Video games represent a huge part of the popular culture, which also made them a part of an immense business industry. Nowadays they’re even incorporated in the betting industry through casinos where people can use a promo code, for example, and play a casino adventure game to win money. Even though for us players the biggest drives are entertainment and their artistic merit, big companies are usually driven by mere profit.
For that reason, we’ve decided to analyze the success of different games by looking at the number of copies they have sold, and the result is the list of best-selling video games ever in the world. Let’s kick it off!
Tetris (170 Million Copies)
Tetris is by far the top selling game ever in the whole history of the gaming industry. One of the important factors is the fact it was first put up for sale more than thirty years ago, but that’s not the only reason for such a high number of sales. Tetris is the proof of how a simple, replayable game can be successful and tremendously addictive.
Minecraft (140 Million Copies)
Let’s move on to a more recent game launched in 2011. It took the world by storm in no time and has sold more than 140 million copies so far. Even if you live like an Amish, you have most certainly heard about it. It is, without a doubt, the greatest building, exploration, and survival game of all time. Part of its success lies in enormous communities online, with YouTube streamers leading the packs.
Grand Theft Auto V (100 Million Copies)
It’s almost unbelievable that this game is already five years old. It feels like yesterday when I saw it, played it, and fell in love with it for the first time. In almost six years of its existence, it has managed to sell almost 100 million copies, and the number is still growing.
Looking at the whole franchise, this sequel was unique because it created a story that revolved not around one, but around three main characters. Apparently, everyone liked it!
Wii Sports Nintendo (82 Million Copies)
The success Wii Sports has had with sales is understandable as the game itself was a revolution. The idea behind the game was to create a console aimed not only at hardcore gamers, but at non-gamers and whole families as well. Wii Sports helped people take a more active participation in video gaming and actually break a sweat while playing video games. Its five most successful games were boxing, baseball, golf, tennis, and bowling.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (50 Million Copies)
A lot of people think that Fortnite was the game that established the Battle Royale genre. However, that’s not true – it was PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. PUBG sold more than 50 million copies, which puts it high above any other game in the same genre. Its success lies in the fact that you can play it both alone and with other people.
Even though its popularity is dropping right now because of Fortnite, we’re sure it’s going to stay on Steam for a long time.
Super Mario Bros. (41 Million Copies)
Super Mario Bros. is possibly the most famous video game in the history of the industry. There are few people that didn’t try it and even fewer that didn’t like it. This is the second best-selling game by the Japanese company Nintendo, which obviously seem to be doing something right.