Tag: Usa
And yes, the PS5's still killing it
An eventful Circana report tracking the US video game industry for November 2024 has confirmed a couple of fascinating milestones: the Nintendo Switch has now overtaken the PS2 as the country’s best-selling console of all time, while EA Sports College Football 25 has cemented itself as the best-selling sports...
News PS5 Sales Still Trending 8% Ahead of the PS4 in USA
Despite initial shortages and high prices
Despite doom and gloom surrounding the console market, the PS5 is still trending around 8% ahead of the PS4 launch aligned in USA, despite its higher price point and pandemic-induced stock shortages. Given the challenges of the global economy, Sony will consider this a success. Mat Piscatella confirmed the...
News Oct 2024 USA Sales: PS5, PS4 Account for 82% of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Sales in the US
The impact of Game Pass
The US sales data for the month of October has arrived, courtesy of Circana and analyst Mat Piscatella. Perhaps most interesting is the sales performance of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, which is the first entry to be included on Xbox's Game Pass subscription service. As noted by Piscatella, 82 per cent of the game's sales in...
News PS5 Pro Could Cost Almost $1,000 if Proposed Tariffs Are Imposed
Price hike
If you already think PS5 Pro is overpriced, then it could be about to get even more expensive in the US – and potentially through no fault of Sony’s own. Gizmodo reports that, following Donald Trump’s election victory earlier this week, he could impose tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese exports once he assumes office in January next...
News Sep 2024 USA Sales: Astro Bot PS5 a Top Seller, Only FC 25 Above It
Outsells Zelda, NBA, and Space Marine 2
Astro Bot was the second best-selling game of September 2024 in the USA, only bettered by football simulator FC 25, one of the most popular releases of the entire year. The popular PS5 platformer launched on the 6th September, giving it the vast majority of the month to accrue as many sales as possible —...
News Aug 2024 USA Sales: Console Sales Take a Sharp Decline, But PS5 Is Still King
What a pro
The USA's video games sales data for the month of August is here, and there's been a pretty steep drop-off when it comes to hardware. Circana's Mat Piscatella states that hardware spending for August is down 36 per cent year-on-year. To be down by over a third is quite unusual, although it's possible some are saving their cash for the...
News PS5's Astro Bot the USA's Second Best-Selling Game in Its First Week
"Solid week one," says analyst
While the Circana (NPD) report for September's US video game sales has yet to be released, the firm's own Mat Piscatella has weighed in on Astro Bot's sales performance thus far. Unfortunately, we haven't seen official figures from Sony (and probably won't unless they're truly noteworthy), and have so far had to rely...
Hell yeah
Helldivers 2 has been reigning supreme as the USA's top-selling game of 2024, but just like that, it's now playing second fiddle. EA Sports College Football 25 has trumped Sony's sci-fi co-op shooter, touching down in first place on July's software chart and now the year's best-selling title. According to analyst Mat Piscatella, the game's...
News Pour One Out for Iconic US Gaming Mag Game Informer
Magazine shuttered after 33 years
After an epic 33 year run, iconic US gaming tome Game Informer is no more. The magazine, which published its first issue all the way back in 1991, was shuttered today by parent company GameStop. There’ll be no final issue or fond farewells, as all current staff have been laid off effective immediately. At the time...
News Jun 2024 USA Sales: Kingdom Hearts Up 396 Places to Rival Elden Ring DLC Takeover
Steam bundle sends Kingdom Hearts into third
Elden Ring was the best-selling title of June 2024 in the USA thanks to the release of its Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, but the real story of the month comes from Square Enix's weird and wonderful crossover series Kingdom Hearts. Following ports to Steam — previously exclusive to the Epic Games Store —...
Deals Sony Goes for the Jugular with Humongous PS5, PSVR2 Discounts in USA
Consoles! Games! Headsets! More!
Sony has plunged the price of the PS5 and PSVR2 in the United States, as it looks to build on the brand’s momentum moving into the holidays. Right now, across a variety of retailers, you can snag a PS5 Slim for $449.99 and a PSVR2 headset for $349.99. The Digital Edition model, which is a little harder to find, is...
News May 2024 USA Sales: Sucker Punch Classic Ghost of Tsushima Jumps 70 Places to Top Charts
Jin and tonic
It may be an indictment of a particularly slow period for big new releases, but it’s still no less impressive to see Ghost of Tsushima top the USA sales charts for the period spanning 5th May through 1st June. The legendary Sucker Punch title jumped 70 places month-over-month on the back of the game’s PC release, proving Sony’s...
News Fallout Franchise Sales Explode Like Megaton in Amazon Show Aftermath
Every entry is up
Curious about the kind of profound effect a popular television show can have on the sales of video game franchise? Just look at these latest numbers for the Fallout series in the aftermath of Amazon’s enormous adaptation. In the United States, sales of all titles in the post-apocalyptic property jumped significantly...
News PS5's Streaming Handheld PS Portal Is Proving a Huge Hit
A whole new world
Back when the PS Portal was rumoured and subsequently announced, social media was filled with armchair executives deeming the device to be a disaster. As it turns out, Sony understands the market better than many people think, and its PS5 streaming handheld has become a lynchpin of its new-gen console’s overall experience...
News Xbox Games Are Selling Gangbusters on PS5
Surely more will follow
While the sales of single player titles Hi-Fi Rush and Pentiment have been a little more muted, Xbox Game Studios’ two live service titles are selling like crazy on PS5, giving Microsoft all the incentive it needs to port more titles to Sony’s system. Originally, the Redmond firm’s multiformat release strategy was...
News Apr 2024 USA Sales: Stellar Blade Slashes Straight to Number 1, Helldivers 2 Is Still Insane
PS5 tops hardware yet again
Stellar Blade is the big winner of the latest US sales report from analytical company Circana (as outlined by the ever-informative Mat Piscatella). The current PS5 exclusive topped the charts for April, having released on the 26th of the month. Admittedly, it was a pretty quiet period for new releases, but it's still an...
News Gaming Subs Like PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass Aren't Growing At All
Stagnant for several years now
There was immense pressure on Sony at the beginning of the generation to copy Xbox Game Pass’ model of day one first-party releases, but as time goes by, it’s beginning to look like the Japanese giant dodged a bullet. While it has significantly improved its PS Plus offerings, the platform holder has always argued...
News Helldivers 2 Is Already One of Sony's Best-Ever Sellers in the US
Democracy always wins
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...
News Mar 2024 USA Sales: Dragon's Dogma 2 Tops the Charts, Helldivers 2 Is Unstoppable
Democracy at work
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...
News Feb 2024 USA Sales: Helldivers 2 Kills It as 2024's Best-Selling Game So Far
FFVII Rebirth takes second place in Feb
Helldivers 2 is the best-selling video game of 2024 so far in the USA. Full stop. Done. Accounting for both physical and digital purchases, Circana data places it at the top of the sales charts for both February 2024 and the year so far. The unexpected hit is said to have sold more than eight million copies,...
A strong month for Sony
January 2024 was a busy month for new game releases, and the freshly published USA software charts demonstrate this fact quite well. As per Circana's Mat Piscatella, six new titles made the cut, with four of those games pushing straight into the top ten (all platforms included). Tekken 8 was arguably the biggest winner of...
Record dating back to 2009 has been broken
Hogwarts Legacy has ended a 14-year streak that saw either a Call of Duty game or a title from Rockstar Games named the best-selling game of the year in the USA. The Harry Potter simulator has been named the best-selling game of 2023 in new data from Circana, beating Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. It's not...
News PS Portal Was the USA's Fourth Best-Selling System in November
And it was a sell out
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 syste
News November 2023 Circana: PS5 Is Still in First, Call of Duty Sells Best
Just like clockwork
It should come as little surprise, but the disappointing launch state of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 didn't stop it from being the best-selling game of November in the USA. New data from Circana confirms the FPS topped the charts last month and instantly become the second best-selling title of 2023, just behind Hogwarts...
News We Predict a Riot! PS5 Down to $350 in Black Friday Doorbuster
Form an orderly queue
<products id="25654"> An original model, disc-based PS5 console will cost you just $349.99 from Target today – while stocks last, of course. Presumably in a last-ditch effort to clear out any remaining stock, the US-based retailer will flog Sony’s new-gen format at a dramatically decreased price this Black Friday –...
News PS Portal Will Be Tracked As a Console by USA Data Firm Circana
Not an accessory
According to a deleted tweet published by Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, the PS Portal will be tracked as a console in the firm’s next video game sales report. This, allegedly, is due to a request by Sony. Many had expected the Remote Play handheld to be listed as an accessory like the DualSense – especially as it needs to be...
News PS5 Is Now Above PS4 in USA, While Its New-Gen Rival Flounders
Xbox Series X|S is struggling
After the severe disruption of the post-pandemic semi-conductor shortage, enormous credit must be levelled at Sony for rebounding in such an impressive way. According to lifetime Circana sales data shared by analyst Mat Piscatella, the PS5 is now nine per cent above the PS4 launch aligned, accurate as of 28th October,...
News October 2023 Circana: Spider-Man 2, PS5 Both Chart-Toppers as the Sony Streak Continues
Fourth best-selling game of 2023 already
Sony certainly won't mind, but its continued dominance over the USA's gaming sales data makes us sound like a broken record: the PS5 was the best-selling console in the country across both units purchased and dollar sales for yet another month. With the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 boosting it, the system...
News PS5, PS4's Most Played Games Probably Won't Surprise You
Interesting, nonetheless
Unfortunately, Sony doesn’t have a most played PlayStation games list like Xbox and Steam, which means we’re often left in the dark over what people are actually playing on PS5 and PS4. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to guess the contents of the top ten, and this Circana chart at least gives us a glimpse into the most...
News September 2023 Circana: PS5 Still on Top Despite Chart-Topping Starfield
Spider-Man 2 PS5 controller the best-selling accessory
The PS5 console was the best-selling platform in terms of both units purchased and dollar sales in the USA last month despite the release of Starfield on rival hardware. The Sony system topped the hardware chart on both fronts, with the Xbox Series X|S taking second and then the hybrid Nintendo...
News US Retail Giant Best Buy Will Bin Physical Media, But Not Video Games
Update: Titan clarifies its stance
Update: Best Buy has confirmed it will stop selling Blu-rays and DVDs, but it’s not ditching physical media entirely: the gigantic US retailer will continue to flog boxed video games moving forwards, and has no intention to stop just yet. This news will no doubt be welcomed by those who continue to purchase PS5...
News PS5 Slim's Digital Edition Gets a Stealth Price Increase in USA
Play more, pay more
Sony is using the opportunity of the PS5’s smaller, slimmer relaunch to stealthily bump the price of the Digital Edition in the United States. While we already know you’ll need to pay extra for a standalone vertical stand, the organisation has also made the decision to hike the overall cost of the non-Blu-ray unit by $50...
News PS Plus, Xbox Game Pass Spending Has Completely Plateaued in USA
Future imperfect
Discussion at the start of the generation was dominated by Sony’s reluctance to release its flagship first-party software into subscriptions like PS Plus, and how this decision was going to bring an end to its market leading position. That hasn’t panned out, however, and data from Circana (formerly NPD) shows that consumer...
News PS5 Is Now Trending Ahead of PS4 Life-to-Date Sales in US, Despite All the Stock Setbacks
And far, far ahead of PS3
When the PS5 first launched in 2020, it had a lot of obstacles to overcome. The covid-19 pandemic obviously had a massive effect on just about everything, and Sony's early generation plans were clearly scuppered amidst the chaos. Component shortages meant that the PS5 was initially stuck in production limbo, and the limited...
News July 2023 Circana: PS5 Continues to Crush It in US as June's Heavy Hitters Remain in Top 10
Diablo, Final Fantasy, Street Fighter still selling
The PS5 was once again the best-selling console of the month in the US, both in terms of units sold and dollar sales. As per the latest data from Circana (previously NPD), Sony's current-gen console carried its record-breaking momentum into July 2023, with June's trio of heavy hitters — Diablo 4,...
News After PlayStation's Biggest June in 15 Years, PS5's Price Drops in USA This Weekend
Target flyer reveals savings
As is the case across much of Europe right now, Sony is beginning to roll out PS5 price promotions in the United States as well. The ever on-the-ball Wario64 spotted a Target flyer, promoting a $449.99 price point for the new-gen system starting this Sunday. That’s a $50 saving on the console’s usual $499.99 MSRP...
News June 2023 Circana: PS5 Posts Best PlayStation Results in 15 Years
Diablo 4, Final Fantasy 16, and Street Fighter 6 rule supreme
Another month, another record broken for the PS5, which is really beginning to steamroll now. According to Circana (previously NPD) data, Sony’s new-gen system was the best-selling console in the United States across both units and dollar sales metrics in June 2023. In fact, consumer...
News The FTC Officially Files an Appeal Against Microsoft-Activision Court Victory
Not over 'til it's over
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) isn't giving up without a fight, it seems. After losing its courtroom battle for a preliminary injunction against Microsoft's intended purchase of Activision Blizzard, the government body has officially filed an appeal. The court's decision in favour of the Redmond corporation's acquisition...
News Microsoft Beats US Regulator FTC in Activision Blizzard Buyout Battle
Update: Xbox maker agrees to "stay of litigation" with UK regulator
Update: In a rapidly developing update in this snowballing story, Microsoft president Brad Smith has revealed that his company have agreed to a “stay of litigation” with UK regulator, the CMA. An appeal hearing with the CAT had been scheduled to get underway on 28th July, but it...
News April 2023 Circana: PS5 Locked in Fierce Battle with Nintendo Switch
Star Wars Jedi, Dead Island 2 rule supreme
The more expensive PS5 generated more dollar sales than the Nintendo Switch in the United States in April 2023, but the hybrid hardware – now into its seventh year on the market – sold more units. That’s likely due to anticipation for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, alongside continued...
News Consumer Spending Growth on Subscriptions Like PS Plus Is Slowing
Maybe not the future after all
A chunk of the discourse this generation has revolved around subscriptions, and Sony’s reluctance to offer its first-party releases day one with PS Plus. Many felt that the PS5 would begin to fall behind its rivals due to a perceived lack of value compared to competing services like Xbox Game Pass, but in reality the...
News March 2023 Circana: PS5 Now Trending Ahead of PS4, Best March Ever for a PlayStation
Super Saiyan
Update: Not only is the PS5 trending ahead of the PS4 in the USA, but it also set a new PlayStation units record for March – after achieving the same feat for February last month as well. Estimates peg the sales at over 620k for March 2023, which is what the PSP sold at launch back in 2005. Basically, the new-gen console is sellin
News American Senators Continue to Target Sony Over PS5, PS4 Timed Exclusives
PlayStation alleged of engaging in "anticompetitive conduct"
More and more American senators are calling out Sony over its timed exclusivity deals, as the fallout from Xbox’s unfathomable $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard continues to rumble. North Dakota’s Kevin Cramer is the latest to throw his hat into the ring, sending a letter...
News February 2023 Circana: PS5 Set New Unit Record for PlayStation, Towered Over Rivals
A huge month for new releases
Update: Circana’s Mat Piscatella has confirmed that the PS5 set a new February unit record for an individual PlayStation hardware platform in the United States last month. While that’s a lot of qualifiers, it effectively means the console sold a lot. Early estimates peg the platform’s results at over 500k units...
News Sony to Offer Free, Text-Based Mental Health Support for All US Players
Just text CIRCLE
PlayStation has announced it’s partnering with Crisis Text Line in the United States to “provide free, 24/7, high-quality text-based mental health support for our players, their friends, or anyone close to them”. According to a webpage setup by Sony, the service – available in English or Spanish language – aims to “help...
News January 2023 NPD: PS5 Dominates as HBO Powers The Last of Us Up the Charts
Many more endure and survive
Sony is likely to have a stranglehold on the games industry this year, although Nintendo looks set to remain a close competitor, of course. On the back of an enormous relaunching exercise, the PS5 topped the NPD sales charts in the United States for January 2023, beating out its closest competitor the Nintendo Switch in...
News PS5, PS4 Exclusives Feature in USA's Best-Selling Games of 2022
Ragnarok, Forbidden West included
NPD sales data has declared Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 the best-selling game of 2022 across the USA, with Elden Ring taking second place and Madden NFL 23 claiming third. PS5, PS4 exclusive God of War Ragnarok was the fourth best-selling title in the USA, and Horizon Forbidden West also made it into the to
News November 2022 NPD: Improved PS5 Stock Pushes Sony to Crucial Holiday Win
Top of the lot
PS5’s stock resurgence continues unabated, as Sony dominated the USA hardware sales charts for the fourth successive month – this time in the crucial November shopping period. PlayStation’s new-gen system outsold its competition in both units and dollars, making it a comfortable frontrunner overall. This success contributed to a...
News October 2022 NPD: PS5 Stock Improvements Take Sony to the Top
Stay winning
PS5 is really rolling now! Sony has topped the US hardware charts for a third successive month, outselling the Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch in both dollars and units. The company has managed to massively improve PS5 stock of late, and while the system can still take a little effort to find, it’s clear that it’s much more...
News September 2022 NPD: Replenished PS5 Stock Sends Sony's System Soaring
The Last of Us' PS5 remake starts strong
PS5 stock is finally on the rise, and Sony is reaping the rewards big time. The new-gen system topped the US hardware charts for the second successive month in September 2022, dominating in both overall unit sales and revenue. In fact, the console enjoyed double-digit growth year-over-year, propelled by...
