It was a record year for video games in the United States. The industry generated more than $43.4 billion in revenue, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group. That is up 18 percent year-over-year when you include in-game purchases and subscriptions.
If you just look at hardware, software, accessories, and game cards, the industry was up 13 percent to $16.7 billion.
“This is the highest annual tracked consumer spend total since the $17.4 billion generated in 2011,” NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said. “Annual dollar sales of tracked console, portable, and PC video game software reached $7.1 billion in 2018, growing 7 percent when compared to 2017. This is the highest annual total for tracked video game software spending since the $7.5 billion generated in 2012.”
We’ll check out the best-selling games of the year, but hardware was also up over the last 12 months.
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“For the 2018 year, hardware spending increased 8 percent to $5.1 billion,” said Piscatella. “Console hardware sales drove the growth, as PlayStation 4, plug-n-play devices, Switch, and Xbox One all experienced year-on-year gains.”
So hardware is a healthy as it has ever been. Now, let’s see the best-selling games of the year.
NPD’s 20 best-selling games of 2018
*Does not include digital sales
**Does not include PC digital sales
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
- NBA 2K19
- Madden NFL 19
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Far Cry 5
- God of War 2018
- Monster Hunter: World
- Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Mario Kart 8*
- FIFA 19**
- Battlefield V**
- Super Mario Odyssey*
- Call of Duty: WWII**
- Dragon Ball: FighterZ
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- Super Mario Party*
- Pokemon: Lets Go Pikachu*