Grand Theft Auto V, unsurprisingly, is the bestselling game in the U.S. for 2010 to 2019, but the Call of Duty franchise dominates the decade with seven entries in the top 10.
The figures, according to market research firm NPD Group, were part of a wider report that also ranked the bestselling games for 2019 and for the decade for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
US NPD SW – 2010-2019 Top 10 Sellers – Grand Theft Auto V was the best-selling game of the decade. pic.twitter.com/2xfGtaueqv
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 16, 2020
Released in 2013, the popularity of Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V is buoyed by its online component, GTA Online, which continues to draw massive player numbers. In fact, the free Diamond Casino & Resort update broke records when it rolled out last year.
Grand Theft Auto V ranked third in 2019 among premium games in terms of revenue, with earnings of $595 million, according to SuperData. The game has also been added to the Xbox Game Pass, allowing subscribers to access it on their Xbox One at no extra cost.
Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto V at the top spot, Red Dead Redemption II at seventh, and Minecraft at tenth are the only games in the top 10 bestsellers of the decade that are not from Activision’s Call of Duty franchise.
US NPD SW – Call of Duty franchise releases account for 10 of the top 15 best-selling games of the decade (2010 – 2019).
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 16, 2020
The Call of Duty series was not able to take the decade’s top spot, but its dominance could not be ignored. NPD analyst Mat Piscatela noted that the franchise took 10 spots in the top 15 for 2010 to 2019, and its latest entry, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, was the bestselling game last year.
Looking at individual platforms, the top-selling games for the decade were Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption II, and Call of Duty: WWII for the PlayStation 4; Grand Theft Auto V, Call of Duty: WWII, and Call of Duty Black Ops III for the Xbox One; and Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the Nintendo Switch.
In terms of hardware, the PlayStation 4 was the bestselling console for 2010 to 2019, which was expected as it recently claimed the title as the second-bestselling home game console of all time. Last year, however, belonged to the Nintendo Switch, granting the hybrid console some momentum as it heads into the year when the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X will arrive.
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