Monster Hunter: World Leads January 2018 Games Sales to 59% Growth Year-Over-Year, NPD Says

The latest NPD report also highlights 119% growth in hardware sales from the year ago period.

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NPD Group's January 2018 U.S. Games Industry Sales report is out and there is a lot of good news for video game developers and console makers. Total video game sales topped $1 billion in January, up 59 percent from last year, aided by the successful launches of Monster Hunter: World and Dragon Ball FighterZ. The good news continues for hardware manufacturers as NPD reports that video games hardware sales grew 119 percent from January 2017. This bump in hardware sales is largely due to Nintendo Switch, which hadn't yet hit the market a year ago.

Here are the Top 20 Best Selling Games across all platforms for January 2018:

  • 1. Monster Hunter: World
  • 2. Dragon Ball FighterZ
  • 3. Call of Duty: WWII
  • 4. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (Xbox)
  • 5. Grand Theft Auto V
  • 6. NBA 2K18
  • 7. Super Mario Odyssey*
  • 8. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
  • 9. Mario Kart 8
  • 10. Madden NFL 18
  • 11. Star Wars: Battlefront II**
  • 12. Assassin's Creed: Origins
  • 13. UFC 3
  • 14. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
  • 15. FIFA 18**
  • 16. Dragon Ball: Xenoverse
  • 17. The Sims 4**
  • 18. Splatoon 2*
  • 19. Dissadia: Final Fantasy NT
  • 20. Need for Speed: Payback**

* Digital Sales Not Included

** PC Digital Sales Not Included

Here are the Top 10 Best Selling Games for the 12 Months Ending January 2018 on All Platforms:

  • 1. Call of Duty: WWII
  • 2. NBA 2K18
  • 3. Destiny 2**
  • 4. Madden NFL 18
  • 5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
  • 6. Grand Theft Auto V
  • 7. Star Wars: Battlefront II
  • 8. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands
  • 9. Super Mario Odyssey*
  • 10. Mario Kart 8*

* Digital Sales Not Included

Another data point noted by NPD is that January 2018's $1.1 billion of total industry sales is the highest total in January since 2011. Monster Hunter: World had a great month, leading both Xbox One and PS4 platforms in sales and setting a franchise record for launch month sales. Dragon Ball FighterZ was the second best-selling game of January 2018 and launch month sales were the highest for a game in the Dragon Ball franchise since 2002's release of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai. 

Hardware sales were also very impressive in January 2018, up a whopping 119 percent from a year ago. Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 sales all helped the industry achieve its highest hardware sales since 2011. 

It is important to note that several companies do not report digital sales on PC and Switch to NPD Group and that materially affects the rankings, but the January 2018 video game sales report has a bit of good news for all fans. Congratulations to Capcom on the amazing launch month sales for Monster Hunter: World!

CEO/EIC/EIEIO

Asif Khan is the CEO, EIC, and majority shareholder of Shacknews. He began his career in video game journalism as a freelancer in 2001 for Tendobox.com. Asif is a CPA and was formerly an investment adviser representative. After much success in his own personal investments, he retired from his day job in financial services and is currently focused on new private investments. His favorite PC game of all time is Duke Nukem 3D, and he is an unapologetic fan of most things Nintendo. Asif first frequented the Shack when it was sCary's Shugashack to find all things Quake. When he is not immersed in investments or gaming he is a purveyor of fine electronic music. Asif also has an irrational love of Cleveland sports.

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