Thanks to the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S and Sony’s PlayStation 5 a few days ago, video game enthusiasts have various new titles to play this holiday season. The release games for these next-gen consoles have brand new features such as Bugsnax but returning franchises still reign supreme as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes the top billing in terms of physical sales in the United Kingdom.
From November 8 to November 14, total boxed game sales increased at 96% compared to the week before, based on industry expert reports. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla took up most of the prize with 42% of sales on the PlayStation 4, 18% on the PlayStation 5, and the remaining 40% across all Xbox platforms. Activision’s Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War came in second and is worth noting that this is the first Call of Duty title to not top the sales list during debut week in 13 years.
With this said, industry experts warn that the overall performance of these titles may be different with all records taken into account, provided the industry-wide rise in digital sales because of the ongoing global pandemic.
Anna Malmhake, Activision Blizzard’s Marketing Director, revealed to Call of Duty news maker CharlieIntel that Black Ops Cold War set a new series record for launch day digital sales worldwide, and gaming analysts anticipate that the game will surpass the record set by Call of Duty Modern Warfare.
While Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla soared to the top of the UK physical sales chart during launch week, they were not only the next-gen games represented. Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man Miles Morales came in third, while Bluepoint Games’ Demon’s Souls remake came in at sixth. FIFA 21 moved from first to fourth place and Watch Dogs Legion moved from fourth to tenth place.
The rest of the list is taken up by Nintendo Switch exclusive games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Animal Crossing New Horizons all made it to the top ten, as well as the Switch port of Minecraft from Mojang Studios.
The Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection has had an impressive UK presence since September, and according to analysts, it improved sales by 40% week-on-week, probably because of a new TV marketing campaign.
It’s likely PlayStation 5 games will have a bigger presence this week, as the PlayStation 5 is currently only available in select regions and will still launch in the UK this November 19. Meanwhile, reports suggest that the Xbox Series X|S has surpassed Xbox One sales record in the region, so it will be exciting to witness how the next generation consoles play out from here.
