it came with. The Wii was advertised as a party-centered console, packaging it with only 1 controller and making people buy a game to get a second one was a really slick move on Nintendo's part but should make everyone take Wii Play's entry on this list with a grain of salt.
Honestly Wii Fit surprises me..
January 22, 2010
Wii Play was a controller with a $10 mini-game collection.
CoD: WaW was Treyarch but did use the Infinity Ward engine.
Namco Museum . . . WTF?
I'm surprised at how high GH3 is . . . I guess that was the last hurrah as a monopoly before Rock Band entered in and split the market.
May 1, 2010
I'm actually surprised by wii fit. i want to see a survey of how many people are still using it
May 8, 2010
There's a big difference between the audiences for hard-core games like Call of Duty and the people who buy the Wii. Ultimately, it's a good thing, because a whole new audience for video games is being brought into the "fold" because of the Wii.
Tongkat Ali Extract
July 30, 2010
wii play is not really a winner if u dicount the ppl dat got it with d wii. wtf is namco museum. im suprised about cod waw & guitar hero 3 & wii fit. cod4 should be higher. im not suprised about gta:san andreas. mario kart a really good game and is about in the right place. madden nfl is like only sold in usa so im not sure if it should be were it is!