Top 10 best selling games in the US in January 2018

The NPD Group have released figures detailing a hugely successful January in the US gaming market. Combined hardware, software and accessory sales topped $1.1 billion, a huge 59 per cent increase on corresponding sales in January 2017.

Indeed, January 2018 was the most successful first month of the first calendar year for the US gaming industry since 2011 and will raise hope, among retailers and wholesalers, of a strong 2018 overall.

NPD noted that hardware sales, in particular, had boomed in comparison to the previous January. $278 million hardware sales represents more than double the performance of the previous January (119% year-on-year growth, to be precise) and was no doubt due, in part, to the ongoing success of the Nintendo Switch.

That said, there was good news for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, too. Sales for both grew in January and, remarkably, there was only 3% in total dollar sales separating the three leading consoles, indicating that all three remain competitive on the American market.

Software sales grew by 51% year-on-year, fuelled by the launch of Capcom’s Monster Hunter: World, which went straight to the top of the US charts, while accessories also grew (by 37% year-on-year).

The figures chart sales from December 31, 2017 to February 3, 2018 and were released along with a breakdown of the ten biggest selling games of the month.

As mentioned previously, Monster Hunter: World topped the charts, the most successful launch yet for a Monster Hunter game in the US. Second place was claimed by another new release with Japanese origins, Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball: Fighterz, while Call of Duty: WWII continued to sell well in third spot.

Remarkably, Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto continued its seemingly never-ending high sales by claiming fifth place. It’s strong sales indicate why Rockstar are in no rush to push Red Dead Redemption 2 onto the market; it’s October 2018 release date is a year later than initially planned.

A triumvirate of Nintendo’s showcase Switch games, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8, claim seventh, eighth and ninth in the charts and highlight the impact of the Switch on the US gaming market.

All told, the NPD Group’s figures mark a very promising start to the 2018 in terms of raw sales. All those involved in the games industry will hope the trend continues.

Below is the Top Ten in the US in January 2018 (Source: NDP Group):

1. Monster Hunter: World – Capcom
2. Dragon Ball: Fighterz – Bandai Namco
3. Call of Duty: WWII – Activision
4. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – Microsoft
5. Grand Theft Auto V – Rockstar Games
6. NBA 2K18 – Take Two Interactive Entertainment
7. Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo
8. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo
9. Mario Kart 8 – Nintendo
10. Madden NFL 18 – EA Sports