The video games industry has expanded a whole lot since its revival back in the 80s with the inception of Nintendo’s popularity in the home console market with the NES. Just look at the 7th console generation and you’ll see what we’re taking about.
Each of the five systems this generation- Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS and PSP- has sold in access of 70 million units each, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 quickly touching the 80 million mark, the PSP in the high 70s, the DS having crossed the 150 million mark and the Wii about to get to the 100 million mark.
But while the hardware department has definitely grown by what must be a momentous percentage- with approximately 465 million hardware units sold in the last 7 years if you only consider the 7th gen systems (the ones mentioned above)- its the software department that has had an unexpectedly bloated growth.
Mario and Pokemon and other such far-reaching franchises have had impressive sales in the hundreds of million before, yes, but recent times have seen people coming out and striving to get their favourite new games as soon as they launch.
So here is a top 10 list of the biggest first week launches for all video games in video gaming history. Of course, you should note that this list doesn’t include games that were bundled with consoles (such as Wii Sports and the like) and is only talking about the games’ first weeks on sale. We re-iterate, this article is not representing the all-time sales of any of the games mentioned.
With those formalities out of the way, let’s begin! Read, enjoy, and have all the heated discussions you want in the comments section below.
12. Gears of War 3 - 3 Million
Epic Games last game in the Gears of War saga was undoubtedly the finest in the series. With an engaging single player campaign and an emotionally twisted drama, Gears 3 was one of the highlights of 2011. Add to that several improvements and enhancements to the multiplayer elements, the third installment was a win-win situation for Xbox 360. The game got an awesome opening week with 3 million copies sold. Well deserved.
