European Video Game Sales Experience 7.3% Decline in January

European video game sales totaled 12.14 million units in January, marking a 7.3% decrease from the same period last year, according to GSD data. This data encompasses both physical and digital sales from major publishers, excluding Nintendo. EA Sports FC 24 secured the top spot, with January sales closely mirroring those of FIFA 23 during the same period in 2023. The best-selling new release of the month was The Last of Us: Part 2 Remastered, which outperformed The Last of Us: Part 1 by more than two and a half times in its opening two weeks. This can be attributed to an upgrade offer for PS4 owners and the significant growth of the PS5 install base since Part 1's release. Tekken 8 debuted at No.7, boasting sales over 80% higher than Street Fighter 6's debut week, reflecting Tekken's stronger European following. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice saw a significant surge, jumping to No.8 after a steep discount on Steam, ahead of its sequel's release in May. Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown also entered the Top Ten at No.9. Console sales reached nearly 475,000 units in January, a slight 1.4% decline from the previous year, driven by strong PS5 sales offset by declining Nintendo Switch sales and a slight decrease in Xbox Series S and X sales. The sale of peripherals and accessories dropped by 1.4% to 1.8 million. Digital data includes sales from participating companies like Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, and Electronic Arts, sold via platforms such as Steam, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network, covering various European countries.