Resident Evil 3 release and take No. 2 of UK chart

Even though most of the population is locked down, and being strongly instructed to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary, the number of physical game sales in the UK has increased in the last three weeks. This is even more baffling when you take into account that all non-essential stores are closed.

Last week, boxed game sales saw a 3 percent increase week-on-week to 350,000 games sold. Added in with the previous two weeks, this total comes to more than 1 million boxed games sold over the past three weeks.

Prior to both lockdown and social distancing, boxed game sales were tracking at around 150,000 games sold per week. The jump from this to over 1 million in just three weeks shows a massive focus from consumers, driven by a want for something to do whilst stuck inside.

Unfortunately for Capcom, the big drive in sales did little to help the launch sales of Resident Evil 3 Remake, which underperformed at retail compared to Resident Evil 2 Remake. The latest game sold less than half of the physical copies its predecessor did, though it’s thought that most copies were purchased digitally since more and more stores were closing in the lead up to launch. The game debuted in second place in the chart, behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

The second big new release for the week, Persona 5 Royal, debuted in fifth place. The game is a PlayStation 4 exclusive, and generally has a more niche appeal. Coupled with store closures, it’s likely that most copies were purchased digitally.

Games bundled with hardware have continued to sell well as more people invest in a home console. Games such as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Sea of Thieves have all returned to the top 20.

For the first time in months, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has actually fallen out of the top ten best-selling games chart. The reason is that no stores have any Nintendo Switch hardware in stock. Many people are desperate to get their hands on a Switch, but Nintendo is struggling to keep up with demand. However, the company has said that more stock is on the way to the EU and the US.

Finally, Animal Crossing: New Horizons sits in fourth place in the chart with a 35 percent drop in sales week-on-week. The game is still proving to be incredibly popular, and maybe even on track to be the best-selling Switch game of 2020.

A more extended list of top sellers can be found here.