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Consumer spending on video games reached $4.1 billion in August. According to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group, spending is similar to 2020 levels and hardware sales are also increasing. As far as games go, Madden 23 and Saints Row have both topped the charts in their debut month, while Marvel’s Spider-Man has been given a boost thanks to its PC launch.
| August 2022 Dollar Sales, Millions | August 2021 | August 2022 | Change |
| Total video game sales | $4,307 | $4,104 | -5% |
| Video game content (Physical and digital full game, DLC/MTX and consumer releases for subscriptions on console, cloud, mobile*, portable, PC and VR platforms) | $3,812 | $3,591 | -6% |
| Video game hardware | $329 | $375 | 14% |
| Video Game Accessories | $167 | $138 | -18% |
“In August 2022, consumer spending on video game hardware, content and accessories fell 5% year-over-year to $4.10 billion,” said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. “This total is slightly higher than the $4.07 billion total reached during the August 2020 tracking period.”
While 2022 is still a year with less spending than 2021, the numbers are comparable to spending in 2020. In fact, they are slightly higher. They are not goodHowever, most sales have fallen, including mobile sales. Hardware sales, on the other hand, increased by 14%. This is probably due to the improved availability of the console.
| Year-to-date 2022 dollars in revenue, millions | YTD 2021 | YTD 2022 | Change |
| Total video game sales | $38,196 | $34,601 | -9% |
| Video game content (Physical and digital full game, DLC/MTX and consumer releases for subscriptions on console, cloud, mobile*, portable, PC and VR platforms) | $33,592 | $30,353 | -10% |
| Video game hardware | $2,997 | $2,869 | -4% |
| Video Game Accessories | $1,607 | $1,379 | -14% |
Piscatella added: “Year-to-date spending through August 2022 was $34.6 billion, down 9% from the same period in 2021, but 3% higher than the $33.5 billion recorded in the comparable period of 2020 was achieved.”
August 2022 NPD: Top 20 Best Selling Games of the Month in the US
NPD tracks physical sales at retailers, but also gets digital data directly from publishers. Not every company participates. For example, Nintendo doesn’t share its first-party sales and Activision Blizzard doesn’t deliver its Battle.net sales.
These charts are sorted by dollar sales – not number of units sold. And this is for full game sales and does not include in-game expenses.
| Rank | Last Months Rank |
All platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW ONES | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic art |
| 2 | NEW ONES | Saints Row (2022) | plaion |
| 3 | 84 | Marvel’s Spider-Man | Sony (company) |
| 4 | 2 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 5 | 1 | MultiVersus# | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 6 | 7 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 7 | 9 | Minecraft | Multiple video game manufacturers |
| 8 | 3 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 9 | 6 | MLB: The Show 22^ | Multiple video game manufacturers |
| 10 | 4 | Xenoblade Chronicles 3* | Nintendo |
| 11 | 8 | Digimon Survival | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 12 | 28 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (company) |
| 13 | 5 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 14 | 18 | Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft |
| 15 | NEW ONES | Soul Hackers 2 | Atlus |
| 16 | 12 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
| 17 | 31 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (company) |
| 18 | 11 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land* | Nintendo |
| 19 | 24 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Multiple video game manufacturers |
| 20 | 15 | Pokemon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
^Xbox & Switch digital sales not included
Sales of #Founder’s Pack Edition only
The charts in August show the biggest turmoil in months. Elden Ring and LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga have been at the top of the charts since their respective releases, but now they’ve relinquished the top to multiple games. One is the new Saints Row reboot, which is making a good impression in its debut month. Another new game that managed to chart is Soul Hackers 2, the latest RPG from Atlus.
In addition to the new games, several other older games have made a comeback on the charts in recent months. These include Skyrim and Gran Turismo 7. Horizon II: Forbidden West also topped the charts, likely due to discounts on summer sales. Last month’s new releases including Digimon Survive, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and MultiVersus have managed to stay on the charts.
Madden NFL 23 comes in hot
The latest game in the Madden NFL series has taken the top spot, to no one’s surprise. According to Piscatella, this marks the 23rd straight year that a Madden NFL title has topped the charts during its launch month. Madden NFL 22 is still on the best-selling games lists of the year, so it’s no surprise that its successor puts up a good show as well. There is a good chance that this title will become a fixture on the charts for the rest of the year.
Marvel’s Spider-Man waves back with a PC launch
Another game that has made a big comeback is Marvel’s Spider-Man – which went from 84th to 3rd place. There is no mystery behind this; the game launched on Steam and the Epic Games Store in August. Piscatella also noted that it was the August bestseller in Steam’s tracked titles.
August 2022 NPD: 20 Best Selling Games of 2022 So Far
| Rank | Last Months Rank |
All platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 2 | 2 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 3 | 3 | Pokemon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
| 4 | 4 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (company) |
| 5 | NEW ONES | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic art |
| 6 | 5 | MLB: The Show 22^ | Multiple video game manufacturers |
| 7 | 6 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 8 | 7 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (company) |
| 9 | 8 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land* | Nintendo |
| 10 | 9 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 11 | 11 | Minecraft | Multiple video game manufacturers |
| 12 | 10 | Madden NFL 22 | Electronic art |
| 13 | 12 | Nintendo Switch Sports* | Nintendo |
| 14 | 13 | FIFA 22 | Electronic art |
| 15 | 14 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (company) |
| 16 | 16 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
| 17 | 15 | Monster Hunter: Rise | Capcom USA |
| 18 | 17 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
| 19 | 18 | Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 20 | 19 | Mario Party Superstars* | Nintendo |
^Xbox & Switch digital sales not included
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling games of the past 12 months
| Rank | Last Months Rank |
All platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 2 | 2 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 3 | 3 | Madden NFL 22 | Electronic art |
| 4 | 5 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 5 | 4 | Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl* | Nintnedo |
| 6 | 6 | Battlefield 2042 | Electronic art |
| 7 | 8 | Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft |
| 8 | 7 | FIFA 22 | Electronic art |
| 9 | 9 | Pokemon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
| 10 | 10 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (company) |
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 Best Selling Nintendo Platform Games in the US
| Rank | Last Months Rank |
Nintendo platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | 2 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 2 | 1 | Xenoblade Chronicles 3* | Nintendo |
| 3 | 4 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
| 4 | 3 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land* | Nintendo |
| 5 | 6 | Pokemon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
| 6 | 5 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
| 7 | 7 | Nintendo Switch Sports* | Nintendo |
| 8 | 9 | Digimon Survival | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 9 | 14 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* | Nintendo |
| 10 | 12 | minecraft* | Nintendo |
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 Best Selling PlayStation Platform Games in the US
| Rank | Last Months Rank |
PlayStation platform | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW ONES | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic art |
| 2 | NEW ONES | Saints Row (2022) | plaion |
| 3 | 6 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (company) |
| 4 | 2 | MLB: The Show 22 | Sony (company) |
| 5 | 8 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (company) |
| 6 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 7 | 10 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (company) |
| 8 | 5 | Minecraft | Microsoft (company) |
| 9 | 4 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 10 | NEW ONES | Soul Hackers 2 | Atlus |
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 Best Selling Xbox Platform Games in the US
| Rank | Last Months Rank |
Xbox platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW ONES | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic art |
| 2 | NEW ONES | Saints Row (2022) | plaion |
| 3 | 11 | Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft |
| 4 | 2 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 5 | 1 | Multiverse# | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 6 | 3 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 7 | 8 | Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 8 | 10 | Forza Horizon 5 | Microsoft (company) |
| 9 | 7 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 10 | 5 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
Sales of #Founder’s Pack Edition only
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