Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have kept their positions at the top of the video game sales chart for 2020. With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping people in their homes, it's been a big year for video games. Unfortunately, that same pandemic has also made it more difficult for games to meet their release deadlines, resulting in a great many game delays.
Lockdown woes certainly contributed to the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Nintendo's beloved island simulation game offered fans a tranquil, idyllic escape from the stress of quarantined life, and players snapped it up in droves. The game swiftly became a cultural phenomenon, and it began to take on a bizarre new life on the internet as people pushed the boundaries of what its creation system could do. One high end fashion designer even hosted a runway show in it. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, on the other hand, is a less surprising hit. The annual shooter franchise has always produced solid titles that a lot of fans gravitate toward, but Modern Warfare pushed the envelope with its refined gameplay, though it has earned controversy for its depiction of some of the more dreadful parts of the military landscape, including white phosphorus.
The NPD Group, a market research team, recently took the time to analyze video game sales in October 2020, and it shared its findings on Twitter through analyst Mat Piscatella. Piscatella found that consumer spending in the video game industry (including both games and hardware) reached $3.8 billion last month, 14% higher than it was a year ago. As has been previously reported, both FIFA 21 and Star Wars Squadrons did well last month, ranking number one and number eight for October sales respectively. But neither game could catch Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which still hold the 1 and 2 spots for the year overall. These games have been on the market for months now, and the fact that they're still doing this well is very impressive. It should also be kept in mind that digital sales were not factored in for Nintendo titles like Animal Crossing, which surely performed even better than it's been recorded.
This month has seen the release of both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5, powerful next-gen consoles that fans have been looking forward to for months. The consoles are already boasting some remarkable titles, and more are on their way. Furthermore, it doesn't take a market research specialist to understand that the consoles are selling well; retailers can't keep them in stock, and demand is so high that Wal-Mart's website crashed multiple times on the launch day of the PlayStation 5. The new hardware is certain to have a major impact on this month's video game sales. Time will tell if the next generation will topple these two titans.
2020 has seen the release of some truly remarkable games. Small indie teams have thrived with titles like Among Us, Fall Guys, and Phasmophobia, and major studios have seen success with powerhouse titles like Doom Eternal and Ghost of Tsushima. As the new consoles begin to establish themselves more, fans are sure to see even more landmark video games on the horizon. Time will tell how long Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Animal Crossing New Horizons will keep their thrones.
Source: Mat Piscatella