Lockdown conditions have not been kind to many businesses and industries, but some video games companies are thriving in the pandemic. This comes as no surprise when one considers that many people have had more time to play video games. Now, the numbers (at least in the UK) are in, and the true winners are apparent.
The UK-based Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) compiled and published the reports for video game sales from March 23 to June 13. The chart includes multiple types of entertainment products, including movies and musical albums, but over half of the titles belong to video games. FIFA 20 takes first place as the bestselling quarantine game in the UK with 506,572 copies sold, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare takes second place at 474,902 copies sold.
It makes sense that FIFA 2020 and Modern Warfare are thriving, as they're relatively new games with a strong community and a long franchise history. Some entries on this list are more surprising, with Grand Theft Auto 5's numbers falling not too far behind Modern Warfare's. Although GTA 5 came out in 2013, it sold 438,902 copies during lockdown alone, bringing its total copies sold worldwide (as of August 2020) to 135 million. GTA 5 is a bestseller in the UK and has held first place in the region for over five years; the British just really love this game.
One important point is that the ERA's list includes both physical and digital download sales, but major game companies don't supply their download data, two notable examples being Nintendo and Bethesda. This may explain why Animal Crossing: New Horizons has stronger sales numbers in other regions, since this UK-based list only shows 206,069 copies sold and doesn't take into account the fact that many people have digital-only copies on their Nintendo Switches.
It's also essential to note that game sales aren't the only source of income for major game companies. Microtransactions and subscription services can make more money than game sales, as is the case with Sony's FY2020 Q1 report showing that DLC and microtransaction sales make almost twice the amount of money that digital sales do. One can't discount services like Xbox Game Pass and, of course, Fortnite and its battle pass feature that makes Epic Games its money given that Fortnite is free to download.
Other games performing well in the UK during lockdown include NBA 2K20, Monopoly Plus, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, The Sims 4, Resident Evil 3, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Depending on how much longer the pandemic continues, people may see different games rise to the top of the UK bestsellers' list over time. One thing that probably won't change for a while is the UK's love affair with Grand Theft Auto 5, at least until Rockstar decides to release its sequel.
Source: Eurogamer