NPD Reveals the Top 10 Best-Selling Games Ever in the US - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 20 January 2010 / 6,057 Views
NPD revealed their list of best-selling console games in the United States since 1995. This means it only includes games they track, so no games bundled with consoles (a.k.a. Wii Sports, which would top the list otherwise). The list combines multiple platform versions into one SKU.
Still, the list offers some interesting tidbits, like claiming the Wiimote-bundled Wii Play best-selling game, dethroning the previous holder of the first place, Guitar Hero III. Also, with the most successful launch of all time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 enters the list in fourth place. Three games are exclusive for one single console, all of them for the Wii, as in addition to Wii Play you can see Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii.
And with a grand total of 12 consoles, Namco Museum is not only one of the ten best-selling games ever in the US, but also one of the most ported.
This list is includes sales through January 2, 2010.
The full list below
- Wii Play (Wii)
- Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2, Xbox)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Wii Fit (Wii)
- Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3, Xbox 360, DS)
- Madden NFL 07 (PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, PSP, DS, GC, GBA, Wii)
- Call of Duty: World at War (PS3, Xbox 360, DS, Wii)
- Namco Museum (DC, GBA, PS2, GC, Xbox, PSP, N64, PS3, Wii, DS, PS, Xbox 360)
Source: Gamespot
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Guitar hero 3 beat Gta San Andreas! OMFG!!
@ SolJustice
To answer your question in a concise manner, the majority of the titles on the list are part of yearly franchises and/or peripheral pack-ins.
And while not all of them are bad in the general sense, it shows a clear lack of creativity and originality in the popular buying habits of the general consumer.
Okay, normally I just lurk in the shadows like the cool wannabe-ninja that I am, but a few things need to be said regarding comments for this article. Normally I just read the comments for the articles I read and most of them are fine (albiet occasionally hateful).
Well, first I would like to thank all of the regular commenters and some of the (better) occasional commenters for your (usually) well-thought out, and occasionally inciteful comments. Some are funny enough to laugh at. So thank you.
Now, my reply to some of your comments here are as follows. Note: this is not intended to be a Silent Bob-calibur revelation or anything; it's just my humble opinion. I hope I don't come off as pretentious as I have before.
beets says:
wow, so namco museum came out on psp twice?
No, for the Sony consoles they listed PS2, PSP, PS3, PS (original) in that order.
superchunk says:
@okeydokey
-
That must be only through November as it doesn't include NSMBWii
It says "This list is includes sales through January 2, 2010."
Bad grammar, first of all. Secondly, Where IS NSMBWii!? Maybe 15th?
Hephaestos says:
consolidating DS COD4 and WAW with PS3 and 360... really?
same goes for madden.
(namco is ok)
Nintendo should name their next mario kart the same on console and on portable...
I agree with you there (save for MK part [see below]) and agree that HOW they get their stats seems fickle; it's no-doubt based on the name of the game. Whether it has (relatively) the same name on all platforms, including sequel number.
However I think that because Nintendo makes each MK unique (with just some repeat tracks), they won't have the same name and therefore never be considered the same game. Similar to the Pokemon/Nintendogs situation, but there are many differences instead.
Or my game-name game-selling hypothesis may be totally wrong.
@foxxycontin
I agree.
Salnax says:
What a joke. The DS has CoD4, but the Wii doesn't?
Neither MW - Reflex nor MW - Mobilized belong in there because of their different names (by my theory).
MasterZack says:
Namco Museum not for Sega Genesis or SNES??? Damn!!
TOL
famousringo says:
And by ever, we mean since 1995, so just pretend those 8 bit and 16 bit consoles never happened.
TOL
kopstudent89 says:
For Pokemon and Nintendogs it seems they seperate each version's sales(ie pokemon red and pokemon blue are 2 different games)
I agree.
@Reasonable
I agree.
Quickdraw McGraw says:
This is a thoroughly depressing list.
If you don't mind me asking, why is that?
XanderZane says:
I have most of these games. lol!! It's funny that the only none multiplat games on the list are all for the Wii. Wii Fit isn't even a game though and that was also a pack-in. So I wonder if they are counting both the bundled and the stand alone version of that exercise dvd.
LOL! Oh my God. You've GOT to be kidding about the exercise dvd thing. Right? Saying that Wii Fit isn't a game and instead is an exercise DVD opens up Pandoras' box of speculation as to what (other) games dont count as games. Look. The old phrase "if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it's probably a duck" kinda applies here. It's being sold as a game. In the videogames department of stores. And in videogame stores. Even ones that don't sell DVD's. It's NOT being sold as a DVD, or in the DVD department of stores, or in DVD stores unless they're selling videogames as well (then they might carry it in THAT department). Sorry, kinda went on a tangent there. The point is Wii Fit IS a videogame.
Also, it was NOT a pack-in anymore than StarFox 64 was a pack-in with the Rumblepack, or Mario Kart Wii was a pack-in with the Wii Racing Wheel Attachment (or whatever it's called). The accessory doesn't work without the game (or at least a game that's compatible with it). It isn't often the other way around. Rhetorically, why would you buy the balance board if not for Wii Fit (Plus)? And lastly, I'm sure they counted the total of the bundles and the stand-alone game. The game does sell by itsself afterall, does it not?
That's the difference between it and Wii Play (an obvious [free] pack-in).
(sigh) Anyway, sorry for rambling on. There really should be a character-limit on these forums as others have suggested. Peace.
Nintendo continues to rise.
I have most of these games. lol!! It's funny that the only none multiplat games on the list are all for the Wii. Wii Fit isn't even a game though and that was also a pack-in. So I wonder if they are counting both the bundled and the stand alone version of that exercise dvd.
This is a thoroughly depressing list.
If the focus is on the game - i.e. most popular game - then consolidated across platforms is the right approach. Splitting by platform is focusing on the console not the game.
It's really not a surprise that only Wii has titles that, despite being on one platform, can match the combined attraction of titles available on multiple platforms.
What is a bit of a surprise is that only one PS2 centric title is on that list, San Andreas, which really shows how the PS2 was built on a lot of titles selling well, but very few titles selling like crazy, whereas the Wii is built in some ways more like the 360, with core franchise titles that sell like crazy.
they combine the the sales of the ps3 version with the 360 version.
It's been a long time since I've seen something as silly as this list. I mean one might understands when MW2's sales on PS3 and X360 are combined, but it's just stupid when you look at CoD4 with the DS version counted aswell, a version that is an entirely different game actually.
Not to mention Madden and Namco, these are just pathetic.
For Pokemon and Nintendogs it seems they seperate each version's sales(ie pokemon red and pokemon blue are 2 different games)
The only game I like on this list are Mario Kart and GTA.
I thought this information was pretty much known. Even Nintendo displayed this information at one point (citing how Mature games were on the rise last gen and many of the best selling games in America were M rated games). Only big surprise for me here is Namco Museum.
namco has been on all 4 playstations
What a boring group.
And by ever, we mean since 1995, so just pretend those 8 bit and 16 bit consoles never happened.
Namco Museum not for Sega Genesis or SNES??? Damn!!
@ huaxiong90
Its hard for Halo to compete with so many multiplat games.
How many copies were old school Atari games moving in their heyday? Does anyone know? Like how many copies of Space Invaders or Pac-Man move for the 2600?
What a joke. The DS has CoD4, but the Wii doesn't? And where the hell is Pokemon and the other big handheld games? I thought these people were professional...
I still can't believe how insanely well Wii Play has sold and continues to sell. The point of it was to get more people to buy Wii controllers, which worked. Though I don't know how you classify it exactly just like with Wii Sports. Considering some people got the controller and it came with a "game".
It seems 9 million is the cutoff point on this list.
VGChartz has Wii Play at 13 million, and Mario Kart Wii at 9.08 million. GTA Vice City at 8.2m+ is not on the list. (these figures are usually counted as NPD + 11.11% though, so shave off 10%.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii will be on this list soon enough. =)
@pffff i would like a non multi console list better
agreeded
Pokemon Red/Blue or Nintendogs didn't make it? It'd seem like they don't include handhelds, but they're listed on the multiplat games.
Wii Sports Resort and NSMB Wii will probably climb over CoD4. Wii Fit Plus will probably make it up there as well, which would make 6/10 of the list compromised of Wii exclusives. Awesome.
Is Namco museum actually exactly the same game on all 13 platforms?
Because otherwise i don't see why NPD split up Nintendogs and Pokemon, yet combine namco.
Added till when it covers to make it clearer
consolidating DS COD4 and WAW with PS3 and 360... really?
same goes for madden.
(namco is ok)
Nintendo should name their next mario kart the same on console and on portable...
@ chunk
Why would NSMBWii be on the list? it's only sold 5 million. I know it's North America only but Call of Duty's popularity is just staggering. 3 game in the last 3 years, all in the top 10 of all time.
wow, so namco museum came out on psp twice? i had it for the ps1 myself
@okeydokey
- That must be only through November as it doesn't include NSMBWii and
-
That's MW2 for all combined skus IN US ONLY.
Have to keep in mind that those Wii titles were also very popular in Japan/EU.
Sill, interesting list for US.
pffff i would like a non multi console list better
Modern Warfare 2 outsold Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii in two months!? O_O
Im borrowing Namco Museum from my cousins for GBA, I had no idea it sold so much!
halo would've been on the list if they had broken up the titles by consoles instead of consolidating them
I don't think I'd ever of guessed #10!
No Halo? I'm a bit surprised.
