Grand Theft Auto V outsells Call of Duty in 2013

Ding dong the witch is…slightly insulted

For the first time since Wii Play (2008), a Call of Duty game was not the number one selling game of the year. In 2013, that honor goes to Grand Theft Auto V, according to the NPD Group. Given that it brought in $800M day one and $1B three days later, this may not be surprising.

Equally unsurprising is that Call of Duty: Ghosts took the number two spot, despite a surprisingly tepid critical reception. Madden NFL 25, Battlefield 4, and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag followed. Ghosts and Battlefield 4 were the high-selling software in the month of December. 

Hardware sales in 2013 were up 5% thanks to the new consoles, while software sales were down 9% — and that’s despite Nintendo’s reported 45% increase in 3DS sales. The Xbox One also sold more in December than the PS4, but the PS4 led combined November and December sales. According to SCE Senior Director of Corporate Communications Dan Race, it’s because the PS4 was out of stock in December. It’s certainly doing well with 4.2M sold before the end of 2013.

Numbers!

Top 10 games December 2013 (New, physical, retail copies)

1. Call of Duty: Ghosts (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
2. Battlefield 4 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
3. Just Dance 2014 (PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox One)
4. Madden NFL 25 (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
5. NBA 2K14 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
6. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
7. Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS3, Xbox 360)
8. Lego Marvel Super Heroes (3DS, PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
9. FIFA 14 (PS3, PS4, Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
10. Skylanders Swap Force (PS3, PS4, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One) – 597,000 units

Top 10 games 2013 (New, physical, retail copies)

1. Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS3, Xbox 360)
2. Call of Duty: Ghosts (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
3. Madden NFL 25 (PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
4. Battlefield 4 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
5. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag (PC, PS3, PS4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
6. NBA 2K14 (PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One)
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (PC, PS3, Wii U, Xbox 360)
8. Just Dance 2014 (PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox One)
9. Minecraft (Xbox 360)
10. Disney Infinity (3DS, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360) – 551,000 units sold in December 2013