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List of best-selling video games by software sales figures

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This is the list of best-selling video games by software sales figures. It is a list of games across all console and computer platforms (excluding arcade coin drops, mobile downloads, and online subscriptions) that have sold at least 15 million units.

For alternative sales criteria, see List of best-selling video games by gross revenues (including arcades, consoles, computers, mobiles, and online transactions) and List of best-selling console games by sales revenues (covering only console games).

Best-selling video games by software sales figures[]

Title Release year Genre Original release platform(s) Sales
(million units) 		Source(s)
Japan Wii Sports
(incl. bundled copies) 		2006 Sports Japan Wii 82.78 [1]
Japan Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow 1996 RPG Japan Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console 59.52 [n 2]
United Kingdom Grand Theft Auto V 2013 Action Adventure Japan PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, United States Xbox 360, Xbox One 45 [4][5][6]
Japan Wii Fit 2007 Fitness Japan Wii 43.79 [n 3]
Japan Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal 1999 RPG Japan Game Boy Color, Nintendo DS 42.21 [n 4]
Japan Super Mario Bros. (incl. bundled copies) 1985 Platform Japan NES 40.24 [10][11]
Japan Mario Kart Wii 2008 Racing Japan Wii 36.75 [12]
Soviet Union Tetris
(incl. bundled copies) 		1989 Puzzle Japan Game Boy 35 [n 5]
Japan Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald 2002 RPG Japan GBA, 3DS 34.38 [14]
Sweden Minecraft 2009 Sandbox PC, Java, United States OS X, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Japan PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 33 [15][16][17]
Japan Wii Sports Resort 2009 Sports Japan Wii 32.95 [18]
Japan New Super Mario Bros. 2006 Platform Japan Nintendo DS 30.8 [9][19]
Japan New Super Mario Bros. Wii 2009 Platform Japan Wii 29.79 [1]
Japan Duck Hunt 1984 Lightgun Shooter Japan NES 28.31 [8]
Japan Wii Play 2006 Party Japan Wii 28.02 [1]
United Kingdom Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 2004 Action Adventure PC, Japan PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 (PSN), United States Xbox, Mac OS X, Xbox 360 (XBLM) 27.5 [20]
United States Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 2011 FPS PC, United States Xbox 360, Japan PlayStation 3, Wii 26.5 [21][22]
Japan Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum 2006 RPG Japan Nintendo DS 25.23 [14]
United Kingdom Grand Theft Auto IV 2008 Action Adventure PC, Japan PlayStation 3, United States Xbox 360 25 [23][24]
United States Call of Duty: Black Ops 2010 FPS PC, Japan PlayStation 3, United States Xbox 360, Japan Wii, Japan Nintendo DS 25 [25][26][27]
United StatesKinect Adventures 2010 Sports United States Xbox 360 24 [28]
United States Call of Duty: Black Ops II 2012 FPS PC, Japan PlayStation 3, United States Xbox 360 24 [29]
Japan Nintendogs 2005 Sim Japan Nintendo DS 23.96 [30]
Japan Mario Kart DS 2005 Racing Japan Nintendo DS 23.6 [30]
United States Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009 FPS PC, United States Xbox 360, Japan PlayStation 3 22 [25]
Japan Sonic the Hedgehog 1991 Platform Japan Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System 20.96 [n 6][32]
Japan Super Mario World 1990 Platform Japan Super NES 20.6 [11][33]
Japan Frogger 1981 Action Arcade, Various 20 [34]
United States The Sims 2 2004 Sim PC, Various 20 [35]
United States The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 2011 Action RPG PC, United StatesXbox 360, JapanPlayStation 3 20 [36]
Japan Brain Age 2005 Puzzle Japan Nintendo DS 19.01 [9]
United States Call of Duty: Ghosts 2013 FPS PC, United States Xbox 360, Xbox One, Japan PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U 19 [37]
Japan Super Mario Land 1989 Platform Japan Game Boy, Game Boy Color 18.06 [11]
Japan Super Mario Bros. 3 1988 Platform Japan NES 18 [38]
United Kingdom Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2002 Action Adventure PC, Japan Playstation 2, United States Xbox 17.5 [39]
Japan Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 2001 Racing Sim Japan Playstation 2 16.45 [40]
Japan Gran Turismo 5 2007 Racing Sim Japan Playstation 3 16.01 [40]
United States The Sims 2000 Life Sim PC, United States Mac OS 16 [41]
United States Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2007 FPS PC, United States Xbox 360, Mac OS X, Japan PlayStation 3, Wii 15.7 [21][42]
United States Call of Duty: World at War 2008 FPS PC, United States Xbox 360, Japan PlayStation 3, Wii 15.7 [21]
Japan Pokémon Black and White 2010 RPG Japan Nintendo DS 15.6 [9]
United States Diablo III 2012 RPG PC, United States Mac OS X, Xbox 360, Japan PlayStation 3 15 [43]
Japan Street Fighter II 1991 Fighting Japan Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 3 (PSN), United States Xbox 360 (XBLM) 14.9 [n 7]

Notes[]

  1. ↑ List of best-selling video games: Game Boy and Game Boy Color, Encyclopedia Gamia
  2. ↑ Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow sales:
    • Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow (Game Boy) (46.02 million)[n 1]
    • Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen (Game Boy Advance) (12 million)[2]
    • Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow (Virtual Console) (1.5 million)[3]
  3. ↑ Wii Fit sales:[1]
  4. ↑ Pokémon Gold & Silver sales: Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal sales:
    • Pokémon Gold & Silver (Game Boy Color) (23.1 million)[7]
    • Pokémon Crystal (Game Boy Color) (6.39 million)[8]
    • Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver (Nintendo DS) (12.72 million)[9]
  5. ↑ Tetris sales:
    • Game Boy: 35 million copies (including bundles)[13]
  6. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog (incl. bundled copies) revenue:
    • Mega Drive / Genesis - $1029.41 million
      • Total 15 million units sold [1]
      • Non-bundled copies: 4.34 million units = $271.41 million[31]
      • Bundled copies: 10.66 million units at average mean price (between US, UK and Japan) price of $71.10 each[31] = $758 million
    • Master System - 5.96 million units at £29.99 ($60) each = $358 million
      • Master System console bundles in Europe, for £99.99 each, from 1992 to 1994 [2][3] [4] (since Sonic the Hedgehog was bundled from October 1991 onwards) - 2.96 million units
        • France: 600,000 units
        • Germany: 330,000 units
        • Italy: 180,000 units
        • Netherlands: 100,000 units
        • Spain: 350,000 units
        • United Kingdom: 750,000 units
        • Rest of Western Europe: 650,000 units
      • Master System console bundles in Brazil - Packaged with consoles since late 1991. During 1996-2012, at least 3 million Master System bundles including Sonic the Hedgehog have been sold.
  7. ↑ Street Fighter II sales:[44]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Nintendo Top Selling Software Sales Units: Wii. Nintendo (2014-03-31). Retrieved on 2014-05-31
  2. ↑ Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present, December 2014
  3. ↑ Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2016. Nintendo (April 28, 2016). Retrieved on May 1, 2016
  4. ↑ http://ir.take2games.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=86428&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2013202
  5. ↑ Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Strong Results for Fiscal Third Quarter 2014. Take-Two Interactive (February 3, 2014). Retrieved on February 3, 2014 “Grand Theft Auto V finished as the best-selling video game of 2013.* To date, Grand Theft Auto V has sold-in more than 32.5 million units.”
  6. ↑ Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Strong Results for Fiscal Second Quarter 2014
  7. ↑ Brian Ashcraft (May 7, 2009). Pokemon Gold And Silver Getting DS Remakes. Kotaku. Retrieved on 2011-08-06
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present, December 2014
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Software Sales Units - Nintendo DS Software
  10. ↑ Best-Selling Video Games. Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 2006-03-17 Retrieved on 2008-01-31
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Mario Sales Data.
  12. ↑ Supplementary Information about Earnings Release. Nintendo (2014-01-29). Retrieved on 2014-01-29
  13. ↑ Computer game Tetris celebrates 25 years. Daily Telegraph (June 6, 2009). Retrieved on 2012-08-23
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Pokémon: Pokémon sales figure, Video Game Sales Wiki
  15. ↑ "Built to last: the Minecraft model". The Independent. October 10, 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/built-to-last-the-minecraft-model-9788669.html. Retrieved November 13, 2014. 
  16. ↑ Hillier, Brenna (February 3, 2014). Minecraft prime sales pass 14 million, bringing total to over 35 million. VG247. Retrieved on February 3, 2014:
    • PC: 14 million
    • 360: 10 million
    • PS3: 1 million
    • Mobile: 10 million
  17. ↑ Mobile downloads of Minecraft: Pocket Edition excluded
  18. ↑ Top Selling Software Sales Units. Nintendo (March 31, 2014). Retrieved on May 7, 2014
  19. ↑ Supplementary Information:Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2012 (PDF). Nintendo (2012-04-27). Retrieved on 2012-07-20
  20. ↑ Good, Owen (September 15, 2011). GTA IV Overtakes San Andreas in Lifetime Sales [Correction]. Kotaku. Retrieved on September 12, 2012
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Call of Duty: A Short History. IGN. Retrieved on 23 February 2014
  22. ↑ Call of Duty: A Short History. IGN. Retrieved on 2013-11-06
  23. ↑ http://www.computerandvideogames.com/421641/grand-theft-auto-iv-has-sold-25-million-copies/
  24. ↑ http://ir.take2games.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=332433
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Activision reveals sales figures for Black Ops and Modern Warfare 2. Shacknews (August 3, 2011). Retrieved on Jan 28, 2014
  26. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (2011-05-05). Call of Duty: Black Ops sells 20 million - Analyst. GameSpot. GameSpot AU. Retrieved on 2011-05-25 “12 million of which were Xbox 360 copies”
  27. ↑ Black Ops sold over 23 million units, over 18 million map packs in first nine months, Joystiq
  28. ↑ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kinect-sales-reach-24-million/1100-6403766/
  29. ↑ http://bf4central.com/2013/09/ea-wont-give-battlefield-number-one/
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Sales Date - Top Selling Software Sales Units - Nintendo DS Software. Nintendo (2014-03-31). Retrieved on 2014-05-08
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Sonic the Hedgehog (non-bundled) sales revenue:
  32. ↑ Sonic the Hedgehog GameTap Retrospective Pt. 3/4. Event occurs at 1:21. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mFs2v7XM4o. 
  33. ↑ The Nintendo Years: 1990 2. Next-Gen.biz (2007-06-25). Retrieved on 2007-06-27
  34. ↑ Konami (2005-10-11). "Konami's Frogger and Castlevania Nominated for Walk of Game Star". Press release. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20110525101540/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6135485.html. Retrieved 2009-03-21. 
  35. ↑ Furry Phones and Pocket Pups: The Sims 2 Pets Goes Mobile. Electronic Arts (29 March 2007). Retrieved on 2012-07-21
  36. ↑ E3 2013: ESO Arriving on PlayStation 4, Xbox One!. Bethesda Softworks (June 10, 2013). Retrieved on November 27, 2013
  37. ↑ Betz, Brandy (February 16, 2014). Why Did Activision Blizzard End Up on Top?. The Motley Fool. Retrieved on May 2, 2014
  38. ↑ "Super Mario Bros voted greatest computer game ever". The Daily Telegraph (London). 2008-07-27. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2463142/Super-Mario-Bros-voted-greatest-computer-game-ever.html. Retrieved 2009-07-13. 
  39. ↑ Recommendation of the Board of Directors to Reject Electronic Arts Inc.'s Tender Offer (PDF). Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (26 March 2008). Archived from the original on 8 April 2008 Retrieved on 1 April 2008
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "Gran Turismo" Series Software Title List. Polyphony Digital (March 2013). Retrieved on 2014-02-24
  41. ↑ Electronic Arts (2005-02-07). "The Sims Franchise Celebrates Its Fifth Anniversary and Continues to Break Records". Press release. http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/feb/1114806.htm. Retrieved 2014-06-26. 
  42. ↑ http://ps3.ign.com/articles/879/879043p1.html
  43. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (7 February 2014). Diablo 3 sales hit 15m as WOW subs rise. Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved on 7 February 2014
  44. ↑ Platinum Titles. Capcom. Retrieved on 2010-08-21
  45. ↑ John Diamonon (2008-12-18). Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix achieves record breaking sales. Capcom Unity. http://www.capcom-unity.com/johndmoney/blog/2008/12/18/super_street_fighter_ii_turbo_hd_remix_achieves_record_breaking_sales. Retrieved 2009-02-14. 

See also[]

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