UK Gaming Market Sees Boost in October with Call of Duty Leading the Charge

The UK gaming market witnessed a modest increase in sales during October, with 2.9 million video games sold, representing a 3.2% rise compared to the previous year. According to GSD, which tracks both digital and physical sales in the UK, the month was dominated by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Notably, this is the first installment in the series to be available on the Game Pass subscription service from its launch, which had a predictable negative impact on its premium sales. In comparison to 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, launch sales for Black Ops 6 were 11% lower. However, focusing on sales of the franchise on PlayStation platforms, where Game Pass is not available, reveals a 24% year-on-year increase in premium sales, suggesting a positive launch for the series this year. The game's sales were largely driven by PlayStation platforms, accounting for almost 75% of total sales, followed by 15% on PC and just under 11% on Xbox. EA Sports FC 25 secured the second spot, with sales 14% lower than the previous year's version. Dragon Ball: Sparkling! Zero by Bandai Namco debuted at No.3, achieving an 80% increase in sales over the first four weeks compared to the previous best, 2020's Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Undisputed by Steel City Interactive and Plaion followed closely, with the game securing numerous major boxing licenses and outperforming Tekken 8. Silent Hill 2, a remake of the classic horror game, launched at No.4, with sales 32% lower than the Dead Space remake and 62% lower than the Resident Evil 4 remake. Super Mario Party Jamboree from Nintendo entered the chart at No.9, with sales up 11% over 2018's Super Mario Party but down 4% compared to 2021's Mario Party Superstars. Sonic X Shadows Generations from Sega took the No.10 spot, with launch sales up 150% compared to last year's 2D entry Sonic Superstars. The hardware sector saw a 14% month-on-month increase in console sales, with nearly 144,000 devices sold, although this represents an 18% decline compared to October 2023. PS5 console sales rose 27% month-on-month but were down 18% year-on-year, while Switch sales increased 13% month-on-month but dropped 18% year-on-year. Xbox Series consoles saw a 7% month-on-month decrease and a 17% year-on-year decline. The accessories market saw 681,000 units sold, down 8% from September but up 16% compared to October 2023, with PlayStation controllers dominating the top two positions.