U.S. Video Game Sales for PCs Fell in 2005

By Geoff Duncan January 18, 2006

Hot on the heels of reporting 2005 was a record year for portable video game sales in the U.S., the NPD Group said today that domestic sales of CD-ROM video games for PCs slumped by 14 percent compared to 2004, to a total of just $953 million. Overall sales volume came to 38 million units, a 19 percent decline from the 47 million units sold in 2004.

The decline came as online gaming grew in popularity, with Blizzard Entertainment’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft selling nearly 1 million units alone. Other big hits were EA’s The Sims 2: University Expansion Pack (574,000 sold), and The Sims 2 (559,000 sold).

NPD points to growing online game play as the major source of decline, noting that an increasing number of games have no so-called “retail box” to be purchased: players instead download necessary software using broadband Internet connections rather than purchasing software and installation materials via retailers. NPD analyst Anita Frazier says that, despite diminishing retail sales in recent years, game-playing on PCs is actually increasing.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

What was 2021’s biggest video game? The waiting game

A character in Starfield.

Like most other activities, game development slowed to a halt as COVID-19 burst into our lives in 2020. Rapid shifts in workplace environments and safety mandates disrupted many a game's development. Games still came out that year, but new releases were limited to games that had already been announced for 2020 and were very close to completion.

It wasn't until this year that the industry really felt the effect of the 2020 slowdown. Games were delayed across the board and releases were slower than usual, both signs of an industry that was struggling to find a model that worked for developers and players alike. That doesn't meant that nothing major came out in 2021. Titles like Halo Infinite, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Metroid Dread hit storefronts, both physical and digital. But the final release list was much slimmer than anticipated.

Gaming

Watch U.S. Open tennis champ’s wacky video game celebration

Daniil Medvedev performing the dead fish celebration.

Tennis ace Daniil Medvedev drew inspiration from one of his favorite video games for his victory celebration against Novak Djokovic in the final of the U.S. Open in New York City on Sunday night.

In what must've been one of the most bizarre match-winning responses ever witnessed in the world of professional tennis, the Russian champion performed the wacky “dead fish celebration” more commonly associated with the FIFA video game series.

Gaming

Here’s what we’re playing on National Video Game Day

Basketball players in NBA 2K22.

While it might always feel like “Video Game Day” for some players, today is actually National Video Game Day (not to be confused with National Game Day, which happens in July and extends to all types of games). If you needed a reason to pick up a PlayStation controller today and spend some quality time with a game, well, it’s as good an excuse as any, right?

While “national” days like this are ultimately a little arbitrary, they do offer us a moment to reflect on the things we love. Video Game Day, in particular, allows us a moment to celebrate an industry that’s been instrumental over the pandemic as socially isolated people became socially connected players through games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Among Us.