US Gaming Sales Experience Downturn in October Despite Strong New Releases

The US gaming industry witnessed a downturn in October, marking the first decline in consumer spending since April, according to a report by Circana. The total spending on gaming reached $4.04 billion, a 5% decrease from the previous year. A significant factor contributing to this decline was the shift in the release date of the Call of Duty series, with the latest installment, Modern Warfare 3, being released in November instead of October. Despite this, October saw a strong lineup of new releases, with six games debuting in the top ten software charts. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 took the top spot, followed by Super Mario Bros. Wonder, although the sales figures are not directly comparable due to the exclusion of digital sales for Nintendo's first-party titles. Other notable releases included Assassin's Creed: Mirage, UFC 5, NHL 24, and Sonic Superstars. According to Circana, Spider-Man 2 has already become the fourth best-selling game of the year, trailing behind Hogwarts Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Madden NFL 24. The PlayStation version of Roblox, a free-to-play platform, ranked fourth among all PS5 titles in terms of monthly active users. On the mobile front, consumer spending increased by 2.1% year-over-year, with Monopoly Go retaining its position as the highest-grossing title. Established games such as Clash of Clans and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes saw significant month-over-month revenue growth, with Clash of Clans jumping eight spots on the highest-grossing chart and Galaxy of Heroes experiencing a 66% increase in revenue. Overall, consumer spending on game content decreased by 4% to $3.56 billion. Console hardware sales took a significant hit, declining by 23% year-over-year to $327 million, with all current-generation hardware experiencing double-digit declines in dollar sales. The PS5 was the best-selling system in terms of both units and dollar amount, while the Switch took second place in terms of units sold, and the Xbox Series X|S was the runner-up in terms of dollars spent. Spending on accessories decreased by 2% to $147 million, with the 'Midnight Black' PS5 Dual Sense controller being the top-selling accessory.