European Gaming Market Sees Decline in November Sales

The European gaming market experienced a decline in sales during November 2022, with 18.1 million video games sold, representing a 17% decrease from the previous year. Digital sales dropped by 15% to 7.8 million, while physical sales fell by 18% to 10.4 million. The absence of a major Call of Duty release in November, as Modern Warfare 2 launched in October, contributed to the decline. However, the game remained a top seller, outselling its predecessor Call of Duty: Vanguard after just one month. FIFA sales were also weaker compared to the previous year, further impacting the overall market. Despite this, notable game launches, such as God of War Ragnarok, which sold 62% more units than its predecessor, helped to drive sales. The game's success was largely due to the PS5 version, which accounted for 69% of sales. If Nintendo had shared digital sales data, the combined sales of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet would have likely surpassed God of War Ragnarok, making it the best-selling product of the month. The two Pokémon titles sold slightly less than God of War Ragnarok, with 56% of sales going to the Violet version and 44% to Scarlet. Sega's Sonic Frontiers and Football Manager 2023 also debuted in the top 10. The Nintendo Switch remained the top-selling console, but Xbox and PlayStation 5 sales saw significant growth, with the PS5 increasing by 49% and Xbox Series S and X by 22%. The market for peripherals and accessories also saw a decline, with 1.8 million units sold, representing an 11% drop. The PS5 DualSense controller was the top-selling device, with sales up 66% from the previous year. Subscription cards and points sales decreased by 19% year-on-year, with strong sales of PlayStation Store credit, Steam, and Roblox Game Cards offset by declines in Xbox and Nintendo cards.