Although 2020 held many unexpected twists and turns, the holiday season remained a big time for video games with holiday sales across platforms like the PlayStation Store. As individuals set out to buy their loved ones that particular game or console they have been wanting all year, 2020 gave gamers a lot to choose from between new games, peripherals, and even a new generation of consoles.
However, one game that seemingly dominated sales charts worldwide in 2020 was Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's a fitting achievement, as such a relaxing and social game is just what many people needed to get through the wild year. It seems that even after the holiday season, Animal Crossing continues to sell incredibly well all over the world.
The website GamesIndustry.biz reveals the latest GfK Weekly Top Ten sales chart for physical games in the UK, covering the last week of 2020. While it was no surprise to see games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War make the top ten, Animal Crossing: New Horizons stole the number one spot in the UK over FIFA 21.
Although New Horizons was in the number two spot for the second-to-last week of 2020, its physical sales jumped 7 percent in the week following Christmas. GamesIndustry.biz notes that while the best-selling video game in the UK at the end of the year is typically a title like the latest FIFA, Animal Crossing: New Horizons ended up dominating the charts from December 26, 2020 through January 2, 2021.
The rise in sales for New Horizons also meant a lot of games saw their physical sales drop significantly in the UK charts, most notably Cyberpunk 2077, which has been mired in controversy since launch. It should be noted that these metrics could change when factoring in the sale of digital games, which information is not available for yet.
Although UK sales of physical PS4 and Xbox One titles dropped by 48 percent and 53 percent respectively in the last week of 2020, sales of physical Nintendo Switch games only dropped by 25 percent week-on-week. Although high sales for Animal Crossing: New Horizons are certainly not unheard of, it will be interesting to see if the game continues to maintain a top ten spot on sales charts worldwide in 2021.
As New Horizons players enter the new year, the game is sure to keep them busy with its regular flow of monthly critters and seasonal events. With Nintendo's confirmation that New Horizons will receive more updates going into 2021, it's likely that top ten sales charts have not seen the last of Animal Crossing.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for Nintendo Switch.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz