May 2020 NPD: Surging video game sales near $1 billion for the month

May 2020 had no new releases, but American video game fans still opened their wallets, according to industry monitoring company, the NPD Group. Spending reached $ 977 million for hardware, sales of complete games and accessories. Perennial favorites like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Grand Theft Auto V led the outbreak. Here are the full results:

“May 2020, spending on hardware, software, accessories and video game cards totaled $ 977 million, 52% more than a year ago,” said NDP analyst Mat Piscatella. . “This is the highest expense recorded for a month in May since the $ 1.2 billion made in May 2008.”

May 2008 achieved these numbers thanks to Grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii, both of which debuted the previous month. May 2020 also relies on a GTA, but it made its debut in 2013.

Here are the results for this year so far:

“Spending tracked since the start of the year … has reached $ 5.5 billion, up 18% from a year ago,” said Piscatella. “This is the highest total for the period since the start of the year since $ 5.7 billion.”

May 2020 NDP: Top 20 Best Selling Games of the Month in the United States

NPD tracks physical sales at retailers, but it also obtains digital data directly from publishers. But not all companies participate. For example, Nintendo does not share its proprietary digital sales and Activision Blizzard does not provide its Battle.net sales. This chart also doesn’t include microtransactions, subscriptions or anything beyond sales of full games. With these caveats in mind, it’s best to think of it as a very useful snapshot of a much more dynamic industry.

These charts are sorted by dollar sales and not by number of units sold.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons *
4. NBA 2K20
5. Mortal Kombat 11
6. Red Dead Redemption II
7. Minecraft*
8. Final Fantasy VII: Remake
9. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
10. Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
11. Madden NFL 20 [EA Sports]
12. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe *
13. Need for speed: heat
14. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition *
15. Minecraft dungeons *
16. Saints Row: the third remastered
17. MLB: The Show 20
18. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate *
19. Call of Duty: Black Ops III
20. FIFA 20 [EA Sports]

The continued success of Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto and Animal Crossing continues to show high consumer interest in home entertainment. The COVID-19 pandemic still forces most people to stay there (and it will be for the next few months). And so the people buying new hardware right now aren’t necessarily people looking for the hottest new releases. Rather, consumers have overlooked the current generation to this point.

For these game fans, the lack of exciting new versions doesn’t matter. They will finally try Call of Duty, Minecraft or Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

“No new releases are ranked among the top 10 best-selling games of the month,” said Piscatella. “The next highest ranked new release was Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, which ranked 14th in the All Platform ranking.”

But spending has increased specifically because of who is buying games right now.

“Dollar sales of tracked video game software increased 67% in May from a year ago to $ 438 million,” said Piscatella. “This is the highest total since the $ 487 million reached in May 2010. Cumulative sales of video game software tracked total $ 2.5 billion, 13% more than there was a year.”

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare tops the charts as the best-selling title in May,” said Piscatella. “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare remains the best-selling game of 2020 to date, as well as for the 12-month period ending in May 2020.”

Mortal Kombat 11

“Mortal Kombat 11 is the fifth best-selling game of May 2020,” said Piscatella. “This is the highest ranking of the title on the monthly chart since it was the third best-selling game of June 2019. Mortal Kombat 11 is currently the fifth-best-selling fighting game in the history of the United States . “

Top 10 best selling games to date this year

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons *
3. Final Fantasy VII: Remake
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. NBA 2K20
6. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
7. MLB: The Show 20
8. Resident Evil 3
9. Madden NFL 20 [EA Sports]
10. Red Dead Redemption II

Top 10 best-selling games in the past 12 months

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. NBA 2K20
3. Madden NFL 20 [EA Sports]
4. Borderlands 3
5. Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons *
8. FIFA 20 [EA Sports]
9. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe *
10. Pokémon: sword *

May 2020: Top 10 best-selling Xbox One games

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
4. Minecraft dungeons
5. Mortal Kombat 11
6. Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
7. NBA 2K20
8. Saints Row: the third remastered
9. Madden NFL 20 [EA Sports]
10. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2: Remastered

May 2020: Top 10 best-selling PlayStation 4 games

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2. Grand Theft Auto V
3. Final Fantasy VII: Remake
4. NBA 2K20
5. Mortal Kombat 11
6. Minecraft: PlayStation 4 edition
7. MLB: The Show 20
8. Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order
9. Madden NFL 20 [EA Sports]
10. Red Dead Redemption II

May 2020: Top 10 best selling Nintendo Switch games

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons *
2. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe *
3. Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition *
4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate *
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild *
6. Just Dance 2020
7. Pokémon: sword *
8. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe *
9. Luigi’s Mansion 3 *
10. Super Mario Odyssey *