European Game Sales Experience Slight Uptick in December

According to the latest data from GSD, a total of 26.6 million PC and console games were sold across Europe in December. When comparing the same period in 2022, sales showed a 3.6% increase. This data encompasses all physical game releases in major European markets, as well as digital sales from prominent publishers. EA Sports FC24 took the lead in December, albeit with an 11.5% decline in sales compared to FIFA 23's performance in December 2022, which was boosted by the football World Cup. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 dropped to second place in its second month, with overall performance below that of previous Call of Duty releases. However, it remains a top seller across Europe, surpassing Hogwarts Legacy, which enjoyed its strongest sales month since its launch in February. Super Mario Bros Wonder also had a notable month, with sales only slightly lower than November, maintaining its consistent sales trajectory since its October launch. The new entry in the chart, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, debuted at number six, with sales roughly half of those achieved by Assassin's Creed Mirage in October. The game's long-term success will depend on its future performance. In the hardware sector, 1.27 million consoles were sold across tracked European markets in December, representing a nearly 16% increase over the same period in 2022, driven primarily by the PS5, which saw a 66% year-on-year sales growth. The Nintendo Switch secured the second spot, with sales down 7% compared to December 2022, while the Xbox Series S and X came in third, with sales declining by over 19% year-on-year. Additionally, 3.5 million accessories and add-on products were sold across tracked markets in December, marking an 11% increase over the same period in the previous year.