Special Report
The 20 Best-Selling Video Games of All Time
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Video games were already a favorite technology-based form of entertainment for millions of people before the COVID-19 pandemic. As people were asked to stay at home as much as possible — and many did — the popularity of video games skyrocketed. In the U.S. alone, in the first nine months of 2020, total gaming sales were up by 23% compared to the same period in 2019.
Fans usually seek out the latest editions of a game with updated graphics and introduction of new characters. But some of the best-selling games of all time were first released decades ago.
To determine the most popular video games of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on lifetime video game sales for over 55,000 titles from industry intelligence firm VGChartz.
The majority of the most popular video games were released for a wide range of platforms, including PC and console. The best-selling game on a single platform is “Wii Sports,” with about 83 million copies sold for the Wii console.
Among the 20 best-selling video games on this list, 11 were published by Nintendo. Three of the company’s video games that made the list are from the Super Mario iconic series. Another publisher with multiple entries is Rockstar Games, which has been releasing Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty video games.
A noticeable trend in the video game industry is the release of sequels. Nearly all of the games on this list are franchises that have been around for decades. Remakes and sequels are a very popular trend in the film industry these days as well — these are the best movie sequels you can now stream online.
Click here to see the 20 best selling video games ever released
To determine the most popular video games of all time, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on lifetime video game sales for over 55,000 titles from industry intelligence firm VGChartz. VGChartz collects data on shipments and sales as it is made available by developers and publishers. In our analysis, we treated shipment and sales data interchangeably. VGChartz data mostly consists of physical sales and may not account for digital sales, which have become a much greater share of the video game market in recent years. Data on release dates and publishers also came from VGChartz. Primary console refers to the console for which the most versions of the game in question have been sold.
20. Duck Hunt
> Copies sold worldwide: 28 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Oct 15, 1985
“Duck Hunt” is a simple game: Take the light gun, aim, and hit as many flying targets as you can. The better your sharpshooting skills, the higher the chance you’re going to win. The game’s high sales figure is due in large part to the fact that it was bundled at launch with the Nintendo Entertainment System.
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19. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
> Copies sold worldwide: 30 million
> Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
> Released in North America on: Nov 10, 2011
“The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” is a single-player video game and the fifth chapter in the Elder Scrolls series of action role-playing video games. The story of the game is centered around Dragonborn who faces his biggest enemy yet in his quest to save the world. The game has been released on multiple generations of consoles, including for the Nintendo Switch in 2017, six years after the game first came out in North America.
18. Diablo III
> Copies sold worldwide: 30 million
> Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
> Released in North America on: May 15, 2015
“Diablo III” is the third installment of the action role-playing Diablo franchise, which is basically about the battle between good and evil. There is a multiplayer option where players can join a clan. Players choose to play as a certain character — such as Barbarian, Blacksmith, Demon Hunter — and have to defeat Diablo, the Lord of Terror.
17. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
> Copies sold worldwide: 30 million
> Publisher: Activision
> Released in North America on: Oct 25, 2019
Call of Duty is an iconic franchise of first-person shooter video games with multiple best-selling spinoffs and sequels to the original. “Modern Warfare” is the 2019 edition and includes cross-play and new multiplayer maps, among other updates. The game follows U.S. and British spy agents and special forces who together fight Russian soldiers invading the fictional country of Urzikstan.
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16. Tetris
> Copies sold worldwide: 30 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Jun 1, 1989
While the game has inspired numerous spin-off versions, the original “Tetris” is by far the most popular. Much like a puzzle, “Tetris” is a tile-matching game. The video game’s graphics are simple: the player has to fit fast-dropping tiles together to create solid lines. “Tetris” was developed by a Russian software engineer by accident when he was testing a new computer.
15. Terraria
> Copies sold worldwide: 30 million
> Publisher: Re-Logic
> Released in North America on: May 16, 2011
“Terraria” is a 2-D action-adventure sandbox game in which the player controls one character in a world he or she creates. The game was originally released in 2011 but has cultivated a growing fanbase, thanks in large part to regular patches and updates from the developer. The most recent major patch to the game came out on May 16, 2019, on the game’s ninth anniversary.
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14. New Super Mario Bros. Wii
> Copies sold worldwide: 30 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Nov 15, 2009
“New Super Mario Bros. Wii” is a version of the iconic Super Mario side-scrolling video game from the 1980s in which up to four players can play at the same time. The players are ranked by their score, collected coins, and number of defeated enemies. Players are able to invite up to three others to join in the game at any point.
13. New Super Mario Bros.
> Copies sold worldwide: 31 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: May 15, 2006
The precursor to the 14th-ranked game on this list, “New Super Mario Bros.,” originally released for the Nintendo DS, sold slightly better than the Wii follow-up. In “New Super Mario Bros.,” Mario fights henchmen through a total of 80 levels to rescue Princess Peach. The game utilizes 3D graphics to enhance its two-dimensional game-playing experience.
12. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
> Copies sold worldwide: 31 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Mar 20, 2020
In “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” players, who are on a deserted island, create their own personal world. They get to craft everything from tools to furniture and landscape and visit the islands of their friends. The game found tremendous success in part because of its release in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people around the world were newly isolated.
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11. Pokémon Red / Green / Blue Version
> Copies sold worldwide: 31 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Sep 30, 1998
Pokémon Red and Green versions were released in 1996 in Japan, and two years later, Red and Blue came out in the United States, with all three versions of the game finding tremendous success. The original versions of the Pokémon role-playing video game franchise started the phenomenon that spawned over 120 different video games in multiple genres.
10. Wii Sports Resort
> Copies sold worldwide: 33 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Jul 26, 2009
“Wii Sports Resort” is a simulation video game and a sequel to “Wii Sports.” The players are basically in a resort where they can play many sports, including Frisbee, golf, and archery. Like with “Duck Hunt,” the game’s strong sales are thanks in large part to it being bundled with later editions of the Wii console.
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9. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
> Copies sold worldwide: 33 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Apr 28, 2017
“Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is the latest edition of the popular kart racing video game franchise. There are 48 courses and 42 characters players can choose from, more than any other game in the Mario Kart series.
8. Red Dead Redemption 2
> Copies sold worldwide: 36 million
> Publisher: Rockstar Games
> Released in North America on: Oct 26, 2018
“Red Dead Redemption 2,” the third installment of the Red Dead video game franchise, is a prequel to “Red Dead Redemption.” The game follows outlaw Arthur Morgan, a member of the Van der Linde gang, who are on the run in the dying days of the American wild west.
7. Mario Kart Wii
> Copies sold worldwide: 37 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Apr 27, 2008
“Mario Kart Wii” is the sixth installment of the Mario Kart racing video game and the second chapter of the classic series on this list. “Mario Kart Wii” added 16 courses to the 16 courses from prior Mario Kart games. In this version, players also have the option of riding motorbikes in addition to the classic karts.
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6. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
> Copies sold worldwide: 40 million
> Publisher: Valve
> Released in North America on: Aug 21, 2012
“Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” is a multiplayer and tactical first-person shooter video game. It was the first game of the Counter-Strike series to be released for Xbox 360 console. Players are sent on military missions and fight in teams.
5. Super Mario Bros.
> Copies sold worldwide: 40 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Oct 18, 1985
“Super Mario Bros.” is the first of the iconic Super Mario video game series. The story centers on a plumber named Mario who, sometimes with his brother Luigi, goes through many obstacles to save Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the king of the Mushroom Kingdom, from the evil Bowser.
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4. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
> Copies sold worldwide: 70 million
> Publisher: PUBG Corporation
> Released in North America on: Dec 17, 2017
“PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds,” or PUBG, is an online multiplayer battle royale game in which 100 players use their strategic and shooting skills to fight each other. The last person standing is the winner.
3. Wii Sports
> Copies sold worldwide: 83 million
> Publisher: Nintendo
> Released in North America on: Nov 19, 2006
Using only the Wii Remote, players can play tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, or boxing. They mimic the actions of hitting a ball with a racket, bar, or a club, or rolling a ball down. Wii Sports was bundled at launch with the Wii.
2. Grand Theft Auto V
> Copies sold worldwide: 140 million
> Publisher: Rockstar Games
> Released in North America on: Sep 17, 2013
“Grand Theft Auto V” is an action-adventure video game in which players create their own criminal empire. The story centers on three criminals who have to pull off nearly impossible tasks to survive. Years after its launch, the game continues to have success thanks in part to the online version of the game, which Rockstar continues to update.
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1. Minecraft
> Copies sold worldwide: 200 million
> Publisher: Mojang
> Released in North America on: Nov 18, 2011
“Minecraft” is a single- or multiplayer sandbox video game. Players start out with an infinite terrain, which they explore for resources. They eventually create their own worlds, crafting tools and weapons to fight dangerous mobs.
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