Now that the dust has settled on 2014 it’s time to see how things eventually shook out in the gaming world. We know now that the Xbox One saw a huge uptick thanks to its price drop but even so the PS4 was the clear winner when it comes to current-gen sales.
On the software side, we know that a few games broke records for new IPs and some old franchises sold well, but we didn’t know (at the time) where specific titles ranked against each other. Now we do.
According to NPD, who just published their December and year-end reports, the best selling game of 2014 was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Sledgehammer Games’ first foray into Activision’s flagship franchise was met with mostly positive reviews, and it appears the fans have also responded in kind. However, since NPD numbers are typically inaccurate, it’s hard to compare Advanced Warfare’s tally to past #1’s and determine where this franchise entry sits among the library.
Madden NFL 15 was the second best selling game of the bunch, which is no surprise as well. EA Sports did a solid job improving their sports franchise for the current-gen, but even so Madden typically sells well every year.
The most interesting entry out of the bunch appears to be Destiny, which took the number 3 spot for 2014. Bungie’s latest shooter has been an endless source for debate since its launch in September, but there’s no denying the game’s popularity. Whether or not sales were enough to balance out the game’s rumored $500 million budget, however, is unclear.
Other notable entries on the list include Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs, Super Smash Bros (combined sales for 3DS and Wii U), and FIFA 15. There were even a few 2013 (or older) titles on the list, like Minecraft, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Here’s the full top 10 for 2014:
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Madden NFL 15
- Destiny
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- Minecraft
- Super Smash Bros (3DS & Wii U)
- NBA 2K15
- Watch Dogs
- FIFA 15
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
While the list itself is solid there are some notable omissions. Neither of Ubisoft’s major fall releases, Far Cry 4 or Assassin’s Creed Unity, made the list, but they only had about a month-and-a-half of sales to work with. The same is true for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, but it’s possible that game's matchmaking problems hurt holiday sales as well.
For the first full year of a new console cycle, it appears we are still making progress towards current-gen dominance, but we’re not there yet. It will be interesting to see how this year’s numbers shake out and whether a major console exclusive or current-gen exclusive like Uncharted 4, Batman: Arkham Knight, or Halo 5 can take the top spot for 2015.
What do you think of the top 10 best selling games of 2014? Which games did you contribute money to?
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Source: Polygon