December 20th 2024.
It's no secret that the people of the UK have a special place in their hearts for football. The love for the sport is evident as the numbers for the best-selling game of 2024 in the UK have been revealed. Surprisingly, EA Sports FC 25 has claimed the top spot, but what's even more interesting is that the majority of the top 10 games consist of titles from previous years.
For years, the gaming industry in the West has been dominated by popular franchises like Call of Duty and sports games. However, this year's list of best-sellers paints a bleak picture for the industry as a whole. It seems that the rise of live service games such as Fortnite and Roblox is limiting the time people spend playing new games, which in turn, is affecting the overall sales of new games in certain territories, including the UK.
Data compiled by Nielsen from December 31, 2023 to December 7, 2024 reveals that only four new games released in 2024 made it to the UK's top 10 best-selling games of the year. To no one's surprise, EA Sports FC 25 takes the number one spot, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 at number three, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom at number nine, and Super Mario Party Jamboree at number ten. The rest of the list is made up of titles from previous years, including Hogwarts Legacy, EA Sports FC 24, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Minecraft, and Nintendo Switch Sports.
According to Christopher Dring, editor of GamesIndustry.biz, this trend was not just limited to the UK, but was seen across Europe as well. He noted that while video game sales in Europe were relatively strong in 2024, it was a tough year for new releases. In fact, only three new games made it to the top 10 in Europe, with the other seven being established yearly franchises like EA Sports FC 25, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Helldivers 2. The closest contenders were Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 at number 12 and Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero at number 13.
Dring also pointed out that popular games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Star Wars: Outlaws, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard did not even make it to the top 30. This lack of new games in the top 10 can be attributed to the rise of live service games, but the fact that new games often cost upwards of £70 is also a major factor. Many people prefer to wait and purchase these games at a cheaper price a few months after their release.
In the US, the situation was slightly better for new titles. EA Sports College Football 25 claimed the top spot, followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Helldivers 2, and Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero. However, the rest of the top 10 was still dominated by sports titles like Madden NFL 25, EA Sports FC 25, and last year's Call of Duty.
For those interested in seeing the difference in gaming preferences between the West and Japan, the top-selling game in Japan was Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, followed by Super Mario Party Jamboree, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Interestingly, there was not a single Call of Duty game on the list.
Another interesting trend that was noted was the decline in the playtime of new games on PC. The Steam end-of-year review showed that only 15% of users' total playtime was spent on games released in 2024. In comparison, 47% of the time was spent on games that were up to seven years old, and 37% was spent on games that were over eight years old. However, there was a slight increase in playtime for new games, from 9% in 2023 to 15% in 2024.
Despite the somewhat flat financial year for the gaming industry in 2024, analysts are predicting a significant increase in revenue for the next year, thanks to the highly anticipated launch of games like GTA 6 and Nintendo's next console.
It's clear that gaming preferences vary across different regions, with Japan showing a strong preference for titles like Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake and Super Mario Party Jamboree, while the West still favors established franchises like Call of Duty and EA Sports titles. However, one thing is for sure, the love for gaming is still going strong, and we can't wait to see what the future holds for the industry.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
