Mat Piscatella

March was a good month for new games, as a number of fresh releases walked straight into the USA software charts. As per Circana (formerly NPD) analyst Mat Piscatella, it was Dragon's Dogma 2 that caught fire in March, claiming the crown as the month's best-selling title. The action RPG sequel is also the third best-selling game of the year, which is quite impressive.

For a while in the late 2010/early 2020s, it seemed liked gaming subscriptions may be the future of the hobby. Microsoft certainly wanted us to think it was the future, pushing Xbox Game Pass every chance they got, and Sony eventually joined the party with their own expanded PlayStation Plus service.

Video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella has revealed that growth for video game subscriptions has been stalled. According to Piscatella, spending on non-mobile game subscriptions only rose by 1 percent compared to April 2023.

A new report is bad news for subscription services like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, as data suggests that spending on those services has been stalled for nearly a year. Microsoft and Sony have both bet big on PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, with Microsoft in particular going all-in on Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass is a cornerstone of Microsoft's current gaming strategy, with the company bolstering the service through the release of massive, day one games.

Demand for Sea of Thieves on PS5 skyrocketed pretty much as soon as it became available to pre-order on the platform, and only went on to increase from then on, so it’s no surprise that the game’s sales are reflecting that in the aftermath of its PlayStation release.

FF7 Rebirth sales in the US on PlayStation 5 are lower than those of Final Fantasy XVI in the same time period.

This author thought Helldivers 2 was going to be a colossal flop, so it just goes to show how unpredictable this industry can be. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, it currently sits behind a trio of Spider-Man titles, a couple of God of War games, and Ghost of Tsushima as Sony’s seventh highest grossing game in the United States to date. It’s been out less than three months, and isn’t even being sold at full-price.

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding the commercial success of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The PS5 exclusive launched on the 29th February, but despite garnering near universal acclaim from critics, questions were quickly raised regarding sales numbers, with Square Enix yet to provide any official statistics (which usually isn't a great sign).

Helldivers 2 has continued a surprisingly frequent trend over the past couple of years of titles, such as Baldur's Gate 3 and Palworld, that have blown up in popularity more than anyone could have possibly predicted, even the developers themselves. We're yet to get official numbers for just how impressive Helldivers 2's launch has been, but it has been revealed that it's already managed to become one of PlayStation's highest grossing titles in the US.

It's natural that everyone's been a little antsy about Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth lately. For weeks, analysts and fans have been discussing the game's potential underperformance compared to its predecessor, Remake, amid worries this might impact the future of the 7 Remake trilogy. Today, we got a little more data on what's really going on here - though the jury is still out on how publisher Square Enix is looking at the numbers.

Helldivers 2 ranks 7th in lifetime US dollar sales for Sony published games after just two months of availability.

GameStop is running a buy 2, get 1 free promotion on all pre-owned games.

Following the highly-anticipated release of the Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime, player numbers across all titles in the series are seeing an uptick. Perhaps the most noteworthy is Fallout 76, which peaked at 39,455 concurrent players on PC via Steam per SteamDB. Its previous peak was 32,982 players nearly four years ago (roughly a month after the title’s launch on Steam).

Now that the Fallout TV show is here, and fans of the series are unsurprisingly ripping each other to bits over it, uranium fever is at an all-time high. It's been over 6 years since we last got a new Fallout game - the less said about Fallout 76's reception at the time the better - but the appetitie for a new title has never been more clear, as several Fallout games have experienced a massive spike in players ever since the show's release.

Following the premiere of Amazon's anticipated Fallout show, Bethesda's Fallout 76 is enjoying a substantial resurgence in popularity on Xbox, according to market researcher Circana. Curious Fallout fans who have never taken the plunge into Fallout 76 can currently take advantage of a new offer.

The back half of March was a big one for new video game released, with the likes of Dragon’s Dogma 2, Rise of the Ronin, Princess Peach: Showtime!, and Alone in the Dark all hitting store shelves around the same time. Alongside those new titles, however, Sony also released the PC port of Horizon Forbidden West, which has got off to an impressive start on the platform.

Helldivers 2 was the best-selling game of February in the US and the best-selling game so far this year.

Helldivers 2 has taken the world by storm ever since its launch in early February, so it’s no surprise that the game is continuing to top sales charts all over the world. Circana (formerly known as the NPD Group) recently released the data for software and hardware sales in the US for the month of February (via analyst Mat Piscatella on Twitter), and Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony’s co-op shooter has topped those charts.

Last year was an extraordinary year in the games industry to say the least, jam-packed with hugely anticipated AAA releases including Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hogwarts Legacy, Starfield, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2, as well as comparative sleeper hits like Baldur's Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2. This year, however, seems like it'll be comparatively quiet, and one prominent industry analyst is doubtful it'll be able to top the unprecedented games rush that was 2023 if it doesn't pull something out of the bag.

US consumer spending on games could decline by 10% this year, according to market research firm Circana.

It's still months before we can even hope to have GTA 6 in our hands, but there's no doubt that it's one of, if not the most anticipated game on the horizon. However, its launch doesn't just have a lot riding on it because of its eager fanbase, as one games industry analyst predicts that "there's probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry."

When GamesIndustry.biz reports on Circana, it's usually the tracking firm's reports on US consumer spending in the past month. But when we speak with Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, out first question is about what he sees happening in the months to come.

If you've not yet caught on to the Helldivers 2 hype, we've got some good news: it's on sale. A $39.99 price tag is already pretty amazing for one of the best games of the year, but if you're looking for a cheeky little discount on PC, then here's the rub on the best Helldivers 2 deal today.

Helldivers 2 will just not stop selling, apparently. The co-op focused shooter is close to being a month old, and by this point, most games have seen their sales numbers fall off a cliff — but not Helldivers 2. In what is an extremely rare occurrence, sales figures have continued to rise in the US.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League did not meet publisher Warner Bros' expectations — that much is abundantly clear. The live service shooter appeared to do okay at launch, but concerningly low player counts and an almost immediate, sharp decline in sales set the tone. Warner Bros piped up not long after, stating that Suicide Squad had simply «fallen short» of its projections.

Warner Bros has said it plans to focus on free-to-play and live-service games going forward, despite premium, standalone, single-player RPG Hogwarts Legacy being the best-selling game of 2023.

If you've not yet caught on to the Helldivers 2 hype, we've got some good news: it's on sale. A $39.99 price tag is already pretty amazing for one of the best games of the year, but if you're looking for a cheeky little discount on PC, then here's the rub.

Helldivers 2 has turned out to be something of an anomaly, not only because it’s become a far bigger success than Sony or developer Arrowhead Game Studios had anticipated, but also because it’s selling at a rate that is unprecedented for the overwhelming majority of major new releases.

Weeks after its release, Helldivers 2 has achieved the rare honor of seeing its sales continue to increase over time. The co-op action game set in a sci-fi universe of alien bugs and robots has taken the industry by storm and continues to grow its fan base. It's still early in the year, but Helldivers 2 has the potential to be one of the best games of 2024, and with ongoing support from developer Arrowhead Games, could become even bigger and better.

Helldivers 2 sales keep on ticking up more than three weeks after launch, and even some industry analysts are dumbfounded.

Helldivers 2 has been one of the surprise hits of 2024 since launching in February, topping the charts on Steam and reportedly selling around 3 million copies. And according to at least one analyst, it's still growing.

It’s fair to say that not even in their wildest dreams, Sony or developer Arrowhead Game Studios could have anticipated that Helldivers 2 would have enjoyed the level of success that it has. In spite of server issues and persistent connectivity problems that have only just now started easing up, the co-op shooter has attracted a sizeable playerbase.

The Gran Turismo series has never failed to hit the mark for Sony from a commercial standpoint, and it looks like its newest instalment is also continuing to see strong sales. Circana’s recently-revealed sales charts for the month of January in the United States revealed that the racing sim had jumped back into the top 20, on the back of which analyst Mat Piscatella has provided some further details about the game’s performance in the region.

Modern Warfare 3 was the best-selling game in the US in January, while PS5 was once again the leading console platform.

The 20 best-selling video games for January 2024 have just been revealed, showing which titles have drawn in the most customers since the start of the year. 2023 was pretty eventful for the gaming industry, both in landmark events like Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard buyout finally being completed and the releases of some highly-anticipated titles. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Starfield are just a few of the chart-topping games released in the past year.

January was a big month for major new game releases, and several of them have debuted high in the latest monthly charts for video game software sales in the US, released by Circana (formerly the NPD Group). Shared by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella on Twitter, though Call of Duty: Modern Warfare topped the software sales for Japan, it’s accompanied by a number of newly released titles.

Microsoft on Thursday shook up the video game world with word it is making some once-exclusive Xbox video games available for play on rival consoles. Xbox head Phil Spencer did not specify which titles were expanding beyond the Xbox, but the Verge, citing unnamed sources, said they will be "Hi-Fi Rush", "Pentiment", "Sea of Thieves" and “Grounded.” 

Mass layoffs at Microsoft’s gaming division this week reportedly include the closure of departments dedicated to bringing physical games to market.

The Palworld-wide domination continues. Along with some truly monumental numbers on Steam, the open world survival and crafting game — which the internet has dubbed 'Pokémon with guns' — has seen its US numbers on Xbox briefly surpass those of perennial favourite Fortnite.

Here's your daily Palworld sales update: the open world survival crafting game with monster collection mechanics has now surpassed eight million units sold on Steam alone in less than a week from the early access launch. It also broke the two million concurrent players milestone on Valve's platform, a feat that was only ever managed by PUBG: Battlegrounds back when the Battle Royale game was at its height. There's still over a million difference between the two, but it would not be wise to discount Palworld at this point.

Palworld may have just come out recently, but its popularity is growing daily as the open-world survival game's US daily players briefly surpassed Fortnite on Xbox.

With over seven million copies sold and ranking as the second-highest concurrently played game in Steam history, the Palworld juggernaut continues to roll on. According to analyst and Circana executive director Mat Piscatella, the survival crafting title surpassed Fortnite in daily active users on Xbox Series X/S in the United States on January 22nd.

Hogwarts Legacy has officially been crowned the best-selling new video game release of 2023, marking the first time that a non-Call of Duty or Rockstar Games title has taken the spot since 2008. Hogwarts Legacy released to positive reviews and record-breaking sales last February, and many were predicting that it would be the top-selling game of the year well before it even hit store shelves.

Circana’s Mat Piscatella has released video game market highlights for 2023, and WB Games’ Hogwarts Legacy ended up being the bestselling game of 2023, beating out the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

2023 marked the first time in 15 years that a Call of Duty or Rockstar game didn’t top the annual sales chart in the United States.

Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game in the U.S. in 2023, according to new data from Circana, the company formerly known as the NPD Group. Warner Bros. and Avalanche Software’s game set in the world of Harry Potter outsold this year’s Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, breaking that brand’s four-year streak as the No. 1 annual moneymaker in the U.S.

Hogwarts Legacy was the best-selling video game in the U.S. in 2023, the first time a non-Call of Duty or Rockstar game was best-selling game of the year since 2008’s Rockband.

A AAA open world RPG based on Harry Potter was always going to do well, and unsurprisingly, Hogwarts Legacy has been a massive success for WB Games. The game, which has sold over 22 million units worldwide, was not only the best-selling game of 2023 in the UK, it also accomplished that feat in the US.

Circana (formerly known as the NPD Group) has released software and hardware sales data for the US for the month of December (via analyst Mat Piscatella on Twitter), with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 taking the top spot in the charts for the best-selling games of the month (though it was beaten by Hogwarts Legacy in the annual charts).

According to recent sales data from gaming industry analysts, 2023 saw 2360 games released on the Nintendo Switch, a record for the console. Nintendo's hybrid handheld console entered its sixth year in 2023, with plenty of fans having high expectations, and it seems like those expectations were met. While the system has had strong years before, 2023 might have been the strongest year for the Nintendo Switch.

Harry Potter spinoff game Hogwarts Legacy managed to sell an astounding 22 million copies in 2023.

Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake 2 received widespread acclaim from fans and critics when it launched on 27th October, continuing the tale of the tortured, titular writer. The sequel to the cult-classic Alan Wake, buoyed by more than a decade of hype and developed by a Remedy with the momentum of a well-received Control behind it, you'd expect the game to sell like gangbusters, wouldn't you?

We reported previously how Sony had requested sales data group Circana to log PS Portal as its own platform, and now we have the results for its debut month. According to analyst Mat Piscatella, the Remote Play streaming unit was the fourth best-selling system of November, putting it behind the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Every year since 2009, either a Call of Duty game or a Rockstar title was No. 1, but that could change in 2023.

Hogwarts Legacy is the US market’s best-selling game of the year so far, according to data covering up until the end of November, but newly-released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is on its tail.

Video game analyst group Circana has released its November 2023 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights report and in it, the company reveals that, unsurprisingly, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was the best-selling game of the month. It launched on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC on November 10 and is already the second best-selling game of 2023, behind Hogwarts Legacy. 

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Along with video game sales, Circana also revealed hardware sales for November 2023. Executive director and analyst Mat Piscatella revealed that the PS5 topped the charts in units and dollar sales, with the Xbox Series X/S behind it. While Sony’s console is still ahead in both metrics year-to-date, the Nintendo Switch is in second place.

Despite overwhelming criticism against its campaign length, not to mention reports of rushed development, Sledgehammer’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 topped US sales charts for November 2023, per Circana. Not only is it the fifth year that a Call of Duty title has topped US charts in November, but analyst Mat Piscatella also revealed that it’s now the second best-selling game of 2023 year-to-date.

The Nintendo Switch has been an absolute juggernaut where its sales are concerned (and in other areas), and it’s enjoyed that success all over the world. In fact, in the United States, it recently crossed another major sales milestone.

The add-on includes a new night map and Aberrant fish.

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Since Alan Wake 2’s launch in late October, developer Remedy Entertainment has released a number of patches for the survival horror title to sand out some of its lingering rough edges. Now, Update 12 has rolled out for the game as well, and it brings a host of additional fixes and improvements.

After one of the most release-heavy months of the year (or possibly of any year), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 came out on the top of the sales charts in the U.S. according to industry-tracking firm Circana. Not only did Insomniac’s new title top the month’s best-seller chart (and was one of nine new releases to make it onto the list), it also made it to fourth place in the year-to-date bestseller chart. Video game hardware sales plummeted year-over-year, though, and video game sales overall dipped by 5%.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was the best-selling game in the US in October, while PS5 was once again the leading console platform.

Circana (formerly known as the NPD Group) has released the latest software and hardware sales data for the month of October in the United States (via analyst Mat Piscatella on social media platform X), and on the software side of things, there’s an abundance of new releases debuting in the top 20.

Video game analyst group Circana has released its October 2023 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights report and in it, the company reveals that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was the best-selling game of the month. The PlayStation 5 was the best-selling console of the month, too. 

A lot of people returned to the original Fortnite island on its first day back.

Last Friday, Epic Games launched the so-called Fortnite Season OG, taking the Battle Royale game back in time to its very beginning in 2018.

Starfield was the best-selling game of September 2023 in the U.S. despite some stiff competition, according to industry-tracking firm Circana. It was one of six September game releases that made it into the top 10 of the bestsellers list for the month. The games industry itself saw a 10% increase in sales, though hardware sales took a slight dip year-over-year, and higher spending on games and accessories offset the decline.

If you even keep just a tiny watch on the video game world, you won’t be shocked to learn that Starfield has been quite the big deal. As of September, Bethesda’s epic sci-fi RPG was the top ranking game in the US in terms of sales.

Starfield debuted at No.1 in Circana's US charts for September, instantly becoming the seventh best-selling game of 2023 year-to-date.

Starfield managed to hold off Mortal Kombat 1 to be the best-selling game of September 2023 in the U.S., according to new numbers from Circana.

In addition to software sales for September 2023, Circana executive director and analyst Mat Piscatella also revealed hardware sales in the United States for the month. The PS5 topped the charts again in unit and dollar sales, with Xbox Series X/S in second place.

Starfield was the best-selling game in the US in September, while PS5 was once again the leading console platform.

Circana’s September 2023 video game sales charts for the United States are now available, and Bethesda’s Starfield is on top. It was the best-selling game of the month and the seventh best-selling game of the year to date. The sci-fi RPG was also the best-selling game across Xbox and PC, with the majority of sales on the latter.

The sandbox title continues to be extremely popular and has now sold over 300 million copies.

Video game analyst group Circana has released its September 2023 U.S. video game market highlights and in it, the company reveals that developer Bethesda Game Studios' Starfield was the best-selling game last month, which is the month it launched. And after just six weeks on the market, Starfield is already the seventh best-selling game of the year. February's Hogwarts Legacy remains in the top spot. 

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically shifted how employees work in several industries, including gaming. As the world recovers, different studios have been trying different strategies to adapt to changed employee expectations. This becomes obvious when you compare Insomniac and Roblox Corporation.