When it comes to the most popular forms of entertainment, video games are hard to top. In 2022, the sale of games to an estimated 3.09 billion players worldwide generated an incredible $92.2 billion.
With so many people playing games, developers are constantly creating new, unique games that will entice players to part with their money. Thankfully, the records of which games are the most popular help provide some guidance on what players are looking for.
Some genres sold millions of copies, while others only made a few sales in comparison. Below, we delve into what genre of games have sold the most and which are the most popular among gamers.
Shooter
Shooter games (commonly known as FPS or first-person shooters) are easily the most popular out of all the games produced yearly. As such, it is also the genre with the highest number of major game releases.
Aside from being the highest-selling genre, it is also the genre most preferred across all age groups, which means that it is enjoyed by both young and old players alike—something other genres cannot easily claim.
One of the most popular games in this genre is Call of Duty. With the release of the rebooted Modern Warfare 2 in 2022, the game broke records and became the best-selling game of the year. It generated more than $1 billion in sales after just ten days. It also became the new flagship for the franchise and amassed over eight million sales during its launch.
Action Adventure
The second most popular genre of games is the humble action adventure. As a mix of two genres, these games take players on detailed storylines while providing almost non-stop action and exhilaration.
Games in this genre are predominantly played by younger players (aged between 16 and 34 years old). However, it is also the most popular genre for players between 55 and 64—proving that these games appeal to almost everybody.
The most significant recent release in this genre is God of War Ragnarök. The game features a dynamic storyline and combo-based combat action as a sequel to the best-selling original God of War. The game sold 11 million units in 2022 and is the fastest-selling PlayStation game ever.
Simulation
Simulation games first appeared in 1964 with the release of The Sumerian. Since then, the genre has grown to include everything from life simulators to running your farm or serving customers in a restaurant.
The genre is enjoyed almost equally across all age categories of players and generated an estimated $16 billion in sales in 2022. A considerable part of this was caused by Farming Simulator 2022, which sold more than 1.5 million copies during the first week of its launch.
Another massive contributor to this amount is the legendary Sims game. With the current rendition (the Sims 4) releasing almost endless expansion and content packs, the game has a steady flow of sales from the estimated 40,215 people playing daily.
However, this genre is expected to experience a boom in 2023 due to the anticipated release of Life by You. This simulator, developed alongside Rod Humble, is being launched as the first-ever real competitor to the Sims.
Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA)
As a subgenre of popular strategy games, MOBA games combine the unique challenge of strategy games with the entertainment and thrill of playing with other players online. Games in this genre are enjoyed chiefly by young adults who enjoy having their logic tested.
With many people placing real-world bets on these games, MOBA games are a hub for excitement and adrenaline. Amongst the biggest of these games is League of Legends. With over 152 million players worldwide, this game is a regular in esports tournaments. As of 2023, the game also boasts nine professional leagues for players who take the game to a new level.
League of Legends matches and tournaments are so popular that many people place bets on their outcomes. Just like CasinoSource is another gambling hub, there is a lot of money to be made on these types of games.
Sports
Next on the list of games with the highest sales is the sports genre. These games originated in 1958 when Tennis for Two was invented. Today, they remain one of the highest-selling types of games due to their appeal across all ages of players.
Games like Nintendo Switch Sports, which sold over 8.61 million copies in 2022, are the core of the genre and help players feel actively engaged in the game that they are playing. However, there are others in the genre that far surpass these sales.
Amongst these is the iconic FIFA, whose latest rendition, FIFA 23, broke records by selling over 10.3 million copies within the first week of its launch. Many wonder if this record will be continued in 2023, considering FIFA’s partnership with EA Sports to develop the game has ended.
Racing
Last but not least are the games that put players behind the wheel of the latest cars and on some of the most iconic raceways anywhere in the world. Racing games are popular across all age groups and rank higher than battle royal games like Fortnite and Apex Legends.
While Mario Kart is still the best-selling game in this genre, generating $6.8 billion in revenue singlehandedly, plenty of other games attract players. Among these are the Forza and Gran Turismo series, which appear on Xbox and PlayStation, respectively.
Gran Turismo 7, launched in 2022, was the first new version of the game released by Sony since 2017. After its launch, sales for the franchise surged passed the 90 million copies sold mark and are responsible for generating over $4.8 billion in sales as of the end of 2022.
