2024-02-22 21:22:47
What were the best-selling video games in 2023? The year has been filled with highly anticipated releases, including a new Zelda and the new adventure of Bethesda, Starfield. Let’s see how these games performed in Canada in 2023*.
The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) has published its top 20 best-selling video games in Canada for 2023, and we see that four games designed here have managed to make the list.
In an interview, Jayson Hilchie, President and CEO of the ESAC, offers a small retrospective on this year rich in gaming and the success of Canadian titles.
“I always follow games made in Canada closely, and it is pleasant to see that 20% of the games in the Top 20 are of Canadian origin. In the future, we would like to explore the performance of Canadian games in other global markets by obtaining sales tracking data for those regions,” he says.
We also see that God of War: Ragnarok et Elden Ringreleased in 2022, found a place in the top 20. Same thing for FIFA 23released in 2022, although it is the 2023 edition of the game.
The two biggest titles, on the sales side, however, were Hogwarts Legacy et The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The first is on all modern platforms, while the other is a Nintendo Switch exclusive (unsurprisingly, it’s a Nintendo franchise!).
“Whenever you have a game like Zelda which is an exclusive and is also selling well, you have a very special game. The fact that Zelda has performed so well demonstrates the continued strength of Nintendo-owned properties and that people who own Nintendo devices are jumping on these games as soon as they come out. Regarding Hogwart’s Legacywe see another well-known intellectual property selling exceptionally well across all platforms to become the best-selling game of the year,” explains Hilchie.
Has there been a drop in video game consumption in 2023? According to Hilchie, the cost of living has certainly had an impact on players’ spending.
“Video game sales skyrocketed during the pandemic and reached an all-time high. It was inevitable that sales would stabilize when people were able to return to their normal lives and do things they hadn’t been able to do for a while,” he explains. “However, with inflation reaching near-record levels in 2023 and subsequent interest rate hikes of 5%, the cost of living has certainly had an impact on consumer entertainment spending.”
What will 2024 look like? There won’t be as many big releases as in 2023, but, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Star Wars Outlaws et Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 might be very popular. Otherwise, Palworld et Helldivers 2 have already caused a lot of ink to flow. To be continued!
*Digital sales not included
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