Twenty years ago, we were in 2004, one of the best years in the history of gaming. So many games have come out since then, and the industry has gone through so many changes. Did a series manage to rule all others sales-wise? Is it the series you’d expect? Can you guess the highest-selling games of the past two decades?
Fortunately, you don’t have to think too hard about it. Consumer behavior advisory firm Circana, known for its in-depth research into video game data, released its findings of the top 20 best-selling games for the past decade. At the top of the list each year is more than a few surprises.
2004 was the year when Rockstar cemented their flagship IP as the most successful video game series in the world. Even the massive Halo 2 came out in second. Madden NFL 2005 came in third; another series you better get used to seeing on this list.
You’d think it was the absence of a GTA or Halo release that allowed for the Madden series to get the top spot, but we also had the release of Resident Evil 4 — which doesn’t even show up on the podium. The original Star Wars: Battlefront II — the one without all the bugs at launch — came out in second. The Call Of Duty series was beginning to show its teeth by claiming the third spot.
Though Gears Of War was by far the most popular game of ’07, it was yet another first place for the Madden series. Gears Of War managed to come in second, with NCAA Football 07 claiming the third spot.
2007 was a massive year for Guitar Hero, as the third game in the series got the top spot, and Guitar Hero 2 managed to be third. Madden NFL 08 got the second place this time around.
2008 was another great year for Harmonix (how the tables have turned) with Rock Band, the studio’s most ambitious title, claiming the top spot, and Guitar Hero: World Tour claiming the runner-up spot. Wii Fit came out in third.
And this was when Call of Duty truly began to rule the world. Modern Warfare managed to beat out the huge Wii Fit to claim the top spot, and New Super Mario Bros. Got the third spot.
Another year, another victory lap for Call of Duty, this time with Black Ops getting the top spot. Halo: Reach’s valiant efforts got it the second place, and Wii Fit Plus remained a solid seller in third place.
Let’s just talk about the second and third place, shall we? Even the massively successful The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim fell to Modern Warfare 3, and the Madden series returned to third place on the podium with Madden NFL 12.
Halo 4 is one of the most divisive entries in the series, but it came out surfing a wave of immense hype following the passing of the torch to 343 Industries. Whether or not it was deserving of the hype, Halo 4 once again managed to cling only the second place to Black Ops II’s gold. Madden NFL 13 gets the bronze medal once again.
Finally, the only series that could ever hope to beat Call Of Duty does it. Call Of Duty doesn’t fall much behind, though, as even the so-so Call Of Duty: Ghosts manages to get the second place. The Madden series goes three-for-three as Madden NFL 25: 1989 – 2014 once again gets the third spot.
Advanced Warfare saw Call Of Duty go back to its natural habitat, while the original Destiny reached the second position. Grand Theft Auto V began to hint at its amazing longevity by getting the third spot.
Guess who got the first place in 2015. Not even the highly anticipated Fallout 4 could stop Black Ops III from getting the top spot. Grand Theft Auto V stayed in a very comfortable third place.
Infinite Warfare took the first spot against Battlefield 1, a game many hoped could finally dethrone the COD series. It did not. Tom Clancy’s The Division got the third place.
In a redo of 2014, the newest iteration of Call Of Duty leaves the newest iteration of Destiny, Destiny 2, in the second place. NBA 2K comes back to the scoreboard as NBA 2K18 gets the third place.
Rockstar did it again in 2018 when Red Dead Redemption II was finally able to beat that year’s iteration of Call Of Duty, Black Ops 4. NBA 2K19 got the third place.
Everything goes back to normal in 2019, where the Modern Warfare remake claims the top spot, and NBA 2K20 and Madden NFL 20 claim the second and third places, respectively.
2020 was an even better-than-usual year for the Call Of Duty series, as it got the top spot with Cold War, and Modern Warfare stayed on the podium to take second place. NBA 2K21 got the third place.
Another year, another COD in first, another NBA (2K22) in second, and yet another COD in third, with Cold War staying for the third place.
Though Elden Ring was easily the most talked about and beloved game of 2022, the top spot went to, you guessed it, another COD game. NBA 2K23 came back to get yet another third place.
And in an absolute monkey paw-type scenario, the COD series got beaten to first place in 2023 by the absolutely vile Hogwarts Legacy. Another twist was the absence of the NBA 2K series and the resurgence of Madden, with Madden NFL 24 coming in third.
