The NPD Group reveals the best selling games of October 2016, with titles likeBattlefield 1,Mafia 3,Gears of War 4,FIFA 17, and more topping the charts.
With the release of numerous high profile video games, October was a big month for the industry. With so many different titles competing for consumer dollars, some may be wondering which game took the top spot as the best selling game of October 2016. Well, thanks to a new report from the NPD, we now know that the World War I shooterBattlefield 1topped the charts last month.
Battlefield 1topping the charts should come as no surprise to those that have been following the game’s success since launch. Ahead of the NPD report, we knew thatBattlefield 1had solid sales, as it outsold bothHardlineandBattlefield 4, and managed to become the top-selling digital game on PS4 in October.Battlefield 1’ssales successshows that fans are hungry for shooters based on historical wars, and it could result in many other FPS titles following suit over the next few years.
WhileBattlefield 1’s sales dominance is not surprising, some may raise their eyebrows when they learn thatMafia 3took second place. For one reason or another,Mafia 3has managed to be much more popular than its predecessors, and despitemediocre reviews, the game has managed toset sales records for 2K Games. HopefullyMafia 3’s strong sales translate into a followup that is better received by the community.
Here are the top 10 best selling games for October 2016:
As the list demonstrates,Gears of War 4was the third-best selling release of the month. Considering the pedigree of the franchise, some may thinkGears of War 4’s failure to reach the top spot is a disappointment, but there are some mitigating factors to consider. After all,Gears of War 4is not available on PS4 at all, meaningBattlefield 1andMafia 3were simply available to a larger number of consumers.
A game that could be considered a sales disappointment despite being in the top 10 isTitanfall 2. The originalTitanfallwas a huge sales success, but the sequel has struggled to reach the same heights. Analysts have lowered their projections ofTitanfall 2’s lifetime sales, and a thirdTitanfallgame isn’t even a guaranteed possibility at this point due to the relatively slow sales of the sequel. It’s hard to say what’s to blame forTitanfall 2’s slow sales compared to the first game, butEA insists that its close proximity to theBattlefield 1release datehas nothing to do with it.
Titanfall 2’s sales may have missed the mark, but it did have significant competition to go against in October. Numerous blockbuster releases hit the market last month, resulting in a top 10 list of best selling games that shook off games that have been on the NPD lists for months, likeGrand Theft Auto 5,Overwatch, andCall of Duty: Black Ops 3. November 2016 is no slouch when it comes to major releases either, so it’s possible that November’s top selling games will be 10 entirely different titles when the NPD releases the data next month.
Battlefield 1is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
